Episode Transcript
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(00:04):
This is a special bonus episode of the 80s Flick Flashback
Podcast. In 1984, amid fears of nuclear
(00:33):
war and a complex relationship with consumerism, teen focused
films thrived. This often forgotten 80s flick
stands out as a darker entry, blending themes like
consumerism, alien threats, mutation and sinister
scientists. The film follows two sisters who
survive a comet induced apocalypse that turns most
(00:53):
people to dust and others into zombies.
After realizing they might be among the few survivors, they
venture into the city, meet a fellow survivor, and discover
that survival in a post apocalyptic world is far from
safe. So grab your handy Mac 10
submachine gun, hop on the motorcycle, and remember that we
don't cross against the light. As the lead actress of the film,
(01:14):
Catherine, Mary Stewart joins Chris Adams and I to discuss the
Night of the Comet from 1984 on this special bonus episode of
the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast.Did you ever wonder what it
would be like to be one of the last people on earth?
(01:37):
What would you see? There's nobody.
I mean, there's nobody. What would you do?
Hey, I'm sorry if the end of theworld makes me a little nervous.
Where would you go? The stars are happened.
We'll get ready to find out because the comet is coming.
Into your orbit. The legal drinking age is now
tense, but you will need ID. Let's be real.
(02:02):
It's the might of the comet will.
You get me if I come back. Texas Night of the Comet I'm.
Taking request from my teenage comet zombies.
The night the teenagers ruled the world.
Night of the Comet. I'm Tim Williams, the mastermind
(02:32):
behind the mic at the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast.
Joining me on each epic episode is a guest Co host who's as
crazy about 80s flicks as they are about wearing parachute
pants and solving Rubik's Cubes.We're diving into nostalgic
treasures. We saw the local theater rented
on VHS tapes were discovered on cable TV from blockbusters that
(02:54):
Make You Say I. Feel the need.
The need? To hidden gems that'll have you
screaming. It's a blast to relive these old
memories and share our thoughts and what made these movies so
special. We reminisce about our first
time watch experiences, share our favorite scenes, and even
(03:17):
discover fascinating behind the scenes tales about the cast and
crew along the way. Haven't hit that subscribe
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Come. On.
Do it. On Apple Podcast, Spotify, or
your favorite podcast platform. And hey, while you're at it, be
a pal and drop us a written review along with a 5 star
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(03:38):
Esportos, motorheads, geek sluts, bloods, waste toys,
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They think he's a righteous dude.
Take a day off and come hang outwith us on social media.
Just search 80s Flick Flashback on Facebook, Instagram and
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(03:59):
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I didn't know you did anything creative.
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Become a supporter on buymeacoffee.com for only $5.00
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There is no try. Click the link in our episode
show notes, and while you're there, soak up the extra trivia
(04:19):
and fun stuff that didn't make it into today's show.
Thanks again for tuning in. Now let's get right into today's
episode. Welcome.
To the party, pal. Welcome in everybody.
Thank you so much for joining usfor this very special bonus
episode of the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast.
A few weeks ago, Chris Adams from Retro Life for You podcast
(04:41):
reached out to let me know that he would be having 80s actress
and frequent guest of his show Katherine Mary Stewart on his
podcast to discuss her 1984 sci-fi horror flick Night of the
Comet. So Chris invited me to join on
his episode and Catherine was sogracious and lovely during the
recording. So this episode is actually an
abbreviated version of the RetroLife for You podcast episode.
(05:04):
You can listen to the full episode over on his podcast, so
go check it out as well. All right, without further
delay, here's Chris Adams, Catherine Mary Stewart and I
discussing Night of the comet. Enjoy everybody this.
Time we're doing Night of the Comet.
This is part of our scary month of October for horror movies and
(05:25):
Night of the Comet is a great classic movie out there that a
lot of people love to this stage.
I watched it just again last night.
I wanted to just make sure I refresh my memory and it does
not get old watching. It's got this thing about it to
where it's yes, it's it's supposed to be like a horror
movie, but it's also like it it it feels part sci-fi in a way,
although there's no aliens or anything.
(05:46):
But I mean, it just feels part sci-fi, part horror.
There's some humor to it. I feel like it crosses a lot of
genres, don't you? I mean, it's, it's very tongue
in cheek in a way. It's very sort of 80s valley
girl kind of a thing. But it's got, you know, it's got
the horror with the the zombies.But it's interesting because I
(06:08):
was talking to somebody about zombie movies and you know, when
you think of it, there are only like two or three real zombies
in the in the movie. You know, the first one that I
fight in the alley and then the little kid that's facing Hector
around. I mean, as opposed to these
(06:29):
zombie movies where there's millions of them just falling
over each other. And so it's so, but it had that
element and then it had some sci-fi because it's a comet and
but it had the newer as well. I mean, I, I love that I kind of
unique that way. Yeah, I think the back half
feels more sci-fi because of thegovernment agency that's trying
(06:53):
to like to capture them and testthem and all that kind of stuff.
