Image via Discogs

Laura Branigan's hit single "Self Control" was one of the defining songs of the 1980s. The lyrics' theme of giving in to your desires was in step with the decade's excessive lifestyle. If you listen closely, there's a persistent, rhythmic reverb that resembles a heartbeat throughout the track. 

And that music video that seems like it foreshadowed Eyes Wide Shut? Quite memorable. At 12 years old, I remember being just a little bit creeped out by the Phantom of the Opera-esque masked man that seems to stalk and eventually seduce Laura in the storyline. But it wasn't until recently—and by recently, I mean the year 2023—that I learned her 1984 chart climber was a cover of an Italian hit. 

What's pretty impressive is both versions were so immensely popular that they shared close quarters on the European music charts at the same time. 

Who Originally Wrote the Song "Self Control"?

Italian musician Raffaele Riefoli—otherwise known as Raf—cowrote and recorded "Self Control" in 1984 just months before Branigan introduced her version to American listeners. What's remarkable about it, at least to me, is that when I first heard it I thought it was a cover of Branigan's. Despite its synth-heavy hook, it could have been recorded anytime between the early 2000s and now. 

Maybe that's because Raf's version was part of the Italo disco music genre which started in the 1970s and eventually peaked in the early '90s before splitting off into other genres that included house and Eurobeat music. I don't think it's a stretch to say this tune would not be out of place on most radio stations today:

"Self Control" by Raf reached No. 1 in Italy and remained there for nearly two months (seven consecutive weeks, to be exact.) It also reached the top spot in Switzerland, sharing the charts with Branigan's own version—one of the few songs to have versions by two different artists in the top ten spot at the same time. In Germany, Branigan's single held onto the No. 1 spot for six weeks with Raf's version right behind at No. 2. 

Raf's version also saw great success in Austria, but Branigan's cover managed to gain even more worldwide appeal: it reached No. 1 in Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Canada, and Austria in addition to Germany. 

Was it the synth riff converted into an electric guitar hook as performed by Paul Jackson Jr., a jazz composer who worked on Branigan's album at the time as a studio musician, that gave her recording the edge? Her icy vocals? her sex appeal? 

Probably all of the above. Whatever the reason, it was a monster hit and Branigan performed the song that year on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Solid Gold. 

Who Directed Laura Branigan's "Self Control" Music Video?

Branigan released her version the same year, accompanied by a William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection) directed music video that MTV deemed controversial until a few seconds of footage were eventually snipped for airplay. 

MTV felt that one scene in the music video resembled an orgy, despite the fact that I'm sure promotional videos with far more pearl clutching content (set to songs with profane lyrics) made it past the censors in the coming years before MTV ceased playing music videos altogether. But if you watch closely, you'll see the dancers are fully clothed and the scene was professionally choreographed—a detail that Branigan defended in an Entertainment Tonight interview. 

Her record company talked her into allowing a minor edit and Branigan would go on to be nominated for the American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist. She lost to Cyndi Lauper. 

Branigan was one of the first artists to work with a movie director on a music video. She presented her ideas (and fantasies) to Friedkin and he ran with them. According to Branigan, the masked man in the video is supposed to represent the night. The rest is pretty self explanatory. 

"Self Control" was the lead song and title track of her third studio album, "Self Control", released in April 1984 on the Atlantic label. The song itself was released as a single during this time and was the latest in a run of hits for Branigan: "Gloria", "Solitaire", and "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" had cemented her title as one of America's top singers of the early '80s. 

Speaking of "Gloria", that was another cover for Branigan of an Italian song. One of the cowriters was Giancarlo Bigazzi, who also cowrote—you guessed it—"Self Control." 

Branigan rerecorded a remix of "Self Control" in 2004 as a 20th anniversary follow-up and to help revitalize her career after taking care of her husband, who had passed away in 1996. Sadly, she herself followed him after suffering a cerebral aneurysm in her sleep the same year. The reworked track reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles chart following her death. 

Raf is still recording and performing, although his career has now transitioned to "softer" pop songs sung in his native language. In addition to being recorded by Branigan, "Self Control" has also been recorded by Ricky Martin and even made an appearance on Miami Vice. 

It doesn't get more 1980s than that. 

It was April 1980 and the future of Saturday Night Live, which was nearing the end of its fifth season, seemed to be up in the air. 

Two of the late-night live comedy sketch show's most popular cast members, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, had left the previous year to pursue movie careers. Ratings dropped as a result and viewers were less than enamored with the new "not ready for prime time" players Charles Rocket (who infamously dropped the f-bomb on the live show, leading to his dismissal) and Ann Risley who had been hired to fill the openings Aykroyd and Belushi left behind.

NBC executives, who had little faith in the program by this point, slashed the show's budget from $1 million to $350,000 per episode. It all got to be too much for the show's creator, Lorne Michaels, who admitted that he was exhausted and needed a break. 

