1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 365- A Spoiler Free Review of Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi

I finished out my year of turning 40 with my oldest of  childhood friends; for today I went to see The Last Jedi. Travel, the holidays, and getting terribly ill got in the way of seeing it sooner. But now that I think of it, this was quite a fitting way to end my look at turning 40.

I had seen for weeks how many fans are disgusted with this film. Lots of fans signed a petition demanding that Episode VIII be removed from canon. Mark Hamill went so far as to say the character he portrayed wasn't his or creator George Lucas' Luke Skywalker but instead a knockoff character named Jake Skywalker. Finally, The Last Jedi now holds the dubious record of the worst one-week box office drop off in film history. 

Now, with Christmas being just the week after The Last Jedi debuted in theaters, I am sure that quite a bit of ticket sales did drop due to that fact.  Needless to say, I went into this film expecting a big huge dud. I was getting deja vu of going to see Justice League last month. But I have never missed a Star Wars in the theatres and I wasn't about to start now. Plus, with this film being actress Carrie Fisher's last, I wasn't about to pass up a chance to pay my last respects.

What I saw was an impressive two and a half hours of film by director Rian Johnson (Looper.) Continuing immediately from the events of Episode VII, the Resistance is desperately attempting to evacuate their secret base. Meanwhile, young heroine Rey has finally located Luke Skywalker and is desperately attempting to lure him back to defeat the First Order. And that's as far as I want to go on the plot. 

Many fans went so far on social media to decry that this Star Wars film was so unlike other Star Wars films. Empire is considered to be the most unlike the original trilogy. And yes- Last Jedi is very un-Star Wars. I think that's because this film was the Empire Strikes Back of the new trilogy. And there's several reasons why:

• The Super Star Destroyer was introduced in Empire. A new version, the dreadnought, is brought into play here.
• Empire has Hoth, a planet cover in white fluffy snow. Last Jedi has a new planet covered in white fluffy salt. Both planets involve the back guys unleashing a deadly type of AT vehicle.
• Empire and Last Jedi both has a wanna be Jedi begrudgingly trained by an elderly reclusive master.
• and finally both Empire and this movie are the most well acted and least cliched of the bunch and they end with the absence of a happy ending!

If this had been Episode IX instead of VIII, I think I would have been extremely happy. There's quite a bit going here that I could seen this as being the end of the third (and final) trilogy promised to us by George Lucas. And I would have left the theater extremely satisfied to have gotten to see the whole story. 

In fact I have an idea that could make the detractors and the fans happy.  I know how I look at it makes me pleased. See, I'd go so far as to reorder the Episode numbers making Rogue One no longer 'A Star Wars Story' but christen it Episode IV. This would result in shifting everything down a number. Empire is now VI, Return of the Jedi is VII, and Force Awakens becomes VII. It all ends in The Last Jedi as Episode IX. Then the new trilogy of Star Wars films recently proposed by Rian Johnson could continue upon the struggles of this new Resistance in wrestling peace back from the First Order. 

I know that in no way would my idea ever work. Disney would never go for it. And there's too many whiny wanna-be fanboys out there that would complain and threaten boycotts if this idea ever got a green lit. But a lot of the fun of Star Wars is being able to expound on the possibilities. And since I had a lot of fun watching the newest Episode of Star Wars and I have zero idea where the franchise is going from here- it was worth a shot just mentioning.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars.

My New Rankings...

                1. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

                2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

                3. Episode IV: A New Hope

                4. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
                5. Episode VII: The Last Jedi
                6. Episode VII: The Force Awakens

                7. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

                8. Episode II: Attack of the Clones

                9. Episode I: The Phantom Menace

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 327

I love Thanksgiving. It's cause I was born on Thanksgiving in 1977. Tomorrow is my official day of birth. But my family has always observed it during Turkey Day.

One year I even got to go to the parade up in New York in which my birthday was on Thanksgiving. I got to see Grover from Sesame Street and my favorite Steeler of all-time, Franco Harris! It was a great day.

Here's a video snippet or two of the parade on the day of my birth 40 years ago...

Well, that's my look at Thanksgiving '77. Until next time... I'll be another year older.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 305

This morning, I saw that somebody on one of the comic book pages that I am a member of on Facebook posted the November 1977 calendar. I thought to myself, hey I was born that month.