So that that to me gave him where that sci-fi kind of
element with the, you know, the the wicked government trying to
do experiments on humans, so or and zombies or whatever.
So. But you know what though?
You know what if you'd gotten Oozies instead of Mac 10s?
That government people right now, he got you.
(07:14):
Hello Dad would have got us Uzies.
Right, exactly. I don't know.
I don't know what the hell what he's thinking.
OK, I'll tell you the story. Oh, we we, we love stories.
OK, excellent. So Tom Everhart, the director
writer who wanted Uzies originally, and the producers
(07:35):
were like, yeah, no, no, those are too expensive.
We're just going to do these Mac10 things.
And so flashback to the beginning of the movie.
You see a picture of Sam and Regand our dad, the Green Beret.
I don't know if you remember that.
Yeah, Dad is Tom Eberhardt. Really.
(07:57):
That's. Hilarious.
I was going to ask you about y'all's pictures.
Were those like younger now because you look younger in
those pictures versus what you did in the movie to me or those
were those supposed to be like current pictures or was it maybe
a couple of? Years ago, I think they were
supposed to be current. I mean, Kelly and I, that's
another story. I'll get to that story too, but
let me finish this one because it's pretty funny.
(08:19):
So the the Mac tents kept jamming and jamming and jamming
and that wasn't intentional. And finally, when we were doing
that thing, shooting the car andit was jamming over and over
again, Tom said to Kelly, just say Daddy would have got his
oozies. It was kind of like because he
he was daddy in the picture and it was kind of a jab at the
producers. And so that wasn't in the script
(08:42):
originally, but Tom gave gave Kelly that line and I said,
well, the car didn't notice notice the difference or
whatever I said. But that whole scenario was
pretty much AB limp. But yeah.
And then I forget what we were talking about.
The other thing you were mentioning.
The pictures. Oh, the pictures.
I, I didn't, I couldn't tell. Maybe you were a couple years
(09:03):
younger the picture like it was supposed to be older pictures or
was it more of a current thing that was and you maybe you were
just, you know, maybe going differently or something.
Well, we we actually took those pictures after Kelly and I
hadn't even met each other. She auditioned with somebody
else and I auditioned with somebody else.
And when we found out, we then we found out that we got the
(09:27):
rolls and they said gun down to the studio.
We just want to do some photos for props on the thing.
So it was before we started shooting, but just after we
realized we got the job. I think my hair's a little
longer. I must have got a haircut or
something like that. When I look at it looks like my
hair is longer. But no, I mean, I don't think it
(09:50):
was intentionally, you know, to make us look younger.
It could have just been me. Yeah, honestly, it could have
just been me when I watched it because it's just one of the
scenes where you glimpse at it and you go to the next scene and
it's like, it's not like I rewound back and looked again to
say what? Wait a second, those older
pictures. Because no, it was.
I would have done that. I.
Mean all of these movies have been sort of referenced, you
(10:12):
know, whoever's involved with them or involved with, you know,
directing or whatever, who have been a fan of these movies from
the 80s, you know, they'll, they'll try to plug something.
Yeah. Yeah, that's what's cool about
the the people that are coming up now.
I mean, of course they're they're maybe not the 80s kids
like we were, but they were still influenced by that,
(10:32):
whether their parents showed it to them or they discovered it
themselves. And you see all those nods to
the 80s that we catch because welived it.
And like the younger generation kind of goes over their head.
But you can see, oh, they're definitely influenced by this.
And you can see that, you know, like a movie like Night of the
Comet, which, you know, a lot ofpeople have kind of forgotten,
but still a cult favorite that could to be in The Walking Dead
(10:54):
is a huge in a huge homage and just just a good honor for you
guys to say like, hey, you know,we made this movie and maybe it
didn't do as great as we thoughtit was going to, but it still
has. Still acknowledged Yeah, impact
now, like with The Walking Dead,be.
Successful without the comment of.
Course not right, like Buffy theVampire Slayer, the Buffy was
(11:19):
inspired by Sam's character, butI think they say they say that
there's a little bit of both of us in there.
But you know, she was a cheerleader and all that type of
physically. I think it more more her, but
maybe not as sort of goofy or whatever.
Maybe there's a little more toughness, which I think is my
character more at any rate. Yeah, it's, it's that's one of
(11:41):
the amazing things about these these little movies that you did
so long ago is that they do still have some sort of an
impact, you know, and and that the the fans are so dedicated
and die hard. It's it's really kind of cool
trying to get their kids who areused to, you know, all the
Marvel movies and all the special effects, trying to get
(12:04):
them to appreciate. I mean that's a tough, that's a
tough task, But I, I mean, sometimes they get to them.
