"What is your damage, Heather?"

Heathers has to be one of the best black comedies of all time. Here's my patented mini-rundown of the movie:

At Westerburg High there is one all-powerful clique, the Heathers - three attractive, popular and cruel girls all named Heather. Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) has managed to get into the clique, sort of... she is the butt of their jokes and generally derided by them at all times (see the first scene, where they play croquet with Veronica buried up to her neck on the course!).

Then Veronica meets Jason Dean (Christian Slater...le sigh) and falls for him. Their mutual underlying hatred for the Heathers soon comes to the surface and escalates into a whole lot of wacky murder!

Veronica (Winona Ryder), Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk), Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty)

Heathers is a really biting look at high school life in the 80s. Mean Girls looks like Sesame Street in comparison! The Heathers are all played perfectly, especially Kim Walker as Heather Chandler (Heather #1) - she is an amazingly bitchy bitch! Shannen Doherty plays another of the Heathers and is the dumb, but kind of nice one. This was Winona Ryder's first starring role and she is PERFECT. I can't think of anyone else who could have played Veronica even close to right!

The atmosphere of the film is quite amazing. From the moment Jason Dean pulls a gun in the cafeteria you know it's going to be different! I especially love the relative normalcy of Veronica's parents in comparison to what transpires. The fashion is also really fab. The Heathers favor blazers and tight party dresses, while Veronica is a little less sexy but definitely no less 80s. Jason Dean is a very 80s bad boy, complete with leather jacket and earring.

All in all, an excellent film that will have you saying things like "you're such a pillowcase!" and "did you have a brain tumor for breakfast?". A necessary addition to any 80s film library!

I think the 80s really were the last of the simpler times. Case in point - one of my very fave games to play back then was the boo game, a game of family bonding... of sorts! Here are the rules:

1. This is played by the entire family upon returning home after dark, ususally after time away on holidays

2. When said family arrives home, no one is allowed to turn on any lights / TV etc.

3. Family members then proceed to run around the house, jumping out of corners, screaming BOOOO! and scaring the crap out of other family members

4. This continues until everyone is shaken and hoarse from screaming

No computers and no iPods necessary - this was the height of fun when I was a kid (and possibly when I was in my teens too!). Helps to have a family who have a genuine love of riling each other up! Do people still do this, or are these sort of games totally passe?

The Bangles are one of my fave girl groups of the 80s and the stars of this week's double play!

I really wanted to give you 3 songs, but I forced myself to cut it down to 2 - the first being Manic Monday. It has Susanna Hoffs on lead vocals - she was my fave Bangle, I love her voice and she's cute as heck!

BANGLES - MANIC MONDAY
 

Next up, Walk Like an Egyptian - it's so iconic, I had to choose this over Eternal Flame, which is another classic!

Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian

Not long ago I went to see an exhibition of Tim Burton's excellent career in film. It was amazing and I highly recommend it if you have the chance to see it. Looking at all the bits and pieces from different films he's made, I realized it's been ages since I've seen Beetlejuice and it was definitely time to watch it again!

Beetlejuice is the type of film I love - crazy, nonsensical, a little bit scary and a lot bit weird! Haven't seen it? It's about a couple, Barbara and Adam Maitland who die in a car accident and end up as ghosts, haunting their old house. A family of yuppies move in and it is up to the Maitlands to scare them out, using whatever haunting, possessing, scary tricks they can come up with!

Because they are just baby ghosts, none of their (frankly pathetic) pranks work, so they need to call in the big guns - Betelgeuse. He is an expert in exorcising the living. The Maitlands summon him, but then forget to unsummon him - and everything, of course, goes haywire.

It's all just super fun. It has a very Burton-esque look to it and the spooky afterlife worlds are brilliant. It also stars a handful of the who's who of 80s film - Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin and Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse. All put in excellent comic performances, especially Keaton - his portrayal of Betelgeuse has stuck with me for so many years - unforgetable!

