Classic 80s horror

During my pre-teen and teen years, I became a huge horror movie fan. Probably not that unusual for a guy but they were my favorite genre of movie.

One title which always escaped me was "Sleepaway Camp," released in 1983. I'm not sure why I never saw it (rented it to be more accurate) because I always remembered the poster art for it with a sneaker with a knife through it.

Well, I finally saw it - in the year 2014 no less - and it's an understatement to say I missed out on a horror classic. The premise, as you can guess from the title, is about a summer camp for young teens. The film was shot at a real summer camp in Glenn Falls, N.Y. As I watched it, what had me fascinated was how similar that camp was to the one I attended in the summer of 1983 at Rock Eagle in Eatonton, Ga. (ours didn't have the murders of course.)

It was something to see the kids in the film as the director said he didn't want 19 or 20 year olds playing the role of 13 and 14 year olds. You see that all the time in horror movies with a camp setting. The styles the kids had (from clothing to their hair) was a trip back in time for me. Heck, one male camper even had on a T-shirt I actually had with the group Asia on it (one my favorites from the early 80s pop music scene.)

The film was well done although it seemed to make fun of itself at times. I could live with that. Plus, it had a very strange Twilight Zone twist ending to it (I had actually never heard how the movie ended which made it even better). A warning: the ending, although Twilight Zonish is nature, would have never been shown on the old TV show.

I have to give this movie five out of five stars. The camp setting, the teen years, the who-done-it mystery to it and of course the "gotcha" ending. Still can't believe it took me more than 30 years to see this. It was well worth it though.

Classic wrestling

Enjoyed watching a classic episode of Memphis wrestling from 1985 Saturday night. The 9-7-85 episode to be exact. It was the 90-minute version of the live Memphis show with original commercials!

Jerry Lawler, The Freebirds, Jerry Jarrett, Tojo Yomomato, Koko Ware, and many others.

Memphis wrestling has such a long history to it. Enough for multiple books. I got hooked on Memphis wrestling in 1986 as part of Joe Pedicino's Superstars of Wrestling show on WATL in Atlanta. It aired at midnight and it was also the wildest of any of the shows they aired (which when you consider they aired the UWF, Continental, Puerto Ric, etc.) then that's saying something.

Through the power of the wrestling tape (now DVD) trading network, most shows from the 1980s and 90s are available and even some from the 1970s. I am Facebook friend with Jerry Jarrett and enjoy reading his posts on the wrestling business - then and now.

Warm weather

The older I get, the more I dislike winter.

It's strange when you consider I have lived in Georgia my entire life that winter would be much of a concern. However, it seems in recent years the winters have either gotten worse or my tolerance level has shrunk.

Today the weather finally seemed like spring. I can only hope it lasts.