Flashback Friday-90’s Television Teens-Sweet Valley High (1994-1998), California Dreams (1992-1997) & Saved By The Bell (1989-1993)

To a certain generation, there are some television shows (as corny or ridiculous as we may think of them now), that take them back to a simpler time and place.

In the 1990’s television for the younger generation was pretty much cookie cutter. In honor of my generation’s younger years, this post takes us back to a time when our lives were not so complicated.

The first show I am going to write about is Sweet Valley High (1994-1998). Based on the books by Francine Pascal, the television show follows the lives of the teenage blonde California twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield (Cynthia and Brittany Daniel). Jessica is outgoing, fashionable sister while Elizabeth is the quiet, literary type.

Let’s face it, this show and the books are not that deep. But there is something other teenage lives that always seem to bring any audience in.

The second show is California Dreams (1992-1997). The show followed a teenage band, The Dreams as they play music and work through the experience that is being a teenager.

Again, this show was not that deep. But for the then teenage generation, the music was cool and the stories were comparable their own lives.

And finally, the show that started it all: Saved By The Bell (1989-1993).  Relying on stereotypes: the charmer, the nerd, the jock, the fashion victim, the cheerleader and the brain, this was must see television for a generation.

Let’s face it. The show is very much part of it’s era. Everything from the clothes to the technology screams early 90’s. But it is a classic and continues to be must see for teenagers, even if reruns.

Do I recommend them? Why not?

 

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Flashback Friday-Jaws (1975)

The best horror films in my mind, are not the blood and guts movies. They are the ones when the audience cannot see the villain, but they knew he/she/it is in the scene and all you know what is about to break loose.

Jaws is a summer horror classic. Premiering 40 years ago, the movie scared audiences then and continues to do so today. Amity Island is a popular tourist destination in the summer. The beaches are full, the shore line is full and the sun is high in the sky. That is until a shark starts to terrorize the population. Sheriff Brody (Roy Schneider) has an instinct to close the beaches. But the mayor and city leaders don’t believe that closing the beach is necessary.

That is, until a boy is killed and his mother put’s a bounty on the shark’s head. Quint (Robert Shaw), a local fisherman with experience hunting sharks takes on the task of killing the beast. Teaming up with Brody and Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), representing the Oceanographic Institute, the  men must find and kill the shark before it takes another life. But the shark is up to the task and won’t go down without a fight.

The genius of this film is that it does not heavily rely not on special effects, but on great writing, iconic music and hair rising scene setting to make the audience nervous.  Unlike many of today’s movies which rely on computer generated graphics created in post production, this film lays it on thick during filming.  After 40 years, it still holds up as a classic.

I absolutely recommend it.