The '80s Ruled

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The Go-Go’s Performing ‘We Got The Beat’ Live at the Whiskey A Go Go Then and Now (1980 and 2021)

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The Go-Go’s formed in Los Angeles, California in 1978. The band featured Belinda Carlisle on lead vocals, Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar, Gina Schock on drums, Kathy Valentine on bass guitar, and Jane Wiedlin on rhythm guitar. They rose to fame in the early ’80s and still hold the distinction of being the only all-female band that wrote their own music and played their own instruments to score a number one debut album on the Billboard album chart.

Beauty and the Beat hit number one on the album chart in 1981 thanks to the success of of their debut single Our Lips Are Sealed, which peaked at number 20 on the Hot 100 charts and We Got The Beat, their highest charting single of their career, which peaked at number two on the Hot 100 charts and number seven on the Mainstream Rock charts.

They also became the fifth all-female band to be inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2021!

Enjoy this look back at The Go-Go’s performing We Got The Beat live at the Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles back in 1980 as well as on December 14, 2021!

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Hank Williams Jr. Visits with David Letterman in 1982 and Sings A Country Boy Can Survive

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In 1982, Hank Williams Jr. appeared on Late Night with David Letterman. At the time of his appearance on the show, Hank Jr. had scored three number one country singles in a row, and he was promoting his new single A Country Boy Can Survive on the show. In the interview with Letterman, Hank Jr. talked about what it was like growing up as the son of a country music legend and how he carved out his own place in country music. He also talked about falling almost 500 feet on a mountain in Montana. If you’re a fan of Hank Williams Jr. and Letterman, you’ll really enjoy this one.

And, to top if all off, Hank Jr. gave an incredible live performance of A Country Boy Can Survive.

Enjoy this look back at country music legend Hank Williams Jr. on with David Letterman back in 1982!

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Annie Lennox and Al Green – ‘Put A Little Love In Your Heart’ Music Video from 1988

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In 1988, Annie Lennox and Al Green recorded a new version of Jackie DeShannon’s Put A Little Love in Your Heart for the Scrooged soundtrack. The song peaked at number nine on the Hot 100 charts in January 1989, and number two on the AC charts. This is definitely one of our favorite Christmas songs, and Scrooged starring Bill Murray is one of our favorite Christmas movies!

Enjoy this look back at the music video for Put A Little Love in Your Heart from the Scrooged soundtrack!

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The Cast of The Lost Boys Then and Now (1987 – 2021)

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Photo via Nostalgia Hit on YouTube

The Lost Boys was released to theaters on July 31, 1987. It made a respectable $32.2 million at the box office on a budget of $8.5 million. However, it has since become a cult favorite amongst ’80s movie fans as well as vampire movie fans alike. Sadly, a few cast members have already passed away way too soon like Corey Haim, who played Sam in the movie, struggled with drug addiction for most of his adult life, and passed away from pneumonia at the young age of 38 in 2010, and Brooke McCarter, who played Paul in the movie who died at the age of 52 from a genetic liver disorder in 2015.

Enjoy this look back at the cast of The Lost Boys then in 1987 and now in 2021!

P.S. A little trivia question for you. Which actor from The Lost Boys is Jackie Gleason’s grandson? Find out in the video below.

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John McClain Crashes Hans Gruber’s Party in Diehard

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Diehard was released to theaters on July 15, 1988 and although it was released in the summer, many consider it a Christmas movie because the movie takes place on Christmas Eve. There are so many great scenes in the movie, but one of our favorites is the first time Hans and John (Alan Rickman and Bruce Willis) talk to each other over walkie talkie’s. It’s also the famous scene where John McClain says, “yippie-ki-yay mother(bleep)”!

Enjoy this look back at one of our favorite scenes from 1988’s Diehard!

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The Christmas Lights Scene in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

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There are so many funny scenes in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, but one of the best is when Clark loses it trying to turn on the Christmas lights on the house, and this scene also features the arrival of cousin Eddie and his RV!

Enjoy this look back at the Christmas lights scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation!

P.S. We couldn’t find a video that had both the lights scene and the return of cousin Eddie in the same video, so we’ve got them both below. Enjoy!

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The Lemonade Scene from Dead Calm featuring Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane from 1989

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In 1989, Nicole Kidman, Billy Zane, and Sam Neill starred in the psychological thriller, Dead Calm, a film that focused on a married couple, Kidman and Neill, who, after losing their son in a tragic accident, decide to spend some time at sea alone. They happen upon a stranger played by Billy Zane who has abandoned a sinking ship, and what follows is one of the most underrated suspense thrillers from the ’80s.

