I watched Stand By Me yesterday, that movie with Richard Dreyfuss as one of the kids, I forget which, much later on in life. It was good to see it again with its young actors, one dead, one disappeared into obscurity and one who is making it big as a guy called Jack in the TV show '24'. They're planning to make a movie version of that. Can't understand that. That's a long-ass movie.Anyway, I kinda wish I hadn't seen it. Childhood harbours some sweet movie memories, a bit like TV shows. Youtube and the like allow us to delve right back into our lobal drawers and shake out our dusty images and vague memories of 70s and 80s TV. I watched a compilation of 80s adverts on Monday. The Chewits one was on there, with some sketchy Godzilla devouring a city. They had orange ones, strawberry ones, blackberry too, maybe. Blackberry, one of those fruits that I've had as a sweet or a drink but never actually popped one in my mouth. Weird that. I wouldn't know one if it sang a lullaby in my ear. So yeah, TV adverts, Chewits. They also had the HP sauce one with Frank Bruno. Whatever happened to him? I read in the Sun that he went a bit loopy. 'Bonkers Frank' was the subtle headline. I think his ex-wife sued them.
Chicken Tonight was featured in another compilation. 'I feel like Chicken Tonight...' with the general public flapping around like cocks. The hamlet ad was on too, the one with Russ Abbott fishing with a speaker playing a Des O' Connor album to coax the fish out of the water. Immediately sent me back to a warm, comfy sofa on a Saturday night in 1985 with Mum, Dad and James. Just great. No care, no immediate stress, no real responsibilty. Magic carpets.
Another Tv show that altered my perception of a chunk of my childhood was 'Monkey' Watching it gain 25 years later was like going back in time and giving myself a dead leg. I mean, I was really hooked on that show. I haven't looked up Roland Rat on Youtube yet. Maybe I'll do that when I get home.
An embarrassing evening, well two actually, was renting Roxanne in 1997 and watching it with my girlfriend at the time. She thought there was something wrong with me. We broke up soon after. The other passion killer was 'The Tall Guy'. I remembered it for the scene where he listens to the radio after breaking up with his girlfriend, and every song was related to falling out of love. I forgot that the rest of the film is like dragging grappling hooks out of your arse. She didn't speak to me for a couple of days.
I guess we learn from these romantic blunders.
So, Stand By Me. Should have switched it off.
