The Time I Thought My Gremlin Was Really Alive

Gizmo, the toy

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

The summer of 1984 saw some pretty epic film releases.  The Karate Kid, Ghostbusters, and Gremlins are just a few of the flicks I saw at the theater.  I was 11 years old at the time, and like all the kids my age, I got caught up in the hype of the marketing machine. I sported a Ghostbusters shirt.  My brother and I shared the Indiana Jones action figures.  And I had one of those Gizmo figures (it wasn't a doll). 

Just like Billy did in the movie, I made a little bed for Gizmo.  I set it on the nightstand next to my bed, careful each night not to let too much light shine on him.  We all remember the rules from the movie, no bright light or your Mogwai will die.  I also kept him away from water, because I didn't want Gizmo to multiply. Obviously, I didn't feed him after midnight, as he didn't open his mouth.

I don't know why I had it in my mind that these things could actually happen to my toy.  To me, Gizmo was real.  I guess it was partly wishful thinking, and partly just having an imagination.  I think a lot of kids believe their toys are just like the ones in the Toy Story movies, coming to life when no human is around. 

It's what I miss about being a kid.  Suspending belief and believing in the impossible.  Despite all the electronics and handheld devices children have access to now, it still happens from time to time.  I remember a boy who turned 11 years old and anxiously awaited an acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That letter didn't come, just like Gizmo never multiplied when I dropped him in our swimming pool.  But having that belief is what being a kid is all about.

Way Back WhensDay: Christmas Movies

Christmas Vacation

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I love Christmas.  I always have.  One of my favorite things about this time of year is all the classic movies that make up the season.  I'll talk about a few of my personal favorites.  While I like just about every Christmas film I've watched, these are three that I watch at least once during the season.

I first saw National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation when it opened in theaters back in December 1989.  I was a junior in high school, and was already a fan of the original Vacation film and the followup European Vacation.  It was a Friday night, and a friend of mine from work asked me if I wanted to go see it with her.  Despite this being a "friends only" outing and her having a boyfriend, I was more than eager to go out and watch the movie.

My words will not do the film justice.  I don't really do reviews, but I can tell you if you've never seen this Chevy Chase classic, watch it after you finish reading this blog.  It's on Netflix right now, so you don't have to go buy it or try to rent it somewhere.  Not only is it my favorite Christmas movie, but it's among my top picks for favorite movie EVER.

Sh!tter was full!

Clark Griswald outdoes himself with his goofy attempts to decorate the family home.  His love of Christmas reminds me of mine, but amplified to the max.  I also love the fact that this time the kids, Rusty and Audrey are played by different actors and are different ages too.  Of course Cousin Eddie, played by Dennis Quaid, is hilarious with lines like "Sh!tter was full!" as he's emptying his RV's septic system into the neighborhood sewer.  Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis truly crack me up too.  When Bethany hears the squirrel in the Christmas tree, claiming to hear a funny, squeaky sound, Lewis responds with one of my favorite lines from the film, "You couldn't hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant."

These are just a few of the reasons I love this film.  And who can forget "Tis the season to be Merry." "Mary? That's my name." "No sh!t."

Red Ryder!

A Christmas Story is a close second in terms of my favorite Christmas movies.  It too ranks high on my regular movie list.  I love the fact that TNT or TBS (I forget which one) airs it for 24 hours start starting on Christmas Eve.  I don't recall my first viewing of Christmas Story, but it was sometime in my tween years.  I remember getting my own BB Gun for Christmas around the same time young Ralphie pined for one of his own.  I'm proud to say I never shot my eye out.

We love the movie so much, we've done two family Christmas cards based on the film.  I'll actually be doing a blog on that Thursday, so look out for it (please)  Last year for Christmas, I got a pair of Ralphie pajamas.  But don't get excited, they're not the pink bunny kind.

Double Dog Dare!

I like the movie so much because it reminds me of simpler times.  I love that the family loves each other, despite the shortcomings of all the characters.  I love that leg lamp too, and one of these days one will proudly sit on the Hunsperger living window sill.  I also think it's safe to say I don't view the phrase "double dog dare you" the same after watching it.  Same goes for things like Ovaltine, the song "Deck the Halls", and of course "Fuuudge!"

The Grinch!

Finally, I can't let Christmas go by without watching the animated version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas at least once.  I love this story and the fact that it's a film makes the holidays even more enjoyable.  I like the Jim Carey version too, but there's something about the cartoon that just puts me in the Christmas spirit.  I like the mean, nasty Grinch, but I know the large hearted good guy is the one we're all supposed to embrace.

My honorable mention go to Elf as it is one of the newer "classics" I enjoy watching.  I still need to watch Christmas films like Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, and Santa With Muscles.  Yes, I said that in the same sentence, and I'm serious.  Merry Christmas.

Project Drive-In

Save the Drive-In!

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

The other day as I was watching videos on YouTube, I came across an ad for something called Project Drive-In.  I don't usually watch an entire ad, but this one captured my attention.  I knew there weren't many drive-in theaters left in this country, but what surprised me was the ones that are still around may not be in the next year.

There are 368 drive-ins in America.  Many of them are not equipped to make mandatory upgrades to digital projectors.  It's a costly project, estimated at more than $85,000.  Some theater owners say it would take years to pay for such an upgrade, which will likely force them to close.