In this scene, Nicole Kidman’s character Rae is frantically making a glass of lemonade laced with sedatives before Zane’s character Hughie walks back into the galley. If you’ve never seen Dead Calm, we highly recommend you check it out. It’s one of our favorite thrillers from the ’80s.

Enjoy this look back at the lemonade scene from Dead Calm!

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The Weather Girls – ‘It’s Raining Men’ Music Video from 1982

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In 1983, The Weather Girls released their album Success, which included their biggest hit, It’s Raining Men, a number one song on the Dance chart in ’82. The song was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1983.

Enjoy this look back at The Weather Girls and their music video for It’s Raining Men!

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The Karate Kid Cast Then and Now (1984-2021)

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Photo via Hollywood Celebrity on YouTube

The Karate Kid was released to theaters in 1984 and spawned three movie sequels (The Karate Kid Part II in 1986, The Karate Kid Part III in 1989, and The Next Karate Kid in 1994). In addition to the three movie sequels, there was a short-lived animated series, The Karate Kid on NBC in 1989, a Broadway adaptation in January 2020, a remake of the original film in 2010, and the TV/web series Cobra Kai, which started in 2018 and is still going strong today.

The original is still our personal favorite though. Enjoy this look at the cast of The Karate Kid from 1984 then and now from our friends on YouTube’s Hollywood Celebrity channel!

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The ‘Rawhide’ Scene from The Blues Brothers

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The Blues Brothers movie was released on June 20, 1980 and starred the late John Belushi as “Joliet” Jake Blues and Dan Aykroyd as his brother Elwood, the Blues Brothers, the characters they made famous in the late ’70s on Saturday Night Live. In this classic scene from the movie, their setlist is cut short by a bar owner because they’re not playing a Hank Williams song. The brothers improvise and start playing the theme song to the TV western, Rawhide, and the crowd loves it!

Enjoy this look back at the Blues Brothers singing Rawhide in a bar in Kokomo.

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The Six Million Dollar Man Steve Austin Rescues the Bionic Woman Jaime Sommers in 1987’s ‘The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman’

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In 1987, The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman was released as a made-for-television movie. It featured the return of Lee Majors as Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man, and Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers, the Bionic Woman. Both were reprising their roles they made famous in the ’70s with their two TV shows. In this scene from the movie, Sommers chooses not to use her powers in order to save some blind children as she’s being kidnapped, but unbeknownst to the kidnappers, Steve Austin witnesses the kidnapping and tracks them down in true Six Million Dollar man style. It’s utterly cheesy and thoroughly entertaining at the same time!

Enjoy this look back at the Six Million Dollar Man rescuing the Bionic Woman!

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Rodney Dangerfield Visits Late Night with David Letterman in 1986 with his own Top Ten List

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In 1986, Rodney Dangerfield stopped the the Late Night with David Letterman show and shared his own top ten list with Dave and the audience. If you’re a fan of Rodney, you’ll love his list!

Enjoy this look back at the late, great Rodney Dangerfield on with Letterman sharing his own top ten list!

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The Challenge Scene from ‘Tap’ Featuring Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. from 1989

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Tap was released on February 10, 1989 and starred Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. In the movie, Max Washington (Hines) who was just released from prison must decide whether he wants to return to a life of crime, or pursue his passion of tap-dancing.

In this famous scene, Little Mo played by Sammy Davis Jr. announces that Max has issued a challenge saying that all the old timers have lost their legs. What ensues is an impressive display of tap-dancing from both the old-timers and Max. Enjoy this look back at the challenge scene from 1989’s Tap.

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Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson – ‘Pancho and Lefty’ Music Video from 1983

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In 1983, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard scored a number one single on the Country charts with Pancho and Lefty, the second single from their duet album of the same name. The first single, Reasons to Quit, was also a top ten single on the country charts, peaking at number six in ’83.

Enjoy this look back at Willie and Merle’s music video for Pancho and Lefty from 1983 as well as a live version from years later of Reasons to Quit.

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Janet Jackson – ‘Nasty’ Music Video from 1986

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In 1986, Janet Jackson released Nasty, her second single from her album Control. Nasty peaked at number three on the Hot 100 charts, but topped the R&B charts in ’86. It was her second number one R&B single in a row. What Have You Done For Me Lately was the first single from the album, and it became her first number one single on the R&B charts.

Enjoy this look back at Janet Jackson’s music video for Nasty from 1986 as well as her music video for What Have You Done For Me Lately as well!

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Mork & Mindy Blooper Gag Reels

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If you grew up in the ’80s, then you were probably a fan of Mork & Mindy like us. Mork & Mindy aired on ABC from September 14, 1978 to May 27, 1982. The show was a spinoff of a highly successful episode of Happy Days. It starred a then-unknown actor named Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrestrial who comes to Earth from the planet Ork, and Pam Dawbar as Mindy McConnell, his human roommate, friend, and eventually love interest.

