Tag Archives: Movies

TRN Drive-In Podcast: Planes, Trains, & Automobiles

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Planes, Trains, & Automobiles is the defacto movie about Thanksgiving in a lot of people’s minds, and Jason (rd80s on Twitter) and I don’t really disagree. Back in our very first episode of the TRN Drive-In podcast, we decided to tackle the Thanksgiving classic in our unique review style.

Starring Steve Martin as Neal Page, John Candy as Del Griffith, and written and directed by the late great John Hughes, this 1987 film is a seasonal must-watch for many movie lovers. Mickey takes the lead for the review by supplying the facts, what-ifs, some unique award nominations, and just an all-around good time as we discuss the movie in detail. Favorite scenes, supporting actors, quotes, and even a push to #ReleaseTheHughesCut are featured during the podcast.

We asked our listeners to provide feedback on Planes Trains and Automobiles and we’ll be reading back your takes as we wrap the review.

If you like what you hear in this podcast, consider checking out all of the other movies that we’ve reviewed on the show. You can find the full podcast feed on your podcast app of choice, or you can visit the podcast page and listen online here.

Thunder Run Movie (1986)

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Here we are on a Friday night. It’s only 8 pm, but it’s already dark where I am. The weather is a little cool, and all things combined, it’s feeling like a “movie on the couch” kind of night. While browsing through the numerous streaming services we subscribe to, I was having trouble finding something I want to watch. But then a post on Instagram pointed the way for me.

In it’s entirety on YouTube is a movie from 1986 that I used to love watching with my old man when I was young. We had recorded it off of a pay channel like Cinemax or The Movie Channel at some point, and all through the late ’80s, he’d pull that tape out and pop it in the VCR to rewatch it. The movie is Thunder Run. It’s about a truck driver who gets lured out of retirement to haul a load of plutonium from Nevada to Arizona, and along the way, he has to fight off domestic terrorists who want the load. While that premise alone is a good one, it’s got the added benefit of being something like an extended episode of The A-Team.

With the job to haul the plutonium came a big payday. Our hero in this movie took a chunk of that money and bought a rig, and outfitted it with all sorts of cool weapons and such to fight off the terrorists. The whole movie is a fun, action-packed, thrill ride, and I’m going to give it another watch tonight. I thought I’d share it here too. If you haven’t seen it, I suggest carving out an hour and a half at some point and giving it a watch. It’s a great way to spend 90 minutes.

Batman Forever Trading Cards (1995)

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In this episode of Wax Pack Flashback, Adam and Jason from The Retro Network both open a pack of Fleer Batman Forever cards from 1995. This 120-card set featured promo shots and stills from the movie. Unfortunately, there were no chase cards produced with the set, but the guys find some very fun cards and share their memories of Batman Forever to kick off the video.

Wax Pack Flashback is a series that appears on TRNTV on YouTube, hosted by a rotating cast of Mickey, Jason, and Adam. See all of the various trading card opening videos on TRNTV.

Ernest Goes to Camp at the TRN Drive-In Podcast

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The Retro Network Drive-In returns just in time for Summer Camp! To celebrate the special event, some folks at The Retro Network recently screened the 1987 comedy film Ernest Goes to Camp starring Jim Varney. Join Adam (@hojukoolander), Wyatt (@infamouswb), and Jason (@RD80s) as they take a trip to Camp Kikakee to see Ernest P. Worrell help a group of delinquents and save the camp from being demolished by a nearby mining company.

You’ll hear facts you may not know about the film, box office stats, and the Drive-In awards including their favorite scenes, lines, and which supporting actor stole the show. Also don’t miss the intermission as they discuss which prop would go back and steal from the set.

Subscribe to TRN Drive-In for even more movie reviews including National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dick Tracy, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. If you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, they’d appreciate your 5-star review to help spread the word about the show!

TV Guide’s Coverage of The Day After From 1983

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The Day After was an American television film that first aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC television network. More than 100 million people, in nearly 39 million households, watched the program during its initial broadcast. With a 46 rating and a 62% share of the viewing audience during its initial broadcast, it was the seventh-highest-rated non-sports show up to that time and set a record as the highest-rated television film in history.

The movie depicted a fictional war between the NATO forces and the Warsaw Pact countries that rapidly escalates into a full-scale nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union. The action itself focuses on the residents of Lawrence, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, and of several family farms near nuclear missile silos.

Below are scans of TV Guide’s coverage of the movie the week it aired on television. Enjoy.

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