The difference is, I think is that the characters, if, if you
sort of, you know, kind of ignore all those, that the
special effects aren't as sophisticated and all that other
stuff, but you actually watch itfor the story arc and the
(12:25):
characters that are relatable onsome level.
I they're, they're different that way, you know, and I think
they do have sort of a, a more, more in longer lasting impact
kind of a thing because the kidsthat watch them sort of they,
they, they, they, they feel likethey, they could possibly be
(12:47):
those characters. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
So what? I got a question.
So what drew you tonight of the comment?
Was it something that you pursued or did they reach out to
you or you Just like how did you, how did it come across, you
know your path. Yeah, well, I had just done The
Last Starfighter, so that kind of, you know, put me sort of on
(13:12):
the map in Hollywood. So I think they brought me in
thinking I was right. Well, though the two characters
are very different, but you know, it was you sort of skipped
a lot of steps when you kind of you sort of made him somewhat of
a mark as an actor. So for instance, like the, the
(13:35):
casting person meeting me for the first time or something like
that. I think my the audition, I did
audition for it. I Kelly actually has a great
story about how he read the script and all this, all this.
I don't remember exactly. I think I liked the character
(13:56):
Regina because it was sort of a departure for me.
I was I, I always kind of playedthe girl next door.
That was what I was that they tended to cast me as.
And so this was kind of a departure.
So I like that element of it, but I like I said, I skipped the
first maybe few steps of auditioning and you know, I
(14:18):
think maybe I have one or two auditions.
The second one was paired with somebody and then they offered
it to me. So that was kind of great.
You know, I mean, but like I said, I mean, the character
really appealed to me. It it also, it was kind of like
more me really. It's I sort of have the
(14:40):
physicality of the girl next door, but mentally not so much.
So this was super fun for me to do.
I think what it was to him was her previous boyfriend was a
game player, a gamer, and they needed somebody who could come
into this movie and be a gamer herself and.
That's right, I learned everything from from Alex.
(15:01):
So they so they brought mags in to play some Tempest and changed
her name and. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that was
fun. And you know, it's so funny how
that you know that these games and at the time you're when
you're working and you're sort of doing one thing after another
that there happens to be these games in both the movies.
And, and it's it's so funny because I don't, you don't
(15:24):
really think about these things until you look back years later
and go, Oh yeah, that's, that's right.
Because they're so such different movies also.
But Oh, yeah, yeah, but, but, but video games are stopping.
That was such a huge thing then.So that's common.
How many arcades do you see in 80s movies?
Like that was the place to hang out and the things that kids are
into. So, I mean, myself included.
(15:44):
But yeah, I was going to say definitely see a departure for
the role because you definitely have an edge in this movie that
you don't really see in the other role.
I mean, the other roles are great.
You've done you do great. But this one, I think you get it
stands out in your filmography as one where it's like, and you
got a little bit of attitude. You know, you're more
rebellious. You've got a little bit of a,
you know, tough streak. But you know, you also have
that, you know, the, the, of course, the 80s montage where
(16:07):
you're all trying on the different outfits and.
You know. Kind of have that, you know,
there's like she's. Still unapologetically a teenage
girl, right? Exactly so.
You know, and I think the line and there's like, you know,
where were two teenage girls go?They're going to the mall, you
know, like that's. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
The stores are open, yeah. Get whatever you want.
Don't need that credit card. Right.
Right, Exactly, exactly. And now these messages.
(16:37):
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on the other side of the page. You mentioned Christmas time.
(18:51):
I told Tim earlier, said, you know, next time I have an
argument with somebody about DieHard, I'm with the Night of the
Comedy and with it too. Night of the Comet was at
Christmas. The guy had A at one point.
Dude had a Christmas suit on. Yes, he's the kind of Santa
Claus. Yeah, yeah.
But that's the Christmas suit. I'm sorry, I'm in Santa Claus
suit. Santa trip, you know, that
(19:12):
covers a lot of ground on Christmas soup, but I mean,
specifically it was yeah. And, and when they, they sort of
go through the city or whatever,it's, it's California, but you,
you see a lot of Christmas decorations and things like
that. And there's a Christmas.
Song that plays in the beginningtoo, I think.
Yeah. Yeah, and again, we shot it
(19:33):
around that time anyway. But in LA there's no, it
doesn't. It's so weird being in LA for
Christmas because there's it's not cold, obviously.
And it's just, yeah, I, I feel sorry for the Santa Clauses
because they must be, really. I'm sure.
Yeah, we were. I was in.
I did a trip to Hawaii the end of November.
(19:55):
We were flying back to the States.
And in the airport they were playing Christmas music.
And you're like, it's 80, you know, 85°.
Everybody's in shorts and tank tops.
And it's like this just doesn't feel right.
Or you're driving on the street,you see inflatable snowmen and
palm trees. It's like this is I don't you.