That's where Honda is stepping in.  The company is spearheading Project Drive-In. It's an awareness campaign and a fundraiser to help save as many of the 368 remaining theaters as possible.  They're also donating five projectors to the cause.  You can learn more about the project by clicking right here.

Scary Wampa!
My first drive-in experience 

My first memory of the drive-in came when I was about seven years old.  My parents and their friends (who had kids who were mine and my brother's friends) took us to see a double feature: Star Wars and the Empire Strikes Back.  We stretched out on the top of my parents baby blue station wagon on a blanket and listened to the action through one of those rusty old speakers. You had to listen closely to fully understand the dialouge, but no one ever complained. I still remember being scared near the beginning of Empire when Luke Skywalker was attacked by the Wampa.  That whole scene was much scarier on that giant screen. (Pardon all the geek talk there)

As the years went by, we saw plenty of other films at the drive-in, but the theaters were beginning to die out.  I grew up in the St. Louis area, and remember there were probably half a dozen different places to go.  We'd get there before sun down and all the kids would play on the playground, usually found in front of the big screen.  Once the sun started setting, we'd run back to the car to meet mom and dad for a quick trip to the concession stand.  No movie was complete without popcorn, soda, and candy.  I can still hear the sounds of car tires on the gravel for those who were arriving late as we struggled to hear what was being said on the screen.  I can see the flickering light coming out of the projection area.

One of the go to drive-ins back in the day

The last time I went was in the summer of 1991, right before I left for college.  I can't remember both films of the double feature, but one was the cheesy Jean Claude Van Dam film Double Trouble.  The drive-in is a different experience when you're older, but fun none-the-less, maybe even more so....

After moving around several times since then, I haven't lived in a town with a drive-in in more than 20 years. I know there a few within a two hour radius of here, but until now I haven't put forth any real effort to take my family.  That has to change.  I'm hoping that Project Drive-In will preserve the few existing drive-ins near me and will encourage others to help too.  There are memories to be made, and I want to give my kids a chance to do what we did when we were young.

Click the website I mentioned earlier, use the hashtag #SaveTheDriveIn when talking about it on social media, and watch the video I've included below.  Thanks for your help.

Movies I Haven't Seen, But Should

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

When my wife and I started dating more than 20 years ago, we went to the movies all the time.  In those early years, we saw everything from Jurassic Park to Basic Instinct to Dennis the Menace.  So as you can tell, we had quite the variety.  Fast forward to marriage and children and busy lifestyles, working weekends, base ball games, dance recitals, and life in general.  We stopped going to the movies, and when we do it's usually the latest Pixar film or something else family related.  The last movie just the two of us went to was This is 40, which was appropriate as we were both facing the big birthday.

So I've been thinking about the films that I have yet to see.  Some of you will shun me for this list.  I'm actually kind of embarrassed to admit I haven't seen some of them.  I was going to do a top 5, but because number 5 includes its sequel, the list is actually 6 films.  By the way, I'm only listing films that are not currently in theaters.

The Green Mile

1.  The Green Mile: I really can't use the kid excuse for this one.  Well, I guess I technically can.  My wife was VERY close to delivering when The Green Mile was released in late 1999.  It's one of those films I've always wanted to see, but refused to ever watch on basic cable because it's something I feel like I need to watch without commercial interruptions.  The death of Michael Clarke Duncan served as a reminder that I still haven't seen this classic. (is it too soon to call it a classic?)

"I see dead people..."

2.  The Sixth Sense: This is another pre-kids release.  But a quick back story on it.  The film came out in the summer of 1999.  I had just been laid off from my job in Alabama after the station decided to end the local newscast.  With a baby on the way, hitting the movie theater fell to the low end of the totem pole.  I have heard plenty about The Sixth Sense and know how it ends, but I still really want to see it.

Silver Linings Playbook

3.  Silver Linings Playbook: I'll admit, I don't know a whole lot about this one, but there's been plenty of hype concerning it.  Some of my friends have seen it and said it was a great film.  Silver Linings Playbook and its cast has been nominated (and won) several awards, so by that alone, I should probably see it.  Another confession, I haven't seen many Best Film nominees or winners through the years, so I think it's probably time to open myself up to a wider variety of films.

Blazing Saddles

4. Blazing Saddles:  Kind of a tongue and cheek post here.  When I admitted about two years ago to my coworkers that I hadn't seen Blazing Saddles, my friend Weston quickly provided me a copy of it on DVD.  That DVD is still sitting in my closet, waiting to be played.  I haven't not made it a priority to watch, but before the end of the year (maybe the summer) I will watch it.  I've seen bits and pieces, but need to find two hours to sit down and enjoy this classic comedy.

Use the force!

5. & 6.: Star Wars Episodes II & III: I was a kid when New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi were released.  I saw all of them in the theaters and/or at the drive in.  I had the lunch boxes, action figures, and plush toys.  In the spring of 1999, I actually convinced my wife to see The Phantom Menace.  The new film didn't really hold up to the three before it.  That's part of the reason I haven't taken the time or made the effort to see the other two.  However, since I've committed myself to the Star Wars franchise as a child, it's only fair that I see Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith,  especially before Disney releases Episode VII.

So there's my list.  There are plenty more films to add, but these are the ones that immediately come to mind.  Wish me luck in seeing these before the end of the year.