List Of 80s References In 'MADMAX' - Stranger Things 2, Episode 1

If you were lucky enough to remember the 80s, 'Stranger Things', the smash-hit Netflix series now released for its second season, is chock full of references to 80s music, tv, film and fashion. Even if you don’t remember the 80s, or you weren’t even born then, it's fun to try and pick out all the nods to that decade in the show. How many are you picking up in Season 2?

The episode title itself, Madmax, whilst a nickname for one of the new characters, takes us back to one of the great 'indie' films some of us enjoyed on home video rentals in the early 80s. Although recently updated, the original version of Mad Max starred a young Mel Gibson in the title role of a policeman in a post-apocalyptic Australia. Officially an 18 certificate, but most video lending libraries would let you rent anything apart from hardcore pornography provided you were old enough to ride your bike to their store in the first place. Hence a generation of young kids in the 80s watching all manner of films they were far too young for.

Another very accurately timed reference as the film was officially released on October 26th 1984 in the USA. The film is a great match for Stranger Things as, like the series, it is another science fiction story featuring an alternate dimension and, in the case of The Terminator, a rather imposing cinematic 'monster' in the form of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A 1984 film directed by John Milius, in which a group of American high school children resist an invasion of Russian paratroopers. Co-written by slightly unhinged, gun enthusiast John Milius.

On the wall of Mr Clarke's science lab is a display about the Challenger shuttle. The Challenger was the second of NASA's space shuttle fleet, and first flew in April 1983. At the time the series is set, it would have recently returned from its sixth mission to space. After the manned Apollo missions to the moon finished in 1972, excitement about space travel subsided during the late 70s. The shuttle programme returned a sense of excitement about space, and America's technological leadership over the Soviet Union. Nasa even spoke of hundreds of shuttle flights taking place by the year 2000, with space tourism becoming an affordable reality for many. So the class of Stranger Things, like many others in America and across the world, would have been celebrating the success of the Shuttle.

Joyce Byers, played by Winona Ryder, meets her new boyfriend, Bob Newby, played by Sean Astin, at her workplace at the general store. After a bit of a friendly snog in the store room, he has to return to work. As he leaves, they talk about what film they'll watch that night at 'movie night'. He says he doesn't like horror films as he 'hates scary movies'. Whilst not a horror as such, Astin was a key cast member of 80s classic The Goonies, chock full of scary moments. Is this line a nod to Astin's famous role?

When Steve and Nancy drop round for a delicious KFC dinner with Barb's parents, Steve mentions the KFC catchphrase of the time, 'Finger Lickin' Good', a tagline the internationally renowned fried chicken experts dropped in 2011.

Mike is asked to donate more toys as a punishment, 'But you already took my Atari!' he wails. Although the Atari home game console originally came out in the late 70s, it was still a popular in 1984, though the age of the home computer was now in the ascendent.

The new character Billy, sporting an incredible mullet hairdo (and an earring in a later episode) is mimicking the look of Rob Lowe in this 1985 coming of age movie that also starred Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Andie McDowell and Andrew McCarthy - a veritable who’s who of the Brat Pack film genre.