Know. Christmas in Hawaii seems a
little odd to me, but yeah, theythey make it work.
(20:17):
Where are you, Tim? Where?
Are you right now I'm outside ofAtlanta, so I'm I'm SE well.
You're you're in the South. I mean, it doesn't snow a lot,
does it? No.
No. No, we get more ice here than
snow. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, Where are you, Chris?
Are you? You're not at.
The are you? No, I'm just outside of
Nashville. OK, All right.
Nice. God, I love that part of the
(20:39):
country. It's beautiful.
What all do you remember about the crew that you worked with
is? I mean not the crew of the movie
but the the other actors you worked with, What all do you
remember about them? I know you talk about Kelly a
lot, y'all been to a lot of the cons together and stuff but what
about like. You're still really good
friends. Robert Beltran.
Yeah, he was. He was so sweet, you know, he,
(20:59):
he, I think he hesitated with this movie, from what I
understand. I don't know.
But I've heard that he, Kelly, is the one who knows all these
junk. It's so funny.
I just kind of like, show up. I do my staying and I leave.
And she was like, he was really close with the producers, and
she was watching the dailies andall that stuff.
But she. So she had a little inside
(21:20):
track, I think. But apparently he was like,
yeah. But then Mary Warnock did it and
they had worked together a few times.
So I think that was part of the reason he decided to to be on
the show. I wouldn't be surprised if he
was like paid the most as well, because also he was much more
(21:40):
established than we were. He was really, really sweet and
very, I always say his his voicewas like butter, you know, he
was very and I was the sister that got to like Clirk with him
a little bit. So that that was super fun.
He was great, a lovely guy, really fun.
(22:03):
I know him and Sharon Farrell before this movie started.
Well, it didn't star exactly. They were Co stars or they were
actors in the Lone Wolf McQuaid movie that Chuck Norris had
done. That's my favorite Chuck Norris
movie. But just before this was filmed,
they were. They were in that together.
OK. Do you recall anybody who you
competed with for the role of Reggie?
(22:23):
I don't, I don't know who else they saw.
I don't know who Kelly read with, but I know that she was
more physically similar, like she was blonde and all that
other stuff, but I don't I don'tknow who it was at all.
I know, Heather Langenkamp read for the role of Samantha, I
think. Right.
(22:44):
She and I read together because she had sort of darker hair and
we were more physically similar.So she read with, I read with
Heather and Kelly read with someone else.
And yeah, they, they ended up putting us together.
We were not, we don't look exactly alike, but I think it
worked out OK, you know? Y'all had great chemistry
(23:05):
together, which I think really, you know, helped a lot.
So that that of course you're playing sister, so there's going
to be that little friction, but it's still, it worked.
You know, they, you know, they don't get along all the time,
but you can tell that you love each other and that was, there
was camaraderie there. So it definitely, definitely
came across. That whole the stores are open
thing, that was not a little maternal, you know, I'm the
older sister. I'm trying to make her feel
(23:27):
better about, you know what she was talking.
She was talking about one boy that she had a crush on.
I guess she's not going to be able to see him anymore.
All this other stuff. So yeah, we had, we did.
We had a good relationship and we still there.
We're still really good friends.I just saw her a couple of weeks
ago. Very cool we had a con together
or? No, I was in LA.
(23:50):
We there were two screenings of the Last Starfighter at this
sort of iconic little independent theater called
Lemley's in LA. And Lancecast is a good friend
with one of the Lemley's, and they screamed The Last
Starfighter. So there were two screenings of
that. So I was there for about a week,
(24:11):
stayed at Lance's house, which is bright.
I'm heading there again. There's another.
I'm not mistaken. So where you were when we tried
to do that at the show, I think you were there for that
screening. That's exactly right.
That's exactly right. And I blame Lance's house for
our. He might be the Last
Starfighter, but his Internet was terrible.
Just tell him I said so that's OK.
(24:34):
Come on. Joining us in the 21st century,
Beth. Rick would not be happy with
this. Another character that I've
actually reconnected with is Ivan Roth, who played Willie the
Box Boy. You know, the guy who looks
into, I guess he could be officially as hobby too when he
(24:57):
comes with his buddies and shoots us up in the mall and
stuff like that. He's such a great guy.
He's so funny. He's been to 1 convention with
us, but you know, he's just not as big a role.
But he's such a character and he's so much fun to talk to.
Like he does a great interview kind of a thing about how he
(25:20):
came up with the voice and all this other stuff.
Just the whole process. Really good guy, lives in Los,
lives in Los Angeles, and I try to see him when I'm there too.
Yeah. And so there were so many great
actors and. And, you know, Michael Bowen,
for instance, I mean, he's done a ton of stuff.
(25:41):
Jeffrey Lewis just. Just he's one of my.
Favorite love him, worked with him a couple of times in
different things I just love him.
I just, I just love looking at him.
