Now this list took some time to put together, simply becauseof a lot of throwback movies and series, or sequels, this year sucked; … asmuch as a thirst mosquito in a blood bank. It was a difficult process of elimination that was plagued with second thoughts and second looks but, I think I’ve rounded out a decent list of worth contenders.

10.) Temple [A Cyberpunk Thriller]

Temple is directed by Nguyen-Anh Nguyen, the talent director of The Akira Project. Set in the near future, a disease is causing organ rejection in humans. One man must fight to secure cybernetic enhancements to save the life of another. The fights are literal –he has to steal the body parts from others. TEMPLE is the directors first long form project, based on everything he loves; dystopian sci-fi, cyborgs and martial arts with a touch of manga thrown in for good measure. Nguyen is using interest and hype surrounding this short to produce a feature length version of Temple. Definitely worth your time if you’re a fan of Cyberpunk, Blade Runner, StrangeDays, Deus Ex and other I.P.’s.

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  9.)   Shin Godzilla –

(also known as Godzilla Resurgence) is a 2016 Japanese science fiction kaiju film featuring Godzilla, produced and distributed by Toho. It is the 31st film in the Godzilla franchise, the 29th Godzilla film produced by Toho, and Toho’s third reboot of the franchise. The film is co-directed by Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) and Shinji Higuchi (Gamera), with a screenplayby Anno and visual effects by Higuchi. As expected the film was released in Japan to critical acclaim however, fell below the radar here in the west to mixed reviews by mouth breathing Americans who expected something like those superhero and braindead action films being churned out by Hollywood. Summery – Godzilla is the product of nuclear waste in the ocean. 2.) Godzilla absorbs all organic matter i.e. Godzilla he/she can devour human beings. 3.) Pretty fire shooting out its mouth. A near perfect reimagining of the legendary Kaiju.

8.)   Fuller House –

Fuller House is an American family sitcom and sequel to the 1987–95 television series Full House, airing as a Netflix original series. The series centers on D.J. Tanner-Fuller, a veterinarian and widowed mother of three sons, whose sister and best friend—the mother to a teenage daughter—provide support in her sons’ up bringings by moving in with her. Fuller House has received generally unfavorable reviews from television critics. Most of the original series ensemble cast has reprised their roles on Fuller House, either as regular cast members or in guest appearances, with the exception of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who alternated in the role of Michelle Tanner on Full House. On December 24, 2016, the series was renewed for a third season that will be released in 2017.

 7.)   Sing Street –

Sing Street is a 2016 musical comedy-drama film written, co-produced and directed by John Carney. Starring Lucy Boynton, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Jack Reynor, Kelly Thornton and FerdiaWalsh-Peelo, the story revolves around a boy starting a band to impress a girl In south inner-city Dublin in 1985. The film also features music of the period from The Cure, A-ha, Duran Duran, The Clash, Hall & Oates, Spandau Ballet,and The Jam. Much of the original music by the band “Sing Street” was composed by 80s veteran composer Gary Clark, with Carney, Ken and Carl Papenfus of the band Relish, Graham Henderson and Zamo Riffman also receiving writing credits.

6.)   The Get Down –

The Get Down is an American web musical drama television series set in the New York City section of the South Bronx in 1977. Created by Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, Romeo & Juliet) and Stephen Adly Guirgis. The show’s title refers to parts of disco and R&B records that could be repeated using multiple turntables and were enjoyed most by dancers.

5.)   Voltron: Legendary Defender –

An American animated web television series produced by DreamWorks Animation and World Events Productions and animated by Studio Mir. A lot of you went crazy and chewed your keyboards up when you learned of the Voltron reboot. Netflix this year has been very adamant about resurrecting some beloved programs from our youth. One of them being Fuller House and the other being Voltron. Its animation is a mix of anime influence for characters and background and CGI for Voltron action sequences. The first season premiered on Netflix on June 10, 2016 and consisted of 11 episodes. The lions are back. A second season will premiere on Netflix on January 20, 2017.

4.)   The Secret History of Twin Peaks –

The perfect bridge between season 2 and the highly anticipated new season of David Lynch’s cult-classic series, The Secret History of Twin Peaks arrived this year to remind us of all the stranger phenomenon and moods of the mysterious  Northwest community. A Dossier Style Novel written by series co-creator Mark Frost. Structured as a secret dossier assembled by a mysterious “archivist” and annotated by an FBI agent known only as TP, this enigmatic collection includes undiscovered Lewis and Clark diary entries, UFO sightings, and personal journals of Twin Peaks residents, some of which answer unresolved plotlines from the show’s second season. The presentation of the book is very well thought out and should be the perfect companion to your Twin Peaks book collection that should consist of The Autobiography of Agent Dale Cooper and The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer. And if that doesn’t satiate your appetite for coffee and pie, then you can watch both seasons of Twin Peaks on Showtime’s on demand menu. The Red Room waits.

