On this day in music history - Rock a Little, by Stevie Nicks (1985):

Rock a Little

Album by Stevie Nicks,

released November 18, 1985.

Track list:

I Can’t Wait; Rock a Little (Go Ahead Lily); Sister Honey; I Sing for the Things; Imperial Hotel; Some Becomes Strangers; Talk to Me; The Nightmare; If I Were You; No Spoken Word; Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You.

On this day in movie history - To Live and Die in L.A. (movie & novel):

To Live and Die in L.A.

directed by William Friedkin,

written by William Friedkin and Gerald Petievich,

based on the novel by Gerald Petievich,

was released in the United States on November 1, 1985.
Music by Wang Chung.

Cast:

William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow, Debra Feuer, John Turturro, Darlanne Fluegel, Dean Stockwell, Steve James, Robert Downey Sr., Michael Greene, Jack Hoar, Christopher Allport, Valentin de Vargas, Dwier Brown, Michael Chong, Gerald Petievich, Jane Leeves, Jacqueline Giroux, Dar Robinson, Thomas F. Duffy, Gary Cole.

Recommended reading:

To Live and Die in L.A.

By Gerald Petievich.

First published 1984.

Published by Pinnacle Books.

Mass Market Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0523423012

ISBN-13: 978-0523423012

Description:

The book that inspired the major motion picture.

“This is the real stuff. He’s not only a fine writer … his dialogue is pure entertainment.” – Elmore Leonard.

“A wham-bam thriller… vivid… proficient and sleek.” – Los Angeles Times.

To Live and Die in L.A. is a harrowing tale, which has become a major motion picture, of cult status, depicting the dark underside of America's "West Coast" metropolis.

Two U.S. Treasury agents, both partners and antagonists, are drawn into a matrix of violence and corruption, L.A. style, a journey through a sunlit hell. At the end, they become experts on the thin line which separates what it takes to live - and to die - in L.A.

On this day in movie history - Out of the Darkness (1985):

Out of the Darkness

directed by Jud Taylor,

written by T. S. Cook,

was released in the United States on October 12, 1985.
Based on the true 1977 David Berkowitz case.
Music by Billy Goldenberg.

Cast:

Martin Sheen, Hector Elizondo, Matt Clark, Jennifer Salt, Eddie Egan, Robert Trebor, Val Avery, Joe Spinell, Victor Arnold, Ann Talman, Bernie McInerney, Dick Latessa, Sam McMurray, Paul Jabara, Larry Atlas, Beege Barkette, Jim Borrelli, James Canning, Jane Cronin, Gina DeAngeles, Rosemary De Angelis, Harold Guskin, Lucinda Jenney, Sugar Johnson, Eriq La Salle, Joe Lisi, John McCurry, Kate Mulligan, Pam Nahal, Antonia Rey, Vincent Russo, Ann Sachs, Lauren Sautner, John Scott Martin, Ben Siegler, Andrew Spathis, Fritz Sperberg, D.B. Sweeney, Mark Tenore, Mickey Treanor, Martin Vidnovic, Olivia Ward, Caryn West, Ed Zigo, Joseph Oliveira, Daniel Ahearn, Thomas Calabro, Joe Chiaramonte, Jude Ciccolella, Sonny Grosso, Tony D. Head, William James Kennedy, Frank Licato, Dennis O'Neill, Marvin Scott, Larry Sharp, Charlie Sheen, Filomena Spagnuolo, Valerie Swift.

On this day in music history - The Wishing Chair, by 10,000 Maniacs (1985):

The Wishing Chair

Album by 10,000 Maniacs,

released September 23, 1985.

Track list:

Can't Ignore The Train; Scorpio Rising; Just As The Tide Was A Flowing; Lilydale; Back O' The Moon; Maddox Table; The Colonial Wing; Grey Victory; Among The Americans; Everyone A Puzzle Lover; Cotton Alley; Daktari; My Mother The War; Tension Makes A Tangle; Arbor Day.

On this day in movie history - After Hours (1985):

After Hours

directed by Martin Scorsese,

written by Joseph Minion,

based on a story by Joe Frank,

was released in the United States on September 11, 1985.
Music by Howard Shore.

Cast:

Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom, Tommy Chong, Linda Fiorentino, Teri Garr, John Heard, Cheech Marin, Catherine O'Hara, Dick Miller, Will Patton, Robert Plunket, Bronson Pinchot, Rocco Sisto, Larry Block, Victor Argo, Murray Moston, John P. Codiglia, Clarke Evans, Victor Bumbalo, Bill Elverman, Joel Jason, Rand Carr, Clarence Felder, Henry Judd Baker, Margo Winkler, Victor Magnotta, Robin Johnson, Stephen Lim, Frank Aquilino, Maree Catalano, Paula Raflo, Rockets Redglare, Catherine Scorsese, Charles Scorsese, Martin Scorsese, John Spacely.

On this day in music history - Macalla, by Clannad (1985):

Macalla

Album by Clannad,
released September 6, 1985.