He has those eyes, those blue eyes.
That was such a that was one of my favorite scenes, aside from
(26:02):
the beating the zombie and the beating up the zombie in the
lane. Yeah, Ali, that that that scene
with him just alone in that room, that was so much fun.
We need to add some extra credits in the movie with your
name on it. We need to put stunt woman on
there too, so it's like. Hello.
All except for driving a motorcycle down the road.
(26:23):
I believe you did most of your stunts at that point, right?
Oh yeah, we, we did everything we had to.
So, yeah, you know, I, I before I was an actor, I was a dancer,
so I was pretty physically fit and flexible and all that other
stuff. So and, and the guy who played
the zombie who I had to fight with, he was a stunt guy.
So I trusted him. I knew he wasn't going to hurt
(26:46):
me. I was fine.
So I just put everything into that and it was super fun.
And, you know, they, they trained us on the Mac 10s.
We had to learn how to shoot them properly.
And that was interesting, going to the shooting range and
learning the things you do and you don't do, because it doesn't
happen often, but every decade or so somebody gets either
(27:08):
killed or seriously injured by aweapon on a set.
And you just, they're, they're deadly weapons.
And even though they're supposedto only have blanks, you can't
be more careful. Yeah, even even with the blanks.
Even with blanks and the gun, I think the guy's name was John
Eric Hexham from television years ago.
(27:30):
He he kind of proved that point,unfortunately, that you can't
really play around with a gun with blanks in it because
they're definitely. It would be a little bit of
lead, I guess. It was just a little bit of lead
left in there and there's something.
Whatever. Yeah, it.
But there's even, you know, an explosion.
I mean, there could be explosions.
So if you're from what I I remember that very clearly that
(27:53):
event and I think he was playingaround and he put it up to his
he. Was he was playing a prank on
his cast mates and they put up nearest temple and not thinking
I guess or not? No one understanding maybe or
something I don't know. Yeah, you just, you just cannot
be careful. And of course, the whole Alec
Baldwin thing. Yeah, yeah, still.
(28:13):
Incredible tragedy, Such an incredible tragedy.
When you guys made this movie and I was reading that Mary as a
Warnos. Warnos.
Warnos She said that she doubtedthe film would have any
longevity to it. It felt more like a fad movie
then a cult classic. I mean, it's hard to tell at the
(28:34):
time when you do something wheresomething's going to go.
But this was like a couple of years after the fact of filming.
And I don't really know where itwas at that point in time.
And and in your opinion, maybe thinking back even around that
time of 8687, do you think that did you ever think that movie
may carry on forward and be something like that, like a cult
(28:54):
classic in a sense? Or was it just, you know, one
and done? It's done with.
It's gone. Yeah.
No, I, I not even a little. I mean, when it opened up in
theaters, it left very, very quickly.
What saved it was VHS, You know,it became it, it really found
its footing with VHS and some stories that I hear.
(29:17):
It's so, these conventions are so much fun because you, you,
you, you hear the people, the, the audiences experience
experiences and they're all so varied and so interesting.
But most of them, especially with the, the people that are a
little bit older, they would watch this movie over and over
(29:42):
again in the VFS machine and, and sometimes it would be like
the babysitter after school or something like that.
And it was a kind of movie that parents were OK with their kids
seeing. You know, it, it's, it really, I
feel like this is the same with the Last Starfighter.
It's it's sort of that in between stage between like Walt
(30:02):
Disney movies and then adult movies.
It's it's it's it's right. It's sort of in that cuff you.
Know yeah, yeah yeah that was that was the cusp of PG13 where
it was starting to stretch that boundaries between what's you
know, a quote UN quote family film and what's a little bit
more adult where you're trying to appeal to both at the same
(30:24):
time and finding that balance. And so yeah but yeah you're
thinking about like this is one night of the comments not one
that I saw as a kid so I'll be the first to say I was this was
new to me a couple years ago. A good friend of mine podcaster
Jerry D he does a Christmas podcast and so of course this is
set at Christmas. So this is one that he told me
about. I did a series on TikTok when I
(30:44):
first started called forgotten 80s flicks where I would just
start talking about movies that I remember seeing as a kid that
aren't on like the big top ten list of 80s movies.
And so when I started putting onTikTok, people would flood me
with all these hey, have you seen this have you seen this?
And I found out like like this is one how I found out about
night of the comet. But Last Starfighter is one that
of course I loved as a kid. And kind of my fun story, if you
(31:06):
don't want me sharing, is I remember seeing it all VHS.
And then I think when I was in 6th grade, it was the end of the
year. And like if you're on the AB
Honor Club, honor roll, whatever.
We had like a special critical special treat in the cafeteria.
So I'm going to thinking it's going to be a pizza party.
No big deal. You know, we'll have a little
bit of fun. We walk in, they've got all the
chairs like and popcorn machinesand they had a screen.
