McQuaid Arcade

'Twas the night before Life Day, and all through Kashyyyk, not a creature was stirring...except for Bea Arthur, Art Carney, and a toothless old wookie pervert. Join us for our fourth annual McQuaid Arcade Holiday Spectacular as we explore the most notorious TV holiday special ever made!

From Emmet Otter to the great Cabbage Patch Kids riots of 1983, this year's annual holiday episode will stuff your stocking with everything that made our childhood Christmases back in the 80s so unforgettable!

We're opening our third season with a tribute to arguably the greatest adventure film ever made: (Indiana Jones and the) Raiders of The Lost Ark! Get ready to explore everything we love about this 1981 classic, from the real world origins of Indy's signature gear, to a deep dive into the lore behind the legendary lost Ark itself.

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for...your two favorite podcast hosts! Grab a cup of holiday cheer and join us by the yule log as we tell the heartwarming holiday tale of a man who reunites with his family to celebrate the magic of the Christmas season, with plenty of explosions, murder, bloody foot trauma, and Twinkies along the way. Now THAT's a Christmas movie! Ho-ho-ho!

Join us for a recap of our favorite weekend of the year: the Midwest Gaming Classic! The Midwest's largest gaming trade show made its triumphant return to Milwaukee earlier this month, and your two favorite podcast hosts were there to relive old classics, discover new favorites, and consume as much pizza as possible. Learn more about MGC here, and check out the musical stylings of featured act Mechanical Life Vein here!

One of the most watched movies of our childhood, Cloak & Dagger has it all: Twinkies, video games, espionage, and near-constant attempted murder of a minor. Grab your walkie-talkie and bulletproof beret, and join us as we take a look back at this surprisingly intense classic.

On this spooktacular Halloween episode, we're taking a VERY deep dive into perhaps the greatest horror movie ever made. We're covering it all: Exorcism, Ouija boards, the true story that inspired this critically acclaimed classic, and the special effects behind some of its most memorable scenes. This episode's so dense, it'll make your head spin (get it?).

Your friends at McQuaid Arcade, in association with the Wanda Trussler School of Beauty, cordially invite you to the 2021 "Tanning Invitational"! As one of the original Real Genius movie posters put it: “MEET CHRIS KNIGHT, THE EINSTEIN OF THE '80's. When his professor steals his prize invention, he turns revenge into high comedy. When he gets mad, he doesn't get even . . . he gets creative.”

Join us by the fireplace as we enjoy a cocktail (or two), and let us regale you with tales of endless quests, unknown mysteries, and the magic of a Scholastic book fair. This episode is all about the books we loved growing up, and the many memorable moments they inspired!

With magical creatures brought to life by the legendary Ray Harryhausen and a triumphant score that harkens back to the golden age of cinema, the mythological fantasy classic Clash of the Titans captured our imaginations back in 1981, and is a delight to watch to this day!

A bite-sized little bonus episode celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of the greatest games of all time!

Growing up during the personal computer revolution of the 80s instilled us with a love of computers that continues to this very day. On this episode, we're reliving our earliest and most influential computing experiences - everything from late nights spent huddled around an Apple IIc trying to solve the mysteries of Zork, to the unrivaled satisfaction of cleanly tearing the perforated edges off of dot matrix printer paper.

On this special McQuaid Arcade double feature: a groundbreaking masterpiece of claustrophobic sci-fi horror, followed up by one of the greatest sequels ever made. Stop your grinnin', drop your linen, and join us as we discuss everything we love about Ridley Scott's Alien, and James Cameron's Aliens.

Growing up, soundtracks allowed us to relive our favorite movie moments, and opened our young minds to musical artists and genres we might have otherwise missed. Grab some fresh batteries for your Walkman and join us as we take a deep dive into four of our favorites: The Lost Boys, The Blues Brothers, Rocky IV, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

In 1981, John Landis's pitch-perfect storytelling combined with Rick Baker's groundbreaking special effects to give us what is still the best werewolf movie ever made. Scary, gory, smart, and funny, An American Werewolf In London was written as a love letter to the old-school monster movie, and ended up becoming one of the all-time greats.

At a time when the once-booming American home video game industry seemed to be nothing more than the passing fad its critics had predicted, the Nintendo Entertainment System won over jaded retailers and consumers, reigniting America's passion for games. Join us as we remember the launch of this revolutionary console that changed not just our childhoods, but the entire world around us.

While it’s not the most critically acclaimed cinematic adaptation of Stephen King’s work, Silver Bullet is almost certainly the funniest...whether or not the humor is entirely intentional is up for debate. Join us on this episode as we relive our childhood horror movie memories of this quasi-classic werewolf flick and laugh so hard that we almost make lemonade in our pants.

On this episode, we explore everything about this groundbreaking sci-fi slasher flick, from its original casting, effects, and soundtrack, to the way it shaped our thoughts on the very nature of time itself. So hop into our time displacement device and join us as we travel back to 1984, the year the battle for humanity's future was waged on the streets of L.A. by a waitress and a smelly soldier from the future. One quick thing, though: we all have to be naked. Look, we don't make the rules. That's just how time travel works.

In a time before Hollywood studios began snapping up anything and everything comic book-related, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles struggled to find their way to the big screen. But when it finally hit in theaters in 1990, TMNT surprised moviegoers with a take on the radical reptiles that stayed true to their indie comic roots, and appealed to kids and adults alike. Grab a slice of pizza and join us as we open our second season with a celebration of this cult classic. Cowabunga!