Yes, there's only 23 more days until I turn 40. 

I thought it was oddly appropriate that the below image got posted. Sadly, it's of Conan the Barbarian and Red Sonja. Not really something that I would consider myself a fan of. But hey, it still looks pretty cool!

Check it out below...

Until Next Time...

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 304

Yeah, it's been a while since I did one of these. I've been busy with other projects and stuff. But I came across this old commercial from Woolworth's in the year I was born and I thought this would be a neat post. 

So ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a look at what Halloween costumes looked like the year I was born.

Enjoy and Happy Halloween...

Until next time!

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 274

It's been quite a while since I have had a chance or interest in keeping up with my A Madman Turns 40 posts. I'm not feeling my age as much as just all of the crap of the past several weeks just haven't motivated me to reflect on the past while heading towards the future. 

Well, that all changed today. See today marks the debut of a favorite character of mine from when I was a very little kid. The character in question is from the very television show that has inspired the name of my blog- Doctor Who. And that character is...

K-9.

Just who is K-9? K-9 is the Doctor's robot dog. He first appeared on the BBC on October 1st 1977 in the first chapter of the classic Tom Baker episode The Invisible Enemy. Ever since his introduction, the character has been voiced by John Gleeson. Though technically, there have been four K-9s over the past 40 years.

• The Mark I is the one that debuted 40 years ago today. He left the show with Leela when she decided to stay on Gallifrey in the 1978 episode The Invasion of Time.
• The Mark II first appears in The Ribos Operation. This model was more articulated and much more mobile. He was damaged while the Doctor and his Time Lord companion Romana were in E-Space. Upon being repaired, K-9 and Romana stayed there. Depending on if you believe the audio dramas are canon or not K-9 is still in E-Space or he and Romana are not on Gallifrey. 
• The Mark III was a gift from the Doctor to Sarah Jane Smith. The pair had a number of adventures until disrepair caused the unit to break-down. In the David Tenant episode School Reunion, the Doctor fixed K-9 only for the loyal dog sacrifice his life to save the Doctor and Sarah Jane.
• The Mark IV was given to Sarah Jane at the end of School Reunion. This version made a few appearances on the Sarah Jane Adventures. But due to licensing issues, K-9 was shown to be in outer space trying to patch up a black hole.

Well that's my look at 1977 for today. Before I go, I want to present to you a video of some of the trailers for the Invisible Enemy, the first appearance of K-9. Enjoy!

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 228

Today marks a 40th anniversary. It's one of which inspired me to develop A Madman Turns 40.  40 years ago today, the King died. Yes, I'm talking about Elvis.

Elvis Presley was a cultural icon. He maybe didn't develop his country-bluesy style. But he was the one who brought 'black music' as his critics called it, to the masses. 

Elvis is one of those people who was in the right place at the right time. His gyrating hips would have been unthinkable if he has hit the music scene earlier than he did. But by the 1950s, a new populace was arising in the US- the teenager. Prior to World War II, teens and kids weren't mass marketed to. But with the baby boom, marketers saw a new untapped resource in which to advertise to. Elvis was the perfect product for kids looking to rebel a little from their ultra-conservative and uptight parents.

Elvis takes his last journey out of Graceland.

My Grandmama loved Elvis. She had seen every one of his movies. Had every one of his albums. So when the news broke of Elvis' death 2 things happened:

1. She cried, and cried, and cried.
2. She packed a bag and drove all night to Memphis to Graceland in order to be among the mourners and well wishers.

Funeral Procession of Elvis. Somewhere in this picture is my Grandmama.

Before she passed in 1990, my Grandmama returned to Graceland to tour it. I remember her showing me pictures and postcards. We'd listen to her Elvis records while she either put together a puzzle or made chocolate Elvis suckers for some community fundraiser or another.

A few years after she died, I asked and got for Christmas a 3-D puzzle of Graceland, which I put together thinking of her and listening to Elvis tunes. 

I think more than anything, on this day, I missed her more than the King.

Scenes from Elvis' funeral August 18, 1977.

I also think this is all I can do today for my look at my favorite year. 

