I recently had the opportunity to relive a bit of my big hair days. I sat down over the course of a few days to watch the new DVD set from MPI Home Video, titled simply “The History of the 80’s.” Of course it took me a few days because the set is made up of 3 discs, and each year of the era is given close to an hour of time. The 1980s was a turbulent time for me, I was fresh out of high school, moved from El Paso to Dallas, and was completely unsure of my future. College? Bah!! I was going to be artist. But such as is was turbulent for me; it was also a turbulent time for everyone. Only recent times have gotten as scary for us as the 80’s were, at least politically. The 1990s was a piece of cake compared to the last 4 years. (Hmmmm… and whoooooo has been in charge of the U.S. all that time???) Watching “The History of the 80’s” was interesting, especially for someone my age, because unlike most documentaries which show events from a time before I was born, I lived through these. It has to be like someone in their 80’s watching a documentary about WWII.

It was as informative as it was nostalgic. I remember, and still think about many of the events featured on these discs, but there were far more that I had forgotten about. Watching scenes like that of the ill fated flight of Pan Am 103 brought those memories back in spades. I had even forgotten that the Iran Hostage Crisis lasted as long as it did. (444 days, by the way.)

This particular documentary was put together by ABC news back in 1991, and all the archival footage that is pulled from their vaults adds up to a fascinating montage of the decade. It was interesting to see the advent of many of the items we take for granted today. Personal Computers and VCRs were becoming popular, MTV was barely off the ground and even Madonna (despite the apparent lack of talent) was just getting started.

The whole series is narrated, which helps those of us who have lost some of our memory banks, and even better there are subtitles to help us through some of the harder to hear news footage. With only a two notable items that drop it a couple of points, “The History of the 80’s” is an extremely well put together documentary and set. I would have liked to have seen more chapter options that would take you to particular items of note. But I realize this may have been difficult considering the way the documentary was originally produced. Then there is slight problem with the documentary being dated. Since it was produced in 1991, occasionally the narrator makes little comments that, looked at today, date the piece. The one glaring moment came during the footage of the marriage of Prince Charles to Diana. He mentions that we finally got to know who the next Queen would be. Of course we all know how that turned out.

In spite of those two little nits, I do recommend “The History of the 80’s” as a valuable tool for youngsters eager to learn (and yes, we do still have a few of those), or simply as a kick start for those of us older folks in need of a memory charge.

Highlights:
1980 - Iran hostage crisis • U.S. Hockey victory • Soviets invade Afghanistan • Mount St. Helens • Love Canal • Polish solidarity • Chrysler bailout
1981 - Iran hostages released • Ronald Reagan inaugurated • MTV • assassination attempts against Reagan and the Pope • PCs & VCRs • Charles & Diana • AIDS • Anwar Sadat assassination
1982 - Vietnam memorial • Falkland Islands war • ERA defeat • Israeli invasion of Lebanon • Tylenol poisonings • Anti-nuclear protest • Artificial heart implanted • Poland
1983 - U.S. deployment of nuclear weapons in Europe • Grenada invasion • education report • Star Wars • Beningo Aquino assassination • firsts in America • U.S. Embassy/Marine barracks bombed
1984 - Bhopal disaster • new patriotism • Central America • Presidential campaigns • L.A. Olympics • Bernard Goetz • Indira Gandhi assassination • Iran/Iraq war
1985 - Mikhail Gorbachev rises to power • Live Aid/Farm Aid concerts • terrorism • Apartheid in South Africa • crack • Contras • AIDS • Pete Rose • Poland • corporate buyouts
1986 - Challenger disaster • Iceland Summit • Oliver North • Chernobyl disaster • homelessness in America • Statue of Liberty centennial • Kurt Waldheim • U.S. bombs Libya
1987 - Stock Market crash • AIDS • Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker • Pope visits Poland • Gorbachev visits America • Contra Affair • Japan in America • Constitution bicentennial
1988 - Environmental issues • Reagan and Gorbachev • Navy in the Persian Gulf • Pan Am Flight 103 • election • Wall Street buyouts • PLO renounces terrorism • Benazir Bhutto
1989 - Soviet Union crumbles • Berlin Wall falls • Manual Noriega • Exxon Valdez disaster • San Francisco earthquake • war on drugs • student protests in China • Romania • S&L crisis • George Bush

Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: MPI Home Video
Release Date: 8/31/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give History of the 80's an A.