Enjoy this look back at the hilarious blooper gag reels from Mork & Mindy!

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Electric Light Orchestra – ‘Hold On Tight’ Music Video from 1981

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In 1981, Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) scored a top ten hit with their single Hold On Tight, the first single from their 1981 album Time – ELO. Hold On Tight was their seventh and final top ten hit on the Hot 100 charts, although they did score a couple more hits around the world with 1983’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Is King and 1986’s Calling America.

Enjoy this look back at ELO’s music video for Hold On Tight as well as for Rock ‘n’ Roll Is King and Calling America!

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The Eagles – ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’ Music Video

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I Can’t Tell You Why was the third and final single released from The Eagles’ 1979 album The Long Run. It was released as a single on February 8, 1980 and peaked at number eight on the Hot 100 charts and number three on the AC charts. The first two singles from the album were Heartache Tonight, a number one hit on the Hot 100 charts, and The Long Run, a number eight single on the Hot 100 charts as well.

Enjoy this look back at The Eagles music video for I Can’t Tell You Why as well as the music video for The Long Run!

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The 1987 New Year’s Eve Dog Singing Contest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

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In 1987, Johnny Carson held his 14th annual New Year’s Eve Singing Dog Contest on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. There are six dogs in the contest, and the winner is determined by an applause meter.

Enjoy this look back at the annual Singing Dog Contest on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1987!

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The Cast of Red Dawn Then and Now (1984 – 2021)

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Photo via Hollywood Celebrity on YouTube

Red Dawn was released to theaters on August 10, 1984, and was a success at the box office, and has since become a cult favorite among ’80s adventure film enthusiasts. The movie followed a group of teenagers calling themselves Wolverines who take on the Soviet Union who had invaded the United States with their Cuban and Nicaraguan allies.

The Red Dawn cast consisted of:

Patrick Swayze as Jed Eckert
C. Thomas Howell as Robert Morris
Lea Thompson as Erica Mason
Charlie Sheen as Matt Eckert
Darren Dalton as Daryl Bates
Jennifer Grey as Toni Mason
Brad Savage as Danny
Doug Toby as Arturo ‘Aardvark’ Mondragon
Powers Boothe as Lieutenant Colonel Andrew ‘Andy’ Tanner, USAF
Ben Johnson as Mr. Jack Mason
Lois Kimbrell as Mrs. Mason
Harry Dean Stanton as Mr. Tom Eckert
Ron O’Neal as Colonel Ernesto Bella
William Smith as Colonel Strelnikov
Vladek Sheybal as General Bratchenko
Frank McRae as Mr. Teasdale
Roy Jenson as Mr. Samuel Morris
Pepe Serna as Mr. Mondragon
Lane Smith as Mayor Bates
Judd Omen as Nicaraguan Captain Rada

Enjoy this look back at the cast of Red Dawn then and now!

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Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray Talk About Ghostbusters on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1984

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In 1984, Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray made their first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to talk about their new movie, Ghostbusters. Aykroyd came out first, and he was quite nervous to be on the show. As usual, Murray came out second and was as calm as ever. Neither of them had any idea how popular Ghostbusters would become.

Enjoy this look back at Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson back in 1984!

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Watch the Final Scene in An Officer and a Gentleman One More Time

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An Officer and a Gentleman was released in 1982 and starred Richard Gere, Debra Winger, and Louis Gosseett, Jr. The movie told the story of Zack, played by Richard Gere, who is a Navy Aviation Officer Candidate who is beginning his training at Aviation Candidate School. While in school, Zack meets and falls in love with Paula, played by Debra Winger. In the final scene of the movie, Zack literally sweeps Paula off her feet!

Enjoy this look back at the final scene in 1982’s An Officer and a Gentleman!

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Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock – ‘It Takes Two’ Music Video from 1988

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It Takes Two by hip hop duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock is one of the greatest hip-hop singles of all time. It was the first single released from their 1988 album of the same name. It peaked at number 36 on the Hot 100 charts and number three on the Dance charts. The song has since been covered and sampled by several artists, and it was used in the films Iron Man 2, Bumblebee, The Proposal, Sisters, The Disaster Artist, Love & Basketball, and Spies in Disguise.

Enjoy this look back at the 1988 music video for It Takes Two from Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock!

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Poncho the Singing Parrot Amazes Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1981

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Back in 1981, Poncho the singing parrot and his trainer David Frank appeared on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Poncho’s singing truly impressed Johnny and the audience. Johnny remarked that most birds that appeared on the show were duds and weren’t in the mood to perform when they came on the show, but not Poncho!