We’re closing out our first season with a look back at one of our favorite highlights of holiday seasons past: the Sears Wish Book! No 80s Christmas was complete until we’d spent hours examining each and every one of this magical mail order tome’s hundreds of pages. Cozy up to the ol’ yule log and join us as we revisit the very books we compiled our Christmas lists from and discuss not just our favorite toys and video games, but gadgets, guns, radios, robots, and more. Be sure to check out our site for links to the catalogs we discussed so you can relive the Wish Book magic for yourself: https://mcquaidarcade.com/pod/wishbook/

We're celebrating one of the greatest Saturday morning cartoons ever: Dungeons and Dragons! Grab a bowl of Kellogg's C-3PO's and join us as we discuss this classic, boundary-pushing fantasy series, as well the controversy surrounding the role playing game its based on. We'll also tell you which episodes are our favorites, and more importantly, what our Saturday morning cereal of choice was back in 1983. Be sure to check out this episode's page on our site for bonus materials you won't want to miss: https://mcquaidarcade.com/pod/dungeons-and-dragons/

Tango and Cash, Cash and Tango...partner up with us as we discuss the explosive action superstar buddy cop team-up that closed out the 80s with a bang. A lot of bangs, actually. Not to mention gunboots, random drums, bizarre office interior design choices, and Jack Palance kissing a bunch of rats. When you're done listening, be sure to check out this episode's page on our site for exciting bonus material: https://mcquaidarcade.com/pod/tango-cash/         

On paper, a supernatural action/comedy starring Eddie Murphy should be our favorite movie ever. On film, it...isn't. Luckily for us, watching Eddie Murphy Eddie Murphy-ing his way through The Golden Child is still pretty damn funny. It's an 80s movie we didn't actually see in the 80s, and on this episode we're talking everything from its origins as a VERY different movie to its groundbreaking special effects. When you're done listening to the show, be sure to check out this episode's page on our site for a look at them: https://mcquaidarcade.com/pod/golden-child/

Our first foray into the world of 80s Action Movies is a celebration of perhaps the perfect representation of the genre: Arnold Schwarzenegger's Commando. This one's got it all: combat, car chases, brutal kills, even MORE brutal one-liners, and an iconic 80s bad guy. Let off some steam and give it a listen! When you're done, be sure to check out this episode's page on our site for more action: mcquaidarcade.com/pod/commando

It’s the beloved 80s werewolf/coming-of-age romantic fantasy comedy, Boy From the Future! Better known as Teen Wolf here in the US, this 1985 box office hit was a favorite of ours growing up, but in 2020, it’s a beast to watch. Be sure to check out this episode's page on our site for a closer look at some of the stuff we discussed: mcquaidarcade.com/pod/teenwolf. 

Join us as we travel back to the cruel summer of 1984 and discuss everything that makes The Karate Kid such a quintessential 80s classic, and a story that still resonates with us today. We break down our favorite scenes, discuss original casting choices, explore the origin of the legendary Crane Technique and more - like the movie itself, this episode's got something for everyone. Be sure to check out this episode's page on our site for a closer look at some of the stuff we discussed: mcquaidarcade.com/pod/karatekid. BANZAI!

On this episode, we scratch the surface of the mountain of classic toys from our childhood, from the mainstream MASK toy line with its multimedia marketing push to weird one-offs like Suckerman and Krusher (with a K). Plus, the fantastical origin story of Mr. Do Anything. It'll knock your shoes off! Be sure to check out this episode's page on our site for a closer look at some of the stuff we discussed: mcquaidarcade.com/pod/toys

We're talking about the revolutionary Tim Burton blockbuster that went on to shape the superhero movies that dominate the box office more than three decades later. We fire up the Batcomputer and analyze it all: the iconic Prince soundtrack, the controversial casting of Michael Keaton - largely known at the time as a comedic actor - as the Dark Knight, and Burton's "killer" take on the character. Check out this episode's page on our site for a closer look at some of the stuff we discussed: mcquaidarcade.com/pod/batman/

On this McQuaid Arcade special Feature Presentation, it's the 1984 classic supernatural comedy, Ghostbusters! We break down our favorite moments, the characters, the music, and the special effects. It'll be more fun than your collection of spores, molds, and fungus. Check out this episode's page on our site for a closer look at some of the stuff we discussed: mcquaidarcade.com/pod/ghostbusters/

Fright Night and The Lost Boys: two iconic - and very different - 80's takes on the vampire tale. On this special McQuaid Arcade Feature Presentation, it's all the damn vampires...well, maybe not ALL of them. But definitely the coolest ones. Check out this episode's page on our site for a closer look at some of the stuff we discussed: mcquaidarcade.com/pod/vampires

Gather 'round as we tell the tale — nay, the legend! — of a hot summer day in 1987, when a routine trip to Toys R Us for a new "Nintendo tape" started us on an adventure we're still talking about three decades later. This week, it's all about the Legend of Zelda! We relive some of our favorite moments with it, discuss some of our favorite (and not-so-favorite) sequels, and more!

Heeyyy yoouuuu guuuuyyyys! On this episode, we re-visit 1985 with a deep-dive on one of the most formative films of our youth, The Goonies. Also: The Snyder Cut lives, Maneater, Bloodshot, and more!

It was the year that took us to Thundera, the Goondocks, the Mushroom Kingdom, and back...to the future! We make our case for why 1985 was quite possibly the greatest year ever. Also: Panic's upcoming Playdate handheld, The Lonley Mountain: Downhill, Avatar: The Last Airbender and more! #staylimber

We take a trip back to the Golden Age of the arcade: shady characters, second-hand smoke, pizza grease, and the games that shaped our childhood. We're also talking Streets of Rage 4, Star Wars, Westworld and more on this very special first episode!