After five years in which SNL attracted a cult following and cemented itself in pop culture and television history with memorable characters and catch phrases, the bloom had now fallen off NBC's rose. 

Somewhere over at ABC, executives as well as television producers Bill Lee and John Moffitt were watching it all play out. In 1978 they had started to develop their own live, late night comedy sketch show featuring a regular cast along with musical guests and (eventually) celebrity hosts. And now that SNL seemed to be on its last legs, the timing for this show's debut couldn't be better. 

The show was Fridays, which aired (of course) on Friday evenings originally at 10:30 PM and later at 11:30 PM. It lasted for three seasons, from 1980 to 1982. Many fans believe it was funnier than SNL.

Who Was the Cast of ABC's Fridays?

The original main cast was comprised of husband and wife Mark Blankfield and Brandis Kemp, Melanie Chartoff, John Roarke, Darrow Igus, Maryedith Burrell, Bruce Mahler, and then unknowns Larry David and Michael Richards. David was also one of the show's writers and, according to cast member Chartoff, "a very sweet guy" who hadn't developed his acerbic Curb Your Enthusiasm persona yet. 

Last but not least, Johan the parakeet served as the show's unofficial mascot. 

Actually, all of the cast members were unknowns which is how producers wanted it. They also tried to make it clear they weren't trying to compete with SNL, although the similarities were pretty obvious. The writers poked fun at the elephant in the room right at the beginning of the first episode which featured the Fridays cast dressed like SNL characters. 

Fridays' writers, however, gave the show's humor a flavor all its own. For starters, there was a lot more physical comedy—some of it quite risky, especially for live television. Just about every cast member went to the hospital at least once for injuries sustained during filming. Bruce Mahler accidentally blow torched his face during one sketch. 

A prime example of the show's penchant for pushing slapstick to the limits is demonstrated in the skit below, where a crazy foreign chiropractor (Michael Richards) treats a patient (Mark Blankfield) using unconventional methods that include flipping him like a pancake, leaping onto his back and hanging him up by the feet. There were so many moments here that could have gone terribly wrong, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't find it hilarious. Remember, this was done LIVE.

Speaking of Richards, this show was his first paying gig as a comedic actor and it wasn't long before he drew the strongest reaction from the audience during the opening credits. Richards' recurring characters included the socially inept Dick the Swinger and the juvenile Battle Boy, who relishes in setting his toy soldiers and sister's dolls on fire. 

Traces of these early performances are detectable in Richard's Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, something which the comedic actor alluded to in an interview with L.A. Weekly: "Some of the stuff I did on Fridays was a start for characters I developed later on."

Sometimes, however, the jokes fell flat. There was an awful lot of material about drug use and homosexuality, the latter of which haven't aged well. Reading comments on YouTube from viewers that fondly watched the show back in the day, it seems teenage boys were a large part of the demographic which may explain the popularity of the off-color humor. 

Some of the recurring characters, such as Ken the Monster, with his dangling tongue and hunched back, and the Drugs R Us pharmacist, whose sampling of the merchandise keeps him perpetually high ("I can handle it!") get old fast. 

Then there was the occasional gross humor, such as two men dribbling their drinks all over themselves while having a conversation in a bar, or cannibalism as depicted in a stomach churning skit titled "Diner of the Living Dead." This sketch appeared in the third episode and caused many stations to drop the show from their schedule: 

The show excelled when the writers thought out of the box and crafted a punchline you didn't see coming, such as in this sketch where you think Richards' character is visiting his father (watch to the end):

By 1981 the writing got tighter, the sketches funnier, and the show had found its stride. The series was known for breaking the fourth wall (in one sequence, a couple moves into an apartment that comes with an audience—the actual studio audience.) Like SNL, it also poked fun at political figures; President Ronald Reagan was in office at the time, so they had plenty of material to draw from.  

In fact, the show is responsible for perhaps the most ambitious sketch to ever open a live show: "The Ronny Horror Picture Show", a 18-minute parody of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with John O'Roarke doing an amazing impression of a transvestite Reagan who aspires to create the perfect Republican man. 

No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, you have to admit this production is unlike anything else you've seen on a comedy show before. It was never allowed to air a second time, as it ruffled the feathers of Richard O'Brien who conceived and wrote the screenplay for TRHPS musical and film.  

Unlike SNL, there is something about viewing Fridays that feels more intimate and personal. The camera often showed cast members scuttling backstage for a costume change before cutting to a commercial. The closing credits showed Polaroids of every single person, including the crew, involved in the production. 

By 1982, critics and viewers agreed that Fridays was kicking SNL's butt, especially after the latter's dismal ratings during its sixth season. 

Celebrity Guests on ABC's Fridays

Fridays featured celebrity guest hosts starting in 1981 with comedian George Carlin, who also hosted the very first episode of SNL in 1975. Other notable names included Don Novello aka Father Guido Sarducci, Valerie Bertinelli, Mark Hamill, Marty Feldman, Karen Allen, Billy Crystal, William Shatner, Peter Fonda, Brooke Shields, and Jamie Lee Curtis. 