This is a fab, quintessentially kooky 80s movie that everyone should see!

The hardest thing about doing a Queen double play is choosing between the stacks of brilliant songs they released in the 80s. The band was so important to rock history it's almost wrong to reduce them down to 2 songs. But here is my selection - let me know if you think I could have chosen better!

First up, I can never go past this song - it just rocks! Another One Bites the Dust:

I had to choose this next song because I love David Bowie and this coupling is divine - Under Pressure:

Tim Burton is a genius. He has been involved with some of the most weird and wonderful films of the last 30 years, and he is still going strong! I am fortunate enough to be living in a city that is hosting a wonderful exhibition showcasing Tim Burton's life's work and that is the basis for this week's review!

Tim was involved with some of the most quirky films of the 80s - Batman, Beetle Juice, PeeWee's Big Adventure and Edward Scissorhands (which was released in 1990, but was surely worked on in the 80s so I'm going to claim it, ok?!).

This exhibit at ACMI in Melbourne, which is on loan from the Museum of Modern Art in New York, charts the creative life of Tim Burton. From his adolescence in Burbank, CA, to his most recent films including Alice in Wonderland and Corpse Bride, there is an overwhelming collection of artwork and mementos.

Beetle Juice

It's intensely interesting to see the progression of the artist. There is a good selection of art work from when Tim was in school and you can see the beginnings of what would become his very distinct style. Mementos from some of my fave films like Beetle Juice are the icing on the cake.

Standouts of the exhibition are the creepy fluro tunnel with viewing holes for individual artworks, the costume Michelle Pfeiffer wore as catwoman (it's TINY. I mean, kid sized!), a massive model of Robot Boy (my fave Burton piece) and a big Cheshire Cat. On top of this you'll see some really mindblowing and unique artwork.

Robot Boy

If you happen to be in Melbourne or if your city gets the exhibition next, you must go and see it. Tim Burton is a very important part of popular culture and you're sure to get a kick out of it! Check out the ACMI website here.

This vid is good, but ACMI in Melbourne is a super cool venue, it's underground and it's all dark and dimly lit and fits the exhibition perfectly!

Ever wondered what an 80s male beauty pageant would look like? Neither had I, until I stumbled across this video. Kind of creepy, but totally hilarious! I don't even know what to say about the red speedos the winner is wearing. They defy gravity, for sure!

Have a great weekend y'all, and don't enter any male beauty pageants, okay?!

God I pine for the outlaw-rock days of the 80s. Everything seems so commercial and safe these days by comparison! Back when men were inappropriately skinny and wore makeup and had amazingly big hair held back by headbands there were a handful of bands who lived and breathed the lifestyle. Two of those bands take centre stage in this week's double play!

First I give you the one and only Motley Crue with their best song, Kickstart My Heart:

Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart
 

Next, probably the most definitive of the outlaw bands, Guns N Roses. They need no introduction! Have some Welcome to the Jungle!!

GUNS N ROSES - Welcome to the jungle

Andy Prieboy, ex-lead singer of the Best Band in the World, Wall of Voodoo, has new songs out. Hooray!

It's a small collection of songs called Don't Tell That Guy Anything. And though it is small, it's really good! Billed as "featuring experiments, rejected arrangements, quick sketches and shelved songs", it's a very eclectic and quirky journey.

There are two stand out tracks for me. The first is My Two Bit Heart. This is actually a reworking of one of my top 3 favorite Wall of Voodoo songs, Business of Love and it has been totally stuck in my head since I first listened to it.

The second is Romanian Dance Song. This is Andy playing along with a song from the brilliantly titled Secret Museum of Mankind. It has a haunting sound to it and it deserves multiple listens to really get the most out of it.

You can find these and the other songs on Andy's site.

I love me an 80s cover band! I saw this band at a function with my sister a while ago and they were amazing! They work in Melbourne, Australia, so if you're looking for an awesome 80s vibe go and check them out! Their website is here.