The Cast & Creators Of ‘Red Oaks’ Pick Their Favorite ‘80s Films

The ’80s are so totally happening right now. Between Stranger Things, “San Junipero”, and Sing Street, the the decade is super on trend. That said, Amazon’s utterly charming sitcom Red Oaks might take the cake for best ’80s throwback. The series meshes sharp comedy with huge amounts of heart and feels plucked from the mind of John Hughes or Amy Heckerling. Craig Roberts stars in the series as an aimless college kid who finds himself, sort of, during his tenure as a tennis pro at a suburban country club.

Red Oaks is returning for a second season tomorrow and there will be even more ’80s-centered hijinks. So what makes the ’80s so appealing right now? We chatted with Red Oaks co-creators Gregory Jacobs and Joe Gangemi this summer. Jacobs deadpanned, “Maybe it’s because a lot of people working now grew up in that time. We all were in junior high or high school, college.”

“In 30 years there will probably be some really good ones about right now,” added Gangemi.

Later Gangemi elaborated on the trend. “We’ve talked about it a lot, the ’80s were pre-cell phones, pre-Internet, and sometimes we wish we had the ability to have our characters text each other or pick up a cell phone, so it feels like it’s a little bit more of an innocent time probably because the people writing about it were younger then and it felt like a more innocent time.”

Jacobs added, “And in some ways maybe the last innocent [time], cause in the ’90s there was more of a pervasiveness of cellular technology and suddenly people started being able to get online and there was none of that then.”

And what about the ’80s films that inspire the cast and creators of Red Oaks? Gangemi was quick with an answer: “For me it might be Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”

“Me too,” added Jacobs.

“To me, that’s it,” Gangemi explained. “It’s a sort of era-defining movie that is screamingly funny and discovered all of these talents who went on to become hugely famous actors like Sean Penn, but also deals with really serious subjects at the same time. It’s very moving and it’s a full-course meal.”

Coincidentally, Fast Times at Ridgemont High director Amy Heckerling helmed two episodes in the first season of Red Oaks and will be directing two episodes in season two.

When we spoke with the cast, Ennis Esmer said, “My favorite movie comedy period is Three Amigos!. That’s one of the first movies I ever watched. Maybe because it’s not set in the 80s it lasts and endures a little bit longer.

He elaborated by saying, “It’s a high-production value musical comedy number with action stakes that they just don’t make anymore.”

Oliver Cooper said, “I’m a huge John Hughes fan, like Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

At this, we were treated to a rant from Red Oaks star Craig Roberts about why he vehemently dislikes Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

“I don’t think it works,” he said. After Oliver Cooper defended John Hughes’ oeuvre, Roberts said, “But what also works about those movies is they’re set in the ���80s. There was a lot more innocence in cinema in general. Now, we’re very cynical. For instance – and you can be involved in this theory — the fact is Ferris Bueller was seen as badass. He skips school and goes to an art gallery. Now you have to burn a house down to impress people.”

Where To Stream The Best of The ’80s

[Where to Stream Fast Times at Ridgemont High]
[Where to Stream Three Amigos!]
[Watch Sixteen Candles on Netflix]
[Watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on Netflix]

Season 2 of Red Oaks debuts tomorrow on Prime Video.

[Watch Season One of Red Oaks on Prime Video]

[Photos: Everett Collection]