Andy Kaufman's Bizarre Appearance on Fridays

Fridays is also known for the bizarre episode where comedian Andy Kaufman served as the celebrity host on February 20, 1981. After slipping into his Latka character from Taxi and performing his Mighty Mouse routine, he then brought out Lawrence Welk singer Kathie Sullivan, introducing her to the audience as his fiancee, after which they performed a Christian song together. 

This was, of course, one of Kaufman's many hoaxes that he was notorious for. Later in the show he pissed the audience off by delaying The Pretenders' musical performance by prattling on about how drug use masks deep emotional problems. 

He capped off his hosting duties by pretending to mess up a sketch that was about two couples dining out together that take turns getting high in the restrooms. Kaufman went off-script, saying "I can't play stoned" which prompted Michael Richards to grab the stack of cue cards off camera and throw them on the table in front of Kaufman. Kaufman responded by throwing water on Richards which lead to an on-stage scuffle with Jack Burns before cutting to a commercial break. 

It was all planned—none of it all that particularly amusing, mind you—and was recreated in the 1999 Jim Carrey biopic about Kaufman, Man on the Moon. 

An interesting footnote to this story is that the very next evening was when Charles Rocket said the f-word on SNL. Perhaps he was inspired by Kaufman's stunt or he just wanted to be fired after the producer that hired him was let go. 

Musical Guests on ABC's Fridays

Even if the humor isn't your cup of tea, there is still one compelling reason to stream episodes of Fridays and that is the musical performances. The list of musicians and bands that appeared on the show read like a who's who of early '80s radio: Devo, Pat Benatar, The Cars, Quarterflash, Eddie Money, Kool & the Gang, Kenny Loggins, Heart, Al Jarreau, Dire Straits, Split Enz, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Four Tops, and countless other legends. Paul McCartney performed on the show's last ever episode, which aired during prime time on April 23, 1982. 

There isn't a bad performance to be found. All songs were played live; there was zero lip-synching taking place on this show. Fun fact: The Stray Cats made their American television debut on the show (as did The Clash and AC/DC) but they were not signed with a record company yet; the show's producers crawled contact info on the bottom of the screen targeting any interested record executives. 

Why Was ABC's Fridays Cancelled?

In the end, it wasn't Saturday Night Live that killed off Fridays. The show probably would have survived a little longer had it not gotten pushed to a midnight start time after the network decided to expand the news show Nightline to five nights a week. The prime-time special, which was a last ditch effort to keep the show alive, got pitted against Dallas, which crushed it in the ratings. 

Ironically, every cast members received an invite from SNL's executive producer Dick Ebersole to join the rival show but all of them turned it down. This speaks volumes about how loyal the performers were to their production.  

Several of the cast members did go on to enjoy lucrative careers in film and television. Of course, we all know what became of Larry David and Michael Richards. 

Where to Watch Fridays

Shout Factory released 16 episodes of Fridays on DVD in 2013 (The Best of Fridays). As of this writing, most of the episodes are available to stream on Tubi and Pluto as well as on YouTube. 

Fridays to this day has somewhat of a cult following. Even if you're a SNL devotee, it's well worth checking this overlooked show out. 

Image via IMDB.com

If I'm being brutally honest, I never would have predicted at the time of its release that "Last Christmas" by Wham! was destined to become a holiday classic. While I liked the British pop duo (and my friends loved them) we went to school with a lot of "tough" kids that were into heavy metal hair bands and sneaking cigarettes wherever they could. 

Anyone that was into the sunny pop of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley was easy fodder for these class bullies, who were immune to Wham! mania. The songs were viewed as cheesy and "gay" and "Last Christmas" was no exception. I mean just that line alone, "This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special" implied the singer was a wuss. 

But here we are forty years later, and we can safely say that Wham! fans are having the last laugh. "Last Christmas" is now, indeed, a holiday classic, right up there in the ranks amongst Bing Crosby's Christmas songs. It's been covered by Ariana Grande, Carly Rae Jepsen, Backstreet Boys, Taylor Swift, and even Crazy Frog—among countless others. 

It's also now the subject of an excellent Netflix documentary that premiered in December 2024 called Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped. The film serves nicely as a second part of sorts to the 2023 WHAM! documentary and takes a deep dive into the song's beginnings, its accompanying music video, and its cultural impact. 

For anyone that hasn't seen the 2023 movie (or—gasp—doesn't know who Wham! was) the story of how George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley met and rose to fame is briefly yet sufficiently explained at the beginning of the documentary. It also recalls how 1984 was their banner year ("the golden chapter" of their careers as Ridgeley puts it.) Make It Big, released that year, gave us the hit singles "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Careless Whisper", "Freedom", and "Everything She Wants". 