Before I go,  have a listen at the favorite Elvis tune of both my Grandmama and myself.
Ladies and gentleman, I present to you, Suspicious Minds....

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 222

   For today's a Madman Turns 40, it's a biggie. 

   40 years ago today, the Son of Sam killer, David Berkowitz was captured after almost a full year's reign of terror. For almost a year, Berkowitz stalked the boroughs of Queens and the Bronx. The serial killer shot almost dozen people, 6 died. 

    It was a traffic ticket that got Berkowitz caught.  A few days prior, a woman name Cacilia Davis walking her dog said that there was a strange man following her around. When she reported the incident to police, they decided to review the list of cars that were ticketed in the area. Sure enough, they had a hit- David Berkowitz, who also owned a .44 revolver the gun used in the killings. 

    On August 10th, NYPD found Berkowitz's car. In the car was a rifle and that .44! When captured, he was reported to have replied "Well, you got me. How come it took you such a long time?"

     Over the course of several weeks, Berkowitz would undergo psychiatric observations. He would claim that a spirit named Sam would speak through his neighbors dog. In order to silence the pup, Berkowitz had to offer him blood in the form on killings. A year later, Berkowitz would be found guilty of his crimes.

   Currently, Berkowitz is still in prison. In became a Christian in 1987 and now refers to himself as the 'Son of Hope.' He's been eligible for parole since 2002 but has actually asked to not be released as he feels that he must spend the rest of his days behind bars.

    Well, that's my look at 1977 for today. I'll return soon with another look at my favorite year. 
Until next time...

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 208

  

  How many of you are familiar with the restaurant Bojangles? If you do live in the on the Central East Coast of the US, you probably haven't. Bojangles is a regional chain that specializes in Cajun style chicken and biscuits. It's also turning the big 4-0!

    Just the other day, my wife asked for Bojangles. It's reasonably easy to get to from our house. Prices are really fair. Plus, They've got great iced tea and really good fries. The trick is to dip them in their Cajun sausage gravy!

   Anyways, on my way driving home, I took a sip of tea (the temp was almost 100, folks) and I noticed on the cup that Bojangles got their start the same year I did- 1977! So, of course, I felt it was appropriate to do a write-up about them for the A Madman Turns 40 project.

The founders at the original location, 1977

   Bojangles was started in 1977 by Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas. Their idea to serve chicken, and biscuits, and breakfast all-day with a Cajun flare was a unique idea to my home state of North Carolina. That's right, Bojangles was started in Charlotte, NC! 

  Within a year, Bojangles opened it's first franchise location. By the time I was 4 or 5, I remember going to the Bojangles on Falls of the Neuse Road every Sunday after church with my mom and dad. That locale was the first in Raleigh and the 28th location opened in the franchise overall. I don't remember my regular order but I was in love with the dirty rice- a spicy blend of rice, sausage, peppers, and God knows what else. But man is it good stuff!

The first Bojangles Franchise locale, 1978.

There's now over 600 Bojangles opened as far north as Pennsylvania and south in Florida. The company is even a publicly traded company, opening on the NASDAQ in 2015. The future continues to look bright for Bojangles. You poor souls without a Bojangles, who knows, maybe they'll head to your neck of the woods sometime soon!

Man, don't this look good!

So that's my look at 1977 for today. 2017 seems to be a big year for Bojangles and a certain Madman with a Book. Now if I could only get the owners to give me their 4-piece Supreme Dinner for only $.77 for the rest of the year...

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 203

This is San Diego Comic Con weekend. So, of course, you know I am going to be showing you a glimpse of what the convention was like during the year of my birth, 1977.

The event was held at the El Cortez Hotel from July 20-24th. Over 4,000 guests attended. Being the 10th annual holding of Comic Con, all the stops were pulled out to make it a smash hit!

Heinlein and his wife Virginia arriving at the '77 con.

This con saw the first ever Robert A. Heinlein blood drive. It's a tradition that still continues in San Diego each Comic Con weekend. The event was started by the Heinlein Society, a fan group that seeks to continue the sci-fi writers humanitarian believe to 'pay it forward.'

The '77 event also bore witness to the first ever 'making of Star Wars' panel. A small film about production of the film was shown. Just a year prior, Mark Hamill and some producers did a panel and maybe 100 people showed. A year later, with the film a blockbuster success, the panel had 4x as many attendees. 