3.)   The Nice Guys –

Another one of my top 5 films for the year is The Nice Guys. Although it is seta decade earlier in the 70’s, I have to admit the attention to detail and setting really needs to be acknowledged. I actually felt like I was watching a modern movie that was filmed in the 1970’s. Russel Crowe hasn’t been this good in awhile and Ryan Gosling is just as on point with his balancing act between comedy and drama. The both of them playing off each other like some kind of pulp fiction Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The soundtrack is Killer. The NiceGuys was directed and co-written by Shane Black who penned: Leathal Weapon(1,2),The Monster Squad, The Last Boy Scout, Last Action Hero, The Long KissGoodnight as well wrote and directed: Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang,  and the upcoming Predator sequel. This movie is that good – watch it.

2.)   Seoul Searching –

This teen comedy set in 1988 and directed by Benson Lee, deserves to be in my top 5. Seoul Searching is an 80’s teen comedy in the same vein as Porky’s or Fraternity Vacation but, rich with relationships and coming of age drama instead of gratuitous nudity and dick jokes. With an amazing cast of young actors and a fantastic soundtrack. This movie will make you emotional, it’ll make you laughand make you actually feel really good at the end. Starring: Justin Chon, JessikaVan, Esteban Ahn, Teo Yoo, Cha In-pyo, Rosalina Leigh and more. Enjoy it as soon as you can.

  1.)   Stranger Things –

The Netflix series that seduced the entire country with nostalgic settings, music, clichés and the timeless concept of young people going on adventures and discovering the dark secrets of the real world and the dangers of reality and beyond. A rich cast of young talent and supporting roles filled by 80’s actors such as Winona Ryder and Matthew Modine; both back on their game and rounding out this beautiful show. The music is sprinkled and haunted with influences by John Carpenter and some Tangerine Dream. Season 2 was announced during the summer and millions of people are counting the days to find out what happens next in Stranger Things.

            It’s about three in the morning here in the time capsule. After a few medicated hours picking at my flux capacitor, I began to notice that feeling start to creep into my room as the light bulbs flickered and dimmed out – the beginning of a trip down memory lane.

            Like a scene in a proto-cyberpunk film where the android replicant spends time humming, whistlin’ and singing catchy theme songs from his creators youth, of a time that was thought to be but now seen as a retro-future of the past, I chanted and repeated key lyrics and tapped my feet. Now I am recording this onto the retro mixtape of my mind, before some omnipresent director hacks it away and leaves it on the cutting room floor of time…  This is the only record of that playlist; played in no particular order with commentary.

            *if your song has not been listed please don’t panic. It could’ve turned out a lot worse, I could’ve included the theme music to Riptide, Hart to Hart, Hardcastle & McCormick and a bunch of others, even Jake & the Fatman [yeesh]. If there is a jingle that’s been stuck in your cavity, feel free to leave a fond memory in the comment box. Now let’s take a trip.

            1.) Greatest American Hero (1981-1983):  

2.) Crockett’s Theme from Miami Vice: 

I was never really into the main opening theme of Miami Vice. The featured music during each episode actually served the show better. The pilot episodes sequence with “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins is probably one of the best moments in television if you ask me. But tonight I am going with Crockett’s Theme that first appeared in the episode “Calderone’s Return: part 1- The Hit List” and composed by Jan Hammer.

3.) The Equalizer (1985-1989): 

No not the Denzel Washington film. And for the record, what was that? If you needed a feature film adaptation of a popular 80’s crime series with a Black protagonist, why didn’t they just produce a film based around Hawk from “Spencer for Hire”? Hawk had a spin-off series and its star Avery Brooks was badass enough to lead “Deep Space 9”.

            Regardless, The opening sequence of this gritty NYC series always started with images of dark streets, graffiti littered subways, women being stalked by killers or worse. Building up with tension (fear, danger) until finally the music kicks in and the silhouette of the Equalizer steps from the darkness to deal his prescription for street justice. The main theme was composed/performed by Stuart Copeland of The Police.

4.) 21 Jump Street (1987-1991):

What’s 21 Jump Street, you say?

“Where Richard Grieco and Johnny Depp got their start. Come on. Where you been?”

