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The Big Screen Rides Again!
11 Plays1 month ago
We're back! Josh and Tyler ride the memory train through some of the movies that made us laugh and some that didn't. Did The Apple Dumpling Gang make the cut or was it Disney's That Darn Cat that stole our hearts and ran off with them in its spaceship. You'll have to listen to find out. Don't forget to check us out on Instagram at genx4life_podcast and share your favourite Gen X movie memory.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Theme
00:00:00
Speaker
But you always sound so calm and and cool and collected. so Because i don't have to do anything.
00:00:07
Speaker
Welcome to Yabba Zonker Zoinks, the Saturday morning podcast where your host, Josh Downing, that's me, will yap with guests about their awesome Gen X childhood. You know, in front of the TV, in pajamas, eating bowls of crunchy sugar.
00:00:22
Speaker
I'm a Gen Xer, toy collector, theater creator, well, and now I'm a podcast host with a series on pop culture stuff from the 70s and 80s, like cartoons and toys and TV shows. So if you remember the Jetsons or ah H.R. Puffin stuff or even...
00:00:36
Speaker
the Groovy Ghoulies, while you're on the right channel.
Co-host Introduction and Technical Glitches
00:00:38
Speaker
So put on your fluffy slippers and your cowboy pajamas and join us on a Saturday morning ride through our childhood. So my name is Josh. I'm your host and I'm here with my best buddy, Tyler. Hello, everyone.
00:00:52
Speaker
ah We'd love to just yap and talk. We were talking earlier today, live in person. Yes, that still happens. Yeah, and totally. We're having this great chat and I'm like, wait, no, stop.
00:01:06
Speaker
You're giving away good material. We've got to hold that. That was really funny because it was totally true. So I got to start just carrying around like an old tape recorder and just record everything. Did you ever mention the the first episode you made where we were chatting for like 20 minutes?
00:01:22
Speaker
And it was like, quote unquote gold. And then you're like, okay, so I forgot to hit the record button. I hate that one. Let's fake it again.
Childhood Movie Experiences
00:01:31
Speaker
funny i got some feedback and, uh, uh, the feedback was that I sounded really, uh, tense and I'm like, well, yeah, I had just deleted 20 amazing first minutes of a podcast.
00:01:45
Speaker
Yeah. That was too bad. Like, and I'm only joking, but it was, you know, it's funny, but it's unfortunate. You know, but that's the kind of mistake you make at the beginning and you just never make it again. Well, hopefully not. But apparently. Never again. no, no.
00:01:58
Speaker
So, you know, today we're going to talk about um kids movies. that Those movies we watched, not necessarily on Saturday morning, but maybe Saturday afternoon or Saturday evening or, you know, some other time when our parents shuffled us off to an actual movie theater.
00:02:13
Speaker
um In my case, we were just kind of left alone. I don't think my parents ever watched any of these movies with us. No, because i think I remember my dad taking me to Robin Hood and Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown.
00:02:29
Speaker
But for the most part, you could just dump your kids at the movies, you know, and then just hopefully come and get them later. yeah That was us. We were dumped at the movies. Yeah.
00:02:39
Speaker
Not a bad thing, but you know, it it was one of those memories where I just remember being, yeah, we'll, we'll be good. And I was the older brother. So, you know, I held my sister's hands and made sure that we all got out of the movie theater safely.
00:02:51
Speaker
Very good. Yeah. Today your parents would be arrested. yeah Totally arrested. ah so, so Tyler, what is your first movie memory?
00:03:03
Speaker
that remember seeing, like maybe maybe theater, i i like the movie theater movie. Okay, so I was going to say, gosh, I don't know, but I do know it was the sequel to Love Bug.
00:03:14
Speaker
It must have been Herbie Rides Again. Oh, that's cool. My dad took me to that, and I'm quickly trying to think of what theater it was. like Of course, I'm like, what, three? But I feel like it was Don Mills. I don't know why, but it probably was.
00:03:28
Speaker
um And that is my first memory. And... like as a family, we went to the movies a lot. My parents went to the movies a lot and me and my dad I think went to the movies, not all the time, but often.
00:03:44
Speaker
um And it's, you know, as we all sat there in the cigarette smoke and, you know, we always waited till the credits were over. You know what i mean? and I would just sit there looking at all those names and all those positions and jobs and thinking like, wow, look at all the work that goes into that, you know, and that just stuck for life, you know, and of course all that stuff is interesting.
00:04:05
Speaker
um and i i'm pretty sure that's the first time i went to the movies what about you i'm I'm thinking that my first movie memory was seeing Snow White in the theater.
00:04:18
Speaker
Makes sense. So just to confirm, i I did some research to kind of find out, like, when did Snow White get a re-release in the theaters? Oh, so it wasn't the first time? Sorry. yeah No, I honestly was not around in 1937. Feels like it sometimes, though.
00:04:33
Speaker
feels like it own time though Yeah, totally. We're almost at now. Almost there. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The other 37. Yeah. Yeah. So I, I'm pretty sure it was Snow White because I remember I was a little scared.
00:04:48
Speaker
I would have been in 1975. It's movie. Which is about right. So I was also scared in 1975 because the slightly scared me. But anyway. There was lots of things to be scared of, for sure.
00:04:58
Speaker
i'm pretty sure we saw it in a movie theater in New Westminster.
Artistic and Cultural Impact of Classic Films
00:05:03
Speaker
um So if you don't remember, I'm from the West Coast, so I would have been ah growing up in Surrey, BC. But New Westminster was the closest movie theater to us.
00:05:14
Speaker
And it was down on Columbia Street. And i we always went there. like it was just That's where we went to see movies. So is that where it was just single theater?
