1981

A new essay revisits The Police's 1981 song "Spirits in the Material World" from the album Ghost in the Machine, reading it alongside writer Arthur Koestler and novelist Ken Kesey. It asks whether people can humanize modern technology and consumer society or must withdraw from it entirely, framing the song's message as relevant to today's struggles to remain human inside the machine.

Ghost Maiden's Imperial Appeal (鬼娃娃告御狀), a Taiwanese horror film released on 1 January 1981, is drawing fresh attention from classic horror film fans. Little mainstream information is available about the production, and discussion has focused mainly on its vintage poster art and typography, with film buffs sharing it as an example of early 1980s Taiwanese genre cinema and design.

Daryl Hall and John Oates' 1981 hit "I Can't Go For That (Extended Mix)" is playing on the Intamixx retro online radio streams, which broadcast 80s and 90s music around the clock. The station flagged the track in its now-playing feed, giving the synth-driven classic another spin for listeners of old-school and retro pop.

Antigua and Barbuda is being mentioned in connection with the Commonwealth, but the collected material offers no detail on what specifically happened. The island nation, a Commonwealth member since independence in 1981, is the sole subject of the headline. Without further reporting, the reason for the sudden interest and what people are saying about it cannot be determined.

Raiders of the Lost Ark, Steven Spielberg's 1981 adventure film often ranked as his best movie, almost starred Tom Selleck instead of Harrison Ford. Selleck was reportedly the original choice for Indiana Jones but lost the role because of his commitment to the television series Magnum, P.I.