Monday, September 13, 2010

Movie Night



For the past month, our family has been having a movie night each week. We usually do it on Saturday nights when my husband is home early, but sometimes its on Friday nights. I spread a sheet in the living room and let the kids eat dinner (usually fast food) picnic-style by the light of the big screen. My daughter insists that the other lights be off, or else it isn’t truly a movie.

The choosing of the movie hasn’t been as difficult as I expected, considering our children are 6 and 10. We try to alternate between animated and non-animated movies, so the younger one doesn’t get too bored. After seeing the newest version of the Karate Kid, our daughter was fascinated to learn there were previous versions that she could watch on Netflix. So for movie night we found Karate Kid (original with Ralph Macchio). The youngest found the karate parts cool, at least.

But watching that movie brought back a lot of memories, as did Karate Kid 2 when we watched it. (I think I’ll watch the one with the girl with my daughter for a girl’s night.) I can remember watching these movies over and over as a teenager, because we lived out in the boonies and only got 3 channels on the tv. Most of the times, not very well. So we watched a lot of VHS. J I loved movies like Karate Kid, Iron Eagle, The Young Sherlock Holmes, Star Wars (3 original), Disney movies, Goonies, and many, many more.

Goonies happens to be one of my favorite, with hilarious stereotypes and younger versions of well-known actors. Watching it for the first time with my daughter was like seeing it again for the first time. I laughed with her, caught some of the innuendos I didn’t understand as a kid, and explained some of the inside jokes to my daughter that she didn’t understand.

It was great. So tell me, what are some of your “old favorites”? Movies from your pre-teen and teen years that you enjoyed introducing your children to. Ones that you watch every time you catch them on cable?

Angel

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8 comments:

Playground Monitor said...

I loved the original version of Parent Trap when I was young. Also liked The Moonspinners. I guess I had a Hayley Mills thing going.

My sons were very much into the "Ernest" movies -- Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Saves Christmas. They also liked Star Wars (the original 3 movies) and the Star Trek movies.

I like old Doris Day/Rock Hudson romantic comedies and you can catch them on TV every so often.

I like your movie night idea with the picnic on the floor. It's like what folks used to do at the drive-in.

Problem Child said...

Romantic comedies. Love em and can't get enough of them.

I used to love Grease when I was a kid. I had it on VHS and watched it so many times that I had the whole thing memorized. It wasn't until I watched it as an adult that I finally *understood* it... wow.

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

Oooh, Goonies. I haven't watched that in forever. I think Sweet Pea would love that movie. And probably the original Star Wars. We might have to get some of those to watch as a family. Great idea, Angel!

Instigator

Angel said...

Hmmm... apparently the comment I made earlier disappeared. Well...

I'll have to try DQ on the Ernest movies. I remember Camp and Christmas being funny. :)

Love Goonies!!! And so does Drama Queen.

Oh yeah. I watched Grease as a pre-teen and again around 19; it was a whole new world! :)

Angel

Anonymous said...

Sixteen Candles has been a blast for my girls!! They also like pretty much anything Disney, and we have had to replace a few due to them being watched so much!



Sheryl M.

gigi said...

I introduced my kids to the Star Wars movies. Those were some of the first movies I got to go to by myself and with friends.
They also liked The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles I showed them.

Laurie G said...

Heidi, Miracle On 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, Disney movies, Anne of Green Gables,ET, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars, Uncle Buck,Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, The Graduate

Also- Across the Great Divide, Breaking Away, Harold & Maude, Man From Snowy River,Dirty Dancing, Grease,Pretty Woman, Return To Snowy River

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

I love movies so this one is difficult. When I was younger, I loved some really odd movies - Clue, Ghostbusters, Goonies, Watchers in the Woods... I wore out those VHS tapes.

My mom introduced me to Doris Day / Rock Hudson comedies from the sixties. She also introduced me to Rocky Horror Picture Show. Gotta love my mom. Grease. Good stuff.