Mental Floss

POP CULTURE

Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin in House Party (1990).

Reginald Hudlin's 'House Party' proved to Hollywood that the growing interest in Black cinema seen in the late 1980s was no mere fad.

Faridah Gbadamosi




The Clash—Joe Strummer, Paul Simonon, Mick Jones, and Nicky 'Topper' Headon—in New York in 1978.

Rolling Stone named 'London Calling,' the landmark third album by English rockers The Clash, #1 on its list of the 100 Best Albums of the 1980s—and with good reason.

Kenneth Partridge




Elvis Presley in concert in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 27, 1977.

Elvis Presley spent a portion of his later years behaving somewhat erratically during his live performances, insulting his back-up singers and even changing lyrics to lash out at the hotel hosting him.

Jake Rossen
Timothy Dalton and Sam J. Jones in Flash Gordon (1980).

The 1980 film based on the Alex Raymond comic strip was a box office disappointment but later earned a cult following—including a fan in Queen Elizabeth II.

Jake Rossen
















Val Kilmer stars in Martha Coolidge's Real Genius (1985).

Martha Coolidge's 1985 film 'Real Genius,' starring Val Kilmer, ranked first among equals from that decade for its stellar cast, sensitive direction, and genuine-nerd bona fides.

Todd Gilchrist