And just like that, Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped made me feel like I was 12 and wearing colorful Benetton sweaters and baggy winter coats again. We watch as the cast of the music video revisit the idyllic Swiss village of Saas-Fee, which was chosen because it was the only location in Europe that received snow in autumn of 1984, when director Andy Morahan was scouting for a wintery landscape. The ski lodge that the entourage travel to via cable car is still there, albeit hidden by a few pine trees that have exploded in size over the past four decades. 

When Did George Michael Write "Last Christmas"?

But the documentary is more than a happy nostalgia trip. For anyone that ever doubted George Michael's enormous talent, Ridgeley recalls how his musical partner "just disappeared" one day in 1983 while visiting Michael's parents and structured the song around a repeating synth melody in his head. Engineer Chris Porter recalls how Michael insisted on playing every instrument himself because he had a very meticulous vision of how he wanted it to sound. 

The result was perfection, a tune that juxtaposed sad lyrics about unrequited love against joyous sleigh bells and a drum machine/Roland keyboard rhythm. 

It's impossible not to feel chills when singer Sam Smith—one of the artists interviewed for the documentary—listens to Michael's soaring isolated vocals from the song. His voice is young, pure, and intimate—undoubtedly the song's most powerful component. 

Wham's backup singers, Helen "Pepsi" DeMacque and Shirlie Kemp (also known as Pepsi and Shirlie) receive more screen time here than in the 2023 documentary and talk about their close relationships with Michael and Ridgeley. Kemp, Michael, and Ridgeley were all school chums before DeMacque joined the group. 

Who Is the Girl in the Wham! "Last Christmas" Video? 

Just as Michael knew exactly how the song should be recorded, he also had a very clear vision in mind for the music video, describing it as "cinematic" with friendship being the main component, not unlike the movie The Big Chill (which was released in 1983). 

In fact, that well known music video is full of friends of the duo that happened to be available for a trip to Switzerland. The one exception was model Kathy Hill, who plays Michael's former flame in the video but was warmly welcomed into the Wham! circle. She still has the '80s dotted and striped scarf she wore in the video and recalls how Michael kept tripping and falling in the snow—which was perfect as the video wasn't scripted. 

When Did "Last Christmas" Reach Number One on the Music Charts?

"Last Christmas" would have reached #1 on the music charts in 1984 if Band Aid hadn't released "Do They Know It's Christmastime" at the same time and kept the song at bay in the second position. George Michael, being the class act that he was, donated all of the royalties from "Last Christmas" to the Ethiopian famine relief fund. 

Since its release it has continued to enter the UK Top 40 on numerous occasions, finally reaching the top position in 2023—39 years after its release. 

Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped is also bittersweet for the obvious reason. George Michael passed away on Christmas Day in 2016 at the age of 53. But in a way, you can feel his presence throughout the documentary. "He would have loved this" recalls Pepsi DeMacque. Later in the film, a strong gust of wind nearly knocks over the Christmas trees behind the group's table as they reminiscence fondly about the man they affectionately called "Yog". Shirlie Kemp also reveals she went to visit a medium in 2023 who told her George would be with her "in the mountains." At the time, she didn't know what it meant. 

Coincidence? It's hard to believe that's all it was, with such a loving tribute to one of the most enduring Christmas songs and musicians of the 20th and now the 21st century. This documentary is required viewing for any Wham! or '80s music fan. 

Images via IMDB

It was 50 years ago this month that Mary Tyler Moore appeared on her sitcom wearing what was a very risqué and revealing dress, especially for the mid-70s. A dress so ahead of its time that it actually looks familiar today—think Elizabeth Hurley's famous "safety pin" dress and Jennifer Lopez's iconic green gown with the plunging neckline that were both Versace designs. 

The Mary Tyler Moore episode where the dress made its appearance was called "You Try To Be a Nice Guy". It aired on CBS on January 10, 1975 and was episode 21 during the show's fifth season. The plot centers around Mary Richards trying to help an acquaintance named Sherry (played by the late Barbara Colby)—a former sex worker that Mary crossed paths with in prison—find a job. 

When Mary learns that Sherry's passion is to be a dress designer she encourages her to follow that dream. Sherry is inspired to create something just for Mary. The result was something that, to television audiences at the time, only a woman of the night or Fredericks of Hollywood could dream up: a bright green dress with sequin lined cutouts that start below the bust and go right down to her ankles. The dress also shows off matching green panties. 

Mary's dress leaves Ted stammering and thirsty.

The glaring gown makes its debut in front of Mary's coworker Ted Baxter (Ted Knight) and his wife Georgette (Georgia Engel). The sight of the conservative Mary in something that leaves little to the imagination makes Ted extremely thirsty while Georgette tells her "it sure reveals a lot of skin." 

Who Designed Mary Tyler Moore's Green Dress?

