#43 – Adult Movies

I watched a lot of movies on TV when I was younger. Looking back, though, I shouldn’t have been watching a lot of those movies. There was a lot of adult content that went way over my head even though the movies were nourishing my young, nerd soul. Here are some of those movies.

Spaceballs

I loved Star Wars as a kid so it only seemed natural that I would love Spaceballs. I never saw Spaceballs in the theater and only ever watched it on network television. I would put up with the commercials because I thought it was funny that Darth Vader had a big helmet, Chewbacca was a dog and Yoda had a flamethrower.

All of the sexual innuendo, though, which comprises a good majority of the film, went way over my head.

I didn’t know why President Skroob was hanging out in his pajamas with two scantily clad twins.

I didn’t know why it was funny that the Schwartz came out from beneath the belt.

I didn’t know what a “Virgin Alarm” was or why you would need to have one.

A lot of the language was cleaned up for the television broadcast but most of the innuendo remained. I don’t know if my parents were unaware, if they thought I was watching Star Wars or if they knew the movie was harmless since all the jokes would go over my head anyway. I watched Spaceballs a couple years ago and couldn’t believe what I’d missed – and how much funnier it made the movie.

Ghostbusters

In the mid 80s when I was starting my elementary school career, Ghostbusters was hotter than Justin Bieber turning into a vampire and singing over-produced karaoke in a glee club. Everyone who was anyone in Mrs. Hudson’s first grade class was rocking the Ghostbusters’ logo on a black tee. I, unfortunately, was not anyone and had to wear a yellow Ziggy tee shirt.

In an attempt to be like the cool kids, I decided to watch an inherently nerdy movie that had managed to become cool. I remember watching the movie on TV and not really laughing that much. In fact, more than anything, I was scared.

Ghosts are scary.

Demon possession is scary.

Gozer the Gozerian is scary.

There were a lot of images, themes and jokes that were way too advanced for my young brain to comprehend and appreciate. When I watch Ghostbusters now, I don’t get as scared and I can fully appreciate the comedic genius of Bill Murray. I’m still ashamed that I’ve never seen Groundhog Day.

Labyrinth

Labyrinth isn’t necessarily an adult movie. It was directed by Jim Henson and stars all the deformed and deranged cousins of the Muppets. More than Spaceballs or Ghostbusters, though, Labyrinth has had the longest and most profound effect upon my life.

Because of Labyrinth, I have a huge man crush on David Bowie.

I don’t know if it was the 80s hair.

I don’t know if it was the heavy eye shadow.

I don’t know if it was the uncomfortably tight pants.

But somehow Bowie’s singing and dancing as the Goblin King infected my young mind and, to this day, I can’t explain my affinity for David Bowie. I practically stood up and cheered in the theater when he showed up in Zoolander.

Those are some movies that had an impact on me when I was younger. Had I been more aware and less naive, I imagine they could have had a more negative impact.

Now that I’m older, though, I am more aware. When we grow up we become less ignorant and it’s easier to see how the media we ingest can challenge God’s desires for our lives. We just have to be a little wiser about what we ingest and view everything in light of God’s word and will.

That mindset won’t make Spaceballs any less funny but it might cast a pajama party with scantily clad twins in its proper light.

What movies did you watch when you were younger that shock you now that you’re older?