The top 10 movies of 1984 are read in this order: Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins, Beverly Hills Cop, The Karate Kid, Police Academy, Footloose, Star Trek 3, Romancing the Stone and Purple Rain. No ordinals or figures are stated.
The next five are given as Terms of Endearment, Splash, a film transcribed as 'Grand Canyon', Tightrope and The Natural.
Beyond the top fifteen the year also had Revenge of the Nerds, Bachelor Party, Friday the 13th Part 4 (called probably the best of that series), 16 Candles as the start of the John Hughes movies, and Scarface, released at the end of 1983 but really an '84 movie; it is called an incredible year.

Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 00:28:17Read transcript

The movie is described as really well reviewed; the hosts say Roger Ebert gave it four out of four stars and called it an exciting, sweet-tempered, heartwarming story with one of the most interesting friendships in a long time.

Most Rewatchable Scene

'You're the Best' tournament montage; soccer tryout scene

In the discussion (24)

Approx. transcript time · 00:29:24Read transcript

The first beach fight opens the list; nobody knows how the moped gang got to a beach at least 40 minutes from where they live, or who rides mopeds on the beach.
Daniel's soccer juggling on the beach is presented as forward-thinking but is basic stuff; Johnny smashes Ali's radio with uncomfortable, unexplored O.J.-Nicole vibes, and none of her friends stand up for her.
Daniel lands one cheap-shot punch before being finished off, and Freddy and his friends immediately drop him.
Starting to work out took a lot longer than age eight; the movie's first scene has Daniel boasting he can teach Freddy karate, and it is unclear whether the film wants viewers to think he can hang with Johnny or is just laying a foundation so his tournament rise is less absurd. — Ryen Russillo
Johnny's red jacket is dated to a nine-month fad; the beach is Elisabeth Shue's first scene, and she belongs on a Mount Rushmore of 80s movie crushes with Kelly Preston and Apollonia, and she is said to have later won an Oscar.
The Halloween fight: Daniel hoses Johnny while he rolls a joint wearing a Walkman, is too slow to escape over the fence, and gets run down to the 'Danger' song; 'I'll decide when he's had enough' is called one of the best lines ever.
Miyagi 'goes hero ball' like Kobe in 2006; the double punch and the tummy-slap finish on Johnny are questioned as unrealistic, though Zabka's footwork is praised.
The hosts cite a Sports Illustrated oral history in which Macchio says the scene was filmed at 4 a.m. and Zabka, meant to fake a roundhouse, really hit him in the jaw; Zabka says Macchio leaned into it.
The episode exists partly because a son demanded it after re-bingeing Cobra Kai; they watched the movie on day two of the quarantine.
In Miyagi's visit to the Cobra Kai dojo, a background student does knuckle push-ups through every take; the favorite line is 'no one touches the prima donna until after the tournament.'
The hosts point out Andrew Shue, Elisabeth Shue's brother from Melrose Place, as an unheard Cobra Kai in the scene, along with Lamar from Revenge of the Nerds, whose toughness is hard to believe.
The Kreese actor reportedly stayed in character on set, and he was not one of only three real black belts in the movie.
The All Valley Karate Championships poster is visible; reproductions are on eBay, but only an original would be worth buying.
After roughly ten minutes of Daniel remodeling Miyagi's house, the wax-on/wax-off confrontation reveals the chores were karate training; it is ridiculous but still enjoyable, and kids said 'wax on, wax off' to each other for years.
The country club scene is not a top-five scene: it is unclear why Ali would date Daniel, her parents are an extreme cliché, and a whole dining room laughing at the spaghetti collision is called absurd.
A scene said to have been cut had Daniel sit on blueberry pie; the spaghetti coverage looks painted on.
Daniel's unfunny flirting is compared with Serpico's painful dating phase; the couple is said to have fought like hell for each other.
The training montage on the pier and the boat, with its music, is praised as high-level for the mid-1980s.
The declared pick is the tournament montage that kicks into Joe Esposito's 'You're the Best'; it is ranked with the opening of Rocky 3 (Eye of the Tiger) as the best movie music montage, and it is on-sight viewing whenever it airs.
The hosts say 'You're the Best' was originally meant for Rocky 3 and was also in play for Flashdance; the tournament was shot with about six cameras like live theater, with a real crowd, and Zabka's mother was upset by the booing.
The referee Pat Johnson, described as a real black belt, brings authentic intensity; the hosts say the tournament was staged as a real event at Cal State Northridge's arena with 500 to 1,000 spectators and a couple hundred competitors.
An alternative is the whole last stretch, from Daniel asking Miyagi to fix his leg through 'sweep the leg', 'get him a body bag', the crane kick and the trophy presentation.
Asked for a pick between the two or something else, the answer is the soccer tryout where Daniel is thrown off the team; the slide tackle was vicious, Daniel was right to punch back, and the coach just did not like him.
The segment ends with 'You're the Best' named as most rewatchable.

