While certain 80s fashion tropes have made a significant return of late (e.g., neon shuttered glasses, blocky fonts and gradients, oversized + brightly colored high tops), there always seems to be an air of irony about this retro movement.
However, back in the day, sincerity was king. Artists were not afraid to score earnest, heartfelt, “You can do it, friend”-type pleas set to anthemic almost-new wave musical backdrops for earnest, heartfelt films.
For a new segment we’re calling Friday Flashback, here are some championship clips to get you in the mood for pushups, sprinting, cleaning your garage and/or gearing up for a nice election brawl:
Frank Stallone belting out the inspirational classic, Far From Over:
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John Parr gets parenthetical and impassioned with St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion):
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Phil Collins, asking how he could just let you walk away, in Against All Odds (or, alternately, watch the Postal Service’s take, or even Mariah Carey’s version):
headsparks* 