Every Time I Start To Remember, I Remember I Don't Want To Remember, Warp Me Back To 88 If Only For One Day

Once again I indulged myself with a bit of impulsive buying. I finally obtained myself something I told myself could wait, but, upon seeing it in the video store, I decided to buy anyway. Yes, folks, you are looking at the proud owner of that late 80s classic, Troop Beverly Hills. Short and sweet, I love this movie. Growing up, it was one of my favorite movies and is the movie I have sat through watching the second most amount of times--the first being The Wizard, of course. All in all, I have seen it seventeen times, including twice in the theaters. The cast was amazing. It had a whole lot of starlets that I had pretty big crushes on at the time including Kellie Martin, Ami Foster, Carla Gugino, and, of course, Jenny Lewis. Halifax, even the "head" scout from the Culver City Red Feathers was pretty damn cute.

how to waste ninety minutes of your life without trying and still leave smiling

I think the main reason why I decided to buy it was because it brings up very good memories for me. 1988 was a banner year for me. It was my last year of St. Rita's Elementary. I was preparing to go to high school. Everything on the friends front was clicking along. And, though the romantic department was developing as quickly as I would have liked, 1988 would also see me going to my first dance, going on my first quasi-date, and being told someone actually liked me back (finally!). I even remember seeing this movie with a group of friends. We all had convinced one of my friend's dads to drive us down to the Santa Anita Mall to go watch this film. It was me, two of my guy friends, and one of their sisters. I am not much to absolutely adore films but I simply adored this films. It was one of those few times when I actually was caught rapt in a film so that my friends seemed to no longer be with me. I just got the humor in this movie. I laughed so hard. Even though this film has its share of detractors I have always tried to champion this film as being pure escapist fun. I mean--Shelly Long isn't the greatest comedienne in the world, but there was definitely a reason why she hung out on Cheers for such a long time. She definitely has comedic chops. And, of course, there was the matter of a certain redhead who caught my eye in the film, but, alas, I wasn't to find out her name till a few months later with The Wizard.

a certain redhead...

Afterwards, I had a particularly pleasant conversation with my friends about the movie, but I think what stood out most from that day is what my friend's sister told me. She told me that I seemed to be having a pretty good year and that I should enjoy it because high school may suck. And, while I would not go so far as to say that high school exactly sucked, I would say that 1988 was the last time I was completely comfortable in my own skin and truly relaxed. It's true what they say, you will never be as carefree and as unencumbered as when you are a kid. While it may not be the happiest time in your life it certainly is the time in your life when you can find moments of happiness relatively easy. Some people find it in friends, family, sports, or hobbies. For that year, in that place, with that certain group of friends, I found it in a movie called Troop Beverly Hills.

Yours Swimmingly,
mojo shivers