Taking a Bite out of Independence Day

I guess one of the earliest memories of a horror movie for me was one Summer when my folks took me to see 101 Dalmatians; it was around July 4th when they did this. Now, you may wonder what 101 Dalmatians really has to do with horror. I mean, aside from the fact that Cruella is running around skinning puppies for her wardrobe (and no matter how much spin Disney puts on the “prequel”, there’s no coming back from that backstory). it wasn’t that movie that I relate to this time of year, but the “adult” movie that came on when the rest of us kids were supposed to be nestled in the back seat of the car while the credits rolled on the screen and the staticy speaker crackled from the half-open window.

Jaws was the second feature of the evening in question, and was the smash hit of the July holiday. Of course, the story itself capitalizes on the fact that Amity relies on the 4th for its seasonal income as an underlying level of drama driving the storyline. Whatever you do Brody - don’t go close those beaches! Watching the shark chomping not the beach goers while hiding behind the headrests of the old Chevy Nova was my introduction to the horror genre.

Even the visit to my beloved grandmother’s house in Massachusetts (where we were frequently in the proverbial Lovecraft Country), the reminders of Jaws was there. In my happiest memories, I’d find a quiet place in the den, cracking open a copy of her library of Reader’s Digest - and there was good ‘ol Pete Benchley ready to bring back the da-dum-da-dum into my life. I even had a toy from the movie - where you had to pick things out of the shark’s mouth…wish I had kept that (now $400 on etsy).

Good times. Fond memories of July 4th’s past.

Five Miles Downrange:

The family is still working multiple projects - the third installment of the Pair of Normal Girls, the running saga of Slipping the Gears, and a couple of other short stories kicking off. Thanks, readers for keeping up with our stories. Hope your 4th is happy and safe !

-S