– Rupert, Rules of Attraction.

Theme song performed by Holly Robinson with backing vocals by Johnny Depp and Peter Deluise.

5.) Alice (1976-1985):

I don’t remember ever watching this show or know about it, other than it’s based on the film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”. The show starred Linda Lavine, who also sang the damn theme and I can’t stop the urge to sing parts of this tune in the same kind of affected smokey bravado you’d find at an after hour piano bar off the Atlantic City boardwalk. For a better example of my fixation with this song just go google Opie & Anthony ‘Alice Theme’ and you can hear those poor bastards experience what I’m going through with this song.

6.) Barney Miller (1975-1982):

You knew you were past your bedtime when two things came on, The opening to “TAXI” by Bob James, or the Barney Miller theme by Jack Elliott with Allyn Ferguson and performed in studio by Chuck Berghofer. Played over a shot of the New York Skyline as would have been seen from the water of Upper New York Bay with a garbage barge being towed in the foreground of Lower Manhattan. It’s the type of music the average Joe Coffee would play as he started his backbreaking day eating a butter roll with his cafe’ con leche inside his 1971′ Chevy Caprice.

7.) Misfits of Science (1985-1986):

Way before the 2009’s BBC series “Misfits” , about a motley crew of teenage superpowered heroes. NBC premiered their own short lived  series about superhero teens called “The Misfits of Science” with a double-length pilot and only 15 additional episodes and soon cancelled due to low ratings. It was the 80s equivalent to NBCs Heroes; in fact the creator of Heroes wrote on this show. Also co-starred a young Courteney Cox. As for the theme music, C’mon listen to it. It’s here for a reason.

8.) Family Ties (1982-1989):

Why? Because I once knew every word of this song; I have friends who know the song; I’ve been in the vicinity of people who know this song; it’s even being played at a wedding somewhere right now. It’s a nice and sentimental piece like the Moonlighting theme or Who’s the Boss. Composed by Jeff Barry and Tom Scott. Performed by Deniece Williams and Johnny Mathis, except for the first ten episodes when it was performed by Dennis Tufano and Mindy Sterling. Sing it you’ll like it. “Sha la la la”.

9.) Gimmie A Break (1981-1987):

If there is a song that you want to play whenever someone annoying starts the monologue for the unloved, or tells it from the gut about being shortchanged, this is it. Before they can utter a second sentence just start singing the first bars – “Gimme a break I sure deserve it/ It’s time I made it to the top.Gimme a break I’m looking forward-“; They will leave you alone by the time you get to the chorus. Composed by Jay Graydon and performed by Nell Carter.

10.) RED DWARF (1988-1993):

The British series about the last known human being alive and a hologram traveling through space accompanied by an evolved humanoid cat named, well “Cat” and a service mechanoid, “kryten”. Theme and incidental music were written and performed by Howard Goodall, with the distinctive vocals on the closing theme by Jenna Russell. Its catchy and reminds me of Christmas. It really does. It does.

11.) Are You Being Served (1972-1985):

No mall I have ever been present in has felt like Grace Brothers. “Ground floor: perfumery, stationery, and leather goods, wigs and haberdashery, kitchenware and food. Going up…  First Floor: Telephones, gents ready made suits, shirts, suits, ties, hats, underwear, and shoes. Going up…”and so and so forth. 1980’s MACY’s came close but I never saw Mr. Humphries or Mrs. Slocombe’s pussy(cat). But one can dream.

12.) Unsolved Mysteries (1987-2002):

The documentary style series featuring re-enactments of unsolved crimes, missing persons, conspiracy theories and unexplained phenomena. It scared you more than “America’s Most Wanted” and inspired imitators like the more paranormal themed “Sightings” or the Investigation Discovery Channel. Robert Stack always wearing his trenchcoat and haunting some dark alley as he reminded you every episode that a murderer could be next door to you. This will be the song that puts me to sleep this morning.

13.) THE HITCHHIKER (1983-1987):

And finally, one of my favorites. The theme to HBO’s The Hitchhiker. It’s one of my favorite opening sequences ever, much like “The Prisoner”. #13 on this list is a potential candidate for a future Remember This… The title music is gloriously ominous, dark and vacant. It conjures images of rattlesnakes, deserts and haunted landscapes. Composed by Michael Rubini who also collaborated on the film score to The Hunger and composed Graham’s Theme for Michael Mann’s film Manhunter. He also co-scored two episodes of Tales From the Crypt.

It’s time for the sleepless to get some sleep. But in the meantime keep your fingers firmly positioned on that rewind button.