Tag: Rob Lowe

Retrospective: Forty Years since John Hughes held us all in detention with ‘The Breakfast Club’ By Jesse Striewski

A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal, each students at the same Illinois high school that couldn’t be from more opposite sides of the spectrum if they tried, forced to spend a Saturday in detention together for their own unique offenses.

Originally released on February 15, 1985 (but taking place on March 24, 1984), The Breakfast Club was Director/Producer/Writer John Hughes’ magnum opus, portraying the American teenager at the time so accurately that it struck a cord so deep within audiences (grossing over $51 million domestically) its fabrics have remained a staple within pop culture (and our lives) in the ensuing years since, often quoted, imitated, or parodied.

Anthony Michael Hall played the “Brain” with a penchant for good grades and computers, Emilio Estevez was the “Athlete” pushed to the breaking point by a controlling father, Ally Sheedy was the “Basket Case” outcast ignored by the world, Molly Ringwald was the preppy “Princess” with everything seemingly handed to her in life, while Judd Nelson was the “Criminal” that no parents wanted to see their daughters bringing home.

Photo of actress Molly Ringwald as Claire in The Breakfast Club spotted at a local clothing store (Revolve) on 8/2/23 (from the author’s personal collection).

These unique characters – as well as the actors playing them – were each relatable enough in their own ways that nearly any teen could find at least some part of themselves in them, even more so once the nickname the “Brat Pack” was coined to define the young cast and several of their contemporaries (Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, and Rob Lowe were a few more to fit in this club, among others). And who could forget the Simple Minds hit and the film’s theme song, “Don’t You Forget About Me?”

At the time of its initial release and ’80s prime, I was still just a kid grade school. But with four older brothers and sisters in either middle or high school, I was very much aware of the influence of The Breakfast Club, and I can distinctly remember going to one of said siblings’ schools at the time (namely Overbrook High School in New Jersey, coincidentally where I also attended preschool) and feeling as though I was in a John Hughes movie myself with the students we would come across there.

Today, the legacy of The Breakfast Club is just as strong as ever; one year while doing some back-to-school shopping with my own teenager at a local resale clothing shop, various images from the film were scattered about different areas (see above), and not even a week ago I was picking up a Funko Pop! figure of Nelson’s John Bender character (see below). The film has clearly endured for decades, and no doubt will for decades more to come; in the words of Hall’s own Brian character…”Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.”

John Bender Funko Pop! recently spotted on a store shelf on 3/21/25 (courtesy of the author’s collection).

Retrospective: 30 Years Since we first entered ‘Wayne’s World’ By Jesse Striewski

Before Saturday Night Live became the embarrassing mess of mean-spirited, nasty nonsense that it unfortunately has, it actually gave us some great moments and memorable characters in TV history. In the ’70s the likes of the Coneheads stood out, while Eddie Murphy dominated the early part of the ’80s with multiple personas, including Gumby, Buckwheat, and Mr. Robinson.

But by the late ’80s, we were introduced to two guys who “rocked” out in a basement while filming a public access show, Wayne and Garth, potrayed wonderfully by castmates Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. The original Wayne’s World skit officially premired on February 18, 1989, ushering in a new era of pop culture phenomion. Shortly after, I began discovering many of the bands (Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, etc…) the duo would reference on their “show” on my own personal journey, so it made perfect sense for me to fall for these two lovable dimwits.

It didn’t take long for Producer Lorne Michaels and co. to cash in on their newfound hit skit, and by 1991, a film version for Paramount Pictures was green lit. Veteran rock director Penelope Spheeris, who at the time was best known for her Decline of Western Civilization films, was tapped to direct.

Released on February 14, 1992, Wayne’s World was an instant hit, eventually going on to gross over $180 million at the box office. Aside from Myers and Carvey, it also starred Tia Carre as Wayne’s sexy love interest, Cassandra, and ’80s brat packer Rob Lowe as sleazy television producer Benjamin, hell-bent on exploiting the show and stealing the girl all at once.

Wayne’s World was a one-of-a-kind ride like few others that came before it, with the two heroes stumbling upon a host of colorful characters along the way, with bit parts played by everyone from Meat Loaf, Ed O’Neill, Chris Farley, to even Alice Cooper himself (I couldn’t help but think of the film when I saw Cooper perform “Feed My Frankenstein” for the first time years later in 2005).

Aside from Cooper, it’s soundtrack also boosted many others who weren’t necessarily considered “in” by 1992’s standards, including Black Sabbath and Cinderella, as well as giving Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” it’s highest ever chart position sixteen years after it’s original release (shortly before his death that same year, late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury actually gave his blessing for the song to be used in the film, reportedly loving the head-banging car scene it was used in).

I myself was not able to see the film during its original run in the cinemas; just two months after it hit theaters, I was involved in a car accident that would ultimately change my life forever and leaving me permanently disabled. But during the many months I spent recovering in the hospital, I watched the film for the first time with a fellow long-term patient shortly after it came out on video.

However, I was finally able to catch Wayne and Garth on the big screen the following year when Wayne’s World 2 was released in December of 1993. Although lacking some of the charm of the original (and the direction of Spheeris, who Myers reportedly butted heads with during production of the first film), the sequel did have some of its own memorable moments, including some stand out performances from the likes of Christoper Walken, Kim Basinger, and Oliva d’Abo, among others.

Still, even with all of its flaws, I will gladly take Wayne’s World 2 over ninety-nine percent of what passes as “comedy” these days. When the Wayne’s World films were released, there was still a sort of innocence that’s just been lost today; so much of what comes out now is either hollow, or contains a level of ugliness fueled by some need to push an agenda and/or criticize in the name of “social justice.” Society is indeed headed down an unfortunate path, and should really take a cue from Wayne and Garth, and just be “excellent” to each other again.