Here are all the 1980s movies referenced in Stranger Things that make us want to turn back time.
Cute ’80s hair
This shaggy lady-mullet was all the rage in the 1980s. Think ‘the Rachel’ waaay before Friends. Pat Benatar, Nastassja Kinski and Olivia Newton-John all had versions of this hairdo, making it a perfect choice for Winona Ryder, though her’s is likely a wig.
‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’
Full disclosure: A lot of the next references come from Ulysse Thevenon‘s genius YouTube video.
Boy running at night
Here, Stranger Things even stole exactly the same camera angle from E.T.
Aliens obsessed with TV
How else are aliens like E.T. supposed to learn anything? It’s not like we have school for being human.
Blondie poster
This specific poster was created by artist Martin Hoffman, who became part of the NASA Art Program in the 1980s.
Fiery cartoons
Because ’80s cartoons were just so violent. And that was before Netflix, so that’s all they had.
Subliminal messages
Another image from E.T., where an alien recognizes something from far, far away.
Dress-up
Another homage to E.T., because everyone knows aliens from all galaxies love blond wigs.
Ouija board
The show’s art directors could have place any board games in Mike’s closet from Monopoly to Scrabble. But the fact that they chose Ouija foreshadows the supernatual communitcations, particularly when Joyce creates a Ouija board of her own using Christmas lights.
Big, scary suits
Here, it looks like Stranger Things even used the same costume department as E.T. That’s one way to save bucks.
Antigravity
Another visual reference to E.T., because aliens totally control gravity when it comes to vans and bikes.
11 in numerology
In numerology, 11 is said to be a “master number,” indicating a person with spiritual insight and supernatural abilities.
‘Stand by Me’
Kids following the railroad tracks screams coming-of-age adventure, as done so well in Stand by Me.
The flies
The flies buzzing around Benny are similar to the nasty pests in The Amityville Horror.
‘The Goonies’
For some reason, bullying was really popular in the ’80s. Just ask Chunk from The Goonies.
‘Evil Dead’ poster
Of course there’s a poster from the iconic horror film The Evil Dead from 1981. It ruled.
Curls get the girls
A stolen look from The Goonies, because it was all about the big hair back then.
‘The Dark Crystal’ poster
From 1982, The Dark Crystal was about an alien from a distant planet, indicating that 011 could be an alien.
Four-eyes
Another stolen fashion statement from The Goonies, because giant, fish bowl specs were so rad.
‘The Shining’
Of course Joyce has an ax. Axes were the only cool weapons available in the 1980s.
Quoth the Raven, ‘Nevermore’
Here we see Barbara’s empty desk below the Poe poster, indicating that we may not hear from her again.
‘Poltergeist’
If Steven Spielberg made anything popular, it was the umbilical cord as a tool to travel between dimensions.
‘Cymbeline’
Shakespeare’s Cymbeline features princess Imogen, who has great moral purity. But does Nancy?
‘Alien’
Aliens can be horribly frightening — especially when they smother your face with their tentacles. Eww!
‘Fire Starter’
Head sensors? Check! Kids controlling objects with their minds? Check! Mad scientists with evil intentions? Check!
‘Altered States’
Because we “just said no” to drugs in the Reagan era, we just floated in water tanks to get high.
‘Stranger Things’
You can totally binge all the weirdness of Season 1 on Netflix, but check out the new trailer for Season 2.
What’s your sign?
Want more? Take a look at the shows you should watch based on your zodiac sign.
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