by Joel G. Robertson
“Everyone has a forgotten flick, it seems.” — Ian Sowers
Ian said the above to me in an email recently. He was referring to the fact that, after his own contribution (read it here) to the “What Forgotten Flix Are You Thankful” For?” series, he’d received several comments from his own readership regarding their favorite movies that people seem to have “forgotten” about. One reader even asked if he (or she, he didn’t specify) could contribute with an article about personal favorite forgotten flick, The Mosquito Coast (1986).
Well, to Ian’s reader and to you, I say YES! I want to feature your stories and memories about the movies you love.
Champion the Movies You Love
So, here’s what I’m looking for: articles 500-words and up about your favorite forgotten flick. I’m not looking for negative reviews… only articles championing the movies you love. Does this mean everyone will agree on whether a movie is worthy of being “remembered”? No, of course not. That’s the beauty of all this, it’s your opinion. And what defines a “forgotten” flick? Honestly, it could be anything… even a new release. IF (and this is a big if) the movie has been, or is being ignored by mainstream audiences. For example, Moon starring Sam Rockwell would qualify.
Obviously though, most movies will be older. But even then, how should we define something as “forgotten”? Well, it could be a movie that is still remembered by a lot of folks, but as with all things, over time younger generations may not be aware of it. That’s why it’s our job to keep the movie memories alive!
A good example of this comes from my days as a middle school teacher (kids from 12- to 14-years-old). One year while teaching video productions, I took a survey of my 160-plus students, “Who has seen Raiders of the Lost Ark?” I asked, somewhat flippantly, expecting 20 -30 percent had not. Out of all my students fewer than 5 had seen this classic movie that defined action-adventure for a generation! And while this story provides only anecdotal evidence, I imagine this scenario might play out more often than you’d expect, or want to admit.
What Are Your Movie Memories?
While I don’t mind “traditional” movie reviews, I’m looking for something more than a one-off opinion of the “thumbs up, thumbs down”-variety. I want your story. Where were you when you first saw the movie you’re writing about? Do you remember being 8-years-old, standing in line at the AMC Theater, breathing deep the popcorn air, wishing the old guy at the front of the line would make up his mind and pick a movie already (who doesn’t know what movie they’re going to see before they go to the theater!)? But part of you didn’t care because it gave you an excuse to leave your parents waiting for the tickets, step out of line, and get engrossed in the majesty of John Alvin’s poster art framed in light?
I want to know how you felt as you sat in the dark… or afterward, walking through the parking lot, arms extended in full jet-fighter mode as you imagined it was you with Chappy in that F-16 rescuing your old man (played by Tim Thomerson!) in Iron Eagle (1986).
Or do you remember seeing that VHS box high on the new release shelf, John Carl Buechler’s green, bald-headed ghoulie grimacing back at you from atop a commode?
Low brow. High brow. Any decade. Any genre. I don’t care. The only thing I do care about is that you care. Pick a movie you Love with a capital “L”, not one you think the world loves, or that high-falutin’ cineaste’s approve of. If Garbage Pail Kids:The Movie (1987) is a movie you think we shouldn’t forget because it expresses Phil Fondacaro’s acting prowess as Greaser Greg, then go for it! Or if you think The Monster Squad is superior to The Goonies, make your argument– we’re listening (and I will most likely agree with you on that one).
I will only post one guest article at a time. However, if you do submit, rest assured that it will get posted as I value your hard work and appreciate any submission I receive. Also, I’ll be mentioning featured guest posts in the Forgotten Flix Podcast once that bad boy gets rollin’.
So, if you’re interested in having your movie memories and words immortalized here on the Forgotten Flix blog, send me an email at joel@forgottenflix.com letting me know what movie you’d like to make sure is never forgotten.
Until next time, remember, a flick is only forgotten if you’re not talking (or writing) about it!