1980s soundtrack; the 'Mommy not here to dress you' insult; Johnny's semifinal rout of Vidal; Bill Conti's music; dropping the original ending; the golf-and-stuff date spot and montage; Mrs. LaRusso; 'Get him a body bag'; the restaurant scene with Daniel's mom

In the discussion (16)

Approx. transcript time · 00:52:56Read transcript

The 80s soundtrack leads: Cruel Summer, 'Danger', 'Young Hearts Beat Fast' in the date montage, and 'You're the Best'; 80s love songs are mocked as caveman-simple.
'What's the matter? Mommy not here to dress you?' is called the greatest movie insult ever, a triple crown of disdain, mom and wardrobe.
Daniel's wardrobe draws mockery: high-waisted mom jeans and camo pants that would have labeled him in the 80s.
In the final, a crowd member yells 'you're a cupcake, Johnny'; 'put him in a body bag' became a reliable college lacrosse heckle.
The writer is named as Robert Mark Kamen; Cobra Kai's snake and strike-first, no-mercy mentality are praised, and throwing the first punch is described as how fights are actually won.
Johnny's semifinal against Vidal, the best technician in the tournament, is a 3-0 demolition and is called Johnny's apex; it is said the fight could have been closer, but that would upstage the final. Johnny is lip-read saying Vidal is not that good.
The hosts say Vidal was one of the real black belts, doubled for Miyagi in long shots, and still instructs in Murrieta.
Bill Conti's music is listed; the hosts say the discarded original ending, in which Kreese breaks Johnny's trophy and fights Miyagi, became the opening of Karate Kid II, and ending on the celebration was a great decision.
Freddie and friends rejoining the celebration are mocked as front-runners, compared with fans after the Lakers signed LeBron.
The golf-and-arcade spot in Norwalk used for the date montage was the dream 80s date location; a parody date montage with happy music over a disastrous date is pitched.
Mrs. LaRusso makes a Mount Rushmore of 80s pop culture moms with the Family Ties mom, Mrs. Bueller and the Cosby Show mom; the Growing Pains mom gets an honorable mention.
'Get him a body bag': the hosts cite the oral history in which Rob Garrison, said to have died last year, recalls looping the line months later on the first take and being told by Avildsen it would be a classic.
Tommy's whole performance is praised, while 'take a worm for a walk' did not catch on; Tommy's death in Cobra Kai is called emotional.
The Cobra Kai series is recommended again, with Shea Serrano named as another fan.
The restaurant scene where Daniel's mom, now a hostess, asks whether he likes anyone ('she buries Judy') is praised as a sincere mother-son moment.
The decision not to use the original ending is restated as a what's-aged-best pick, since what gets cut can make something great.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Slow first eight minutes; camo pants; the shock of Pat Morita having played Arnold; the country-club parents; a college 'Mr. Miyagi' nickname

