Mental Floss

POP CULTURE

Walt Disney Pictures

If you were alive during the first half of the 1980s and lucky enough to have access to HBO, you've probably seen 'Midnight Madness' more times than you can count.

Jennifer M Wood






Gene Hackman, William Friedkin, Roy Scheider, Eddie Egan, and Randy Jurgensen in The French Connection (1971).

'The French Connection' still stands as one of the greatest films of the 1970s because of its gritty visual style, powerhouse performances, and one of the greatest car chase sequences ever put on film.

Matthew Jackson






Vince Bucci, Getty Images

The 'Magnum, P.I.' and 'Blue Bloods' actor has had a career spanning six decades. He also batted for the Detroit Tigers in 1991.

Jake Rossen


kadmy/iStock via Getty Images

Paintball has its origins in the 1970s, when two friends wanted to decide who was more equipped to deal with outdoor survival.

Jake Rossen


Children's Television Workshop/Courtesy of Getty Images

'Sesame Street' ran into problems during its first season in 1970 when a small group of Mississippi television consultants decided it was too controversial. The reason? Black cast members.

Jake Rossen








Fran Drescher, Daniel Davis, Charles Shaughnessy, and Lauren Lane star in The Nanny.

If you’ve never seen the sitcom 'The Nanny'—which starred Fran Drescher and aired on CBS from 1993 to 1999—all you need to do is listen to the theme song once and you’ll basically be caught up.

Elizabeth Yuko
Benedict Cumberbatch in Sam Mendes's 1917 (2019).

It makes sense that master filmmakers keep returning to old wars to tell new stories, as war movies have all the elements needed for a compelling tale. From medieval epics to modern thrillers, here are 25 of the best of them.

Matthew Jackson
L to R: Depeche Mode members Martin Gore, Dave Gahan, Alan Wilder, and Andrew Fletcher in Berlin in July 1984.

Few bands inspire faith and devotion like Depeche Mode. Over a career spanning four decades, the boys from Basildon, England, have redefined what electronic music can look and sound like.

Kenneth Partridge