On the Sunny Side of the Screen, 1994
Gene and Roger donned Hawaiian shirts for this particular show back in 1994. Roger got a kick out of seeing it again a few years ago on Facebook when I sent it to him!
Back to the Beach, The Flamingo Kid, Dirty Dancing, Smooth Talk, Do the Right Thing, Summer of ’42, Summertime, High Season, American Graffiti, The Beach Boys: An American Band
I see some new things are added to the website, like the upload attachment and the lettering on the top telling us what this website is is now in script. Anyway, a few things on this special show:
1. Yes, Gene and Roger wore Hawaiian shirts and not sweaters, but did they have to wear the jackets?
2. Roger gave Summer of 42 2.5 stars originally and didn’t really like it much in his print review, yet recommends it here?
3. No, Roger wasn’t around in the summer of 42, but was born a year later.
4. A few of these, like this show, were posted on the 20th anniversary of Gene’s death.
Note: I posted the first comment not at the time that is listed. That is wrong. I posted it at 12:26 or 7 AM the next day.
OK Steven!
Roger’s comment about why summer movies are set in the 50s, 60s and 70s is absolutely, jaw-droppingly brilliant, and obvious in its brilliance: no air conditioning! He’s not the first to point out that almost every single technological breakthrough that makes human life easier also makes human life more isolated, from indoor plumbing to cars to phones to, yes, air conditioning. We can (and DO) stay inside all day and all night, even when it’s not that hot, because we are able to regulate our immediate atmosphere to our own liking. Of course, left unsaid by Roger is that other pastime that drove us out of our homes when it was hot….MOVIES. Movie theaters famously had air conditioning long before the average home could afford it, so to escape the heat you’d go see a movie. That’s something Gene and Roger both could definitely get behind.
Cleaned this one up tonight on April 1, 2023.