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Things people should know

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Quantum

15:45 / 15.09.05

So I'm sitting next to a 19 year old friend at work and it turns out she hasn't heard of Labyrinth. Not just hasn't SEEN it, but has never heard of it, no idea it existed.

Further investigation unearthed (and I swear this is true) she had also NEVER HEARD OF
Alien(s),
Dark Crystal,
Gremlins (or 2),
the Goonies...

I almost died. EVERYONESHOULD KNOW GREMLINS! I thought.

What do you think everyone should know?

Less searchable M0rd4nt

15:56 / 15.09.05

I'm quivering with indignation at the mere thought of a blameless young person being raised in ignorance not merely of The Dark Crystal, but also of The Labyrinth. That's sick and wrong.

Aaanyway. My vote would be for the Heroes of Might and Magic series of computer games, although I do tend to feel that they've never recaptured the sheer joy of Heroes II.

ONLY NICE THINGS

15:57 / 15.09.05

That they are treading on my last surviving nerve.

Supaglue

16:07 / 15.09.05

Likewise, Quant:

Had a friend who hadn't seen Star Wars. And. This. Was. Last. Year. Aged 28. Incredible.

I also had a friend who thought spiders ate dust. I mean, you've gotta know that they're the Vampire Lestats of the creepy crawly world.

I should change my mates.

sleazenation

16:28 / 15.09.05

So, what does Goeff Jones look like - can we have a pic?

mondo a-go-go

16:36 / 15.09.05

That this weekend is both London Open House and The Thames Festival.

Mourne Kransky

17:10 / 15.09.05

I'm quivering with indignation at the mere thought of a blameless young person being raised in ignorance not merely of The Dark Crystal, but also of The Labyrinth. That's sick and wrong

Indeed. I'm surprised Social Services didn't intervene. Not everyone is raised with our advantages, MC. I first realised this sad fact of life when someone at primary school told me they had never seen Champion: The Wonder Horse. And that had no Skeksis nor a Goblin King.

Age is a factor though. Perhaps this young woman had led a short and sheltered life? In that case, think of her pleasure in discovering a sure fire treat. Bit like me disbelieving Ganesh when he said he'd never seen It's a Wonderful Life. I think his subsequent pleasure was immense when we went to the Cameo for a screening of the new print. Cinema full of people sobbing is a wonderful thing.

Sekhmet

18:23 / 15.09.05

Well... scary as that is, she is 19. Ask her if she's ever seen a rotary phone or a record player.

I just saw It's A Wonderful Life for the first time last Christmas. I'm 30. My husband was appalled.

I've also never seen Gremlins, Jaws, The Exorcist, Casablanca, or any of the Godfather movies. I have no idea how I've avoided them all for so long. I just saw Goonies two years ago. Really the wrong demographic at this point.

■

18:40 / 15.09.05

Let the music play, worries for another daaaay, let the Fraggles play, down at Fraggle Rock!

I think.

The Charleston? Hmm, I could probably fake a good one, and I could do the crossy-knees thing as a very young child, so I think I'm excused.

ps. I was about to ask if you could imagine never having watched Tomorrow's World and that it must be a reality for a lot of kids coming of age these days. But I just checked... Did you realise it stumbled on until 2003? I'm sure I can't remember seeing it after 1990 or so. Was it a regional thing that it wasn't shown in Scotland or something?

Quantum

18:47 / 15.09.05

Luckily the young lady in question has a three day weekend coming up, and several excellent movies to look forward to. I envy her. Imagine watching Dark Crystal, then Labyrinth, then Gremlins, then Goonies, all for the first time! In a row! *joy!*

Anyway, this thread should probably die now, I just had to express my outrage that she'd never heard of them at all. (she also didn't know what an inch was, or that 12 of them were a foot, weird)

modern maenad

18:55 / 15.09.05

Geeeez, give the girl a break - so what?!! Times change, cultural imperatives shift, people watch/do different stuff.

Had a friend who hadn't seen Star Wars. And. This. Was. Last. Year. Aged 28. Incredible

I'm 33 and have never, ever, ever watched Star Wars

shoot me now!!

■

19:02 / 15.09.05

shoot me now!!

Ok, kid, let's blow this thing and go home!

Essential Dazzler

20:25 / 15.09.05

I say we dust off and nuke maenad from orbit

■

20:32 / 15.09.05

Problem is that George would make sure she shot first in the DVD version of this thread.

Shrug

20:32 / 15.09.05

Maenad should know how lucky she is.

■

20:37 / 15.09.05

(she also didn't know what an inch was, or that 12 of them were a foot, weird)

But I'm pretty sure if you'd shown her how long six inches were she'd have corrected you upward by an inch or two.

Mistoffelees

20:48 / 15.09.05

I never got the Fraggles, seemed phony, as if the viewers were subversevely to be tricked into learning something important.

No no, Beaker and Gonzo, Statler and Waldorf were the true heroes! And later on, the Feebles. Thank you, Peter Jackson.

Goodness Gracious Meme

00:12 / 16.09.05

Geeeez, give the girl a break - so what?!! Times change, cultural imperatives shift, people watch/do different stuff.

Yeah, what ze said.