Guest tag, illustrated by Scott Shaw!

Several big name guests were in attendance. Jack Kirby, Carl Banks, Alex Nino, and Harvey Kurtzman were some of the now legendary guests in attendance. Man, to have got some of those autographs!

Program Guide Cover by Michael Kaluta.

One thing the San Diego Comic Con had that is doesn't anymore is comic books! Over time, it's getting way too expensive for mom and pop shops to be able to sell comics at the Con. This year's announcement that Mile High Comics from Denver wouldn't be at SDCC 2017 marked the end of back issue selling at the event.

Fans picking through stacks of poorly organized back issues.
Oh, the lack of care just breaks my heart.

Well, that's my look at my favorite year for now. Tune in again sometime soon for more fun as A Madman Turns 40.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day: 196

     For today's A Madman Turns 40, I'm looking at a cultural icon or icons (if you want to get technical about it)- the Village People. But before I look at the Disco group, a little back story as to why I choose to focus on them today...

     Yesterday, I was working my part-time job as a security guard. My gig for the day was to guard a tunnel entrance at a pop culture convention. I thought it was going to be a dull job but I ended up meeting several celebrities. 

I cannot confirm or deny that I worked this event yesterday...

    One of those I meet was Randy Jones. Randy was the Cowboy in the Village people when they broke onto the music scene in 1977 (there's that year again...) Anyways, Randy was born in Raleigh where the Con was held. I recognized him and said hi by name and he actually stopped and chatted with me for several minutes. Turns out we were both born at Old Rex Hospital. So being a little star struck to meet a pop culture icon that got his start the year I was born, I decided to devote today's post to the Village People.

    The Village People came to be when an aspiring singer named Victor Willis submitted a demo tape to producer and composer Jacques Morali. Morali saw great potential in Willis and decided to form a disco group around him.

     The first album debuted in July of '77. The first album was basically Willis singing to a house band. The self titled album was a hit in clubs. Demand for public appearances led to Morali hastily throwing a group of backup singers/dancers together. After a very successful appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, Morali decided to recruit a full time lineup for the Village People.

The 1977 Debut Album.
The people on the cover actually had nothing to do with the music except Willis on the bottom left.

The name Village People was based after the Greenwich Village region of New York. The neighborhood was known for its large gay community at the time. So Morali had each member of the band dress as a different homosexual stereotype. Randy Jones was the official selection for the Cowboy character. Other characters added to the group were an Indian, a construction worker, a cop, a biker, and a military member of either the Army or Navy (this character frequently changes back and forth from either branch.)

    Over the course of 1977-1980, the Village People produced a number of hits including Macho Man, San Francisco and their most famous tune, YMCA. You can't go a single day of the year without YMCA being played at some sporting event. I've personally witnessed the song played at several baseball games, hockey matches, and a WrestleMania type venue.

The Village People performing their iconic
YMCA dance.

    The Village People are also known for the song In the Navy. That song has particular meaning for my family. My sister in law has a reputation of dating 3 different men who upon breaking up with her immediately went to the the Naval service. We call her the Navy's top recruiter and will sometimes play In the Navy as a joke at her expense.

    Well that's my look at my birth year for today. It was really cool to meet a 1977 icon. It almost felt meant to be as a sort of happening during this year long celebration of this self-propelled Madman's birthday.

 Until next time...

     
    

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017: Day 194

 Today is a big day in Madman History- it's the 40th anniversary of the NYC blackout!

    At 8:37pm, lightening struck a substation along the Brooklyn River. The blast overloaded the system at Indian Point and within an hour knocked out power for all of the five boroughs with exception of a small section of Queens and the Rockaways. 

    The thing that makes this event so memorable wasn't the blackout itself but what came with it- mass chaos. It was particularly hot that summer with temps in the 100s. The economy of the Big Apple was in distress as well. Add to it that a crazed gunman calling himself the Son of Sam, and people were on edge. So when the power went out, everyone lost their freaking mind.

    The night of the blackout was fraught with looting, fighting, and arson. Over 1600 stores were damaged in some way by vandals and looters. Over 4500 people were arrested and nearly 500 police officers were hurt trying to maintain order. There were at least 14 major fires as well.

