August 19, 1988

A SUMMER TO REMEMBER

I could start at the beginning. The movie that got me hooked, or even the horror movie that got me hooked. Believe me, I’ll get there. Fuck it…let’s start here anyway. As I said in my first entry, I had a pretty shitty childhood. Movies and music did a great job distracting me from the depressing home I had to put up with, and the neighborhood I grew up in. My neighborhood in Stockton, Ca had gangs anyway, but by this time the movie “Colors” was released. I’m sure the movies intention was to expose gang life as the life not to live. However, just like “Scarface” that message doesn’t always get across, and the pop culture side embraces it. Point being…alot of my friends went in that direction, while I continued to drown myself in music and movies.

Even though there was a lot of negative, there was a lot of positive. Even as a little kid I visited Tower Records/Video regularly. It was my Toys R Us. This summer I discovered a used record store in the same shopping center called “Replay Records.” The owner Willie Hines was an awesome music fan. He was a fellow metal head. More importantly, he was a fellow KISS fan. Had the pinball machine in the store, and used to make me rare videos of KISS concerts and music videos. I’m getting off track.

Summer of 88 was also the summer of Freddy Krueger. By this time “Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” was a year old and it was a huge and awesome sequel. Because of the success of the theme song by “Dokken” Freddy Krueger was a regular on MTV (back when it was worth watching). So “Nightmare On Elm Street 4: Dream Master” had a lot of hype behind it. This sequel will go down in history as the MTV Nightmare. Fat Boys did a song called “Ready for Freddy” and DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince did a song called “Nightmare on my Street.” That’s right…Will Smith.

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So by August, my 13 year old ass was psyched. I was ready for this one. Opening weekend, I ride my bike to Festival Cinemas (across the street from Replay Records). Mowed a shitload of lawns to get the money to see this movie several times that summer. Roll up to the entrance, lock up my bike, and jump in line. Since I was a kid I doubt I was keeping it cool. I’m sure I was bouncing up and down like a tweeker. I get up to the ticket booth, ready to buy my ticket. Pull out my wallet, whip out my money and I hand it…wait…what?…I’m too young. What the fuck? Denied.

What to do, what to do. Instead of crying and screaming. I’m gonna see this movie damn it. I take a minute and look at the showtimes. Well…if I pay to see “Cocktail”, when the movie is over, I can sneak into “Nightmare 4.” They’re playing back to back in different rooms. It just might work. Don’t know what “Cocktail” is? It was that Tom Cruise bartender piece of classic cinema. I figure I can tolerate Tom Cruise for 2 hours if it gets me my Freddy fix. Get back in line and I buy a ticket for “Cocktail.” I know what you’re thinking. Yes, this movie is rated “R” too. Don’t ask. Even today I don’t know why one is ok, and the other isn’t. So I sit for 2 hours watching a really shitty movie about bartending that I can care less about.

Finally, the movie ends, and I leave the room with the rest of the Cruise fans. I casually stroll into the bathroom, wait about 5 minutes, leave the bathroom, and jump in the “Nightmare 4” line. Head to the front, slump in my seat, and pray I don’t get caught. I don’t. I pulled it off. I did the same thing every weekend that summer. Paid to see “Cocktail” and saw both movies. The only time I got caught, is when I brought a friend with me. Fucking amateur got us pinched.

I know what you new movie goers are thinking…all summer? Yes, back in the day movies would have a longer run in the theatres, and would take about 6 months to be released on video (yes…video). So…the upside to this experience was I got to see “Nightmare On Elm Street 4: Dream Master” every weekend that summer while my friends played gangsta. The down side was I saw “Cocktail” so many fucking times that I actually started to like it. I knew every line in “Nightmare 4” but also knew every line in “Cocktail.” If the latest Nightmare was a huge success it wasn’t because of me. Unfortunately I was probably more responsible for “Cocktail” success.

– G.R.E.E.N.B.A.N.K.