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Celebrating “Stranger Things”: Eight Albums That Came Out in 1983

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Netflix’s “Stranger Things” has become one of the most beloved titles of the year, at least according to my social media feeds. Pretty much everyone is obsessed with the series and the charming way it follows four children in search of their missing friend. But another part of the show that seems to leave everyone smitten is the nostalgia factor of it being set in the 80’s. From the movie posters on the walls to the way it channels films such as Stand By Me or E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the show embraces everything that many of us grew up with and it feels almost like a return to our youth, to a simpler time when Saturday morning cartoons were the most exciting part of the week.

Related: “Stranger Things” Just Raised the Bar for the Upcoming ‘It’ Adaptation

One of the big talking points of the show is the music. While I’m not going to focus on the original music from composers Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein here – I’ve got something else up my sleeves coming for that – I did want to keep the nostalgia train going, which is why I’m highlighting eight noteworthy albums from 1983.

Some of you might be asking why eight albums and why 1983? Well, the show takes place in that year and there are eight episodes, so boom. It’s honestly that simple!

Join me below for a trip down memory lane!


Depeche Mode – Construction Time Again

The UK band’s third album saw the introduction of a somewhat darker flavor, a theme that would run throughout their career and help launch them into super stardom as one of the top selling electronic acts in the world.


Journey – Frontiers

This is the Journey album that spawned “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”. Eventually going platinum six times, Frontiers is considered by some to be one of the best rock albums ever released.


Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind

Up the Irons! Maiden’s fourth album spawned the single “The Trooper” and has ended up on “Best Metal Album” lists from various publications throughout the years. How can you go wrong by adding some Iron Maiden into your life?


Metallica – Kill ‘Em All

The first album from what would become the biggest selling band in metal history, Kill ‘Em All is a shining example of pure, raw thrash metal. Put on “The Four Horsemen” and headbang straight into “The Upside-Down”.


Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones

A master at storytelling through music, Tom Wait’s gravely voice has enchanted listeners for decades. Below is “Soldier’s Things”, one of my favorite tracks of his. It perfectly marries a heartbreaking melody with pure poetry for lyrics.


Genesis – Genesis

This was the group’s 12th album, which only makes it all the more amazing that it did so well on the charts. The song “Mama” may have been the best charting single from the album but I’ll never get sick of the groovy swagger found in “That’s All”.


Cyndi Lauper – She’s So Unusual

Pure, unabashed fun. Seriously though, is there any other way to describe this album? “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” remains one of the greatest anthems from that decade and still ranks as one of the most popular tracks from that era. Personal statement: It’s also one of the first tracks I learned to play on guitar. I still strum out those chords now and again.


Dio – Holy Diver

Coming back to metal, how could I possibly ignore one of, if not THE greatest vocalists in the genre’s history? Their debut album, Holy Diver is one of those “must-listen” albums for one to truly appreciate music as a whole. It’s impact is still felt today, as evidenced by “Holy Diver” being one of Killswitch Engage’s most popular tracks, even though it’s a cover.

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

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Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

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Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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