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 01:06:34Read transcript

The first eight minutes, covering the move to Reseda and the broken pool, could have gone faster; the camo pants, the Arnold shock value and the over-the-top country-club parents are also listed.
One complaint is that Johnny's punch to the face should have scored the third point before the crane kick, since a face kick wins it and Ali said everything above the waist counts.
That scoring complaint is pushed back on as shaky, with the point that full-power punches are illegal in most karate rules—though by that logic the crane kick might have been disqualified too.
A column quote asks why Ali likes a 5'7", 100-pound kid with no money or car whose mom drives him on dates; it is called the mystery of the movie, with a Back to the Future comparison.
Ali is already staring at Daniel on the beach before the radio incident; perhaps she surrounds herself with lesser friends to stand out, though Johnny dating her implies she is the it-girl.
A college-era joke about rebuffs ('wax on, wax off', 'paint the fence') and nicknaming a classmate 'Mr. Miyagi' during an AIDS-fear era is offered as a self-called-out aged-worst.

Casting What-Ifs

Robert Downey Jr. and Charlie Sheen for Daniel; a Seven Samurai actor for Miyagi; Crispin Glover for Johnny; Helen Hunt and Demi Moore for Ali; Valerie Harper for the mom; Sarah Jessica Parker for Ali's best friend

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 01:11:08Read transcript

The hosts say the character was originally named Danny Weber and renamed LaRusso once Macchio was cast; Macchio auditioned for Johnny because he did not want to play another good guy.
Zabka is cited saying Robert Downey Jr. and Charlie Sheen were considered for Daniel; Downey might have made a better movie, but the counterpoint is that Macchio's odd combination is what makes it stand out, and a likable Downey would have muddied whether Johnny was the villain.
Sheen is not seen as Daniel and would have fit Johnny better.
Sean Penn, Emilio Estevez, Nicolas Cage, Anthony Edwards, Tom Cruise and Eric Stoltz are listed as only rumored; only Downey and Sheen are said to be confirmed.
The studio originally wanted a famous Japanese actor from Seven Samurai for Miyagi (name garbled in the transcript), but he did not speak English; Bill Cosby is also said to have been mentioned, which would have aged worst.
The hosts say Crispin Glover was considered for Johnny before Zabka, and Helen Hunt and Demi Moore for Ali before Shue, who reportedly got it partly from a Burger King commercial and took leave from Harvard.
The hosts say Valerie Harper was almost the mom before Randee Heller and Sarah Jessica Parker was supposed to play Ali's best friend, which would have added depth.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Randee Heller

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:16:18Read transcript

Larry B. Scott (Lamar from Revenge of the Nerds) and Happy Gilmore's grandma as the lying, chain-smoking old lady are mentioned as classic That Guys.
The pick is Randee Heller as the mom, for a run including Gabe Kaplan's wife in Fast Break, a stripper girlfriend on The White Shadow, and later a lawyer on Melrose Place—an '80s Gary Oldman' range.
Dutch is floated as a That Guy as the most psychotic Cobra Kai, but because the actor is Chad McQueen, Steve McQueen's son, he is judged not a That Guy.
Chad McQueen is placed in the first wave of troubled celebrity kids of the cocaine era, with a wild look in his eyes.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

No affirmative selection

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:17:59Read transcript

There is little overacting; Miyagi's drunk 'Sergeant Miyagi' scene is dialed up but is thought by some to have won him the Oscar nomination.
The Cobra Kai intensity is what fans love; 'take a worm for a walk' might be the line rather than the delivery, and Ali's friends are a little annoying, but nothing qualifies.
Miyagi blacking out on whiskey in front of a high school kid on his anniversary is joked about.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Martin Kove as John Kreese