(31:30):
They had an actual reel to reel copy of The Last Starfighter.
And we got to watch it in the cafeteria that afternoon.
And I was so excited because of all my friends, I was the only
one that had seen it before. It's like you guys are going to
love this movie. It's so awesome.
And so that's one of my fond memories as a kid of like
watching the Last Starfighter atschool on a, on a, on like a big
screen in the school was like, it blew my mind.
(31:52):
Like I have a theater in my school was so cool.
And just watching that movie andit's so it's it's been it's one
of my favorites. I love it so much.
So I'm glad I got to share that story with you.
I love that story. I I love your school.
I don't know who was responsiblefor that, but they have really
good taste. Yes, yes.
That's super awesome. I love that, Yeah.
(32:15):
I, I, I can't say we ever got Last Starfighter, but they did
it for us to the cafeteria during test times at the end of
the year, you know, for people who to stay at school and can
leave early. You had movies to watch, right?
So unfortunately Last Starfighter was on with them,
but I've probably seen Last Starfighter at that point
probably 100 times anyway, so. Yeah, it's, it's so interesting,
(32:35):
you know, how sometimes movies that aren't this huge mega
success in a theater are just very, very successful behind the
scenes. And you don't hear about it and,
you know, everybody's like, can we please have a sequel?
And we need a sequel to The LastStarfighter.
I mean, even with Night of the Comet, at one point Kelly was
(32:56):
trying to get the rights to do Night of the Comet and, and to
make a sequel. There's been talk back and forth
about stuff. There was even talk about making
a series or, and all this other stuff.
I'm still in touch with Tom Everhart.
He now he owns the property again, but so there's been
(33:18):
different ideas about what to dowith it next.
But The Last Starfighters, the classic one where it ends, where
of course there should be a sequel.
Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
I remember I. Remember telling you and Nance
before the day it would be greatwould be having like a Netflix
series or an Amazon series basedon it.
You know that would be if you guys working for a little while
(33:39):
and that. Would be nice.
That would be nice though, because we're getting old.
I'm just saying keep you guys working for a while.
Be a great story. I think, I think even I think
even the people today who are the younger people who don't,
who might not have watched it when they came out, would see a
series like that and see like a sci-fi type series and take to
(34:00):
it and like it. And then you can make a very
good story out of it. And.
Now. These messages.
What's up dudes? I'm Jerry D of Totally Rad
Christmas, the podcast that talks all things Christmas in
the 80s. Toys, movies, specials, music,
books, fashion and fads. If it was gnarly during
Christmas in the 80s, he's got it covered.
(34:21):
Wait, is there a lot of things to talk about for the 80s and
Christmas? Well, you got the movie giants
like Christmas Vacation, Scrooged and A Christmas Story.
There are TV specials like Muppet Family Christmas,
Claymation Christmas Celebrationand a Garfield Christmas
Special. Plus classic shown every year.
He also jam out to last Christmas.
Do they know it's Christmas and Christmas and Hollis?
But most of all, it was a time for the most bodacious, best
(34:43):
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We cover them all plus much more, including standard
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(35:06):
Later dudes, what seems to be the problem?
Pal, there's so much pain in theworld, so many issues, I don't
think I can bear it. Hell friendo, it sounds like you
could use a dose of pop culture roulette.
Pop culture roulette? What's that?
Some sort of pop culture theme podcast or something?
(35:29):
That's right, sunny boy, when hope seems far, dive into some
PCR. But I already get my
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That's the spirit pop culture roulette new episodes every
(35:52):
Monday available on all major podcast directories.
You're pushing the button for the crosswalk and you're waiting
for the light and, and Samantha,like, what are you doing?
You're like, we don't cross against the light.
You know, we're we're, we're remaking the world or something.
(36:13):
And. That's right, the entire
civilization depends on us. Or whatever I say.
So you couldn't you couldn't cross against the light, but it
was OK to play football in the middle of the highway in the.
Middle of the street, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I thought that was. I don't know.
Yeah, it. Was fun.
So I mean I I I don't remember if it ever said in the movie or
(36:33):
not. Did they ever make mention of
survivors in other cities? Not specifically, I think at one
point they thought there was somebody else, but maybe, oh,
maybe it was the scientists thatwere buried underground or
whatever. Or, or was it the scientists who
heard the girls? I think that was it.
But they didn't get into like the rest of the country or
(36:56):
anything like that. Yeah, Yeah, from what I
remember. I think you if you were going to
do like a sequel or something, it would be basically exploring
who all survived across the country and bringing the people
together somehow. Kind of like a what The Stand
did in the book, the standard TVwe have from all across the
country. They're drawn together somehow
to 1 central. Location and all these
(37:16):
different, different characters.You could do a lot with that.
That's kind of. That's kind of The Walking Dead
too, right? Because they were they, they
were all. They're always traveling from
one city to the other, trying tofind.