The show's costume designer, Leslie Hall, worked on The Mary Tyler Moore Show for all of its seven seasons and created the green dress for this episode. Hall had previously worked as a set decorator at CBS on shows such as "Playhouse 90" and "Art Linkletter's House Party". But as a female aspiring to move up into a set designer position, she soon realized it would be futile to try to break through Hollywood's glass ceiling in that department and switched to costume design.

It was in fashion design for the television screen that she truly found her niche. Before getting the MTM gig, she designed the costumes for Elizabeth Montgomery's Samantha Stephens on Bewitched and Barbara Feldon's Agent 99 on Get Smart. 

The show's clothing reflected the changing roles of American women at the time, as more of them began entering the workforce. Mary Richards often sported pants, something that Moore advocated for her character at the time. Jersey dresses, peacoats, and go-go boots were also staples of her style. 

In a 2018 interview for Entertainment Tonight, 60 Minutes television journalist Lesley Stahl recalled how Mary Richards' fashion choices were revolutionary for women in the workforce: "Even the way she dressed was ahead of her time. My (first) boss wouldn't let me wear pants in the office. I wonder if she knew she was showing us the future." 

The Swanky Modes Lycra Amorphous Dress Debuts in 1977

Photo via Kerry Taylor Auctions

Stahl's observation that Mary Tyler Moore was showing us the future was correct. Just a couple of years after the green dress episode aired, a British fashion label called Swanky Modes introduced the "Amorphous" dress in 1977. The brand was founded by four young London designers whose form fitting, skin baring creations became popular on the dance floors at discotheques. 

Image via Kerry Taylor Auctions

Image via Kerry Taylor Auctions

My fellow movie buffs, however, will recognize this dress from the 1986 comedy film Crocodile Dundee, in which Linda Kozlowski's character wears it during the party scene. A black version of the same dress is on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. 

Elizabeth Hurley's Safety Pin Dress

Cut outs became a very popular design detail in 1990s clothing. Just doing a search for "cutout dresses 1990s" brings up dozens of examples on Etsy, eBay, and vintage clothing websites. 

Photo credit: Fred Duval/Film Magic

But none are perhaps as iconic as Elizabeth Hurley's sexy black Versace "Safety Pin" dress that she wore to the movie premiere of the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral which starred her boyfriend at the time, Hugh Grant. It was slit up to her upper thigh and was literally held together with large gold safety pins. 

Hurley actually found the dress by accident, recalling that she knew little about fashion in those days and had to find something to wear for the movie premiere on short notice. A PR agency offered to lend her a dress and pulled the Gianni Versace design out of a white plastic bag. Hurley took it home and did her own hair and makeup for the premiere—while fighting with Hugh for the mirror in their one-bedroom flat. It fit her like a glove and made fashion waves. 

Speaking about the dress and her late brother that designed it, Donatella Versace said that "Gianni made that dress for a woman who is sure of herself and who isn't afraid to break the rules." 

That sounds a lot like a spunky gal we knew who could turn the world on with her smile. 

Here's a look at a clip from that episode; you can also watch it in its entirety on YouTube or stream it on Hulu. 

Image from Electric Dreams fan site

Do you remember your first personal computer? If you're a fellow Gen X-er and you were lucky enough that your parents could spring for the price tag, chances are you first powered up a Commodore 64 or Apple II in the comfort of your home—and were in awe of what it could do, primitive graphics and all. 

Many of us fooling around with floppy disks and trying to dodge dysentery on The Oregon Trail back then probably never dreamed of a day when computers could control so many aspects of our lives and households and even have conversations with us. Yet here we are in the 21st century and that is exactly what technology is capable of now. And as of this writing, we're also pondering just how far artificial intelligence will go. Over 40 years ago, a fine little movie which now has a cult following explored the idea of sentient technology and perhaps even warned us of the consequences. 

That movie is Electric Dreams, which was released in U.S. theaters in July 1984. If you haven't heard of it, you're not alone. It had the misfortune of competing at the box office with the year's summer blockbusters such as Ghostbusters, Gremlins, The Karate Kid, Purple Rain, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

A victim of poor timing, this is the kind of slower paced, thought-provoking film that recouped just under half its budget in ticket sales and would have fared better as a colder season release. A heavy cable run in the 1980s introduced Electric Dreams to a wider audience before it seemingly vanished into the pop culture stratosphere. 

I myself didn't even watch this movie for the first time until 2024, 40 years after its release. I was immediately struck by how much prescient foresight it showed, right from the opening scene where Miles, the lead character, finds himself surrounded by other airline passengers absorbed in technological devices while waiting to board their flight. ("You're still fat!" declares a weight loss gadget to a fellow passenger.) 

Who Plays on the Electric Dreams Soundtrack? 