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 01:20:49Read transcript

It is called one of the biggest Dion Waiters categories in 106 or 107 episodes; three nominees are named, with Tommy's eligibility left open.
Kreese is barely in the movie yet puts up huge stats, a bench player with a double-double in 14 minutes.
Dutch, played by Chad McQueen, is the scariest Cobra Kai and the one who would lead a coup against Johnny; his loss to Daniel seems unrealistic.
The tournament announcer ('Daniel LaRusso is going to fight!') is praised for his jacket-collar look and mysterious identity and is initially given the award.
An anecdote about an anchor questioning low energy in a pre-show rehearsal before a strong live show is used to compare the announcer's rehearsal footage with his performance when the red light goes on.
The announcer pick is disputed: Tommy is ruled ineligible and Dutch is not in it enough, leading to Kreese over the MC.
The announcer is looked up as Bruce Malmuth, said to have died in 2005, who also announced in Karate Kid II and appeared in Lean on Me and Pentathlon.
The award goes to Kreese, though the karate announcer could have won.

Recasting Couch

Sarah Jessica Parker or someone like her as Ali's best friend

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:26:18Read transcript

Sarah Jessica Parker or somebody like her as Ali's best friend would have made more sense; Ali needed at least one friend Dutch could pursue.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Rocky-driven origin; Cruel Summer's chart resurgence; Macchio's yellow car; the saved drunk scene; the cut pie and water-fountain scenes; the fishing-wire fly; Pat Johnson's background; Zabka's training; Coca-Cola product placement; Shue's bathing-suit quote

In the discussion (13)

Approx. transcript time · 01:26:52Read transcript

The hosts say Robert Mark Kamen was approached by Columbia to rip off Rocky after it signed Avildsen, building on an optioned news story about a single mother's child earning a black belt against neighborhood bullies.
Writers do not just go off with those instructions—it is more complicated than that. — Ryen Russillo
Cruel Summer, a 1983 song, is said to have hit No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984 after the movie; Macchio reportedly still has the yellow 1948 Ford Super Deluxe Club convertible, valued around $20,000 online.
How Miyagi owns so many cars is joked to suggest bootlegging.
The producers reportedly wanted to cut the drunk scene for length, and Avildsen fought to keep it.
In the oral history Chad McQueen is quoted saying he never really talked to Ralph and would have said something nasty if he had.
Two scenes said to have been shot and cut deepened the Daniel-Johnny feud: the blueberry-pie cafeteria fight and a water-fountain confrontation in which Daniel asks Johnny whether he might be wrong about his sensei; that is preferred to extra remodeling footage.
The hosts say the fly-catching used a crew member dangling a fake fly on fishing wire, and that Macchio thought the title corny and lost the fight to change it.
Pat Johnson, the referee and choreographer, is said to have trained since 1963, learned a Korean form of karate while in Korea with the Army and trained with Chuck Norris; Zabka is quoted saying they trained five days a week, four hours a day for the month before shooting.
Zabka reportedly had no martial arts background but was an accomplished wrestler, which makes his Vision Quest casting odd.
Zabka's footwork is compared to Barry Sanders, including a scissor kick in rehearsal that reaches head height.
The hosts say Columbia's Coca-Cola ownership meant product placement—orange juice at breakfast and a Sprite—that is said to annoy Macchio; Daniel's No. 89 jersey is described as a Chargers replica.
Shue is quoted from the oral history on feeling uncomfortable in the bathing suit, training for the beach scene and then slowly gaining weight across the shoot; Vidal is said to have doubled for Morita in the cool moves.

Apex Mountain

Ralph Macchio; Pat Morita; every Cobra Kai member and Martin Kove; Reseda; the All Valley Karate Tournament; Cruel Summer; the high-school biker gang/ninjas; mid-80s arcades

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:33:58Read transcript

Macchio, Morita, every Cobra Kai plus Kove, Reseda (now known as the Karate Kid town), the All Valley tournament, Cruel Summer, the high-school biker ninjas and the mid-80s arcades are yeses.
Avildsen is a no because Rocky is his apex; Shue is a no because, the hosts say, she later won an Oscar.
The red jackets are grouped with Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket without a clear yes or no.