Every age/subculture/sphere of life has those 'must see' events.

for eg: What, you haven't seen Bob Flanagan, Sheree Rose and Kirby Dick's Sick: life and death of a supermasochist? Where have you beeeeen?

Sax

06:52 / 16.09.05

I have seen Labyrinth, but I wish I hadn't.

Triplets

07:50 / 16.09.05

Who the hell is Champion, and why is he a wondorous horse?

I shocked my work colleagues the other day when I revealed - apparently with all the candour of Michael Jackson discussing his bedroom antics - that I had never seen "Bagpuss". Nor do I, in fact, want to.

Transformers, Thundercats and Centurions. That's. all. you. need. Ho!

Triplets

07:51 / 16.09.05

Also: I do rock a mean Fraggle Rock tune.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

07:58 / 16.09.05

Like a streak of lightnin' flashing 'cross the sky
Like the swiftest arrow whizzing from a bow
Like a mighty cannonball he seems to fly
You'll hear about him everywhere you go
The time will come when everyone will know
The name of... Champion the wonder horse!

Champion the wonder horse!

Sax

07:59 / 16.09.05

I always thought Rebel was a bit shunted to the side, you know. That dog did some bloody clever stuff, and all the time he was overshadowed by that bloody horse.

Triplets

08:07 / 16.09.05

I'll see your horse and raise you a cranial canine:

There's a voice that keeps on calling me
Down the road, that's where I'll always be.
Every stop I make, I make a new friend,
Can't stay for long, just turn around and I'm gone again

All kids should watch that show.

RadJose

10:35 / 16.09.05

Ug, don't have her watch Goonies, she won't get it. Trust me. If you wern't a kid in the 80s and saw it when it came out, you think all yr friends are idiots for going on about it. Really. My brother and i separatly saw it, at arround age 21 for us each. It's not great if you don't have the eyes you saw it w/ as a child. It's just too much to get past.

Quantum

13:49 / 16.09.05

Geeeez, give the girl a break - so what?

Whoa there pickle- I'm not judging her, she's a friend of mine (so get off my back) and I didn't give her a useless 'break', I gave her ALIEN and ALIENS to watch, LABYRINTH and DARK CRYSTAL, all of which she'll love. And my conversation will suddenly make more sense, and she'll enjoy SPACED even more- she's already a fan.

Now when I say 'We got 'em demoralised!' or 'SMELLS BAAD!' she'll have a clue what I'm going on about.

Quantum

13:51 / 16.09.05

...and if she returns the favour and recommends a load of good stuff I haven't heard of, so much the better. I am old and out of touch.

doozy floop

17:21 / 16.09.05

I loved Fraggle Rock, but it scared me verily. Was there not some old crone made out of refuse that blocked the little fraggley things when they sought the freedom of aboveground?

I love the Labyrinth, but it continues to scare me. Something to do with David Bowie in tights, apparently.

Aertho

17:33 / 16.09.05

Fraggle Rock

What was the name of the Trash Heap and her minions?

I forget.

Tryphena Absent

17:38 / 16.09.05

But RadJose, down here it's our time, it's our time down here.

paranoidwriter waves hello

17:38 / 16.09.05

for eg: What, you haven't seen Bob Flanagan, Sheree Rose and Kirby Dick's Sick: life and death of a supermasochist? Where have you beeeeen?

Cheers, GGM! I saw a brilliant bio-documentary about Bob Flanagan a few years back, but I was wrecked at a friend's house at the time and I forgot Mr Flanagan's name. It's been one of those "things I must remember to find out one day" ever since -- the reason being that I was really struck by one of his poems in which he artfully listed all the many reasons why he was a "supermasochist", and I wanted to get hold of a copy. Many thanks.

paranoidwriter waves hello

17:47 / 16.09.05

(*pw blushes with shame*)

Erm... Come to think of it, that's probably the same documentary you were typing about, right?... Soz...

Quantum

18:37 / 16.09.05

Fraggle Rock
What was the name of the Trash Heap and her minions?
I forget.

Two things- 1) go to the Film TV and Theatre Forum and check out the I remember that! thread
2) the trash heap was called Marjorie and her minions Philo and Gunge

fuckbaked

09:08 / 17.09.05

"Ask her if she's ever seen a rotary phone or a record player."

I'm 23, and I had a rotary phone until a couple of years ago. I had stickers over all the numbers, so it confused people who weren't familiar with rotary phones. hehehheh.

I also have a record player.

I also don't think I've seen any of the movies mentioned in this thread. I just don't see movies very often.

Is it possible to die from eating to much salt? That's something else that I don't know.

Quantum

09:19 / 17.09.05

Is it possible to die from eating to much salt?

I think you'd be sick first, it would take a lot of salt. But in theory..

I'm only 30 but I know about Molesworth and Champion the Wonder Horse and Andy Pandy and Z-Cars ect ect. In fact I was looking for my copy of 'Back in the Jug Agane' the other day and couldn't find it chiz chiz*. Cultural literacy demands you investigate the interests of your forebears, it's like reading Shakespeare- if you don't you don't realise when something is being referenced, the meaning is impoverished.

*A CHIZ is a cheat or a swindle as any fule kno

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