1-dollar weekend movie festival: april

As I told Barbara, I'm using this particular reward from Comcast to watch the movies I own, but have not been able to watch for many years.

And just why is that?

They're on VHS videotape.

I haven't owned a VHS player in quite a while.

Sure, I bought one when I bought the Element TV... but I gave it to Michael as part of his bday30 gift, with the "Star Wars" movies that Mama and Frank gave me for my bday40.

So, as I said, I hadn't watched these movies for at least two decades.

There are a couple of movies that I have on both VHS and DVD, but most are in the video cabinet as one format or the other.

Almost all of the movies I've watched with the  have followed that rationale...

all except the first one.

 

That was the first weekend in April and I had not yet devised my theme for usage.

I had a hankering to see "La La Land" - given the snippet shown with Nicole Kidman before every movie at AMC - so I went ahead and scratched that itch, watching it three times!

Aaaahhhh... that's better!

Nothing like a bittersweet romance with singing and dancing!

 

But what to watch the next weekend?

Something funny, for sure, something light and cheery, something like... "Roxanne", from 1987!!!

That was exactly what I wanted!

And here's the thing: I remembered the story perfectly, allowing me to focus on details.

This scene, with the astronomer explaining quarks to the fire chief with the big proboscis, captured the smart tone of the film.

And that duel on the hillside with Steve Martin wielding a tennis racket... and the bar scene with the 20 metaphors... all quirky and sweet and wonderful for watching again and again!

 

By April 23rd, I'd chosen "Little Shop Of Horrors", the 1986 musical.

During the second viewing, I realized the stars were not Audrey and Seymour, but the trio of teens in the background of every scene. 

What a great job: so many clothing changes, so much camera time!

Crystal and Chiffon went on to have careers in film and television, while Ronette stayed in the music world.

Guess their 17-year-old selves thought this would lead to that?

My guess would be they did not!

Nor had I thought, in 1981, when I was 23 and living in Okinawa, that there would ever be a car in space, like this beauty in "Heavy Metal".

But now, somewhere out there, is a Tesla.

This 1960 Corvette has it beat for curves and style!

And the movie, composed of eight shorts tied together with a ninth, with music from my hard-rocking days, was such a blast from the past for me!

Nazareth, Grand Funk Railroad, Devo, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Journey, Stevie Nicks, Riggs... and, of course, Sammy Hagar with the title track!

My favorite short featured a scruffy cabbie named Harry Canyon, who ends up having a damsel in distress drop into the back seat - wait a minute!

I recognize that sequence!

If not for it being animated, it's the scene from "The Fifth Element", isn't it?

Perhaps that part of that later movie was meant as homage to this cult favorite.

Hmmm... and I just may have decided which movie is next in the film festival!

(smile!)