Going To The Movies

I have nothing poetic, note-worthy, or even highly amusing to write about today. I just got the idea to talk about my favorite movies.

I remember the first movie I ever saw in the theater. It was Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in "Pardners." It was at the Paramount Theater in downtown Alexandria, LA in the early 60's. I'm not sure of the year, but it was probably around 1968 or 69. My little cousin, Jennifer, was with us and she was about two or three years old. She was old enough to walk, well, run up and down the aisle until the manager told us to corral her or he would call our parents to come get us. The Paramount had a balcony and a seperate area for the black customers. We also got in trouble for going to the colored section and swinging on the curtains on the stage. The more I think about it, I don't remember much of the movie, just the side antics we were involved in.

The next movie I remember is "The Godfather." Daddy and I went to see it at the Don Theater in Alec (Alexandria for all the local people) and I fell in love with James Caan and to this day will watch any and everything he's in. That's also the year Daddy started taking all four of us kids to the drive-in theater. He would load us, our lawn chairs, snacks, cokes, beer (for him and us when he wasn't looking) into his 1968 GMC truck and away we would go. Mother stayed home, as this was her time to catch her breath and relax away from us. We would start watching our movie and before the night was over, Rodney, Larry, and Jr. would have their lawnchairs turned around trying to watch the porno movie on the far screen. I usually fell asleep half-way through whatever movie was showing and I'm guessing once I was out, Daddy joined the boys in the back of the truck trying to get a look at the naked people.

When I got old enough to go to the movies without a parent, my bestfriend (Debby Laird) and I went to see "Jaws." She drove her mom's Dodge Polaris to the Alexandria Mall and we flirted with boys and tried to act like this shark movie didn't scare us. It didn't until the man's head fell out of the sunken boat and Debbie screamed and almost peed her pants. This has to be one of the best movies and one of the best startled scenes in movie history. We still call each other whenever it comes on tv and watch it together. Every time the head falls out of the boat, her breathing speeds up. Guess she forgets that part.

My daddy passed his love of "sword movies" on to me and Larry. We can sit and watch them all day and all night. Pirates, gladiators, Robin Hood, whatever; as long as there's a sword fight going on, we're happy. My mother loved vampire movies and anyone who knows me knows I love vampire movies. If it's an old Christopher Lee or Frank Langella "Dracula" leave me alone and let me watch the blood suckers.

I think I'm going to go watch a movie.... Maybe "Jurassic Park" or "The Day After Tomorrow" I just love a good disaster, dinosaur, science fiction flick.

Ooh, "Sixteen Candles" is on tv. Don't tell anyone, but I like the Molly Ringwald movies. :)