Enjoy this look back at Poncho the singing parrot on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1981!

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The Cast of The Thorn Birds Then and Now (1983 – 2021)

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Photo via Hollywood Celebrity on YouTube

The Thorn Birds was an ABC miniseries that ran from March 27 to 30, 1983. It became the second-highest rated miniseries of all time in the United States behind Roots. The series focused on the Cleary family and spans the years 1915 – 1969.

The main cast of The Thorn Birds consisted of:

  • Richard Chamberlain as Ralph de Bricassert
  • Ken Howard as Rainer Hartheim
  • Christopher Plummer as Archbiship Vittorio Contini-Verchese
  • Bryan Brown as Luke O’Neill
  • Brett Cullen as Bob Cleary
  • Stephanie Faracy as Judy
  • Barry Corbin as Pete
  • John de Lancie as Alastair MacQueen
  • Barbara Stanwyck as Mary Carson
  • Jean Simmons as Fiona ‘Fee’ Cleary
  • Piper Laurie as Anne Mueller
  • Earl Holliman as Luddie Mueller
  • Rachal Ward as Maggie Cleary

Enjoy this look back at the cast of The Thorn Birds then in 1983 and now in 2021!

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The Cast of Aliens Then and Now (1986-2021)

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Photo via Hollywood Celebrity on YouTube

Aliens was released in 1986 and starred Sigourney Weaver as Lieutenant Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of an alien attack on her ship. The movie was a hit with both audiences and critics, and it is now considered by to be one of the greatest science fiction movies from the ’80s.

In addition to Weaver, the cast of Aliens consisted of:

  • Bill Paxton as Private Hudson
  • Carrie Henn as Newt
  • Michael Biehn as Corporal Hicks
  • Paul Reiser as Burke
  • Lance Henriksen as Bishop
  • Daniel Kash as Private Spunkmeyer
  • William Hope as Lieutenant Gorman
  • Jenette Goldstein as Private Vasquez
  • Al Matthews as Sergeant Apone
  • Mark Rolston as Private Drake
  • Ricco Ross as Private Frost

Enjoy this look back at the cast of Aliens in 1986 and now in 2021!

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The Turkey Dinner Scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

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When it comes to great Christmas movies from the ’80s, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is definitely in our top five! There are so many great scenes in the movie, and one of our favorites is the turkey dinner scene. This scene has so many great individual moments from Clark, Aunt Bethany, Cousin Eddie, and of course the climax of the scene when Clark cuts into the Christmas turkey.

Enjoy this look back at the turkey dinner scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation from 1989!

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Flash Gordon – Crashing the Wedding of Emperor Ming Scene

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Flash Gordon is a 1980 space opera that starred Sam J. Jones as Flash Gordon, and Max von Sydow as Emperor Ming the Merciless. Flash ultimately saves the Earth from annihilation, and one of our favorite scenes from the movie is when Flash crashed the wedding of Ming and Dale Arden, Flash’s love interest. During the process of Flash’s crash landing, the bow of his rocket ship impales Ming. All of this takes place to the sound of Queen’s song Flash that was recorded specifically for the movie. The scene is cheesy, flashy, dorky, and immensely entertaining all at the same time!

Enjoy this look back at Flash Gordon crashing the wedding of Ming and Dale on a rocket ship!

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Star Trek II Wrath of Khan – The First Faceoff Between Captain Kirk and Khan

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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was released to theaters on June 4, 1982 and grossed over $97 million at the box office. According to Moviefone.com, it set a world record for its first-day box office gross. It is highly regarded as the greatest “Star Trek” film of all time, which is saying something considering how many Star Trek films have been produced in the last 40 years.

It’s refreshing to see a movie like this without fancy CGI, but rather good ole fashioned acting with jumping and rolling around every time lasers hit the ships!

Enjoy this look back at the first faceoff between Captain Kirk and Khan played by William Shatner and Ricardo Montalban!

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Bloodsport – The Final Fight Between Frank Dux and Chong Li

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Image via Parliament Cinema Club 4k on YouTube

Bloodsport was released in 1988 and starred Jean Claude Van Damme as U.S. Army Captain Frank Dux who travels to Hong Kong to participate in an illegal martial arts tournament in Hong Kong called the Kumite. The film made over $50 million at the box office on a budget of less that $2.3 million and has since become a cult favorite with followers from around the world. The climax of the movie features Dux (Van Damme) fighting Chong Li played by Bolo Yeung in an epic battle!

Enjoy this look back at the final fight scene from 1988’s Bloodsport!

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