If You Were Born in the 70's

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 9 - Battle of the Nerf

I'm sure by now every kid in America has grown up playing with some type of Nerf product.  Growing up I used to play with the guns and sportballs, they were so much fun.  Of course back in the 80's we didn't have quite the selection they do now.  Watching this video brings back memories, it was definitely fun to watch.  

Most of the toys are made of a foam-based material and are neon in color.  Parker Brothers created the toy in 1969, according to Wikipedia, but didn't really take off until the 1980's and 1990's.

Caution:
Watch as these kids partake in a violent nerf battle, but it's unlike any you've seen before.  This one comes complete with blood and gore.  Kudos to whoever put this together, though, it may not be suitable for children to watch. LOL. literally.

Movies to Watch: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

I'm sorry, but movies back in the 70's were so damn creepy, it would make your skin crawl.  Seriously, you had the Amityville Horror, Halloween, The Exorcist, The Shining, Jaws, and even "made for TV movies," like "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark."

Due to Hollywood running out of ideas, they remade every movie I just mentioned with the exception of Jaws.  Don't get me wrong, they've made countless of shark movies since Jaws, like the one I just mentioned 2 days ago, but none of them will ever measure up.

I'm writing this post, because the 1973 "made for TV movie," "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" was just remade, but at least it was directed by someone who knows how to make movies, Guillermo del Toro.  If you have never seen any of his movies, you should.  His movies, Pan's Labyrinth, and The Orphanage (which sadly, they're re-making), were so good, they put many of Hollywood's producers to shame.  Ryan and I had the pleasure of watching The Orphanage last night, and it was exceptionally good.  The movie leaves you appreciating the people you love and believing in them when things go wrong.

The remake which stars Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce is described by Rotten Tomatoes as a young girl who...

inadvertently unleashes a race of ancient monsters while exploring her father's 19th century mansion in this horror remake written by Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins, and directed by newcomer Troy Nixey. Introverted Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison) has just moved in with her father, Alex (Guy Pearce), and his girlfriend, Kim (Katie Holmes), when she realizes that their sprawling estate holds its fair share of secrets. Descending into the depths of the house, Sally gains access to a secret lower level that has lain undisturbed for nearly a century, when the original builder vanished without a trace. When Sally accidentally opens the gateway that kept the creatures locked up tight, she realizes that in order to prevent them from destroying her family she must convince her skeptical father that monsters really exist. ~ Jason Buchanan

Watch the trailer here.

While the movie feels much like a Guillermo del Toro movie, watch the original 1973 made for tv trailer after the jump, it's really creepy.

Flashback to the 1970's

Today's flashback takes us back to 1979, when a one hit wonder was released and managed to remain a hit up until this day.  It was most recently used in one of mine and Ryan's favorite games, Just Dance by Nintendo.

My mom was in the kitchen cooking as my sister and I played around the house (more than likely on the floor playing jacks), or playing school. I know, we were strange like that.  But the one thing I most definitely remember, (I may still have this 45 RPM record; If I don't, my sister does) is watching my mom dancing to "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward.  She wasn't hopping and dancing all around like most of us probably do, LOL, she was just swaying her hips back and forth as she was making us carne guisada, frijoles and homemade tortillas, LOL.  And in yellow short ,shorts to say the least. Lordy!

Courtesy of Wikipedia, the song was originally written for Stacy Lattisaw, but when she signed with a different label, Ward was asked to sing it instead and it became her only major hit.  "Ring My Bell" went to number one on both the Billboard Hot 100, and soul singles chart.  It also reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. "Ring My Bell" has been covered by many artists since its original release, including DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Ann Lee, Tori Amos, Blood Sisters, Dynamic Duo, Collette, Saïan Supa Crew, INOJ, Pato Fu, Joey Boy, and Sxip Shirey. It has also been remixed many times and is considered a disco-era classic.

Let's take a flashback and listen to a song near the end of our Disco Era...