00:05:27
Speaker
Yes, there there was no such thing as multiplexes back then. We used to have to drive by the theater and then look at those you know those little tiny little white letters where people make signs from to see what was playing and at what time. oh that yeah, that's right. And then speed up again and then stop and slow at the next theater. You know, the Grand, the Strand. Yes. All those names, right? Anyway, I'm sorry.
00:05:49
Speaker
Yeah, I think there was there was two movie theaters. I think one of them was called The Paramount. I think that's the one we saw most of our films at. Cool. and it was one of the it they had the big marquee up front. Of course, there was only one movie, so it would be like 345, 730, 930.
00:06:00
Speaker
like, oh, okay, well, guess we're going the 730, 731. Yeah. Bring your smokes. Totally. Totally.
00:06:08
Speaker
seven thirty one yeah bring your smokes ah totally Yeah. So, and it was Snow White and i was a little scared. Snow White's a very good movie. Like I get why it inspired, well, not just Japan, but you know, it inspired the world. It is beautiful and it is dark and it is scary and it's so well done And it's amazing to think how they pulled it off and how, you know, everyone thought, well, are you making a cartoon like that's, you know, 90 minutes long?
00:06:42
Speaker
Are you crazy? You know, and then it was like one of the biggest moneymakers ever for Disney, you know? Yeah, yeah, it really was really crazy. I read a really interesting thing today, too, that the art direction team actually took inspiration from some really scary other films that had already taken place.
00:07:01
Speaker
One of them being Nosferatu. Oh, that's fascinating. Right? You think about all those sort of spooky shadows and everything, like when the witch is walking through the forest. Wow. So, yeah, ah they they they did an amazing job of that.
00:07:13
Speaker
Well, there would only be so much inspiration at that time. You know, that's really cool. Yeah. Not a lot to pick from. So they, they went after what was, you know, really popular and did, uh, did a great job of that spookiness for sure.
00:07:27
Speaker
So it's that or Metropolis or Laurel and Hardy. Yeah. Those are the other movies. And Betty boobs. ah Totally. Oh, but what about the cartoons that would play before the movies? That was always awesome.
00:07:39
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I don't i don't remember that part. but As a kid, I never understood that because I was always dragged to all these adult films that didn't sound good that you know were probably not ideal you know to be taking your child to. Yes. I never understood why we'd get Pink Panther cartoons before.
00:07:56
Speaker
before like Kramer versus Kramer. Yeah. It was just little strange to me or Woody Woodpecker before Norma Ray, you know, i'm like, what? But I enjoyed it. That was to entertain the kids.
00:08:07
Speaker
So then they could fall asleep in the chair. I guess. And then mom and dad could enjoy the rest of the film smoking. Yes, with that um you know that cool a jungle lion that would go across the screen.
00:08:19
Speaker
Okay, so I never saw that. it's so Is it a panther? Yeah, it's a panther. Okay, so when maybe this is in other cities too, but I never saw that what do you call that, movie rating?
00:08:32
Speaker
but Yeah. guess it's it is Until I lived in Vancouver for a year, and here comes this black panther from one side of the screen to the other to tell me what age-appropriate movie this is, I'm like, what am I looking at?
00:08:44
Speaker
Which is actually pretty cool, but we never had that here. Oh, that's so weird. i think the Panther meant that it was restricted. Oh, well, I did see a lot of restricted movies in Vancouver. Yeah. So that makes sense.
00:08:55
Speaker
And you guys had all those awesome, what you call it? Second run theaters. Yes. You know, oh that was the best. Because if you were just too busy to get to something, you could still see it on the big screen two weeks later.
00:09:08
Speaker
Yeah. Those theaters were awesome. I remember at one point, too, we had all those $3 movie theaters. Yeah. It was just $3. Then they were like, you know, the movie had already been out for six months, but now you can go see it for $3. Yeah.
00:09:23
Speaker
yeah And there'd be times we would just go and sit and watch like three movies in a row just because it was so cheap. Mm hmm. And, you know, they they weren't dive theaters by any means. They were just theaters. Yeah.
00:09:34
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, totally. but So that land is too valuable. Anyway, no, exactly. And the the movie theaters are smaller than my TV. Yeah. So do you do you have a favorite movie as a kid?
00:09:46
Speaker
Well, we're talking kids movies, i had to think about it um because my favorite movie all time really isn't a family movie. So I think it would have to be Mad Monster Party. and and That's awesome.
00:09:58
Speaker
Even though it's not ah Halloween movie, for me, it's cataloged in Halloween. yeah But that really is probably my favorite kids movie of all time.
00:10:10
Speaker
um There's a few others I'll just quickly run through. Like the Batman movie, you know, from 66. Yes. The first season of you know i guess you you could call it a family movie.
00:10:25
Speaker
um Bugsy Malone. i was bonkers for Bugsy Malone. um Escape to Witch Mountain. Yeah, that's on my list. The Man Called Flintstone.
00:10:37
Speaker
ah Gay Parade. you know that movie? Yes, I do. That came out on Blu-ray and is beautiful. and One of the movies my dad took me to was North Avenue Irregulars. Did you ever see that?
00:10:48
Speaker
i You know what? I want to say I did. Okay, so I have to watch that movie every summer without fail. And it makes me laugh. And, you know, it's just one of those Disney family movies that I love. And I don't know if I have the guts to share it with anybody.
00:11:05
Speaker
But if you know, you know. um Like Parent Trap.
Disney and Childhood Favorites
00:11:09
Speaker
Yes. Parent Tribe is just, it's loved. It's gold. It's gold. And I love how it's like five different movies. You know, was only one, right? anyway with them It's like five different movies happening within that one. So great.
