Thought I'm combine these both; the New York Times' It Books of Summers Past & 90's Films that aren't that bad from Bustle. I've seen far more of the films listed from one, than read the books from the other, but we'll just take a quick jaunt through entertainment of the past, shall we? OK, so the "It" Books of Summers Past. I've never jumped on the band-wagon of recommended or obsessive reading, because they're generally not genres that I'd want to read anyways, though The Sister has read Eat, Pray, Love & The Lovely Bones around the same time they were popular. I'm interested in The Andromeda Strain, but I've never read it and it was an It book back in 1969. So, what have I read? Just two. The first on the list is Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil. I was fourteen, so I must have read it just after it's height, having turned that age at the end of September. My maternal grandmother gave me some money and I went to the bookstore in the mall and was just going to buy what jumped out at me, which is usually how I purchase a book. It might have said something about it being on the New York Times Best Seller's list, which I believe that was the signage for this section, but it was amongst a lot of other books toting that same criteria. That was the book I walked away with that day. I read the book several times over the next two years, as I enjoyed it. However, being fourteen and from po-dunk-ville Mississippi in 1994-1996 and well away from the time of sharing media on the internet, I was the only person I knew who'd ever even heard of that book. No parents of other kids were commenting on the book I was reading, no teachers at my school; no adults of any kind, nor peers saying they'd read it or knew someone who'd read it. "What're ya reading? Huh. Never heard of it." was always the response I received. I didn't know it was much of anything until the film came out three years later, which I did see and while it was pretty good, wasn't nearly as good or entertaining as the book. And I didn't know it was an It Summer Read until this list. The book was enjoyable, for the time. Perhaps I've outgrown it or perhaps the film ruined it for me, but I read it again in my late twenties and didn't really enjoy it, so I donated it. The second book on the list is The Joy Luck Club. Now, The Sister was in college between 1992 & 1995, and by 1994 I was super BFF's with her roommate and fellow theatre classmate, Pil. The first time we met, I'd gone over to the small house her and The Sister shared to see my sister. Pil said I could wait if I wanted because she was out. We talked and bonded and on the front stoop steps she said, "You're really cool for a 14 year old. I was never this cool." And that's how we got to be super BFFS. The next time I saw her, she was living somewhere else, some house downtown where theatre kids lived. The Sister drug me along & when Pil saw me she immediately swooped in and drug me to the other sofa away from all the other college theatre people. I said something about being a nerd in high school and this gay guy, Junior, singled me out from across the room in high dramatic style to say that I was fabulous (the three of us would be friends until my last year of high school when they both moved away). While we were sitting there, quickly rattling off how life had been for the both of us since we last saw each other, she produced this book in paperback and said, "THIS is what you should be reading! It's very important to our Asian community." Not in a 'you should be an ally to us Asians', but 'how have you not read this before because you're part of the community!' sort of way. Only I'm not Asian like Pil, but apparently she'd congregated me into the fold. "Oh... right (as in oh right you're not a fellow Asian), well, still! You MUST read this book! You'll like it!" I was cool with that. She then summarily scooped me up again taking me to see her new bedroom and we watched How The Grinch Stole Christmas & hung out alone for the rest of the visit. After I'd read this book and other Tan one's supplied by her (I read them multiple times in my high school career and no one in my school was reading them), then the three of us, Junior, Pil, & I sat down to eat big slices of homemade chocolate cake, glasses of milk, and watch this film and weep. By this time both of them were rooming with The Sister in a different house and there was a tiny telly and a small love seat shoved into the very small dining room area, which is where we sat to eat our cake and watch this film. Good times, indeed. We re-watched the scene where Little An-Mei totally becomes boss lady of the household during her mothers funeral, smashing the fake pearls and screaming. A family friend lives in that house now, as her parents are the landlords (& were then too), when I see her dining room, this is always what I see. The three of us watching this film. So the next article was about 90's films who have a bad rating on Rotten Tomatoes but which actually aren't all that bad. We'll discuss the one's I've seen, right?
