Podcast
The Shermer High Alumni Association
Hosted by The Zabriskie Sisters · ENGLISH
Three sisters. One decade of VHS gold. And a mountain of 80s movies that may—or may not—have aged well.
Shermer High Alumni is a nostalgic rewatch podcast where Carole, Jeannine, and Kristin revisit the movies that defined their childhoods. From iconic blockbusters to forgotten video store gems, they break down what still works, what definitely doesn’t, and what made the ‘80s a weird, wonderful mess of fashion, feelings, and film.
It’s smart, irreverent, and packed with sisterly side-eye, personal stories, and brutally honest hot takes.
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Episodes
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Fire with Fire (1986)
2d ago01:33:19Tap to summarizeIt's the 40th birthday of Fire with Fire, the 1986 Paramount film that asked the age-old question: what could possibly go wrong when a juvenile delinquent and a Catholic schoolgirl fall in love in the Oregon woods? Kristin, Jeannine, and Carole rewatch this barely-remembered PG-13 romance starring Virginia Madsen and Craig Sheffer, and find a movie that plays like an after school special until it suddenly doesn't. Complete with a helicopter budget that nearly bankrupted the production, crypt sex, an extremely abrupt ending, and bacon grease that burns down a cabin in the state of Oregon. Also featuring Jean Smart in a career highlight as a very permissive nun, a Taylor Swift connection nobody asked for but everyone deserved, and one Washington Post critic who has thoughts. Did it age well?Fire with Fire 1986, Fire with Fire movie review, Virginia Madsen, Craig Sheffer, Jean Smart, 80s romance movies, 80s teen movies, Shermer High Alumni Association podcast, 80s movie rewatch podcast, Catholic schoolgirl movie, juvenile delinquent love story, Some Kind of Wonderful cast, Ophelia Taylor Swift, PG-13 80s films, Paramount 1986, did it age well, 80s nostalgia podcast, forgotten 80s movies, Captive Hearts 1986, 80s cult films
Transcribe →Midnight Madness (1980)
1w ago01:25:12Tap to summarizeIt's 1980, it's Disney, and somehow it's also completely unhinged. This week the Shermer High Alumni Association dives into Midnight Madness, the cult classic nobody reviewed, nobody released nationally, and apparently everybody loves anyway. A citywide overnight scavenger hunt, five wildly mismatched teams, zero prize money, and one very mysterious man named Leon. What could go wrong?Kristin is back from her trip and catching up on everything she missed (Short Circuit's fake Indian accent, Annie's extremely suspicious Daddy Warbucks), and then it's straight into the chaos. We've got the Dr. Pepper guy, a very young Michael J. Fox credited under the wrong name, Pee-wee Herman running a pinball parlor with a coin-dispensing gun, and a final prize that turns out to be a buffet and a plaque while the neighbors cleaned up betting on them. Classic.The ladies debate whether the Yellow team deserved to win, whether Adam is redeemable (Jeannine says no, he's still a douche), and how this movie somehow kept them more engaged than Caddyshack. Also: Roger Ebert gave it one star in 2004, the audience gives it 70%, and Kristin paid $4.08 on Amazon Prime and now owns it for eternity.Cringe? A little. Fun? Absolutely. Would they watch it again if it popped up on TV? Without question.
Transcribe →Annie (1982)
2w ago01:29:36Tap to summarizeThis week’s movie is: Annie, a movie that asks the important question: what if capitalism, child labor, and jazz hands all came together for one wildly chaotic musical? Annie follows a spirited young orphan living in New York City during the Great Depression. Stuck in a strict and often miserable orphanage run by the bitter Miss Hannigan, Annie refuses to give up hope that her parents will one day return for her. Her life takes an unexpected turn when billionaire Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks invites her to stay at his mansion for a week as part of a publicity campaign. What starts as a temporary arrangement quickly turns into something more, as Annie’s optimism begins to soften Warbucks’ tough exterior. Meanwhile, Miss Hannigan teams up with her scheming brother and his girlfriend to try and pretend to be Annie’s parents in order to collect a large reward. With plenty of music, humor, and heart, the story follows Annie as she navigates this new world, all while holding onto her belief that things will get better—no matter how hard life gets.Join us as we rewind, rewatch, and remember the decade that shaped us.
Transcribe →Short Circuit (1986)
3w ago01:00:15Tap to summarizehis week’s movie is: Short Circuit… Before A.I. was everywhere and smart devices ran our lives, there was Johnny Five—a military robot who gets struck by lightning, gains a mind of his own, and suddenly just wants one thing…“Input.”The movie kicks off when a high-tech military robot, Number 5, is struck by lightning during a power demo, causing a tactical malfunction that accidentally gives him a soul. Intrigued by "input," he wanders off-base and meets Stephanie, an animal lover who feeds him encyclopedias and TV commercials until he’s basically a walking, talking 80s pop-culture encyclopedia. The plot thickens when Number 5 realizes that "disassemble" is just a polite military word for death, leading to a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse as his nerdy creator, Newton Crosby, and a bunch of trigger-happy soldiers try to hunt him down. After learning about mortality by accidentally crushing a grasshopper, Number 5 uses his superior robotic brain to outsmart the Army in a climactic showdown, faking his own destruction with a clever decoy made of scrap metal. The film wraps up with the robot officially naming himself "Johnny 5" and escaping to a peaceful life in Montana, proving once and for all that he’s more than just a pile of wires and lasers—Johnny 5 is alive!Grab your popcorn, input some data, and get ready to malfunction with us as we rewind, rewatch, and remember the decade that shaped Number Five and all of us.