Picking Nits

Daniel's permanent soccer banishment; Mrs. LaRusso not fixing her car's starter; the arcade kiss

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:34:55Read transcript

Daniel's banishment from the soccer team for the year is excessive; the counterpoint is that he already had a reputation.
Mrs. LaRusso never fixes the starter—cheap, and Miyagi is a car guy who heals bones.
Daniel's first kiss with Ali at the arcade turns into devouring her upper lip; the kids find it the funniest part and it suggests Macchio is a bad kisser unless it was a character choice.

The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie

"Man who catch fly with chopsticks accomplish anything"; "What's the matter? Mommy not here to dress you?"

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:37:21Read transcript

The chopsticks line is called the best quote in the movie, with the fly-swatter rejoinder noted.
'What's the matter, Mommy not here to dress you?' is named as a personal favorite.
'Sweep the leg' and 'get him a body bag' are the two lines that lived on; 'sweep the leg' can still be dropped anywhere 36 years later.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Yes

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:38:05Read transcript

It is the all-time yes because Cobra Kai did it smartly and it worked.
An objection that Johnny would never stay in Reseda is answered by pointing to Cobra Kai, and the objection is withdrawn as speaking about something unfamiliar.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Colleges for Daniel, Johnny and Ali; Freddie Fernandez's arc; whether the hillside crash was attempted murder; Mrs. LaRusso's equity; crane-kick casualties; whether Miyagi could have saved Kevin Durant; Dutch's first name; Daniel taking Miyagi's best car

In the discussion (9)

Approx. transcript time · 01:39:04Read transcript

College guesses: Daniel at a smaller L.A. school such as Laverne or Cal State Fullerton near Miyagi, or junior college; Ali at USC, possibly after Wisconsin or Wheaton College; Johnny at Duke alongside Danny Ferry.
Freddie Fernandez disappears between the beach fight and the tournament; his arc is unexplored.
Running Daniel off the hill is asked about as attempted murder; there are no cops in the movie, and it is conceded as a moment where Cobra Kai was at fault.
Whether Mrs. LaRusso's Rocket Computer job included equity is raised, since moving from Newark to Reseda needs upside.
Thousands—more likely a couple of thousand—have been beaten trying the crane kick; Vidal is said to have called it bogus since charging an off-balance opponent beats it.
Miyagi's healing could have saved Kevin Durant in the 2019 playoffs; he is called the Alex Guerrero of the mid-80s.
Dutch's name appears alone on the tournament board where others show last names, suggesting Dutch was his last name, or a single name like Nene.
Daniel choosing Miyagi's best car, the yellow convertible, for his birthday is called a dick move; the counterargument is that he fixed up the property for free.
A present-day Daniel is joked to be jogging shirtless on the strand during the virus.

Who Won the Movie?

William Zabka

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:47:27Read transcript

Cases could be made for Pat Morita, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka; Zabka's staying power exceeded all expectations, and he is described as grounded and happy to share stories.
It is unclear why Zabka did not become a bigger star, possibly pigeonholed as the 80s villain as Anthony Michael Hall was as the nerd; Macchio or Morita won at the time, but Zabka won over the years as the best and hardest part.
An addition says Elisabeth Shue wins the movie 'in a way' for dodging Daniel.
Daniel likely faces depression after Ali, since she is gone at the start of Karate Kid II.
The segment closes with 'I vote for Zabka.'

Podcast choices

Speaker not identified: William Zabka

More from the conversation

A Ringer network plug precedes the episode; the episode was a promised reward for a Greater Boston Food Bank drive that raised $50,000.

Approx. transcript time · 00:02:18Read transcript

The episode is taped remotely during the quarantine, with producer Craig also missed.