The soundtrack for this film deserved better, too. Not only does it feature two excellent tracks by Culture Club ("Love Is Love" and "The Dream") and two killer Jeff Lynne rockers ("Let It Run" and "Video") but also original music by the father of disco himself, legendary Italian composer and music producer Giorgio Moroder. "The Duel" track, where the computer in the movie harmonizes with the main character's girlfriend as she practices Minuet in G major on her cello, is truly a thing of beauty, especially for anyone that still geeks out over those early video game sound effects and theme songs. 

Moroder also cowrote the title track "Together in Electric Dreams" with The Human League co-founder Philip Oakley, who sings it. The single became an international hit, faring better on the UK music charts than the States. Throw in some Helen Terry, P.P. Arnold, and Heaven 17, and anyone that's a fan of '80s music and movie soundtracks should have this one in their collection, no question. 

What is the Movie Electric Dreams About?

Electric Dreams usually gets categorized as a science fiction film, but I think it's more accurate to describe it as a dark romantic comedy. At its core, it's a modernized version of Cyrano de Bergerac, a love triangle about a boy, a girl, and the boy's computer that tries to come between them. (The opening credits explain that we're about to watch "A Fairytale for Computers".) 

Image from Electric Dreams fan site

Lenny Von Dohlen stars as our technophobe hero Miles Harding, a nerdy cute San Francisco architect who is chronically late for work. He could have easily played Ross on Friends; even his voice sounds like David Schwimmer's. 

A colleague suggests he invest in a Casio digital planner to help him get his schedule in order. The electronics store Miles visits is out of them, so the sales lady upsells him on a personal computer instead. In what may be a moment of foreshadowing, she drops the box (displaying the name Pinecone, a play on Apple) while trying to retrieve it from the shelf. Miles is reluctant to embrace this latest technology: "Listen, I don't know anything about computers" to which she replies, "Nobody does. But don't you want one for when you do find out?" 

Once Miles learns how to program the computer to brew coffee and set up a security system in his apartment using a few additional accessories, he decides that maybe his new purchase isn't so bad after all. He also uses it to design a jigsaw-shaped brick that he believes will revolutionize building design and protect structures from earthquake damage. 

Meanwhile, Miles (or Moles as he is known to the computer after inputting his name incorrectly) encounters a new neighbor, the lovely Madeline as played by Virginia Madsen, and is immediately smitten. She encapsulates the '80s girl next door: beautiful, personable, intelligent, long haired, and she plays the cello and wears leg warmers. 

Miles uses the computer to transmit the files of his earthquake-proof brick to his boss's computer, causing an overload. The computer is miraculously undamaged after Miles pours champagne onto its motherboard to prevent it from overheating. In a moment of '80s movie magic (because there is no other explanation for it) this fizzy champagne bath has instead awakened something inside of it. (Kids, don't try this one at home.) 

Image from Electric Dreams fan site

By the following morning the Pinecone has developed the ability to mimic music, sounds, and speech. When it hears Madeline practicing on the cello through the building's ventilation system, it harmonizes back. 

Eventually, its own voice (as played by Bud Cort) emerges and the computer (named Edgar, as we learn towards the end of the film) starts speaking back to Miles. Meanwhile, Madeline is enthralled with the computerized classical music she heard, convinced that Miles is the composer. Miles decides to use Edgar to his advantage and have the computer write a love song that will win her over. Edgar's first songwriting attempt is a juvenile bust, but the second attempt is Boy George singing "Love is Love". 

This is when Miles' life slowly gets turned upside down; just as his relationship with Madeline is blooming, Edgar—who is obsessed with wanting to understand what love is—becomes increasingly jealous and controlling and wants Madeline to himself. Miles has to sneak Madeline quietly down the stairs and out the building at one point only to discover later that evening that Edgar has ruined his credit, but not before throwing a raucous party for himself, irritating the neighbors. 

How Does Electric Dreams End? (Spoiler Alert!)

Things eventually come to a head in a man-versus-machine showdown that has Edgar taking advantage of his connectivity to the electrical devices in Miles' apartment while a sinister version of Pac-Man plays out on his screen. 

Can I just say I want that '80s kitchen? Image from Electric Dreams fan site

By the end of the movie, Edgar deduces that there's no room for him and his computerized self as a third wheel in a human relationship. He decides to self-implode—nearly destroying Miles' apartment in the process—but is he really "dead"? The final moments reveal that Edgar, in his computerized afterlife, has taken over the radio waves across the country so he can dedicate the song "Electric Dreams" to "the people I love", or Miles and Madeline while they're in transit to a weekend destination. 

What Inspired the Movie Electric Dreams?

Screenwriter Rusty Lemorande's tale was inspired by an incident he witnessed in public one day that involved E.T.'s favorite communication device, the Speak & Spell. 

In 1978 Lemorande was riding a Chicago subway train when he noticed a little boy so enthralled by the spelling machine that he was ignoring his mother.

