1986

Over the past few months I realized the year 1986 kept popping up when I was reading about lots of things that I loved.  So I started doing some research, and realized that 1986 is probably the greatest year in the history of everything...according to my life.  Let's take a look:

Video Games

I love video games.  What games were released in 1986?  None other than the greatest game of all time, The Legend of Zelda.  And as a bonus, Metroid was too.

Seriously, tell me you didn't get an intense feeling of AWESOME when you looked at that picture and thought about the epic adventure that was in front of you.

Music

Almost like the gods were expertly crafting 1986 to be the artistic epicenter of my being, the Beastie Boys released their debut album Licensed to Ill.  If you were in my car in the late nineties, there was about a 90% chance that you were going to be listening to Licensed to Ill or Paul's Boutique.

Movies

Ya.  Top Gun.  1986.  Tell your friends.  True story: I once watched Top Gun 10 times over the course of a weekend when I was 7.  And not as a dare, it just happened.  And it was awesome.

Want me to continue to blow your minds?  

Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  Platoon.  Big Trouble in Little China.  Three Amigos.

Even the CRAPPY movies were awesome: Crocodile Dundee.  Wildcats.  

And don't pretend you don't like Wildcats.  EVERYONE likes Wildcats.

Comics

Now I'd probably leave this section off because everyone's all "Comics!?  What the hell are you talking about?  I don't collect comics.  Comics are for KIDS!", (ten points if you got the mallrats reference...nerd) but it might actually be of interest to normal people now.  As opposed to just comic geeks like me. 

1986 saw the release of two of the greatest comics mini series of all time: The Watchmen, by Alan Moore, and The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.  And unless you have some weird social disorder where you can't be in public or something, you've probably seen The Dark Knight, and know that The Watchmen will be in theaters next month.  And thanks to me, now you can stand in line for the Watchmen and say "Did you know that two the the most highly regarded comics of all time were both released in 1986?" and start a lively debate with the geeky people around you.  For even more comic street cred, tell them The Black Freighter story MADE Watchmen, and you don't even know why you're in line to see this movie knowing they removed it.

e.