Right, but nothing was drawing them in though.
I mean, it's not like something was drawing.
They were just trying to find some place safe to be and like
in, in, in the stand, something was drawing them in their
(37:37):
dreams. Like Mother Abigail, I think her
name was drawing them in their dreams to a certain location and
they just knew to go there or something.
But maybe nothing that extreme, but something just they feel
like they got to go this one place and everybody's being
drawn together locally. And now everybody now, now
you're rebuilding or something. You know this is right.
Right, right, of course. But I'm sure that'd be a lot
(37:58):
more deeper than that. It'd have to be.
And I think that's a, that's a great idea.
You know, I mean, it's like there's so many things you could
do with it. We could call it Teenage Mutant
Comet Zombies 2. Yeah, that's right.
That was the original title is the Comet Zombies, right?
(38:19):
Teenage Comet Zombies. Yeah, Teenage comet Zombies,
which I, I think was mentioned in the movie at one point.
I think Kelly's character has. She says it at one point in the
movie on the radio station. Right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right.
Yeah. She got all the good lines.
Right. Yeah, she got the iconic lines.
Although I did like we do not cross against the light.
(38:41):
Do you do you have a favorite part of this movie that that you
remember that was your, you know, your favorite thing to
film in it? Or is it?
I have a feeling it's part of the zombie but.
Well, yeah, I mean, that was really fun.
It was just super fun to do thatwhole sequence.
So many things that the whole scene with Michael Bowen, you
know, in the in the film booth. Yeah.
(39:05):
I even like, you know, people say at the end of the movie when
I'm wearing that really yucky dress.
Very 80s dress, yeah. It was very 80s and very, I
mean, I, I, I chose that becauseI wanted to be, I am not like
Kelly's wearing yo a bathing suit and she's got the little
(39:27):
Hawaiian thing on and the sunglasses And I, my character
is completely the opposite because I'm taking this, you
know, we're the last people on earth thing very seriously.
And I am going to be the button up matriarch kind of thing.
And and some people say, why would you wear such an ugly
dress? Really.
Well, because that is Reggie, you know, trying to be this
(39:53):
completely the opposite of what she was before that my
responsibility now is to be likea.
I don't know, an old English matriarch or something.
That was a fun, that was also really super fun to shoot
because it was kind of a departure from how the character
had been throughout the movie. There's so many like the, like
(40:16):
I, I said, the, the, the this scene, you know, talking to the
guy about you, you have, you have whatever disease.
It was all that stuff down in the underground and pulling tags
off my newly bought clothes or not bought my newly acquired
clothes from the That was super fun.
(40:39):
I mean, the mall thing was fun. The drag about a lot of the
scenes where they were shot at night and night shooting is for
me just a night nightmare because you it just throws your
body off so bad. But that we shot all that stuff,
the whole mall sequence we shot in that one night.
(41:01):
So that was kind of challenging,but we had a lot of fun doing
it. You know, we weren't even sure
what the music was going to be at that point.
So, and then, you know, Kelly and I were sort of outliving a
bunch of stuff and running up and down the stairs, and that
was fun. It's just kind of a fun thing to
(41:21):
shoot. It was a lot of work and a lot
of weird hours, but we're kind of all in it together.
And you know, it's such a goofy concept that you just got to
enjoy yourself. Yeah, so that was one of my
questions. Like how was this one different
than the other movies you filmedaround the same time?
I know, I guess they're all verydifferent.
I mean, from Last Starfighter toMischief Weekend at Bernie's out
(41:45):
of the comment. Like I know they were all
different, but what what do you I I want to ask you which one
did you like better? Because I'm sure they all had
pros and cons, but what really set this one apart from the
others that makes it stand out? What are you more close knit?
Does the the night shoots or but?
Yeah. Well, I think that it was, like
(42:05):
I said, sort of we were all in it together.
It was sort of a smaller group of people just kind of doing
what we had to do. Nobody was put on a pedestal.
We were just sort of having fun and and Tom Everhart was great.
(42:27):
He it was interesting because I,I think there was a lot of stuff
going on behind the scenes that I wasn't aware of in terms of
like the producers wanted to make a horror movie and Tom was
like, yeah, it's not really a traditional horror movie.
It's yeah, there's some scary bits in it, but it he really
wanted to have that kind of comical element in there.
(42:49):
I mean, he did his research for this was he talked to these
teenage girls about what they would do if it was the end of
the world, You know, and in traditional apocalyptic movies,
everybody's freaking out of there, drinking or taking drugs
or something to none or just so scared.
(43:12):
And the girls, he was, I think, surprised by the reaction, which
was what? No parents.
Excellent. And I think that's where we got
the idea, you know, Well, we would hit the malls.
We would just, you know, put on whatever we wanted to put on.
