One of my favorite images from the 80's is a good old fashioned ghetto blaster...a silver toned blaster with one centered cassette deck + one speaker on each side...I never did quite figure out this picture thing, but I'm sure one of my rewind friends will magically make one appear !). I own one such blaster that sits on a special shelf in my computer room so I get a glimpse of it each day...gives me that oooey goooey 80's feeling I love. * Most of you know I'm a happily married man...me and my wife share pretty much everything, but one day...she took my ghetto blaster outside by our pool to amplify the little CD player she had...when I came home, she could tell by the look on my face that this could very well be the ONE thing I owned that I would not share...I even tried to convince her that it was fine, but she later explained that I looked like I was going to cry! OK...I'm rambling....
I absolutely love seeing vintage ghetto blasters make a special guest appearance in my favorite 80's movies, so my question is...."can you name some movies where these beloved blasters are prominantly featured". A few that come to mind for me:
*Any of the breakdancing movies...Breakin', Beat Street, Body Rock. * Footloose...when they set the blaster on the truck and start jammin at the drive in diner. * Real Genius...when it shows dozens of blasters in the lecture hall recording the lecture. * Flashdance...when walking home, Alex and Jenny start jammin' with some street dancers.
Anybody got anymore?
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
The most famous has to be Lloyd Dobler holding a boombox over his head in "Say Anything"
I think the crushing thing for me was to find out later that "In Your Eyes" was not playing on it at the time!
Posted by Muffy Tepperman (Member # 1551) on :
Good Topic Kevin cause what's so sad is you rarely see GhettoBlasters in real life anymore..........so sad.........I just noticed the other day in Modern Girls I used to have that radio thats in one of the girls rooms.......it was tiny and mod/50's looking........I loved that sucker........even when I was stopping and recording songs off the radio on it
This will have to be one of those topics where I watch a movie to remember the GhettoBlaster.
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
Valley...I can't believe I didn't think of Say Anything right away....
Muffy....you need to get yourself on ebay and bring that little radio home!
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Muffy.. I love that pink Sharp QT-50 boombox in Cece's room! Totally awesome
Posted by Mike. (Member # 7179) on :
There is a scene near the start of Thrashin with some people break dancing and using a ghetto blaster.
Posted by Crash (Member # 7484) on :
It's not quite an 80's movie--1978--but the most memorable boom box scene for me is in James Toback's "Fingers." Harvey Keitel plays a mob debt collector who aspires to be a concert pianist. (Now that's a great plot!) He always carries around his boom box, and in an incredible scene, he goes into the kitchen of a greasy spoon--with "Angel of the Morning" by Merrilee Rush and the Turnabouts blaring on the boom box--and proceeds to pistol whip the establishment's proprietor. Nobody plays scary and unhinged better than Keitel, and I've never forgotten this amazing scene because of Toback's use of the soft, gentle music to accompany the violence.
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
That sounds cool Crash...might have to check that one out....
Posted by Crash (Member # 7484) on :
Toback's an intriguing writer/director. (Tarantino's a fan.) I'm sure that folks on here are more familiar with his 80's stuff--cool too--like "The Pick-Up Artist" and "Exposed," but "Fingers" is his best work, I think.
Posted by Muffy Tepperman (Member # 1551) on :
That's totally it Valley! It was my favorite raido.....although mine was a purple like color....awww I miss it.
Posted by Lovers with Cassie (Member # 7794) on :
The Hidden.
It is first seen in the record shop where the alien murders by bashing the owner and then robs the place. He then plays it in a restaurant where he is eating.
Posted by Lovers with Cassie (Member # 7794) on :
Here are some more examples.
Running on Empty -- Mr. Phillips plays Madonna and Ludwig van Beethoven on this and then asks the high school class that Danny Pope (Michael Manfield) is attending what is the difference between the two of them.
They Call Me Bruce? -- While on the run from the Mafia in New York, Bruce and Freddy run into a gang, one of whom is carrying a portable stereo and after introducing themselves and explaining why they were running, they arrange protection with them.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home -- On the bus with Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock unusually silences a punk who responds rudely to James' request to stop playing a song on the portable stereo that the punk had with him.
Do the Right Thing -- Radio Raheem likes to listen to Public Enemy's Fight The Power on his portable stereo wherever he goes.
Posted by gotta go back (Member # 9818) on :
Hi everyone. I am surprised that Alis radio that Johnny broke on the beach in The Karate Kid just before beating up Daniel, has not been mentioned. "YOU JUST BROKE MY RADIO" Ali angrily responds.
Posted by Lovers with Cassie (Member # 7794) on :
Radioactive Dreams -- When Philip Chandler and Marlowe Hammer are driving a car and first encounter the Disco Mutants (who trick them into pulling in through one of them standing by the side of the road, waving for help with a van nearby which is supposed to be out of petrol), then they have one with them playing, which they run off with after the private detectives snatch their pistols from them when the other Disco Mutant emerges with Rusty Mars.
Biggles: Adventures in Time -- On the run from SWAT in 1986 London after James "Biggles" Bigglesworth has got Jim Ferguson away from a SWAT helicopter as SWAT think Jim is a armed criminal, they see some punks sitting or standing round a fire adjacently who have this with them sitting on a building foundation. They then walk with them (during which a punk can be seen bearing a second one with him) to Tower Bridge to avoid unwelcome attention.
Razorback -- When Carl Winters visits Benny and D1cko Baker in their cave home, then it can be seen on top of a refrigerator.
Fraternity Vacation -- Larry Tucker is carrying it with him when he, Joe Gillespie and Wendell Tvedt go into the hairdresser's and it can be seen sometimes in the course of the film.
Key Exchange -- This can be seen by the puppeteers before the bicycle race.
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Ghetto Blaster had a brief guest appearance in Playing Beatie Bow.
Posted by skatexedge (Member # 5712) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lovers with Cassie: Here are some more examples.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home -- On the bus with Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock unusually silences a punk who responds rudely to James' request to stop playing a song on the portable stereo that the punk had with him.
Can't forget Valley Girl. The scene with Julie and Stacey when they are sitting in Julie's room listening to the radio (boombox) and hear Randy's dedication to Julie. =)
Posted by TerdNthePoolGGB (Member # 9818) on :
Ferris buellers day off. Pool scene when Cameron is acting out of it. A yellow radio is behind Ferris and his girl in the hot tub.
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!). I own one such blaster that sits on a special shelf in my computer room so I get a glimpse of it each day...gives me that oooey goooey 80's feeling I love. * Most of you know I'm a happily married man...me and my wife share pretty much everything, but one day...she took my ghetto blaster outside by our pool to amplify the little CD player she had...when I came home, she could tell by the look on my face that this could very well be the ONE thing I owned that I would not share...I even tried to convince her that it was fine, but she later explained that I looked like I was going to cry! OK...I'm rambling.... 
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