It's almost the end of term here so I've been a bit busy this week making and giving tests to the couple hundred ungrateful wretches I call my "students"; too busy to give much thought to any written content here. (Yeah, yeah, "so what's new?" you groan...) Anyway...I came across the video below while browsing YouTube the other day, and it really took me back to my childhood-- sitting in dark movie theatres with my buddies on Saturday afternoons, throwing popcorn boxes, sticking gum in girls' hair, making farting sounds during "romantic" scenes, and all the goofy stuff boys do (did?).
I've always been a big fan of the "fantastic" on the movie screen, and when I was a kid the master of this genre was Ray Harryhausen. Ray's art was stop-motion animation, and in movies like Mighty Joe Young, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, and One Million Years B.C. (with a very hot, animal skin-clad Raquel Welch!! [swoons with the memory of his first, unrequited childhood love...]) he brought to life on the screen all manner of fantastic creature, big and small. The video below features every one of Harryhausen's creations. It's perhaps a bit long-ish, but if you watch carefully you'll see where I got my profile pic from...
I was with you in spirit every Saturday afternoon at the Rice Theater on Parkerson Avenue in Crowley, LA. I sat in the center of the first row and saw all those "Greek and Roman" movies in their pristine glory. They had a profound effect on me. Obviously. Bet you didn't know you were playing with fire, did you?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, my "first, unrequited childhood love" was Giselle MacKenzie (born January 10, 1927 in Winnipeg!). Go figure.
Haha! The Sinbad movies as well as the Greek and Roman ones had a profound effect on me as well. I ended up doing an MA in Classics. Bet you didn't know you were playing with fire!
ReplyDelete'Jason and the Argonauts' definitely ruled. Only today we can get to see something that approaches that wonder. Regarding your students, good luck, pal. I know exactly how you feel. Sometimes it seems the are just plain rock heads.
ReplyDeleteI didn't live anywhere near a movie theatre until I was older, but this stuff takes me back.
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