00:11:27
Speaker
And you know, the Thunderbirds movies. Yes. I've gushed about Sleeping Beauty. You know, there's the Puffin Stuff movie. Yeah. That's on my list. And then there's those ones like Phantom Tollbooth.
00:11:40
Speaker
Oh, also on my list. And, you know, like the, what is it? The 5,000 Fingers of Doctor, you know the movie? Yeah. There really actually aren't great movies, but they're kids' movies that were always around that are decent. you know And it's funny because when you said we were talking about movies, I first thought, oh we're just talking about movies in general. and then when said kids' movies, I'm like, kids' movies? I'm like, oh my gosh, do I know any? And it's like, well, they only own 100. Exactly.
00:12:09
Speaker
yeah but And it's amazing how many there are. And it's yeah amazing how many were Disney. And then I was thinking, like, I wonder, like, when did kids movies become profitable or when weren't they just Disney? Not that all of these that I just rhymed off were Disney, but you know what i mean? I have to assume they cornered that market long before another studio put something out for kids or family.
00:12:34
Speaker
that's That's what it looks like, especially when they when they really tackled the animated movies. Sure. right Like, I don't know. Well, it doesn't matter. was don't know the first featured animated film that wasn't Disney. I probably do. It doesn't matter.
00:12:49
Speaker
Yeah. That's a good one to look up. I'm hogging up all the air here. No, not at all. That's a great list. Is it shitty bang bang? have to ask. No, no. Is it the Aristocats? oppos It's the Aristocats. Oh, definitely Aristocats. Yeah. For sure.
00:13:02
Speaker
i would have I would have seen that in 1970, so I was still really young. um It was a Christmas movie. I didn't realize that. it came out in December. It's like 24th.
00:13:14
Speaker
Does it feature Christmas or it was just released? No, it was just released at Christmas. um That movie just imprinted itself in my brain. I remember sitting in the theater and I remember just when all those amazing cats,
00:13:30
Speaker
And especially the the jazz scene when the the band was playing and everybody was turning different colors. Yes, it's the colors. The music was so insane. I'm just like, this is the best thing my little brain has ever seen.
00:13:45
Speaker
Still a kitten yourself when you saw Oh my God, I was such a little kitten. But yeah, it was just amazing. right Colors and music, but for me, the colors, you know, first thing I think of. Yeah, it was ah it was amazing. it was an amazing film, and i it stuck in my head.
00:14:00
Speaker
And of course, i don't know how it happened, but i ended up with the soundtrack, and we talked about soundtracks just recently. That's one of the soundtracks that I ended up with, and probably probably the most played soundtrack that I ever had as a kid, because i just remember being in my room, I'd be in my pajamas, I'd put the record on, and I would sing every song.
00:14:23
Speaker
both sides is it is the cast zsa or is it ava uh that's a good question actually don't know it's it's ava is it i got yeah i've got it here in my notes yeah for sure just curious like budget wise i wondered who it was Yeah. And you know, it's funny too, they they were originally going to have Louis Armstrong do the the voice of the the jazz leader and he he wasn't able to do the role. So that that's how they ended up getting Scatman Crothers. Wow.
00:14:57
Speaker
And then he, of course, put on that sort of Louis Armstrong kind of voice. Oh yeah, he's fine for that, right? Yeah, it worked so well. like it it just That was just one of the best character voice work I kind of recognized when I was a kid.
00:15:11
Speaker
When my mom worked at Air Canada, she got to talk to Louis Armstrong on the phone. Isn't that wild? Yeah. Yeah. That's insane. Yeah. That's so cool. Yeah.
00:15:21
Speaker
Yeah. You mentioned Phantom Tollbooth and I didn't see that one in the theater, so I didn't really know what had happened. I guess I saw that one later on a TV special.
00:15:33
Speaker
That's when I saw it on TV. Yeah. I stumbled across it. I was, I guess I was channel flicking cause that's what you did back then. You'd read the the TV guide And then when you got bored of reading the TV guide, you would just go click, click, click until you found something.
00:15:49
Speaker
i found the Phantom Tollbooth. And i'm like, what the heck is this? And I had read the book. I loved the book. It was one my favorite books. And I sat there just spellbound.
00:16:00
Speaker
I'm like, what is this? How did they make this movie? it was just insane. That mix of animation and and live action when you're a kid yeah it's for some reason just mind-blowing.
00:16:14
Speaker
Absolutely. I mean, that that's why I loved you know the the adventures of hu called Huck Finn. Yeah, yeah. Brilliant series. I love it. Yeah. So, yeah. So, Phantom Tollbooth, absolutely. Such an amazing.
00:16:28
Speaker
I think that's Butch Patrick. Produced Chuck Jones. Yes, and it's Butch Patrick, for sure. And it's very Chuck Jones, yeah. It's so Chuck Jones. And, of course, we love Chuck Jones. Yes. So I'm thinking for you, there's still Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and, of course, Willy Wonka.
00:16:44
Speaker
Am I right? Yeah. You know what? i didn't Willy Wonka didn't come up on my list. What? I was doing some searching today, so I totally forgot about it. I wanted also mention, yes, Puffin Stuff, because, of course, we watched the TV show. Yeah.
00:16:57
Speaker
And then to see a film was like, what? Yeah. Right? And it was that, once again, that magic of, you know, ah puppets and people and, you know, antics and it was a TV show, but now it's bigger. Yeah. And I don't know Puff and Stuff the movie was a bomb or not in the, in the way that, you know, how audiences didn't really understand why they were going to the movies and paying to watch TV, you know, like the Batman movie was a bust. The monkeys movie was a bust.
