RESPECTING THE CLASSICS
by VHS Generation
It’s no secret that I am a Horror junkie. If theres any genre that would qualify me as an historian it would be Horror. However, if all I loved was Horror than I would be rather one dimensional, cliché, and boring. People that know me well would say I’m nostalgic. If you come over to my house to watch movies, you’ll most likely see something from the 60’s through the 80’s. A majority of the music I listen to comes from the 60’s through the 80’s. If I had to pick a decade that I’m in love with it would be the 70’s. The best music and the best movies.
This past Saturday, I wake up, drink my coffee, curl up with my cat, and put something on. I usually rock something light. Something that gives me a good laugh. I pop in “Car Wash” and enjoy a great 70’s classic. As I’m watching it I realize something. “Friday” was highly influenced by “Car Wash.” I have always considered Car Wash a comedy classic. Up there with Airplane, Animal House, Caddyshack, etc. I’ve always considered Friday a new classic. Up there with Dazed and Confused, Big Lebowski, basically any movie that qualifies as a midnight showing.
In case you disagree, let’s take a minute to break it down. Car Wash really has no story. The movie is really about the common work day and the shit that goes down. Create a handful of characters, and give them all they’re own individual drama. At the end of the movie, create the ultimate conflict with a positive result. In the case of Car Wash, Bill Duke returns to the car wash with a gun, and the older ex con talks him down.
Friday does a brilliant job of paying hommage to Car Wash without directly ripping it off. In this case, there are actually 2 spectators we can live vicariously through, watching individual soap operas unfold. Or what I use to say when I grew up in similar neighborhoods “Enjoying the show.” Friday also has the ultimate conflict when Craig goes toe to toe with D-bow. He takes the manly way out, loses the gun, and trades blows.
In order for these both movies to work, it really comes down to the writing. As I’m sure critics have snubbed they’re noses at both movies, it is not easy to write a movie with basically no story. What makes these movies work, is that everyone can relate to them. No matter what you’re race, religion, or political point of view, everyone gets it.
The soundtracks for both films stand the test of time and are guaranteed mood lifters. Rose Royce kills it with hit after hit, giving us classics that are still on the radio today. Friday takes it a step further and provides us with 2 volumes. One for the new school and one for the old school. Respecting it’s roots it gives us that good time 70’s flavor as well as the modern rap and r&b tracks that were dominating the scene at the time.
Now I have to take a minute to address something I have been defending since I was old enough and educated enough to defend. When I announced I was gonna do a piece on these 2 movies, a response I got was “Why do they always have to be smoking weed?” My response was “Why do you feel the need to bring it up?” I honestly don’t where this person was coming from. Whether they were offended over the drug use in general, or that a specific race was being portrayed in a negative light.
Let’s start with the first possible reason. I grew up in Stockton, Ca. Some pretty bad neighborhoods. Even though Boyz N the Hood, and Menace to Society points out some pretty real shit, I would say the neighborhoods I grew up in were closer to Friday. Everyone knew each other, and theres always that bumbed out fucker that wanted to borrow shit all the time. So…if you grew up in those neighborhoods, you would already know that smoking weed was as common as smoking cigarettes. I doubt that either movie was trying to make this something to focus on. I would say it’s part of the neighborhood culture, and deserves about as much attention as any golden age of Hollywood actor lighting up a
cigarette. Even though my pot smoking days are long gone, I really don’t see the negative in it.
Cool? Let’s rock the 2nd possible reason. Portraying the African American culture in a negative light. That is absolutely ridiculous. Every time a controversial movie is released, people lose they’re shit and say that they are being portrayed in a negative light. Bring it back to Earth. Movies are visual story books. It’s just one story about specific people in a specific situation. Scarface is not about all cubans. It’s about Tony Montana. Fatal Attraction is not about all women. It’s about Alex Forrest. Silence of the Lambs is not about all homosexuals. It’s about Buffalo Bill (who I don’t even think was gay to begin with). So relax. It’s only a movie.
I hope you enjoyed this. I hope I shedded a little light on a couple of great comedies you may not have seen yet. I am a proud member of the VHS generation. My 700 plus blu-ray collection, is just a modern VHS collection. I’m gonna tap into a lot of genres and a lot of great lost gems. Horror will be well represented, but so will everyone else.
Talk to ya next time.
G.R.E.E.N.B.A.N.K.
MORBID MOVIE MEMOIRS: VHS GENERATION 