Childhood Movie Memories

When we were kids, my parents didn't have a barometer when it came to what movies we were allowed to see. They weren't big babysitting fans. I always thought they were a bit overprotective (however, the trait has flowed downhill, so to speak. Cyndi and I are very particular about babysitters too. Mostly family. Eases the mind).

When I was five, they took us to the drive-in to see a double feature: "The Omen" and "The Exorcist." I WAS FIVE. I think they were hoping that my brothers and I would fall asleep early. But we were kids, and it was a double feature, and they were "R" rated movies. We weren't going to sleep no matter what.

We got home that night and of course, I couldn't fall asleep. I slowly walked into my parent's bedroom, inched my way over to my mother's side of the bed, and tapped her on the shoulder. If I close my eyes, right now, I can still see the expression on her face--34 years later. Her eyes quickly opened, wide, her mouth quickly opened, wide, and she let out a scream that set-off a chain reaction. My father immediately jumped out of bed, disoriented, but ready. Ready to stop whatever interruption woke him up. I ran as fast as I could out of their room and into ours, but he was right on my tail. His hands swatting at me as I dodged his blows. My entire body ached from the beating I took from him.

This didn't deter them from taking us to other movies as we grew older. In 1979, it was "Apocalypse Now." I was nine. While the movie ranks high on my favorites today, I wasn't a fan back then. I have three vivid memories of going to the movies that night. The first was that the theater was crowded and we had to sit up front, split up from one another. The second was eating popcorn from a cardboard container next to a guy who was smoking cigarettes throughout the entire movie. The third is the water buffalo scene. If you've never seen the movie, toward the end, when Martin Sheen has lost his mind and Marlon Brando is completely disconnected from the world around him, they show a ritual scene were a water buffalo gets hacked at with an axe. The splitting of the skin was what got me back then. Still does today. It's not a pleasant film experience.

Other movies included, "Friday the 13th," and "Halloween." I hate horror movies today. Possibly because I was forced to see them so much.

The only one I'd thank my parents for was "The "Blues Brothers." They took us to see that in 1980. I was 10. I didn't really get the movie that much back then, but it was fun. The music, the choreography, the movie even had things that blew up. I was addicted to it when it came out on video. So much so that I watched it no less than 60 times one summer. I'd watch it three times a day. Seriously. I still remember just about every word of the movie. It ranks in my Top 5.

Cyndi and I have an uber barometer when it comes to the things our kids see on TV and at the movies. I wonder why...