00:17:28
Speaker
I assume puffing stuff was a bust. You know, and I wonder when audiences finally clicked into this makes sense and we're going, you know, well, you know, because it didn't get 14 sequels.
00:17:43
Speaker
ah still puffing
00:17:47
Speaker
puffing puffing stuff that's right yeah exactly that's live bad you know what i did find out about that? What's that? It was financed by Universal Pictures and Kellogg's Serial.
00:18:00
Speaker
For a film? Because were the sponsor of the TV show. Oh. So they they pitched in and helped pay for this film. Huh. Well, I guess... Of course they did. Yeah. Yeah. Well, they would have deep pockets anyway, so...
00:18:12
Speaker
Yeah, because we were pounding back that cereal like there was no Saturday. Yeah, I'm surprised there were no Croft cereals. you know Yeah, why didn't that?
00:18:24
Speaker
Yeah, maybe they just didn't want to get into that. Licensing wasn't invented yet. Yeah, boo. Return from Witch Mountain. Also, and that there was the sequel to Escape to Witch Mountain.
00:18:38
Speaker
Not as good as the first one, but I didn't care. i loved it. It was like so cool to see Right. Yeah. like When you're a kid, it doesn't really matter, right? So Return has Betty Davis, right?
00:18:52
Speaker
Yes. Yeah. That's freaky. you know What about, did you ever see one of our dinosaurs is missing? No, that does not ring a bell. No, that was a Walt Disney movie that just has never come out on physical media. Maybe it's on Disney Plus. I don't know.
00:19:06
Speaker
But that was another film that my dad took me to, and I really enjoyed it. Yeah. Yeah. the The other one that came out, too, in the early 70s was Charlotte's Web. i heard a trivia question last week on the radio about what was the last thing that she writes in the web at the end of the movie and i'm making all these guesses and i was totally wrong about all of it what was it i was gonna say you're thinking i'm gonna tell you now right i don't remember yes it was just wasn't what i thought i thought was gonna say something like
00:19:40
Speaker
And now I can't even remember all my quote unquote smart answers, but it was just the strangest sort of, oh that's what it it is at the end. So oh i didn't post kids because I don't remember what it was, but and wasn't like so long or I love you or farewell or whatever. It was something strange.
00:19:59
Speaker
Yeah. It's so bizarre. Yeah. you can remember and I actually wrote a book report on that when I was taking a writing course, so I should know, but I don't remember. It was a while ago. The last thing she wrote was B plus.
00:20:10
Speaker
Exactly. That's it. B plus. that's Yeah, exactly. You get on the vacuum. What I found was really interesting was that it was, ah directed by the by, uh,
00:20:25
Speaker
and i'm not I'm going to screw up his name now. Iwayo Takamoto? Iwayo Takamoto, is it? Well, it's Hanna-Barbera, right? Yeah. That makes sense. Totally. So that's the, the I guess, the one of the designers for Scooby-Doo, one of the big Hanna-Barbera guys. Yeah, he he designed all all the quote-unquote adult style kid designs.
00:20:49
Speaker
um But Josh, more importantly, who did the soundtrack to Charlotte's Web?
00:20:55
Speaker
What do you mean who did the soundtrack? The Brady kids. No way. Yes. How come I don't remember that? I don't know. I'm going to lose some Gen X points right there.
00:21:08
Speaker
That's your family. Totally. Your chosen family. I have to go find my my Brady trivia book and haul that out. Is that the Brady trivia book that we bought in Vancouver? Yes. ok I still have it.
00:21:20
Speaker
Side story, folks. when When Josh and I met in Vancouver and we both i moved back to Toronto, he came with me to Toronto, and i had bought this Brady Bunch book at WH Smith, and We took turns driving back from Vancouver to Toronto in his car. And that is the book that was read for the whole journey.
00:21:44
Speaker
Kept us alive. oh my God. was so funny. Best book. Yes. yeah Brady trivia book. Good memories. i'll I'll put a picture of it up on on the Instagram site. Yeah, do it.
00:21:56
Speaker
Yeah. So the other cool thing, too, the story for the Charlotte's Web um film was done by Earl Hamner Jr.
Live-action Disney Films and Missed Opportunities
00:22:05
Speaker
Do you recognize that name? So is that the fellow who wrote the book?
00:22:10
Speaker
No, that is ah the guy that it created the Waltons. Oh, well, but that's very period, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it was really interesting. a lot of A lot of big names there. Debbie Reynolds was a voice. Paul Lynn was a voice.
00:22:26
Speaker
Oh, Paul Lynn was the rat. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Crazy. That was that was a film for me, too, that I loved because I loved the book. Anytime anybody could take a book and make a film, i was just, I was there. Well, and that was the seventy s right? Yeah.
00:22:42
Speaker
Yeah. You know, and then there would be the movie novella after that. And if you were really lucky, the photo novel. And then the, uh, the magic slate.
00:22:53
Speaker
Yeah. That was your take home prize. um So here's here's another one too that um i we're going to get to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, trust me, because that was one of my favorite films.
00:23:06
Speaker
But there was a couple other films too that I don't know if you remember these, but I loved these films. These were the ah the Saturday afternoon kind of films. My mom and dad left us at the theater. We watched the film and I could not get enough of this film.
00:23:22
Speaker
Apple Dumpling Gang. Oh, God. And the Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again. Yeah, the I never saw them. I'm afraid I can't handle Tim Conway.
00:23:34
Speaker
But I do have a soft spot for Don Nodds. Yes. So are they good? Like, are they fun movies? They are. so they're They're fun because it's it's Tim and Don doing the stuff that they do. Sure. It's physical comedy. It's screwball comedy. But it was...
