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Writer's pictureMitchell George

Are The 80's & 90's Making a Comeback?

While we prepare our second season of Rental Rewind. We can't help but hop into our DeLorean and take a cruise through the ever-winding road of nostalgia. As a self-proclaimed 90s aficionado, I must admit, my heart skips a beat for the bygone era. The 80s and 90s – those were the days! And guess what? It seems like the cosmos agrees because the 90s are back with a bang, and they're here to rock our Walkmans, blow our minds with wacky fashion, and even take us on a joyride down memory lane with movies and tv remakes. I mean even Crooked Cinema is doing it!


The Nostalgic Resurgence: Why is This Happening?

Pull out the slap bracelets, because the 90s are staging a triumphant return, and it's more electrifying than a neon-lit dance floor. From the beats of unforgettable music to the iconic fashion statements, it's like we're hitting rewind on the good ol' VCR of life.

Mutants of Mayhem
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures./B)2023 Paramount Pictures. TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES is a trademark of Viacom International Inc.

But what's sparking this nostalgic inferno? it's like the universe hit "Play" on our collective memories and decided to throw us a party because there's a remake wave sweeping through Hollywood faster than a ninja turtle on skateboards! First up, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – they've taken a quirky detour into an animation style that's surprisingly fun. Though the new look is cool in its own right, let's not kid ourselves – the 1990 classic will forever be our pizza-loving turtles in a half shell.


Speaking of classics, remember the Rugrats? Those diaper-clad adventurers are returning with a polished animation style that might as well come with a side of nostalgia-flavored Dunkaroos. I mean, who can resist racing home after school to catch up with Tommy, Chuckie, and the gang? I'm also calling out all you Power Rangers fans! The reboot of our beloved Mighty Morphin Power Rangers might be slicker than a slicker-than-slick Zord, but let's be real – nothing beats the vintage charm of the original movie. Ivan Ooze, the gooey villain, holds a special place in our hearts that no amount of high-tech CGI can replace.

Oh, and let's not forget the most recent revelation – the Super Mario Brothers Movie! It's like Mario and Luigi just power-jumped their way into our hearts all over again. But brace yourselves, folks, because remakes can either hit us with a wave of ooey gooey nostalgia or crash and burn like a wayward meteorite.


Blame it on Psychology: The Art of Nostalgia Marketing


Imagine this – the universe is an epic marketing guru, and we're all its captive audience. You see, Simon Pegg once theorized in a blog post that the generation that grew up in the 1980s and 90s was the first generation that didn't face an existential crisis. Such as a world war, severe economic depression, or the likes of an imminent holocaust. For them, or for us (considering you were born in the 80's or 90's) it wasn't imperative for us to grow up right after high school. This leads to what Pegg calls the "Extended Adolescence" giving birth to a nostalgia-hungry populace. And boy, are we lapping it up! From books to music to movies, it's like we're savoring the past like a box of pop rocks.


The generation that grew up in the 1980s and 90s was the first generation that didn't face an existential crisis.

Hold onto your bucket hats, because here's the truth – I'm guilty of being the guy who gleefully watches these remakes. There's nothing quite like seeing our childhood heroes return to the big screen, even if they'll never quite live up to our rose-tinted expectations. It's like Christmas morning, but with the painful realization that the N64's glory days are gone for good, and speaking of remakes, Hollywood's obsession with them isn't new – it's been going on since Tarzan was King of the Jungle, with a whopping 52 movies to his name! So, maybe, just maybe, our nostalgia-driven love affair with remakes isn't merely a unique blip in history, but a fundamental quirk of human psychology. Maybe it's not so much the results of a unique historical occurrence and more of an innate part of our human psychology, maybe humans are just built to dislike unfamiliar stimuli, and if that's the case well I think the world's going to move to continue marketing our childhood and creating content around our psychology.


To Remake or Not to Remake: That is the Question


As we hit the brakes on our nostalgia-fueled ride, one question remains: Should we keep reliving the past or venture into the unknown depths of new content creation? While we ponder the possibilities, one thing's for sure – the 80s and 90s are here to stay, delivering a blast of déjà vu that's sweeter than a fresh pack of fruit gushers.


So, do you believe in the magic of remakes, or are you ready to chart a new course? Let your thoughts fly in the comments below, and remember, whether we're snacking on Dunkaroos or embracing remakes, the beauty of the past will forever be etched in our neon-colored memories.

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