    I really can't do this night in history justice. But I know some folks who can. There's this really awesome documentary about New York City 1977 called NY 77: The Coolest Year in Hell. Check out the video clip below about a recount of what went down on the night of the blackout: 

       Electricians and power companies worked in unison over the night. By mid-morning the next day, neighborhoods began to get the power back. The last section of the city to get the lights turned back on occurred around 10:39pm. 

       In the aftermath, a couple of units of the national guard were summoned but by the time they arrived, much of the chaos was over. Over $300 million dollars in damages accrued during the blackout. Yet, President Carter only approved for $11 million in funds to be allocated for repairs of damaged. So a lot of people lost businesses, wealth, and jobs overnight.

     One area that saw tremendous growth was the hip hop industry. Many a turntable and piece of audio equipment was stolen that night. As a result of the overnight grab-and-go, the sound and scene of hip hop jumped ahead light years. If you don't believe me, check out the clip from above.  

      Well, that's my look at my favorite year for today. It was a crazy time to be alive in the Big Apple. Man, do I wish I was there. Until next time...



      

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 185

    For today's look at 1977, I'm examining something that didn't happen exactly 40 years ago today. But it did happen in my birth year!

     I was scrolling down my Facebook feed when I saw something interesting from one of the pages I am a member of. The group is called Pop Culture in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. It's a public group. For someone like myself who is a student of pop culture- it's a great nostalgic site.

Apparently, the company delivered your TVs
in cherry red gremlins...

     Well, someone posted a commercial from '77 for a service I had never heard of: TV rental! I've head of services where you could rent out your entire home, like rent-a-center. But a company that only rented out TVs?! How was this economically feasible? A very short answer is that the service was British.

In the UK, the athlete to win
Player of the Year received a year's subscription
from Granada as their reward!

      The name of this company is called Granada (originally Red Arrow.) Apparently in the 1950s, the only way to get a TV set in the UK was you had to rent them. I guess since the government owns the broadcast stations (The BBC), this was how you had to get a TV. Actually, the same applied for radios starting in the 1930s and eventually morphed to TVs. Later on, Granada was also where you rented your VCR, DVD, and video gaming systems.

     Granada went over the pond in the 60s to Canada and trickled down to some Northern states. But it didn't get popular enough in the US to come South to states like North Carolina. However, this idea did become popular enough to inspire those rent-a-center like companies.

Granada's current logo.

      Now I know the concept of having to rent a TV through government agents might seem odd to you. But until I was 5 or 6, I remember having to go to the Ma Bell at the mall in order to get your phone. Back then you had only 3 choices: the black phone, the red one, or the Mickey Mouse version. No Kidding! Plus, living in North Carolina, we can't just go to the Citgo to buy hard alcohol. We have to go to ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) stores, run by the state to purchase whiskey, vodka, and other spirits. 

I always wanted one of these.
But, Nooooooo! We had to get the day-glow yellow model.

   Well, that's my look at 1977 for today. Before I go, here's the TV commercial from 1977 that inspired the article. Enjoy: 

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 184

  It's Independence Day! The day we celebrate our forefather's declaring independence from England. 

   Normally with the A Madman Turns 40 project, I show you what celebrations were like the year I was born. But I can't find any photos of bbqs or fireworks from that day. So, did we just skip celebrating the Fourth that year?
  
   What I could find was a lot of photos of magazines. Apparently, it was the day to change out the magazine bins that Independence Day. I found covers from a variety of magazines such as the ones below:

America's First Family of 1977:
Lee Majors and Farrah Fawcett-Majors.

In 1977 Ted Turner was winning America's Cup trophies.
40 years later he's losing to President Donald Trump in a viral Wrestlemania vid.

There seemed to be quite a bit of sports that day. Wimbledon in London was taking place. There were also at least 2 races held during the Fourth. I wonder why they don't do races anymore on weekdays?

Actually, I think I have a pretty good idea why the celebrations for Fourth of July, 1977 were so low-key. We overdid it for our bi-centennial a year prior. 

Well, that's my look at 1977 for the day. Sorry it wasn't much more patriotic. When it comes to researching the past, you win some and you lose some. I just really expected to win with this Independence Day post.