00:23:53
Speaker
It was also timely too, because we, the Westerns were everything back then. There were so many Westerns. My dad just, you know, he had an endless stream of Western TV shows and and movies. Oh yeah. so it kind of worked because it was that Western setting. And it was also, you know, Little House in the Prairie time, which I also loved.
00:24:13
Speaker
So for me, the the movie was just so much laugh. Like there was just you know crazy wacky joke after crazy wacky joke. And it was just one of those movies that stuck in my head when I was a kid.
00:24:26
Speaker
Well, it was a success as far as I remember. like it Yeah, they were both they were both very successful films. Yeah. yeah and they were they were a lot of fun. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, i I probably didn't see in the theater.
00:24:40
Speaker
Like we used to get movies at school. Did you ever do that? Like where all the kids would go into the gym and they would play a movie? No, I don't think I had that. used to do that. That's how I saw Do you remember Oh, no way. And 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which worship. Oh, good.
00:24:56
Speaker
worship Um, and the Marlo Thomas free to be you and me. I loved that. So that it's cool. Yeah. Yeah. Um, anyway, and i don't know, we did it every now and then it was fun.
00:25:12
Speaker
No, that's ah that's cool. Anytime you don't have to do schoolwork and you get to go and watch a movie or sing. I loved choir class. They used to bring us into the gym to like sing Christmas carols, which was pretty cool.
00:25:25
Speaker
Oh, that's so awesome. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, so Chee-Chee-Chee-Bang-Bang would have been one I saw on TV. It made it even longer because there was probably like, you know, seven hours with all the commercials. But it was one of those films. Once again, it was a car and it was magic and it was Dick Van Dyke.
00:25:44
Speaker
And it took you away from your horrible life. Yeah, seriously. And candy and songs, like just a lot of amazing stuff in that film. Yeah, I bought the Blu-ray when it came out because I'm not really a fan, but i I do watch the movie. You know what I mean? And it's just amazing.
00:26:05
Speaker
You know, the movies that used to get made today, they just already know well we needed this and it has to have this and it's got to be set here and then we're going to this and then it goes out.
00:26:16
Speaker
Whereas back then you just made a film and hope people went to it. Yeah. You know, and if it was a success, it was like, hooray, you know, but I'm sure a movie like that probably did well all around the world.
00:26:28
Speaker
Yeah, probably. and a lot of times too, back then it was really focused on a book that had already been popular. Yeah. So that they were saying like, you know what, the book sold you know this many copies. So yeah, we know that we've probably got an audience.
00:26:42
Speaker
But when I was a little kid, what about the Gnome-mobile? Anyway, when I was a little kid, i wouldn't understand if like one of the kids for some reason had a British accent or, you know, or maybe the mom for some reason has a British accent, but nobody else does. like what's going on here?
00:26:56
Speaker
Are you talking about Bedknobs and Broomsticks? Okay, I've never seen that movie. What? Well, when I was in the Disney movie club, it was on my list, and then I just never got to it, and then the club went under. Oh, no.
00:27:11
Speaker
Because it was like, well, I'll get the Blu-ray, and then, no. So I've still never seen that movie. So that's not worth talking about. do you do you like it? I've never seen it. i You know, I didn't get to see until I was an adult either. Isn't that weird? It came out in 71, but it was one of those films that, I don't know, what maybe we just didn't hear about it, or my parents were like, yeah, we don't need to go see that.
00:27:31
Speaker
Angela Lansbury and Roddy McDowell. oh It was one of those. Hold the phone. I didn't know Roddy was in it. Yeah. Oh, no. I need the Blu-ray. i know, right? seriously. Is he like the main with her?
00:27:45
Speaker
no he's i think he's one of the animated characters. Oh, OK. Well, he's also a darn cat, boys and girls. Yes. And, you know, I'm uncomfortable watching it because he's just you can tell he doesn't want to be there. No. And I feel so bad.
00:28:02
Speaker
and actually, it's a pretty bad movie. but it's not It's not a great one. I i remember seeing that one and i it didn't really stick in my head. But yeah okay, you got to see Bedknobs because once again, it's one of those live action slash animation.
00:28:15
Speaker
Well, I only just saw Mary Poppins for the first time a few years ago. What? Yeah, because it doesn't really interest me. you know I like the Simpsons take on it. Of course. But you now I've seen it and I get it.
00:28:27
Speaker
you know I certainly appreciate it. I love the um Saving Mr. Banks movie. Yes, that was so good. Oh my gosh, that is an incredible movie. Yeah. um But yeah, so Mary Poppins, I've only seen once. Bedknobs, I've never seen.
00:28:43
Speaker
Are there any other that we're not talking about? I know we didn't talk about Robin Hood, let's say We didn't talk about Jungle Book. No. We didn't talk about Dumbo, Pinocchio, Peter Pan.
00:28:55
Speaker
Yeah, and Dumbo was one of my favorite movies as well. Yeah, it's great. It's great. That one really tugs. Yes. And, you know, I don't know if I ever saw Walt Disney's Cinderella. I remember seeing Cinderella on TV.
00:29:08
Speaker
Okay. For sure. ah Because it was one of those, ah yeah i think they played it over Christmas period. So it was a holiday movie. and Okay. And we saw it like every year over the holidays.
00:29:21
Speaker
So I remember seeing Cinderella and and it was pretty magical. I saw Bambi, but I didn't see Bambi until I was like 40. Yeah. Yeah. You know, it's funny how they, you just, if you miss it when you're a kid, you just don't see them.
