Weekly roundup
Things that happened this week in the 80s/90s
Weekly Roundup (6–12 Oct in the ’80s & ’90s)
Movies out this week in the 80’s/90’s
Assassins (1995)
Released in theaters 30 years ago on October 6, 1995, Assassins is a slick action-thriller directed by Richard Donner.
It stars Sylvester Stallone as a weary hitman looking to retire and Antonio Banderas as a hot-headed up-and-comer determined to eliminate his rival. Julianne Moore co-stars as a clever hacker caught between the two assassins
Fun fact: the screenplay was originally written by the Wachowskis (of Matrix fame), and though it was heavily revised, you might spot hints of their style in the cat-and-mouse mind games.
Assassins delivered tense set pieces and a showdown of old-school vs. new-school assassins.
Watch the trailer: Check out the original 1995 trailer on YouTube to see Stallone and Banderas face off (90s hair and all!).
Commercial of the week
Launch of the NES (1985)
In October 1985, Nintendo was gearing up to launch the Nintendo Entertainment System in America – and with it, a new era of home gaming. The very first NES television commercial hit the airwaves around this week in ’85.
The ad, aimed at the New York test market, teased the “incredible Nintendo Entertainment System” and its 8-bit wonders. It even showcased R.O.B. the robot accessory, asking viewers: “Will YOU be the one to play?” This cheesy yet charming commercial marked the beginning of Nintendo’s console conquest.
Watch the ad: Travel back to ’85 with the first NES TV spot (complete with retro synth music and kids in denim jackets): First NES Commercial (1985). It’s a delightful slice of gaming history that launched countless childhoods.
Game of the week
Pac-Man (Arcade, 1980)
Forty-five years ago, a little yellow circle with a big appetite changed gaming forever. Pac-Man debuted in Japanese arcades in May 1980 and arrived in North America on October 10, 1980, sparking a nationwide craze.
The gameplay was instantly addictive: guide Pac-Man through a neon maze, munch all the dots, and avoid (or chase, when powered up!) the colorful ghosts. By 1981–82, “Pac-Man Fever” was everywhere – the arcade cabinets grossed over $1 billion in quarters, there were Pac-Man cereal and board games, a hit song on the radio, and even a Saturday morning cartoon.
Pac-Man’s design was groundbreaking in its simplicity and appeal. It introduced power-ups (those energizer pellets that turn the ghosts blue) and featured cute intermission cutscenes – firsts in video games
The characters – Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde – each had distinct “personalities” programmed, a primitive AI that made the ghostly foes predictable yet challenging
Pac-Man himself became the first gaming mascot, paving the way for Mario, Sonic, and others. Decades later, Pac-Man is still instantly recognizable and playable on everything from arcade machines to smartphones. Talk about everlasting retro appeal!Video emed of game intro.
Poster of the week
The Phantom of the Opera (1986)
This week in 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s mega-musical The Phantom of the Opera had its grand opening in London’s West End (premiering October 9, 1986 at Her Majesty’s Theatre).
Its haunting poster quickly became one of the most iconic images in musical theatre. Set against a stark black background, the artwork features the Phantom’s white mask and a single red rose – symbols of mystery and romance that perfectly capture the show’s mood. (Early versions of the poster, like the one above, even showed the Phantom’s outstretched hand catching the rose – a detail removed in later prints.
The Phantom poster’s minimalist design has endured for decades, much like the show itself. 39 years later the musical is still running in London (and until recently on Broadway), proving that a great visual and a great show never go out of style. If you’ve ever seen that mask-and-rose logo on a T-shirt or billboard, you’ve witnessed the lasting legacy of The Phantom of the Opera. Music of the Night, indeed!
Good news this week in the 80’s/90’s
National Coming Out Day Begins
A truly uplifting cultural milestone took place on Oct 11, 1987: The Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights drew 500,000 people to demand equality.
National Coming Out Day Begins
The momentum from that massive march didn’t stop – organizers decided that henceforth, every October 11 would be National Coming Out Day, a celebration of living openly and proudly. The first NCOD was observed one year later, on Oct 11, 1988
This week marks what would be the 38th anniversary of that pivotal 1987 march. Today, National Coming Out Day is recognized internationally every October 11th as a time to raise awareness, share stories, and support LGBTQ+ folks in coming out. It’s a beautiful reminder of how far we’ve come since the ’80s in visibility and acceptance – and it all started with a half-million courageous people marching in DC during this week in 1987.
Random things of the week
Meteorite crashes into Chevy Malibu
And now for something completely different – a wild, only-in-the-90s event that literally came out of the sky. On Oct 9, 1992, in Peekskill, New York, an 18-year-old woman was startled by a fireball meteor streaking across the night sky… and even more shocked when it crashed into her car! The Peekskill meteorite smashed through the trunk of Michelle Knapp’s Chevy Malibu, leaving a smoldering 28-pound space rock and a very trashed car.
Meteorite crashes into Chevy Malibu
Both the meteorite and the unlucky Malibu became instant celebrities. Scientists confirmed the rock was a 4.4-billion-year-old chunk from the asteroid belt, and thousands had witnessed it blazing over the U.S. East Coast.
The aftermath? Michelle’s once-$300 car sold for $10,000 to a collector, and has since been displayed in museums around the world alongside the meteorite fragments.
Talk about turning cosmic lemons into lemonade! The Peekskill meteorite caper is a favorite piece of ’90s trivia – a reminder that sometimes the universe literally drops in unannounced. Keep an eye on the sky… who knows what might land in your driveway next?
That’s it for this week.
That’s all for this retro week of October 6–12! Whether you’re revisiting a favorite arcade, re-watching a ’90s thriller, or humming a showtune, hope you enjoyed this blast from the past. Until next week, stay rad!
Sources:
Guinness World Records / Smithsonian – Pac-Man U.S. release and cultural impact (1980)
IMDb / Warner Bros – Assassins (1995) release information and cast notes
YouTube – Assassins (1995) official trailer
YouTube – First NES Commercial (1985)
History.com / Wikipedia – Phantom of the Opera London premiere and poster design (1986)
Human Rights Campaign – Origins of National Coming Out Day (1987–1988)
NASA / American Museum of Natural History – Peekskill Meteorite event (1992)