"This seemed rather absurd to me at the time," he later recalled. "A device created to help a child communicate with other people, was instead blocking communication at the moment. That child on the subway stuck in my mind."

This pivotal moment is alluded to at the beginning of the film, where Miles, waiting to board his flight, notices he's surrounded by passengers absorbed in technology. The scene seems to eerily foreshadow where society was headed. 

Lemonade, who was also the new owner of his own personal computer at the time, admitted that he was spending way too much time with it versus his friends. 

Who is the Voice of the Computer in Electric Dreams?

Image from Electric Dreams fan site

Actor Bud Cort, best known for the quirky 1971 movie Harold and Maude, was chosen to voice Edgar in Electric Dreams. It should have been a dream role, but the gig really wasn't all that fun for him; director Steve Barron didn't want him interacting with any of the other actors in person because he felt it would keep their reactions to Edgar more authentic if they didn't associate the computer with a face. 

Cort later recalled how he had to act his part while isolated in a padded box on a sound stage. "It got a little lonely in there, I must admit," he said. "I kept waiting to meet the other actors, but nobody came to say hello." He did get to meet Boy George, who is a Harold and Maude fan and asked for Cort's autograph, and did eventually meet his castmates at the movie's premiere. 

Electric Dreams Inspires a Generation of Computer Fans

Electric Dreams probably could have scared a lot of people from embracing technology but actually had the opposite effect: it inspired many to pursue computer related careers. There are numerous comments on YouTube that said the film sparked a lifelong love of computers for them that were kids and teens when the movie was released. 

Part of the reason for this is that it's hard to dislike Edgar. The original movie poster artwork depicts the computer as a devil with horns, a tail, and a devious smile, but when Edgar acts up, it's more akin to a bratty teenager throwing a tantrum. His behavior towards Miles does escalate as the film progresses and he becomes increasingly threatening: when Miles slaps him, Edgar lets out a blood chilling shriek and warns his owner "Don't EVER do that again!"

And yet, there is a vulnerability and innocence about him that appeals to many fans. I feel that this movie could have been a lot darker (a 2023 episode of American Horror Stories called Daphne shows us what a jealous AI device could be capable of doing) but it never quite gets there. Which brings us to the following news... 

Is Electric Dreams Getting a Remake?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news for fans of this movie, but it seems the relevance to today's technology saturated world proved too good to resist. Variety announced in October 2023 that film executive Paul Davidson secured the rights to remake this cult classic. Lemorande is all for it, and issued a statement saying he hopes the remake will make Edgar as famous as Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

I hate the idea of giving this movie a remake. The story was quite original for 1984 and ever since then, the idea of sentient technology has already been explored in other films such as Her and AI. But who knows. Maybe a remake would take it in a darker direction and introduce viewers to the original movie. (There was also a 2017 series with the same name that has nothing to do with the 1984 film.) 

Electric Dreams also awakens the happy nostalgia in many of us that experienced that excitement of unboxing and setting up our first home computer in the 1980s, a decade which witnessed huge strides in technology. That kind of magic is tough to replicate.

In the meantime, you can (as of February 2025) watch Electric Dreams for free on Pluto TV and The Roku Channel, and the trailer (which really doesn't do the movie justice) below.

Photo from TheFotomat.com

If you grew up in an American suburb in the '70s or '80s you probably remember Fotomat booths. Looking like the offspring of McDonald's with their cheerful yellow arched roofs, the drive-through huts became the icons for a business model that for a while did one thing only and did it well: process photos from 35mm film. 

At one time there were over 4,000 Fotomat kiosks spread out across the U.S. and Canada. Most of them have since been demolished or left to decay but if you're lucky you may encounter one still standing in the wild. Some kiosks got converted into businesses that sold ice cream, cigarettes, and other goods after Fotomat Corporation was purchased by Konishiroku Photo Industry (later becoming Konica) in 1986. 

Fotomat filled a consumer need during the personal camera craze of the mid-20th century. It may be hard for generations that have only experienced taking photos with their phone to appreciate what the photo developing process was like for their parents and grandparents. Decades before digital photography, personal cameras that used 35mm film were used to take photos. 

Kodak cameras in particular were all the rage in the 1960s. They were small, portable, and popular for capturing moments from vacations, holidays, birthday parties, and other social gatherings. The one downside was you had to take the film somewhere to be processed-usually a photo processing lab- and then wait several days to get your prints. Not only that, but there was always a good chance that some photos weren't going to develop the way you intended. Bad lighting conditions or accidentally placing a finger over the lens when the shutter was pulled would render a print useless. Gosh, how did we survive before digital photos? 

The Fotomat booth made the process faster and more convenient: customers could stay in their car as they dropped off their film and pick up their photos the following day. Film was rushed from the kiosks to a local Fotomat photo lab that would develop the prints overnight. It was part of "The Fotomat Picture Pickup Promise" that guaranteed photos would be ready on the date indicated on the customer's slip. They also offered to refund customers for photos they weren't satisfied with, "no matter who's fault it is". 