00:29:33
Speaker
Yeah. And we didn't have the, yeah, we didn't have the social media connections to things either. Right. So that's true if you didn't see it, it was gone. like again it wouldn't show up again for 10 more years and maybe there'd be a re-release in the theater. Maybe it would run on like, you know, a television movie event kind of thing, or, you know, the Walt Disney hour,
00:29:54
Speaker
Yeah, it was really interesting how Disney put things back in theaters. They did a lot of times. That didn't really happen, you know, until the blockbusters kind of came along. Like Jaws would come back. Grease would come back. Saturday Night Fever would come back, you know.
00:30:09
Speaker
It's like, why not make that money? Yeah. They'd only be edited if they were on TV anyway, so. Well, it like like Snow White. It made all its money in its re-releases, really. Yeah. Right?
00:30:20
Speaker
And that's that's how it became so popular. Also 101 Dalmatians was another one. Oh, you see. I love that movie, but I didn't see it until I was an adult. Yeah. I didn't see the ones I was an i adult either. Yeah. And I love it. It's an amazing, it's amazing film.
00:30:36
Speaker
I wonder if like, sorry, I'm in. Yeah, go ahead. I wonder if it was like, they weren't on TV at a, or when they were on TV, we're not watching TV anymore. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like you're not home anymore. You're not seeing this stuff or it's for kids.
00:30:50
Speaker
You're not interested. It's funny how many we missed. Yeah. You know, I never saw until years later. Well, when I was looking through some of the the films and some of their histories and their re-release dates, some of those re-release dates didn't hit until the 80s.
00:31:06
Speaker
Oh, okay. So by that point, I wouldn't have been i wouldn't have been as interested. And it's like, oh, it's a kid's cartoon. Yeah, yeah. Like I never went to see Sword in the Stone and, you know, stuff like that. I just didn't care. Did we talk about Jungle Book?
00:31:19
Speaker
I saw a Jungle Book with my dad. No, that was one I didn't see when I was kid. Yeah, and i don't I've seen it a couple times and I still couldn't tell you whether it was any good. um i don't mean it like that. I just mean I literally don't recall if it's decent or not.
00:31:32
Speaker
I don't really like the style of that one, that sketchy art style. Yeah, I remember Shreddy's had the cereal toys. Yeah, for four years.
00:31:45
Speaker
Because I remember hanging all the cats off my cereal bowl. Yeah. They were having a swinging time. They were. oh you know what that means? ah To turn the page? ah Yeah, turn the page. Or wrap it up.
00:31:57
Speaker
No, wrap it We're going to wrap it up with just playing a, we're going to do a rate the movies ah kind of game. B plus. to We're going to, I'll give you a movie and then we're going to give it a rating, like a sort of a one to five.
00:32:10
Speaker
And then why did you give it that rating? but Funny thing is, you mentioned one of the films already and that's Sword in the Stone. Okay. um I never saw it until it came out on Blu-ray, um which is only a couple years ago.
00:32:28
Speaker
ah bought it because it comes with Disney's Trick or Treat. It's okay. It's a little dull. um it is dark, which is cool. like It's dark elements are cool. Oh, no way. I'm getting it confused.
00:32:44
Speaker
You know what? I'm confusing that with the Black Cauldron. yeah okay rewind sorry sword in the stone i sorry arthur ah have seen it don't remember a thing about it so i can't rate it how about you Well, I'd probably give it a three.
00:33:03
Speaker
um I remember enjoying the film, but not not loving the film. yeah it was The story of King Arthur was a very favorite story for me because i loved you know fantasy stories and stories of that sort of time period.
00:33:21
Speaker
So I was really excited about it, and I think I was a little bit disappointed. It didn't seem to be quite as ah engaging as I was hoping it was going to be.
Disneyland Memories
00:33:30
Speaker
I think the design is a little flat.
00:33:33
Speaker
You know, people talk about the scene, you know, the duel between him and her. and I'm like, it's kind of lazy to me. The design is a little lazy, you know? So, but I would watch it again, you know? yeah i just don't really have any memories of it.
00:33:51
Speaker
All right. So what what would you rate That Darn Cat? Oh, my. Okay. So I actually own that on DVD. Yeah. And you watch it every year. it was in the Disney movie club.
00:34:03
Speaker
it was I love to make fun of that movie. I love to reference that movie. i wish it was better because if it was better,
00:34:12
Speaker
um if it was funny, you know then it would be just a hilarious you know guilty pleasure. But it's not even that. like I'll probably never watch it again. But it has Roddy in it, so I don't dare get rid of it.
00:34:26
Speaker
I'd have to give it a one, and I feel horrible saying that, but i think that's only fair. um I never saw The Cat from Outer Space, which sometimes I just think is probably the same movie.
00:34:39
Speaker
No, I did see that movie. Yeah, I think we saw that movie at some point. Oh, because I can remember it running back to the ship. Okay, sorry, tangent. It had the glowing collar.
00:34:51
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Big big time special effects. yeah How about you? How would you rate that darn cat? So I'd probably give that darn cat about two. I think that when when you're making a movie like that, it's really tough because there's there's no CGI back then. they're making you know They're shooting stuff with real animals.
00:35:10
Speaker
Yeah. but they just you know They freeze the film. Yes, reverse forward, reverse forward. Yeah, and it's nice it's supposed to be nighttime, but it's just daytime with a filter.
00:35:20
Speaker
yes Who's in it? Is it Sandy Duncan? Who is it? you That might be right. um i don't remember. I don't think it's the lead. I don't think it's Sally Field. I don't remember...
00:35:32
Speaker
who is in that hmm i just remember rodney there's there's some homework for you listeners go find out who was in that darn cat yes we're not gonna bother but you can't we're not yeah we'll never go downstairs and look at the dvd but i'm not gonna do that okay next up chitty chitty bang bang okay uh if it Okay. Here's my honest answer. and be honest. If it, if it wasn't a musical, I would give it a higher number. Oh, really? i know. I know.