The Avengers: I loved The Avengers telly show from the 60's and my high school self and this college guy would talk about it and watch the show together (he owned them all on VHS - speaking of Junior - from The Joy Luck Club friendship - went out and purchased all of Twin Peaks - & the film - on VHS & made me binge watch all of it in a 24 - 36 hour period. I barely remember anything of except "Laura Palmer's Dad is EVIL!" - I'd watch Twin Peaks again too, just not so fast - but this was a different friend). We were excited for this film to come out, we went to see it in the theatre, we were unimpressed. I haven't watched it since, so I should give it another go, but I'm thinking I probably won't like it. House on Haunted Hill: This came out at about the same time as The Haunting. I didn't like either, yet have ended up having to watch the latter several times over the years and it's not that bad, as I remember. I barely remember this one except what I've just stated, that it came out about the same tame, I watched it in the theatre and didn't like it. Didn't realize/remember Geoffrey Rush was the main guy & I love him in films. And it didn't look that bad from the trailer. Should give this another go too. Con Air: This is a really weird film, but it actually isn't that bad. It's not my favourite film or anything, but if it's on the telly, I'd probably stop and watch it. We actually own it (because of my parents), so now I'm wanting to watch it again. Lost Highway: I want to say that I saw this film, but I'm also not sure. Was it just that every person I hung out with at school (& some people in our coffee house) couldn't stop talking about wanting to see it? Because Rammstein is on the soundtrack, yet I didn't hear their type of music or things sung in German until the following year because of some guy friends, but I bet they first heard it from watching this film. So, this is a big question mark & I'm leaning towards I had intended to see it, but never did. Event Horizon: This is another film that I want to say I saw, but I'm also thinking that I did not. I'm really unsure. Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil: We've already hit on this and I did go and see this in the theatre. The book is better and it's not my favourite film or even one I want to watch a lot of, but it really isn't that bad. We do own it (because of my parents) and I should watch this one again as its been awhile. Bebe's Kids: Oh man, I loved this show when I was a kid. "We Bebe's Kids. We don't die. We multiply!" I think I was the only kid my age, in my school, who was watching this. I watched it so much that even The Sister knows about Bebe's Kids. "Wasn't there a baby with a forever dirty nappy?" Yep. I would watch this again. Mars Attacks!: We own this, because of me. It's a great film. I don't want to watch it all the time, but I do really like this film. A lot. The Craft: Now this came out when I was 16. I saw it in the movie theatre. Of course I liked it as a fellow 16 year old girl. Just watched it again last year, though I'd seen it once or twice in between there. It's not a terrifically fantastic and wonderful film, but it's actually pretty good and entertaining. Foxfire: I had a fight about this film with a friend of mine. We'd both just started university so she was from north Mississippi (right near Memphis - as in she was more worldly and hip than I) and we were friends because she kept visiting our coffee house. She asked if I'd ever seen Foxfire because it was her favourite film. I said I had and that it sucked. Then we proceeded to fight because this film was about Jessica Tandy and her husband living in the mountains with John Denver, and she was saying it had Angelina Jolie and was totally cool (plus I think she was on the defense because it was her favourite film). It took a third party, a film buff (remember pre-internet & pre real looking things up easily on the internet days) to say we were both correct. Two different films, but the same name. I do not recommend the Foxfire I had seen about misery and mountain people from 1987, but I do recommend her Foxfire film from 1996 with Angelina Jolie. Watched it after this misunderstanding spat and it actually was pretty good. But then I'm almost forty now and I haven't watched it since 1999 or 2000, so I could be wrong, but I'd like to watch it again. Waterworld: I know that I watched this, along with The Postman, but I don't remember either of this Costner films. The Postman ranks higher on my list of 'Costner film that I saw but can't remember' because Tom Petty was in it for a small bit. Tank Girl: This is actually a pretty good film. Haven't seen it in awhile, wouldn't mind watching it again. Watched it a lot as a teenager. Hackers: I'm laughing, but it's still not a bad film. Of course I loved this when it came out, why wouldn't I? Angelina Jolie was the super cool new actress and everyone wanted to be her. Johnny Lee Miller was super hot (he's why I got into Cadfael because he was in one epi right before he got famous) and OMG Matthew Lillard. *sigh*. But beyond teenage girl crushes, it still holds up. It's campy, but not overly so, and it's fun to watch. It's better than other internet based films of the time period like The Net. Tommy Boy: Why is this even on the list of underrated films? This one is like one of the best films out there! It came on the telly twice while I was house sitting and twice The Sister and I watched it. And LAUGHED. We quote this one all the time. We laugh before scenes happen because we know they're funny; Fat Man in a Little Coat? You're Lettin' The Moths In? The Yankees? Bees? Paint Chips & Petrol? The Toy Cars? Oh man, now I just wanna watch this film AGAIN! "And here comes the meat wagon, Weee-oooo-weee-oooo-wee-ooo!" Seriously who are you if you don't love this film? It's funny and heart warming. To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar: This one is really good (so is The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert), but I think I prefer this one more. For one, Australia is so foreign to me that at times it seems too strange (I will watch films and telly shows from there, but it seems hostile and agressive and not comforting even a little bit - I love Christmas, but it still wasn't comforting to watch that Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery Epi where in their summer, in December, they drive up some mountain to have snow for Christmas. It was just too odd). Plus there is more representation than white people as you have a black and hispanic drag queen. Plus, I have a soft spot in my heart for Patrick Swayze and I like that he did the film. Stargate: Who doesn't like this film? I think it's better than The Fifth Element (though that one's not bad, it's just that it gets WAY more love an attention than I think it deserves and not enough for Stargate). It's entertaining, I can keep watching it (where I can't even get into the million and two telly shows about it - though everyone loves those too). Airheads: Did see this and it came out about the same time as Bio-Dome. Not that they're the same but their both stupid comedy and in my mind go together. I don't remember liking either film when they came out, but I also haven't seen either since thing. I'm inclined to think that I'll like Airheads better (I don't dislike Pauley Shore - but Brendan Frasier AND Steve Buscemi, then it's probably better). I'd give this one another go. Hocus Pocus: Seriously, who doesn't like this film? It's not my absolute favourite (there are memes being shared as we speak from women my age over the sanctity of this film and how people better shut up when it's on and not change the channel and it's the best thing ever - that's not me), but I do really enjoy watching it every year (or every other year sometimes). It's funny and it's just fun. Robin Hood: Men In Tights: We watched this a lot when I was a kid, but I barely remember it. I remember Maid Marian coming up out of the bath with a Chastity Belt locked onto her (mainly because I couldn't wrap my head around the meaning or hilarity of the scene as a kid), that Cary Elwes was in it and they sang that dumb song about being manly men in tights. I'd watch it again though. Heart & Souls: We own this because of the parents. It's not the best film out there or my favourite, but it was actually pretty good. Death Becomes Her: We watched this a lot when I was growing up as well. It's not something I like watching mainly because the ending leaves me feeling flat (& probably because my mom ran this film into the ground), but it's actually not a bad film. Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead: I know I've seen this, but I don't remember it at all. I'd give it another go though to see. So, I Married An Axe Murderer: Same thing. I know I've seen it, but don't remember it. Also I'd watch it again.
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AuthorA girl from South Mississippi who finds herself in exploration. Archives
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