‘Stranger Things': 21 ’80s Relics We’ve Spotted So Far (Photos)
The Duffer brothers’ sci-fi horror series “Stranger Things” is scaring up ghosts of decades past. About a mysterious force unleashed on a sleepy town, the show takes place in the 1980s and is chock full of recognizable artifacts from the era.
1. As fans have observed, the show’s poster itself evokes ’80s movies “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Indiana Jones.” Hey, there’s even a Jedi, it appears. “Star Wars” is also referenced several times in the series.
2. The title sequence itself is set to the tune of heavy ’80s-style synthesizers, reminiscent of B-level horror movies of the time.
3. Each episode represents a new chapter, suggestive of children’s books of the time. The font even resembles those on popular books, like, the “Choose Your Own Adventure” series.
4. The show opens with the show’s main group of boys playing a rousing game of Dungeons and Dragons. So ’80s!
5. They hop on their Realistic-branded walkie talkies — true to the era.
6. The boys also ride ’80s-style bikes. The one we found with a green banana seat, bottom right, looks just like the one Lucas Sinclair rides. He’s played by Caleb McLaughlin.
7. A Mead-branded Trapper Keeper folder, which closes with velcro, can be seen in one scene along with a very ’80s Pee Chee folder.
8. Sheriff Jim Hopper, played by David Harbour, drives a Chevy Blazer.
9. The Clash hit “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” which appeared on their 1982 album Combat Rock, is weaved into the story. And the show’s soundtrack is filled with memorable ’80s tunes.
10. Like other characters on the show, Lucas likes to wear Levi’s corduroy jackets.
11. Nancy Wheeler’s boyfriend Steve Harrington, played by Joe Keery, is seen wearing these vintage Nike sneakers.
12. Yes, the phones in the show are also era-appropriate. Here, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) dials a rotary phone. There are also some vintage cordless phones depicted as well as button-push ones.
13. In this scene, you can see a phone booth!
14. Remember the puffy vests? Yeah, Michael J. Fox wasn’t the only one wearing them back in the day.
15. Blink and you’ll miss it, but Mike Wheeler, played by Finn Wolfhard, plays with his Rubik’s Cube in a later episode.
16. Even the beer cans are right for the times.
17. This scene, right, made us nostalgic for one ’80s movie: “Stand By Me,” which shares some thematic similarities with “Stranger Things.”
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18. A wood-paneled station wagon appears. Yeah, those aren’t around anymore.
19. Can you see the movie poster for “The Thing” in the background?
20. Look carefully and you’ll find a Tom Cruise poster hanging on the wall of Nancy Wheeler’s room. She’s played by Natalia Dyer.
21. Matthew Modine, whose rise to fame began with ’80s movies “Vision Quest” and Stanley Kubrick‘s “Full Metal Jacket,” is himself a living relic of the era.
What other items from the ’80s did you spot? Tell us in the comments or tweet @TheWrap.
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