I was going to try to do this for my 10th post but when I sat down and tried to make the list, I realized how many movies I did not post yet.

I’m doing a review so far of what I have put out there. The list is chronological so that we can take a look together at what I was becoming as a viewer at age 8 while on my way to 9.

1. Disney’s “The Jungle Book” 1981 (At the cinema–what a douchey way to say “I went to the theater.”)

2. “E. T.” 1982 (I went to the theater)

3. “Poltergeist” 1982 (watched it at home on a sick day on HBO with my sister)

4. “Clash of the Titans” 1982 (I watched it at a friend’s house, then later I watched it a million times on HBO)

5. “The Dark Crystal” 1983 (HBO)

6. “Return of the Jedi” 1983 (I went to the theater–with my uncle and cousins)

7. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” 1983 (we rented it–it was released in theaters in 1981)

8. “Krull” 1983 (I went to the theater–with my cousins…again)

9. “Gremlins” 1984 (I went to the theater–COUSINS)

10. “The Goonies” 1985 (I went to the theater with a group of my friends that weren’t my cousins–What?!)

11. “Ghostbusters” 1985 (we rented a VCR and the movie to watch it at a holiday party–later we copied it and I watched a few trillion more times than any movie…ever)

It started innocently enough with a cartoon and a friendly-alien, family movie and then BAM!  Polter-GEIST!  Innocence lost and it was my own doing…my sister did lead me astray.

I appreciate it.

Then I went into an action-fantasy viewgasm for the next year.

Now, some of the things I’m going to relay are not going to make sense.

Sorry.

I know that “The Goonies” is considered a kids movie, but I have never seen it that way.  I feel that it is a family movie that has kids doing adult things–swearing, kissing, fighting, saving the day.  I feel that is the first step into taking a more mature taste in viewership.  I do know how ridiculous that sounds, thank you.

“Ghostbusters” was it for me.  I know that I have already talked about this movie at length, but I want you to know that I have probably spared you a dissertation on the brilliance of every scene of this movie.  The subtleties of the comedy they show helps the big laughs be even bigger.  I am going to give just one example of this:

Dana, Sigourney Weaver’s character, can just walk past her nerdy neighbor Louis Tully’s (played by the brilliant comedy actor Rick Moranis) apartment and he will come out and engage with her.  Dana’s subtle facial expressions show that he annoys her.  His expressions show through that he has a crush on her.  Later when Louis is having a party and the music is blaring from inside his apartment, Dana tries to quietly sneak past on her tip-toes, thinking that she has a chance not to have to encounter Louis–wrongo.  He opens the door as she reaches the exact same point of the last encounter and she shrugs her head down in defeat.  This makes their “make out scene” when they encounter each other as the possessed Keymaster and Gatekeeper twice as funny.

Brilliant writing and acting.

God I love that movie.  Probably way too much but I don’t care.  Its creativity deserves my unhealthy obsession with it.

You’ll find that this movie is a bridge to some other movies that I wouldn’t understand if I did not watch this one and ask my parents what some of the jokes meant.

Looking back like this is so enjoyable watching my taste change over time.

I recommend it.