Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The First Post!

Yeah, the first is always the hardest. So, lets just get a few things squared away.

Why am I starting this blog?

Well, for one, it gives me something to do at 2am, but also I really want to share my love of serials and document my journey as I watch them. I just love them.

When did this love start?

I guess my dad, trying to relive his childhood, is what helped formed mine. I was watching things like Spy Smasher, King of the Rocketmen, and The Masked Marvel by the time I was 3. I listened to Amos & Andy on tapes as well as The Shadow. Sometimes I think I grew up during the wrong time period. I remember when The Rocketeer came out and thinking "They stole that idea from Rocketman!"

What's a Serial?

A Serial - or a Cliffhanger - was a short 13-20 minute movie that was part of a complete movie package during the early 1940's, and usually lasted for 12 episodes. For a dime (or was it a nickel?) kids would get a bag of popcorn and watch a few cartoons, the news, and a serial before whatever movie was about to show. The serial is action packed, with fighting taking place about 10 min in (in the good ones I'd say) and ends with some peril that the good guy needs to escape from (because really, why would I care if the bad guy is in danger?)

The Serial is a forgotten art form I think, but it spawned the basis of the biggest movie franchise in recent memory- namely Indiana Jones and Star Wars (ever wonder why Star Wars were episode 4, episode 5 and 6?)These were based on the chapter system the serial followed.

And as for Indy, wondering how in the hell he'd escape off that bridge in the Temple of Doom, was a classic cliffhanger moment.

Yes. I heart serials and this blog is just a way for me to document some of my fondest memories from my childhood and to document the new discoveries.