Oldie = Goodie

I think I finally realize why Greg likes me: I'm from before 1980. Okay, his love of old things doesn't really carry over into the subject of humans. Okay again, it's mostly just movies, TV shows, music and comic books. But maybe just knowing that I was around when many of those things came to be carries some weight with him...

I've never made a big secret of the fact that I generally prefer shallow movies to deep. Well, I suppose I mean that I prefer comedy to drama. Oh, it's okay if they want to throw a message in there (as long as it's one I agree with and it's not done in a in-my-face or cheesy way--Hollywood isn't generally where I like to turn for morals/guidance); but mostly, just make me laugh, please. Greg likes comedies as well and is even willing to watch the romantic variety with me now and again. He also really likes science fiction, and I'm willing to watch those with HIM now and again (especially if they're sci-fi comedies).

But mostly, Greg likes old movies. When we first moved to Poland it seemed like every week there was ANOTHER of Greg's favorite TV series from the old days re-running. There are countless mini-series, and regular series from the 60's and 70's (I sure lost count a long time ago), most of them in black and white, that he has watched and fallen in love with again (about Polish/German spies during WWII, two boys who travel around Poland alone during the summer, a guy who is a driver and an awesome man and has interesting adventures, a man who has a car that turns into a boat and takes some kids treasure hunting, where they learn cool stuff about history, and at least a few just about families). He has since bought many (just counted-7) of them on DVD or VCD. He watches them over and over. He has taught our kids to love them (those geared to younger audiences) despite the fact that they are 1) black and white 2) slow moving 3) not interesting (or maybe just not shallow or funny?) enough for their mother to sit through an entire episode. I really love this about Greg.

He recently found a whole slew of Polish semi-musical comedies from the 60's that you can get cheap on DVD, and bought them. We've been watching them and they are mostly fun and a little silly.

If a movie, Polish or American, comes on TV and it looks like it was made before 1985 (but the best are 60's and 70's), I can guarantee he will want to at least "give it a try." When he says this, I know he means "watch from beginning to end, barring too much foul language or nudity, and regardless of the level of stupidity or poorness of acting." In this way we have discovered many, many strange, interesting and sometimes awesome movies. We've also discovered a lot of very dumb, pointless ones. When I think they're too dumb (or I'm just not in the mood) I don't watch them, but Greg still likes to watch, for the same reason he likes to watch the good ones. They take him to another time and place, when life was simpler, problems were more easily solved and people wore astonishing clothing.

I don't know if it's like this in America, but here, at 9:00pm Cartoon Network turns into TCM (Turner Classic Movies) and this is where we see the majority of those old movies (the American ones, anyway). On this channel we have seen North by Northwest 59 times, Coma once, and then avoided it like the plague ever after, and lots of others I can't think of to name (great memory, eh?) Oh, but I do remember that I finally got to see the ever famous Breakfast at Tiffany's on this channel.

Speaking of which, are any of you Breakfast at Tiffany's fans? From what I gather, all of you should be. If you are, please explain to me why I'm supposed to love that movie. I feel very backward about it. It definitely would have fallen into the previously mentioned category of "too dumb" (not in the sense of intelligence so much as the weak acting, awkward pace/story line etc.)for me to watch all the way through, but I decided to "give it a try" Greg style. After all, it's Breakfast at Tiffany's! I thought. I'm baffled. And if it's about Audrey Hepburn? Give me My Fair Lady ANY day. (But don't be offended by my review! Convert me!)