Film Flashback July 24, 1979

I remember friends talking about Meatballs during the summer of 1979. The Ivan Reitman directed film was a big hit and it made a movie star of Bill Murray. It began playing at the Martin on July 13 and ran until August 2, 1979. I wanted to see it, but my parents wouldn't let me due to its National Lampoon connection. National Lampoon meant sex to them and that was something a 12 year old boy shouldn't be seeing. I saw the movie years later and discovered the humor was much milder than I had been led to believe. Sure, there is some sex comedy, but it's not gratuitous. The film is about relationships, friendship, and growth with a wistfulness underneath it all. It's a great one to watch once a year as summer begins. 

It just doesn't matter

Ryan O'Neal and Barbra Streisand are playing on the other screen in The Main Event. Barbra plays a businesswoman who ends up holding the contract on a washed up boxer. She tries to get him back into the ring so she can get some return on him and, of course, love blossoms. I saw this on HBO a year or so later and it was sort of entertaining. The title tune was a decent hit. 

it's a glove story

The Marbro Drive-In was having a Travolta night with Grease and Saturday Night Fever well into their second week. I wrote about Grease when it played the Martin on its first run. Saturday Night Fever was covered here. 

Would ya just watch the hair

we stayed out until 10 o'clock

Finally, for the last movie playing in Murfreesboro on July 24, 1979 we journey to the rocking chair theatre Cinema_One to see Woody Allen's Manhattan. I didn't see this one in the theatre, but I did see it years later. I have the blu-ray even. And that's all for this week's film flashback.

I've gotta model myself after someone