Freak Out!: Return to Oz Edition

When I was a kid, I got freaked out by a lot of things. Join me as delve into these moments and see if I still think they still freak me out.

So you baby monsters may not remember this, but before Blu-Rays there were DVD's, before that VCR's and before there was appointment television! You couldn't record something on TV and watch it later, you had to watch it when it happened, which means if your Model-T broke down on a trip to the chemists to purchase some tooth powder, then you were shit out of luck on watching your programs that night.

I bring this up because when I was a kid in these dark times, each year one of the three networks used to show the Wizard of Oz and it was A BIG DEAL! You couldn't just pick up a copy of the movie and watch it anytime willy nilly, you had to wait until TV told you it was on. Then, it was a madcap thrill ride in TECHNICOLOR!

Freak Out! Large Marge Edition

When I was a kid, I got freaked out by a lot of things. Join me each week as delve into these moments and see if I still think they still freak me out.

I saw the trailer for Pee Wee's Big Adventure attached to whatever animated piece of garbage I dragged my parents to. (I think it was The Adventures of Mark Twain, which has another freak-out moment which I hope to get to in a future column.) Now, some quick back story, my parents saw Pee Wee live in LA a few years prior and his show was definitely not for kids, (HBO sometimes shows an old taped performance of his adult show from '81, which is similar to his current show on Broadway right now) so they were reticent to take me to see Pee Wee's Big Adventure. However, I begged, BEGGED, so much that when it came out, they took me just to shut me up. (Best parenting style ever.)