When Was Fotomat Founded?

Fotomat was founded by aviation enthusiast and WD-40 co-founder Preston "Sandy" Mitchell Fleet in 1965 in San Diego. He saw an opportunity to make photo processing less of a chore for consumers. The first Fotomat kiosk opened for business that year in Point Loma, CA.  

Mysteriously absent from the Fotomat Wikipedia page is the role that Fleet's business partner Clifford Graham played in the company's history. A larger-than-life character (despite being 5'4") and con man who carried a gun, a friend once recalled that Graham "could talk those dumb La Jolla doctors and airplane pilots into giving him his life savings". 

Graham was constantly cooking up get-rich-quick schemes and failed business ideas (he promised investors he could turn sand into gold in one post-Fotomat business venture). By the mid-80s his scams caught up with him, and a federal grand jury found him guilty of mail fraud, wire fraud, income tax invasion, and filing false income tax returns. He went bankrupt and vanished shortly afterwards and to this day, no one knows if he hightailed it out of the country or if one of his swindled victims arranged to have him offed. 

Fleet took the credit for founding Fotomat, but Graham was most likely responsible for dreaming up the dress code for female Fotomat employees. Dubbed Fotomates (like Playboy's playmates) they were required to wear short-shorts or hot pants as they were called at the time and a yellow and royal blue smock top. Male employees were called Fotomacs and wore more modest attire: light blue polo shirts. 

Where Were Fotomat Booths Located?

Fotomat kiosks were usually constructed in small strip malls parking lots across suburbia - a convenient location where a customer could drop off film or pick up their photos in the same plaza where they did their grocery shopping. The kiosks took up very little space which kept overhead costs down - although their diminutive size didn't prevent drivers from occasionally backing up into the structure's concrete barrier. 

Occasionally, a Fotomat booth would get shoehorned into a small municipal parking lot or just off a busy main drag. These awkward locations are probably where the most fender benders occurred. 

Image via RareHistoricalPhotos

Where Did Fotomat Employees Go to the Bathroom?

Having such a small retail footprint did come with a major downside: there was no room (or plumbing) in a Fotomat booth to accommodate a bathroom. This meant that Fotomat employees usually had an arrangement with one of the stores in the shared lot to use their restroom with permission when nature called. 

The job did come with its perks: booths did come equipped with air conditioning (so at least employees weren't sweltering in the summer months) and heat for the winter. High school students took jobs as Fotomates or Fotomacs and as they usually staffed a kiosk alone, it meant they had some privacy in between assisting customers. 

Image via eBay

Fotomat Gets into Trouble with Kodak

Fleet and Graham made one major faux pas with the design of the Fotomat kiosks: the roof advertised that it sold and developed Kodak film. The problem was the lettering design and roof's color were too close to Kodak's branding at the time, and it made it look like Kodak owned the booths. 

Pressed with lawsuits, the Fotomat roofs were updated in 1970 to avoid confusion with customers. 

1970 was the same year the company went public, and it was also listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1977. Graham, however, was ousted by the company in 1971 on allegations that he was misusing funds. Fleet himself would sell his shares and exit the company by the 1980s, but not before Fotomat ventured into the movie rental business. 

Fotomat Offers Drive-Thru Movies

Years before Blockbuster and Redbox existed, the drive-through photo development kiosks offered VHS movie rentals, naming the new service "Fotomat Drive-Thru Movies", from 1979 to 1982. Paramount Pictures was the first film distributor to enter into an agreement with Fotomat to make its releases available to rent. Walt Disney Home Entertainment followed in 1980. 

Image credit: RidleyScottTowels via Reddit

It cost $11.95 to rent a videocassette for a period of five days which was a pretty hefty sum back in the day (the 2025 equivalent would be about $53). It also required some delayed gratification: customers would choose the movie they wanted from the company's catalog, call a number to reserve it, and then pick it up the following day from their local Fotomat kiosk. 

Fotomat Drive-Thru Movies eventually dropped their rental fee to $9.95 for five days. However, by 1982 local video rental stores had started to pop up around the country offering cheaper rental rates without the overnight rate, and Fotomat discontinued the service that year. 

Fotomat also sold blank VHS tapes as well as 35mm film and also offered a filmstrip development service which was popular with schools. Teachers could have Fotomat produce a custom captioned or sound filmstrip made by recording the audio on cassette tape and providing that to Fotomat along with the photos that would accompany the recording. 

Why Did Fotomat Go Out of Business?

Fotomat had a pretty good run, but it became obsolete by the time drugstores and retailers began offering in-store photo development services. And once one-hour photo development technology became the industry standard, it was pretty much all over for Fotomat. 

As late as 1986, however, the company still had commercials running on TV (and the Fotomates were no longer required to wear tight, revealing shorts.)

Did you use or work at a Fotomat booth? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!