Approx. transcript time · 00:03:41Read transcript

The movie is framed as the end of the Rocky-era sports-movie run that began with The Longest Yard, essentially Rocky remade with karate by the same director.

Approx. transcript time · 00:04:08Read transcript

The familiar new-kid premise is executed better here; as a blond kid in the 80s, villains like Johnny Lawrence made it seem that growing up blond meant becoming a jerk.

Approx. transcript time · 00:04:53Read transcript

Novelizations released after movies, including this one, used to be read as kids.

Approx. transcript time · 00:05:33Read transcript

In 1984 cable exploded, and HBO showed The Karate Kid constantly in summer 1985, making it a textbook rewatchable.

Approx. transcript time · 00:06:21Read transcript

The plot fits in one sentence; the Breaking Bad pitch is offered as the best one-sentence pitch.

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A 2004 column argued 1984 was an unbeatable sports and pop culture year: the end of NBA Finals tape delay, Magic versus Bird, the Olympics that Russia skipped, MTV and peak albums.

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The franchise legacy as the hosts describe it: three sequels, the fourth with Hilary Swank; a 1989 animated series; the Jaden Smith remake nearly rented by mistake; and Cobra Kai, praised for updating the characters 35 years later.

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Johnny Lawrence is called the defining 80s movie villain, part of Zabka's villain trilogy with Just One of the Guys and Back to School.

Approx. transcript time · 00:12:07Read transcript

Team Johnny: Daniel deserved almost all the beatdowns, from pursuing Johnny's ex within minutes to getting cut from soccer in the first 19 minutes.

Approx. transcript time · 00:12:39Read transcript

Karate Kid III is called an unintentional comedy; Mike Barnes shows how the villain could go wrong, while Johnny's trophy handoff is debated as too quick a turn.

Approx. transcript time · 00:14:09Read transcript

Johnny is still in love with Ali, so he could never win; the more one watches, the more Johnny looks like the real, sad hero.

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Ali sitting mat-side all tournament is questioned.

Approx. transcript time · 00:16:56Read transcript

Miyagi is described as a cross of Mickey from Rocky, Pop from The Longest Yard and Confucius; Morita's casting after playing Arnold on Happy Days was a shock like Mr. Belding getting an Oscar nomination.

Approx. transcript time · 00:17:32Read transcript

The producer reportedly did not want Morita; typecasting in entertainment is discussed with Jason Alexander as an example of irreplaceable casting, and Miyagi going wrong in Karate Kid III.

Approx. transcript time · 00:18:55Read transcript

Kreese runs an 'Aryan' karate studio with an iconic sign; the Reseda, hills and beach geography does not add up for kids on mopeds.

Approx. transcript time · 00:21:03Read transcript

Martin Kove is perfectly cast as Kreese; Macchio works because Daniel is annoying enough that the bullying is believable.

Approx. transcript time · 00:23:24Read transcript

The hosts say the character was scripted as Daniel Weber; the Jersey Italian identity and strong mother work, and the mom may come up in the Dion Waiters award.

Approx. transcript time · 00:24:34Read transcript

The 'I want to go home' argument with his mother after the Halloween beating is called the movie's best dialogue.

Approx. transcript time · 00:25:43Read transcript

The hosts recount Macchio's run on Eight Is Enough and in The Outsiders and say he was the most famous person in the movie besides Morita.

Approx. transcript time · 00:26:13Read transcript

The hosts say the movie had an $8 million budget and made $91 million.

Approx. transcript time · 00:27:42Read transcript

Shue was the ideal 80s crush; a Cocktail rewatchable is offered, alongside 80s crushes Kelly Preston, Lori Loughlin and Lisa Bonet.

Approx. transcript time · 01:14:12Read transcript

The sign-off thanks the food bank drive and promotes Fast Seven with Shea Serrano next week for its five-year anniversary.

Approx. transcript time · 01:50:51Read transcript