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- May 23rd, 1980 🪓
May 23rd, 1980 🪓
"Here's Johnny!"
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Today, we’re dialing the time machine to May 23rd, 1980. I hope this newsletter provides a nice little break from your day. Because you know what they say, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
There are officially over 500 subscribers to On This Day! (811 to be exact) What started as a little side project has become….well, still a side project. But a side project with 811 readers!
Thanks for taking these weekly trips with me. On to 1980! 🚀
-Nick
May 23rd, 1980 📆
“Here’s Johnny!” On May 23, 1980, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining was released in theaters in the United States. Based (very loosely) on Stephen King’s novel, the film tells the story of Jack Torrance, a man who takes his family to an isolated hotel for some peace, quiet, and a complete mental breakdown. What could go wrong?
Audiences expecting a typical horror movie got something far stranger: an eerie, slow-burn descent into madness, complete with creepy twins, rivers of blood, and a hedge maze that’s arguably the film’s most stable character. Jack Nicholson's performance, meanwhile, redefined “unhinged dad energy” for generations to come.
Critics at the time were baffled. Stephen King was downright horrified - not by the film, but by what Kubrick did to his book. And yet, The Shining grew into a cult classic, then a certified masterpiece. Today, it’s studied, parodied, and endlessly quoted.
Where were the exterior shots of the hotel in The Shining filmed?HINT: You can still book a stay there today! |
Click “continue” after viewing your results to book your stay. 😉
Take Me Back ⏮️
🎥 What we’re watching: The Dukes of Hazzard on CBS
🕹️ What we’re playing: Missile Command on an Atari 2600
🥤 What we’re drinking: Gatorade out of a glass bottle
🛒 What we’re buying: The original Rubik’s Cube
👦 Who we’re following: Harrison Ford as Han Solo
🍔 What we’re eating: A Big Breakfast from McDonalds
🎤 What we’re singing: “Call Me” by Blondie 👇
Just For Fun 🙃
In January of 1980, the first-ever Magnavox Touch-Tune Color TV was built, meaning they were just hitting households in May. This was the first television unit to have push buttons instead of rotary knobs for changing the channel.
These babies were perfect for tuning into primetime CBS to catch the latest episode of Dallas.
This thing just looks heavy
OOTD On This Day🧢
70s fashion was so last year. We were moving into our “athleisure” era.
Happy Birthday🎂
American actor Drew Carey turned 22 years old today, and had recently enlisted in the U.S. Marine Crops Reserve.
Past Meets Present 📰
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