Oh, freshman year.

Acne.

Poor hygiene.

An inability to wear current fashion trends.  Yes.  I was an uncomfortable teenager.  I know…shocking, right?  I feel that the majority of us were/are.  We are/will be able to admit it 20 years later.

We all have our best friend at that time…thank you Jared.  But we have no opportunity for a social life, generally.

All of us have a refuge…mine was SNL.

Most agree that Sean Connery is the best James Bond.  He was the first. He set the standard.  He made five Bond films before another actor attempted that role and then made two more before he decided to hang it up.

Like Sean, “Blues Brothers” is the gold standard for movies made based on characters that originally aired on Saturday Night Live.  It was the first movie made based on “SNL” characters, it had a massive budget, they went all out on guest stars, car chases/crashes, sets, and musical renditions.

I’m not arguing…

This next one is a distant second…okay, for me, closer than that.

There was a time that I didn’t know who Queen was.

“Wayne’s World” changed that notion.

It’s the first time I ever heard “Bohemian Rhapsody.”  I may be naive, but I thought it was a cool new song written by a hot new band that made it specifically for this movie…

…then I watched the movie with my parents (who also loved it).

I remember them talking with their friends who had watched it too.

“I loved the rocking out in the car to Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Me: You guys know the name of that song?

Parents: We had that record.

Friends (at the same time): We used to rock out to it in OUR car…8 track.

…

*raised eyebrow/blown mind face*

Yes, I did buy the soundtrack…on cassette. Jealous?

I had it in my car (72 Buick Century) tape deck around the clock.

I fell in love with Wayne and Garth on SNL.  What is a lonely male freshman to do on weekends?

Can’t drive, friends can’t drive, girls liked Juniors and Seniors (yes–THAT’s why they didn’t hang out with me–*shakes head*)…again, SNL = refuge.

When they put out a movie, I was all in.  I even went to the theater…what?

…

I know.

Outside of the epic soundtrack and a smoking hot Tia Carrere, there was witty dialogue, a Rob Lowe comeback, and great cameos.

I was grateful for the laughs, the wit, and the star that was born in Mike Meyers, but I loved the music.  A huge part of the lore that was Wayne and Garth was their legitimate love for great music.  This was a part of the true core of both Meyers and Carvey (decent musicians in their own right).  Not only were they able to deliver a great interpretation of their material through an original script, they reminded a nation of 90s kids that the music of the 70s was more than valid.

Always remember, “No Stairway…denied.”

Advice that’ll save you a lot of money if you try to use that song on your next movie.

——

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