00:36:05
Speaker
Forgive me. um no, no, not at all. That's interesting. So why'd you say that? Uh, cause I just find, because it's more of a fantasy film. I find like, we don't, and sorry, this is only my opinion. know We don't need the music. Just keep the story going, you know?
00:36:20
Speaker
yeah, And there's little elements that kind of get under my skin, like the jailer, you know, doing his little bit when he's trying to lure the kids out. You know, a little bit of it gets under my skin.
00:36:32
Speaker
But when it comes to the car, it's so fantastic that, like, I would, I would, if I gave it less than a three, that would be cruel. So I'm giving it a three. Okay.
00:36:43
Speaker
That's fair. i would say I'm giving it a four and not a five because I think when I was a kid, it was hard to sit still for that long. I know. Cause I'm watching it and then it says like intermission. I'm like, we're not done.
00:36:57
Speaker
There's more effing songs. And it felt like, like two movies. There was the whole courtship, you know, and and the candy factory in the car and grandpa and all that was amazing fun. And then they get to that, you know, scary castle and it just felt like a completely different movie. Yeah. So now it's a movie with the the characters from Rankin Bass.
00:37:24
Speaker
Yeah. Right. There has to be a castle in every Rankin Bass, including Mad Monster Party. Exactly. So it just, it felt like a completely different movie. And I think that when I was a kid, I was like, oh God, is this movie over yet?
00:37:37
Speaker
Sorry. That's really funny because now I'm picturing Rankin and Bass and team sitting around a table brainstorming. It's like, okay, castle a check.
00:37:48
Speaker
Yeah. Now just give us a setting, a period, you know, and a woman with a well-endowed woman with big eyes. And tall red hair. Yeah, yeah. Bigger, bigger, higher. is Higher, taller, redder.
00:38:00
Speaker
Yeah, redder, yeah. Totally. Okay, last one. Swiss Family Robinson. Okay, I didn't bring that up or In Search of the Castaways because I'm not sure which is which. And then I'm like, Island at the Top of the World? I'm like, oh my god.
00:38:20
Speaker
I love that movie. How come I didn't have that on my list? oh So here's the thing. I just watched Island not that long ago because I have the DVD and that's as far as it went for physical media because I love the airship.
00:38:34
Speaker
Yeah. I need dirigible and I'm drooling, you know, and that really is the star of the movie and the movie itself is really not that great. So it's like, oh dear, you know, because you remember it as being something really awesome and it's like, oh, it's a little weak.
00:38:47
Speaker
but if you want to borrow it, you can certainly borrow it. Or maybe it's probably on Disney Plus, right? it It is on Disney Plus. Yeah, because I've got it saved. I think I started to watch it, and then I was i didn't for some reason.
00:38:58
Speaker
Well, because it's a little dull, and it takes a while to get going. made So, okay, I was going to say, what was the question? Okay, Switch Family Robinson. Which the one where the couple decides to stay on the island at the end?
00:39:17
Speaker
Oh. The kids are going to go back to England and mom and dad are going to stay. don't know. I don't know if that's the Castaways or if that's Swiss Family. It sounds like the Castaways because I don't think that's Swiss Family Robinson. Well, Swiss Family Robinson has the treehouse, right? Yes.
00:39:34
Speaker
I think it's that one. So if it's if it's that one, that one's pretty good. just yeah just Just that treehouse alone, you know, it's... it's It really is a ah pretty decent movie. I'm trying to remember who the girl is. Remember there's that girl that comes along that they find. don't even remember why she's there. Isn't she like a princess or something?
00:39:58
Speaker
Oh, you know what? It's time for a re-watch. It's time for a re-watch. And I could be thinking of the cat from Outer Space. Yeah, totally. Or the computer that wore tennis shoes. That darn island girl. Yeah, or... or Oh, I blew it.
00:40:15
Speaker
Oh, what's it called? Going Coconuts? Do you remember that movie? So many movies. This is all to avoid giving it a rating. um i would Because my mind is foggy, I'm giving Swiss Family a three. It certainly doesn't deserve less. And the Disneyland Swiss Family Robinson...
00:40:35
Speaker
tree house you know that you got to walk through 10 out 10 just for that and it's still there but now it's tarzan isn't that funny oh that's too bad well it's because nobody knows yeah yeah but it's like it's cool that it's still there and it's probably something else now Yeah, totally. So here's here's my story about this.
00:40:55
Speaker
So I loved the Swiss Family Robinson movie when I was a kid. Loved it. like this I loved that whole idea of being on an island, living in a treehouse. I'm like, this is just so cool.
00:41:08
Speaker
No vaccinations. No, nothing. No clean water. You eat coconut and coconut cream pie. Again, Mom? meat Wrong island. ah So i in terms of the movie, i I'd probably give it a three.
00:41:22
Speaker
It's not a perfect movie, but I think it was a good adventure movie. Oh, and you didn't believe you're on an island. like Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. and And I cared about the family and I wanted them to be okay and I didn't want anything bad to happen to them. So right I think it gave the three, but I didn't come away with a lot of sort of childhood memories on that.
00:41:42
Speaker
right so maybe it failed job you know they were like no you were supposed to cry for the rest of your life traumatize well yeah i think i think that um oh yeah the the memory part of this was i've been to disneyland twice so that's disneyland in california first time i was five years old um my one sister is a year and a little bit younger than me and then my other sister was just a baby and we went we drove from like vancouver down through the us to disneyland and then we stayed in california i have so many great memories of disneyland
00:42:26
Speaker
and So many great memories of of the things there. Even though i was really young, I still have really vivid memories of them. And some of them are are kind of reinforced by the the Super 8 film that my my dad shot while we were there.