Transcribe →Caddyshack (1980)
Apr 1400:50:02Tap to summarizeThis week’s movie is: Caddyshack! A movie where the golfers are rich, the caddies are poor, the groundskeeper is at war with a gopher and no one takes golf seriously. Caddyshack is a chaotic comedy set at the exclusive Bushwood Country Club, where the wealthy members take their golf — and themselves — far too seriously. The story loosely follows young caddie Danny Noonan, who hopes to win a college scholarship from the club while navigating the outrageous behavior of its members and staff.Along the way, the club is turned upside down by the arrival of loud, free-spending newcomer Rodney Dangerfield, the laid-back antics of smooth golfer Chevy Chase, and the increasingly unhinged mission of groundskeeper Carl Spackler — played by Bill Murray — who is locked in an absurd, escalating battle with a mischievous gopher tearing up the golf course.The film blends slapstick, outrageous one-liners, and golf-course chaos into one of the most beloved comedies of the 1980s. ⛳️🐿️Join us as we rewind, rewatch, and remember the decade that shaped us.
Transcribe →Flash Gordon (1980)
Apr 701:27:25Tap to summarizeThis week’s movie is: Flash Gordon. A wild space opera packed with love, lasers, and the heroic fight against Ming the Merciless. When mysterious natural disasters begin striking Earth, a New York Jets quarterback named Flash Gordon ends up on a small plane with travel agent Dale Arden. The plane crash-lands into the laboratory of eccentric scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov, who believes the disasters are being caused by an alien ruler. To prove his theory, Zarkov launches himself—and his unwilling passengers—into space aboard a rocket. They arrive on the planet Mongo, ruled by the ruthless emperor Ming the Merciless, who has been triggering catastrophes on Earth simply for his own amusement and power. Flash quickly becomes a thorn in Ming’s side, escaping execution and rallying the various kingdoms of Mongo—such as the Hawkmen and the forest rebels—against the emperor. As Ming tries to crush the rebellion and claim Dale for himself, Flash leads a daring uprising across the planet. With the help of new allies and a lot of swashbuckling heroics, Flash fights to unite Mongo’s factions, defeat Ming, and save Earth from destruction.Join us as we rewind, rewatch, and remember the decade that shaped us.
Transcribe →The Money Pit (1986)
Mar 3100:57:46Tap to summarizeThis week's movie is The Money Pit, a movie about how home renovation makes you absolutely lose your sh!t. This is a tale about Walter and Anna, who live in a New York City apartment owned by Max, Anna's ex-husband, who suddenly decides to return to New York and subsequently kicks them out, needing a new home. They settle on buying a country estate outside the city, available at a suspiciously low price. It soon becomes apparent why, as doors fall off their hinges, staircases come tumbling down, and a bathtub falls through the floor. The couple's relationship s suffers similarly.Join us as we ask: Did this age well? Where does it rank on the Cringe Scale? Would we watch it again?
Transcribe →Fast Time at Ridgemont High (1982)
Mar 1701:07:38Tap to summarizeWe head back to 1982 with Fast Times at Ridgemont High, to revisit Stacy Hamilton, who wants a relationship, but what she gets is a crash course in the difference between sex and love, guided by the questionable romantic “wisdom” of her “experienced” friend Linda.Meanwhile, her older brother, Brad watches his “king of the school” status crumble through a series of humiliating fast food jobs and a surprise breakup. Floating through it all is Jeff Spicoli, the quintessential stoner-slacker who discovers that even his carefree surfer lifestyle must eventually answer to the iron-fisted Mr. Hand.#80spod #movierewatch #blockbustergeneration #fasttimes #fasttimesatridgemonthigh
Transcribe →Platoon (1986)
Mar 1001:07:13Tap to summarizeThis week's movie, Platoon, is about Chris Taylor (played by Charlie Sheen), who leaves his university studies to enlist in combat duty in Vietnam in 1967. Once he's on the ground in the middle of battle, his idealism fades as he fights alongside his unit. Between Staff Sergeant Barnes, played by Tom Berenger, who believes that the nearby villagers are harboring Viet Cong soldiers, and Sergeant Elias, played by William Defoe, who has a more sympathetic view of the locals, the situation ends up pitting the soldiers against each other as well as against the enemy.We also have a history expert, Tavia Harwell, joining us to give her insights on this pivotal time in our country's history. But....Where will it rank on the cringe scale?#80spod #platoon #charliesheen #80smovies #willemdafoe #johncginley
Transcribe →RAD (1986)
Mar 301:02:23Tap to summarizeNever heard of it? That's ok. To catch you up, this is the story of Cru Jones, a young man who can overcome all obstacles that prevent him from participating in the BMX race Hill Track as he works towards his dream proof falls in love with Christian, who's a girl, an amateur racer with the help of Christian who's a girl, and her friends can cruise Rad Racing team defeat the top BMX factory rider Bart Taylor.Suspenseful.Where will this rate on the cringe scale? #rad #radbmx #80srewatch #80spod
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