#128: Back to School

For nearly five decades, Rodney Dangerfield was an American comedy legend. But it was in the 1980s that he rose to mainstream prominence not through his stand-up act as popularized on late-night TV in the '60s and '70s, but because of films like Caddyshack and Easy Money. Come 1986, however, Dangerfield would star in perhaps his strangest movie yet, a zany romp all about a wealthy businessman heading to college just so he can hang out with his son: Back to School. Like many '80s comedies, Back to School doesn't take itself all that seriously, which is perfect, because such loose parameters allow this flick to shine using Dangerfield's classic one-liners and zingers. Indeed, it's one of the most quotable films of the decade. It also happens to co-star some interesting and random actors, from a young Robert Downey Jr. to a typecast William Zabka to a nascent Sam Kinison. More than anything, though, it's a truly funny 90-something minute piece of nostalgia, and we couldn't help but dedicate an episode of KnockBack to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices