Friday, September 26, 2008

Flashback Friday: Wanna take her to the movies...

Are you one of those people who can watch a movie hundreds of times and never get sick of it? I'm not. A movie has to be really, really good for me to even watch it a second time. Now SuperHusband, on the other hand, is exactly the opposite. If American History X, the Deer Hunter, Braveheart, Taxi Driver or Buffalo 66 is on...even if it's on TNT with a shitload of commercials...he's watching it. (And that list is by no means inclusive...I could name about 20 more off the top of my head).

I wasn't always against re-watching movies. Growing up, I could watch the same one every day. This is totally my grandparents' - with whom I lived - fault because I didn't wear them down enough to get cable until I was in 8th or 9th grade.

Of course, I loved all the cheesy movies most girls growing up in the 80s did - any John Hughes movie, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, etc. etc. etc. But the five that my VCR wore out were by no means smash hits. They were, however, pretty awesome.

I had a thing for horror movies and April Fools Day is one of the best. Not only is the "twist" pretty great, the so-bad-they're-good special effects, that were the hallmark of 80s horror, are pretty stellar as well. And by stellar I mean obvious and cheesy. Bonus: The actress who played the main character, Buffy, was also in Valley Girl and guest starred on TJ Hooker. It doesn't get much more 80s than that, folks.



G-I-R-L-S! Oh. My. God. I freaking loved Girls Just Want to have Fun. I actually owned this one and probably watched it at least twice a week for a year or two. Of course, I also dreamt of being a Solid Gold dancer...or a Dance Party USA regular...or a contestant on Dance Fever (even though hosts Deney Terrio and Adrien Zmed were both kinda skeevy). If you've seen this, you must check out the YouTube video for Dancing in Heaven. Hearing it will totally make you smile (and remember how badly you wanted to be on DTV).


I have three words for you - Wendy O. Williams. Ok, two words and an initial. Long before I even knew who the Plasmatics were, I knew "Charlie" from Reform School Girls. Nevermind that she was, like, late 30s playing a teenager - she was a scary, bullying badass and I thought she was great. Of course, being a movie about a bunch of chicks locked up, there was the requisite nudity and girl-on-girl action, so this one was probably more popular with teenage boys than girls. I'm sure SuperHusband - at 12 - could've told you exactly when in the movie the first set of boobies appeared.

Night of the Comet was every teenage girl's dream. No, not the part where the earth passes through a comet and almost all life is extinguished. I'm talking about when the sisters go on a shopping spree in the deserted mall. Of course, they only get to do that because almost everyone else is dead. Still...all the Camp Beverly Hills clothing and Swatch accessories you could grab...what 80s teenager would've minded fighting a few Zombies for that motherload? Not this one.


As far as 80s horror movies go, Sleepaway Camp is the pièce de résistance. Remember how I said April Fools Day had a great twist (If you don't your short-term memory is even worse than mine)? Well SC has the best. Ever. Plus Angela's aunt is super-fucking-creepy. Add that in with the whole "summer camp factor" which has always fascinated me, and you have what is possibly the most entertaining movie no one has ever seen. I am the embarrassed proud owner of the entire SC series on DVD, but the first is by far the best.


Here's where we turn to the audience participation portion of today's post. Which not-so-popular movies did/do you love enough to watch again and again?


Today's title selection: She Wants More - Slaughter

7 comments:

ATenorio said...

I just composed a really witty and long comment and blogger ate it.

FEH!

ATenorio said...

okay, here it is again...

Xanadu - I used to roller skate around in circles in my driveway, listening to Blondie, pretending I was Olivia Newton-John. Perhaps this should be your new rollerderby warm up???

It's a Wonderful Life - I HAD to watch this every time it came on TV. I still love this movie. I think I know the entire script by heart. I even tried to convince HippieHusband that we should name our baby Zuzu. But since I got to veto his first choice - Santana - he nixed Zuzu.

Lastly, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I cant tell you how many mashed potato sculptures Brother and I created.

Margaret Speed said...

I LOVE Girls Just Want to Have Fun!

Other important movies of the sort have been: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the original movie. not the series.), The Craft, Earth Girls are Easy, the original Dr. Dolittle, Mallrats, Benny & Joon (my fave Johnny Depp movie to this day).

Anonymous said...

Ooooh, I remember those movies! I am sure I saw them all at least three or four times myself. Sleepaway camp was so freaky!

I am one of those that could watch movies over and over again, but I really have to be in the mood for a particular one. I always watch Rock 'n' Roll High School whenever it's on, because I absolutely love the Ramones and can't get enough of them!

Anonymous said...

Precious here - i have to say that American Anthem was an all time FAV. Mitch Gaylord's acting debut...wow, can't figure out why it didn't go so well for him.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun was again a top favorite for my VCR to eat. I think I went through 4 copies, why didn't we get a new VCR? Oh, it's on my TiVo as we speak too...should I have put that in writing??

just me said...

oh no you didn't bring up dance party usa - flashbacks!

Noël said...

Uh, yeah. So I stumbled across this here blog one day, and saw this movie post... Anyway- I loved all the movies you listed but never saw Sleepaway Camp. I had to run out and rent it... AWESOME. Thanks!

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