Scene from July 4, 1976 celebrations.
We partied so hard that year, we kicked 1876's ass!
But the Independence hangover lasted until well in late 1977.

Until next time...

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 182

   It's time to go back to 1977. For today's look, I celebrate the 40th birthday of Liv Tyler. 

    Now you might think it's because I'm a fan or I think she's hot. But actually, there's a more sentimental reason I wanted to talk about this celebrity birthday. 

     Liv Tyler over the course of several films played the role of the elf Arwen in the Lord of the Rings movies. Her appearances happened around 2001-2005. 

     At this very same time, my wife and I suffered through several miscarriages. But we didn't name our children at first. It wasn't until 2004 when we both learned that naming your lost children helps with the healing process. Though my wife and I never got to see our babies, by God, we're parents and something about naming them helps make the grieving process real.
  

So you combine parents of rocker Steven Tyler and
model Bebe Buell and you get Liv Tyler.

     If I remember correctly, by this time, we had miscarriage #4- our son Theodred. We decided on his name because there's a scene in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers when Theoden, Theodred's father looks upon his grave says 'no parent should ever have to bury their own children.' Well, that phrase stuck with Jan and I and from almost that moment forward, child #4, that we were told was male, become Theodred or Theo for short.

     Now we just needed 3 more names. We knew that our third child was a girl but we weren't 100% sure about our 'twins.' Now, I being a geek wanted to name them Luke and Leia. Well, being a huge Carrie Fisher fan, and once having a crush on her, my wife vetoed it. But man did I want Star Wars names for my kids. And boy did I have great one in mind. Yet, I had to sell my wife on it.

     So after something brainstorming, I decided to be diplomatic: I named our daughter Arwen Michelle after both the LOTR character and my wife's middle name. Our first son I named Luke Allen after the celebrated Jedi Knight and Jan's grandfather. Now the doozy- son #2 would henceforth be known as Chewbacaa Mwor-wrowll-rowwll-rowll! And She Agreed!!! But I had to allow that we call him Chewie for short. (Note: Chewie's middle name is Wookiee for He Who Hunts Bounties.)

     So, that's the story of why Liv Tyler deserved to be highlighted for today's A Madman Turns 40 showcase. Just so you know, we have a fifth child, another (confirmed daughter, whom Jan named Jazzmin (and we call Jazzy) after my love of Jazz music. 

      Well, that's my look at 1977 for today. I'll be back again soon to examine another aspect of my favorite year. Until then... Happy Birthday, Liv!

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 173

   

     For today's look at 1977, we turn to the world of Disney. It was on this date that the animated film, The Rescuers was release in theatres. 

    This was Disney's 23rd animated feature. Based on the works by British author, Margery Sharp, the film was a sleeper hit. The Rescuers features the voices of Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor as agents of the Rescue Aid Society- a sort of UN peacekeeping force made of mice. It's Miss Bianca and Bernard's mission to save an orphan girl named Penny from an evil pawn broker searching for a rare gem.

Kidnapped Penny tries to find the Devil's Diamond.

     I remember seeing this movie sometime in the 80s when it was re-released in movie theatres. I may have saw it in 1983 when it was released along with Mickey's Christmas Carol. But I am pretty sure I saw it during a summer or winter movie program. 

An example of a Summer Movie Program.
Sometimes, the movie is free but the snacks aren't.

     For those of you not familiar with this concept, during summer and winter breaks, movie theatres would have a sort of weekly summer camp where you see 2 older movies rated for kids during the day. Generally, for the price of 1 ticket, you saw 2 movies, a couple of cartoons and maybe got a drink and popcorn. Typically a parent would take you or you'd go with a school or church group. On your day there you might see Young Sherlock Holmes followed by the Great Mouse Detective as I did once in the late 80s.

       I really like the Rescuers. But I think the sequel, Rescuers Down Under is probably my family's favorite. It's a little more less gloomy than the first Rescuers film. Plus the lizard sidekick in it is really funny. Incidentally, the Rescuers is the first animated Disney film to have a sequel.

Yes, the urban legend is true.
During this scene. a topless woman appears in a window twice.
No, I'm not going to show you that image.

       Well, that's my look at my birth year for today. I hope you've enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Until next time, you may now turn your cell phones back on.