00:42:39
Speaker
The treehouse was one of the things I was looking most forward to. It was under maintenance when we were there. So it was not open because we went kind of off season. We went in, yeah I want to say we went early May.
00:42:54
Speaker
So it wasn't, it was like nobody was at a school yet. So Disneyland was really quiet and a lot of rides were still, you know, being cleaned up and reset for the season. yeah And I was so crushed, like so crushed. I'm like, but it's right there. Right. Exactly. In it.
00:43:12
Speaker
That was, a second sorry, and go ahead forgive me. I was going to say that was always the case with me and 20,000 leagues under the city, always under construction. I'm like, come on We traveled how far?
00:43:25
Speaker
That I got to go on both times. So that was ah awesome. The second time I went to Disneyland, I was 15, and Once again, we drove down. We never flew anywhere. Like that's just not a thing we did. Yeah. You're lucky being on the West Coast.
00:43:41
Speaker
Yeah. So we just drove to Disneyland. I got to see a lot of things that I didn't get to see when I was a kid. I did get to go through the tree house. Good.
00:43:52
Speaker
And it was so awesome. were because you were 15.
00:43:57
Speaker
Yeah, so it was a bit of a hazard. But no, it was it was totally worth it. So I did get that childhood dream finally realized. Yeah, because they do a great job. Yeah. know And it's a bit of a trek. You know what i mean? like You were up in that tree, and it's all that running water and...
00:44:14
Speaker
you know, all the, all the gadgets and, you know, all the rooms and, you know, it's a really cool, um I don't know, I guess it's not a ride, is it? No, it's an experience, you know? Yeah.
00:44:27
Speaker
It's really amazing. Totally, totally cool.
Podcast Conclusion and Audience Engagement
00:44:30
Speaker
It totally is cool. Um, Okay. So I'm going to wrap it up there today. Thank you so much, Tyler. This this is awesome. This a great memory trip. There was a couple of things that I had on my list, Mad Monster Party, because of course, like that's just an amazing classic and who doesn't want to watch something that has Phyllis Diller in it?
00:44:47
Speaker
Now that's a musical. If I got to sit through a musical. Right. that's It's right there. Yes. Yes. Yes. yes The other thing that I wanted to bring up and we're going to we're going do an episode on this because this was such a big part of my my Saturday and my movie childhood.
00:45:04
Speaker
um was the Japanese films that we didn't know they were Japanese when we were kids. mean like the Toho movies? Yeah. And The World of Hans Christian Andersen was one of those.
00:45:15
Speaker
Oh, you're talking the animated scary stuff. Yes. So we're going to come back and talk more about that because... That was such a huge impact on me. Like when I saw the little mermaid nightmares, the Japanese, it was, ah it was terrifying. Yes, it was so terrifying.
00:45:34
Speaker
And people don't realize that when, when I watched, you know, the, the Disney one, I'm like, no, no, no. Oh my gosh. Yeah. That's terrifying for other reasons. Yeah. So we'll come back and talk about that because there's some really cool stuff because I was really excited um to realize because I haven't really gone back and and watched any of the the old Japanese movies in a long time.
00:45:58
Speaker
But the Hans Christian Andersen movie that came out in the late 60s, which I would have seen in the 70s, had a voice artist in it that was very well known to me later on. And she was Canadian. Her name was Corrine Orr.
00:46:15
Speaker
She was the voice of Marine Boy, and it is my ultimate cartoon hero, and Speed Racer. Oh.
00:46:25
Speaker
So ah she i don't she wasn't speed i don't know if she wasn't Speed Racer, but she played, I think she was Trixie. Yeah. Yeah, but she did amazing voice work. She was also in Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Star Blazers, Reading Rainbow, Samurai Jack.
00:46:41
Speaker
Oh, my gosh. Of course, that's her in Star Blazers. Yeah. it's that It's that, you know, a voice only the dogs can hear. You know, all that. Oh, oh, oh. You know, my dog is looking at me right now. That's hilarious. Did you hear that, sweetie? She's like, i only I could hear that.
00:46:59
Speaker
Yeah.
00:47:02
Speaker
But yeah, we'll we'll come back and talk more about that in another episode because that's that's a lot of my childhood. And I know you've got some influences in there too. so This is true. And that that that yeah I have a story about that little mermaid, but we'll save that.
00:47:16
Speaker
Awesome. Well, you know what, listeners? Thank you so much. We could talk here for hours and hours. I think we almost did. But we want you to come back. So subscribe, check us out on Instagram, check us out on Facebook.
00:47:30
Speaker
um It is GenX for Life underscore podcast. um Want to hear your thoughts. What are your favorite movies? What was your favorite TV show? What were the kind of things that you remembered as you were growing up?
00:47:43
Speaker
if you're a Gen X. And even if you're not, we just want to hear from you. So thank you so much. We'll see you again next Saturday morning and have a yabba dabba dabba dabba. Oh my God, I blew that one right. Have a yabba zonker zoinks.
00:47:57
Speaker
Awesome weekend. You've been listening to Yabba Zonker Zoinks, a Gen X for Life podcast. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any exciting episodes. You can reach out on Instagram at GenX4LifePodcast. That's GenX4Life underscore podcast.
00:48:14
Speaker
Or send an email at GenX4LifePodcast, all one word, at gmail.com. I'd love to hear about your favorite Gen X Saturday morning memory, maybe a favorite toy or the cereal you just couldn't wait to tear into.
00:48:27
Speaker
Until then, have a Yabba Zonker Zonk's Day, and I'll be back bright and early next Saturday morning.