21/28
Perry was so impressed that he even helped develop the remix
Tale
In 1980s Indiana, a group of young friends witness supernatural forces and secret government actions. As they search for answers, the kids unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries. Steve Perry, former lead singer of Journey, said that the Stranger Things season 4 remix of Journey’s ’80s hit “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” was done pretty much the way he originally intended in the ’80s, but lacked the technology. During a number of episodes, you see people “interrupting” someone who is talking on a two-way or CB radio, meaning one person is talking/transmitting and another person transmits to interrupt them, and then the other person hears this interruption and stops transmitting. This has been done a couple of times on kids’ CB radios and on radios used by police.
Eleven: Friends don’t lie
Those radios, the CB and police radios of the era of the show, don’t work that way. If you’re transmitting and someone else is transmitting, you won’t hear them. The opening titles and fonts of Stranger Things mimic the film grain and look of 1980s TV series opening titles. FoundFlix Highlights: Stranger Things (2016) Ending Explained + Season 2 Clues (2016). Stranger Things (Title Sequence & End Credits Theme) Written by and starring Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein.
Now, if you’ve seen “Stranger Things,” that should sound pretty familiar, right?
In the 1980s, there were two dominant forces that had a lasting effect on my cinematic taste forever and also led to my lifelong love of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror stories: Steven Spielberg and Stephen King. I guess it’s no exaggeration to say “The Two Steves” probably influenced and shaped the imaginations – the dreams AND nightmares – of an entire generation. The main reason I loved their movies and books was that kids around my age figured so prominently in many of them. King wrote “Firestarter,” “It,” and “Stand By Me,” and Spielberg directed or produced (through his Amblin company) “E.T.,” “The Goonies,” and “Gremlins.” Those were stories where the young protagonists encountered aliens and monsters, or had supernatural powers themselves, or simply went on adventures (to find a body or long-lost treasure) with adults largely out of the picture. Of course it does: because “Stranger Things” deliberately pays homage to all those stories, and does it very, very well.
And it’s not a rip-off, it’s a love letter
The show emulates the themes and a certain style of those 80s treasures, and while it is (for me) a welcome callback to some of my favorite stories from my youth, it is also very different. I won’t give away the plot here (I’m guessing you have a pretty good idea of what it’s about from what I’ve written above), but I will say that it is beautifully shot, the effects and overall production values are top-notch, and the period-inspired music is fantastic. The biggest shout-out, however, goes to the ensemble cast, especially the boys who play the leads: their charming performances are key to why the show works so well. Bottom line: if you’re an 80s kid like me, this show is a must-see. For everyone else, it might depend a little more on whether you’re a fan of the genre or not, but if you like supernatural stories, “Stranger Things” is a gem.
I would give it eight out of ten stars, but with an extra star for nostalgia, the score is a 9
Favorite TV Series Reviewed: imdb.com/list/ls075552387/Favorite Movies: IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/Lesser Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/Favorite Low-Budget & B-Movies: imdb.com/list/ls054808375/.
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