There was not this whole kind ofclassical story of, oh, we were
(43:36):
helpless and we wouldn't know what to do.
It was like, this is fantastic, you know, so that you know,
yeah, you can make it super scary and everything.
And we did shoot some scenes where we responded to certain
scenes like discount and other. And then in other ways we would
(43:57):
do more sort of tongue in cheek and more the way that envisioned
it to be. So it it was, it was a it like I
said, it was small. It was small group of people.
It was sort of more guerrilla filmmaking.
We all knew that there was no money and we were just all, but
there was some very, very talented people involved in it.
(44:18):
So I think that made a huge difference.
Yeah, sometimes you have more fun and there's limitations
because you have to be more creative.
And like I, I read about the scene with like Sam, there's a
scene of her going to the elevator that that like, wasn't
her. It was like a costume designer
that wore tennis shoes and like he got praised for like what a
great shot to not show her full body with just her feet.
And it's like, well, that just because we ran out of money and
(44:40):
we we got to go back and do. Her shoot?
She wasn't available. So we made this happen and it's
like that's, that's the beauty of that kind of filmmaking when
it's small where it's like you got to make it happen.
You come up with a creative way to tell the story that goes
outside of the perimeters what somebody else would have done if
they had full budget to do it. So.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, yeah, I mean, we were
(45:01):
talking about budgets earlier and there's just so insane, you
know, $200 million. Yeah.
A lot of that is it goes to the actors because if you look at
these movies and who, who the lead, you know, Tom Cruise is a
classic example, but most of thebudget is going to this guy,
which is sort of sad I feel likebecause because, well, he he
(45:26):
needs another $100 million. Of course he can't use an extra
100 million lane round. But you know, it's yeah.
So it's these movies with the these big actors, such a huge
chunk of the the budget goes to them, which is also the drag for
(45:46):
somebody like me is that, you know, the lesser characters.
I'm when I work and I, I'm stillworking, I get paid less than I
was paid back in the 80s. You get, you get the minimum
wage that there are, are union allows.
And then sometimes they'll add on 10% for you to give to your
(46:06):
agent. And, and, and that happens in
these giant movies too. Scale plus 10.
I mean, I, I would, I can't guarantee it because I haven't
been in one of these movies, butthe budget goes to the actors
and then everybody else gets scale plus 10.
And, and I think it's criminal. Yeah.
(46:28):
Tim, do you have anything else that you want to ask?
No, it was a pleasure to meet you and and to get to have this
conversation. Just thank you.
It's a great movie. It's good to see.
I was, I was gonna make a mention about this being, I
guess after Terminator with likeLinda Hamilton being like the
the aliens. Sigourney Weaver, you've got
you. Know.
Linda Hamilton and you've got Katherine Mary Stewart as the
(46:50):
the heroine you. Know the girl.
Sisters. Yeah, exactly.
So it was, I mean, like I said, because I didn't see it at the
time, but going back and watching it out, like how one of
the groundbreaking movies of the80s to put the women in the
forefront as being the heroes. You know, Hector's great, but
he's not, you know, they he doesn't and come to save you
guys when you all kind of work together as a team and you kind
(47:13):
of save him in certain certain certain aspects.
So just, you know, a great movie.
I wish I wish more people knew about it and were were watching
it. So hope this gives more exposure
to that. But just it was wonderful.
Talking to you. Thanks for thanks for letting me
be that means a lot. Thank you very much At
conventions, a lot of women comeup and say, you know you it was
(47:33):
empowering seeing to women beingable to actually take care of
themselves. What you know and and and guys
like it too. I always feel like I'm talking
what's that cereal and I no, no,no, no, what is it?
Oh, and it doesn't matter, but guys like it too, is the point
is that it there, there's this sort of, I feel like this
(47:56):
general mentality about how, youknow, you can't make women
strong because it intimidates guys or something like that.
But no, they it makes me crazy, that sort of thing.
What an awesome time we had withKatherine Stewart.
Such a delight to have her on the show.
And if you love this episode, I have some awesome news to share
(48:19):
with you. Catherine has actually agreed to
come on our show and discuss another one of her often
forgotten 80s flicks, Mischief. So be on the lookout for that
episode early next month. All right, ladies and gentlemen,
that's a wrap on this episode ofthe 80s Flick Flashback Podcast.
If you enjoyed listening to us, we'd greatly appreciate if you
take a moment and share your feedback and give us a five star
(48:40):
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(49:02):
store at 80s flickflashback.com and T public.com for some
awesome 80s flick flashback gearand original 80s inspired
designs. Thanks again for tuning in
everybody. Thank you so much Retro Life for
you and Chris Adams for allowingme to a rebroadcast part of his
episode. Definitely go check out his show
as well. I'm Tim Williams, the 80s
(49:23):
flashback podcast. Jeez, there goes the
neighborhood. You're still here.
(49:50):
It's over. Go home.
Go.