Track list:

Caislean Oir; The Wild Cry; Closer To Your Heart; In A Lifetime; Almost Seems (Too Late To Turn); Indoor; Buachaill On Eirne; Blackstairs; Journey’s End; Northern Skyline.

On this day in movie history - Vagabond (1985):

Vagabond

French title: Sans toit ni loi,

directed and written by Agnès Varda,

was released at the Venice Film Festival, in Italy, on August 30, 1985.
Music by Joanna Bruzdowicz.

Cast:

Sandrine Bonnaire, Setti Ramdane, Francis Balchère, Jean-Louis Perletti, Urban Causse, Christophe Alcazar, Dominique Durand, Joël Fosse, Patrick Schmit, Daniel Bos, Katy Champaud, Raymond Roulle, Henri Fridlani, Patrick Sokol, Pierre Imbert, Richard Imbert, Mar Jarnias, Yolande Moreau, Gabriel Mariani, Patrick Lepcynski, Sylvain, Savin, Michele Doumèche, Pierette Soler, Macha Méril, Pierre Emonnot, Stéphane Freiss, Laurence Cortadellas, Emmanuel Protopopoff, Vincent Sanchez, ‘Garibaldi’ Fernández, Michel Constantial, Alain Roussel, Yahiaoui Assouna, Aimée Chisci, Marguerite Chisci, Geneviève Bonfils, Christian Chessa, Setina Arhab, Jacques Berthier, Oliver Jongerlynck, Remi Leboucq, Jean Dambrin, Bébert Samcir.

Recommended reading - Blood Music, by Greg Bear (1985):

Blood Music

By Greg Bear.

Published in 1985.

ISBN-10: 1497637023

ISBN-13: 978-1497637023

Book cover description:

“A Childhood’s End for the 1980s, replacing aliens and mysterious mental evolution with the effects of genetic engineering run wild … Like Arthur Clarke, Bear goes to the limits.” – Locus.

Vergil Ulam is a brilliant but unorthodox researcher working to develop biochips – the next quantum leap in computer technology, using the complexities of cellular structure (notably DNA) as a means of information processing. But Vergil goes several steps further, and soon has produced intelligent clumps of cellular material, able to outperform rats in laboratory tests. In doing so, he has exceeded, without authorization, guidelines laid down for genetic research, and when he is found out he loses his job and is told to destroy his experimental material.

Determined to salvage something, he injects himself with part of the culture – intending to retrieve it later – and walks out of the laboratory carrying within him a seed that will develop far beyond the limits of his brilliant but blinkered imagination.

Based on his Hugo and Nebula Award winning story, Blood Music is an extraordinary novel which establishes Greg Bear among the new masters of science fiction. From its firm grounding in current research, the novel unfolds vistas of imaginative possibility, logical yet surprising, which demand comparison with the best of Arthur C. Clarke, and with Olaf Stapledon.

“Only seldom does a brilliant short story give rise to an even better novel, but in blood Music, Greg Bear has made it happen. A dazzling flight of disciplined imagination.” – Poul Anderson.

On this day in movie history - Year of the Dragon (1985):

Year of the Dragon

directed by Michael Cimino,

written by Oliver Stone and Michael Cimino,

based on the novel by Robert Daley,

was released in the United States on August 16, 1985.
Music by David Mansfield.

Cast:

Mickey Rourke, John Lone, Ariane, Leonard Termo, Raymond J. Barry, Caroline Kava, Eddie Jones, Joey Chin, Victor Wong, K. Dock Yip, Hon-Lam Pau, Way Dong Woo, Jimmy Sun, Daniel Davin, Mark Hammer, Dennis Dun, Jack Kehler, Steven Chen, Paul Scaglione, Joseph Bonaventura, Jilly Rizzo, Tony Lip, Fabia Drake, Tisa Chang, Gerald Orange, Mei Sheng Fan, Yukio Yamamoto, Doreen Chan, Ha-Lei Yip, Dermot A. McNamara, Vallo Benjamin, Myra Chen, Feng Chin, Yuk Fan Yiu, Richie Hsiu, Jack Lee, David Lee, Irene Jung, Josie Lee, Jiwon Chang, Kelly Wong, Chi Moy, Johnny Shia, Gardell Tung, Jeff Khowong, Chao-jung Chen, Jerry Chang, Aileen Ho, Lisa Lee, Sammy Lee, Keenan Leung, James Scales, Ming C. Lee, Kader Ma, Paul J.Q. Lee, Manuel Fung, Emily Woo Yamasaki, Roza Ng, Gloria Au, Jadin Wong, Lin Ngan Ng, Janice Wong, Bruno Millotti, Lucille D'Agnillo, Julian Szumilo, Cecelia Pei, Quan Eng, George Kodisch, Bruce Kennedy, James Chin, Matthew Tung, Pat Fuji, Geoff Lee, Kuni Mikami, Billy Asai, Chi On Soo Hoo, John Sparks, Carmine Venezia, Anthony Parrillo, Matthew Castiglione, Steve Hanson, Raymond Gardner, Michael Acampora, Texas Cheney, Justin McNeill, Espérance Pham Thai Lan, La Sha Phatsavong.