Classic John Hughes. Hottie Keith (Eric Stoltz) had no idea that tough girl, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) was the perfect one for him until he misguidedly chases Ms. Amanda Jones (Lea Tompson) the misunderstood uber-popular girl who has one hellofa icky boyfriend, Hardy (played by that guy from Buffy). Great film.
Even better soundtrack - but I am a total sucker for soundtracks.
Living very close to Hollywood in the 80's, I had the frequent opportunity to attend free movie showings. Usually they were held at random theaters and sometimes at the studio producing the film itself. We'd watch the show & then fill out surveys with our opinions. Free movie, bragging rights re: being preliminary critics and, well...FREE frickin' movie...nuff' said, yes?
I have no idea how we got so lucky, but a friend and I scored invitations to the Some Kind of Wonderful opening.
We're talking red-carpet-and-movie-stars-at-Mann's-Chinese-Theatre-sort-of-thing, ok? My friend, who later went on to work for the show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and I stood outside the theatre doors to watch the celebrities make their entrances. Our toes were touching the red carpet. Literally. We swooned as we watched appearances by: Chico Debarge, Rona Barrett, Scotty Baldwin (he was a famous character from General Hospital but I don't remember the poor guys real name) and the actor from Visionquest and a few others. Pretty B-List - but this small town girls head was spinning with all the glitz and glam.
This friend that I was with, Robin Leach's future colleague, had an autograph obsession. He had Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball and John Wayne's autographs. He stalked the Beverly Center, various other LA hotspots and whatever Hollywood shindigs he heard of as a hobby. That is just what he did. He was bound and determined to get us into the post party so we could see the A-Listers. Yeah right. You see, I was wearing my roommates white sweater dress and my own glittery white go-go boots which seemed great at the time, but in retrospect screamed very loudly: Supremely uncool!
White. Generra. Sweaterdress. Nuff' Said. (sigh)
As we waltzed around Hollywood Boulevard after the show, we noticed quite a crowd at the Palace. Before I could say "Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams" we were inside the party! I think that my friend explained to the doorman that we were with the college radio station - and by some incredible stroke of Hollywood magic we got inside.
Justine Bateman, Molly Ringwald, Beastie Boys, Andrew McCarthy, Lea Thompson...some of those folks signed their autographs on my wee sheet of paper. Me, in my white sweaterdress-ness. Yes, they still signed. Some were cooler than others. Molly Ringwald wasn't quite the perky, friendly, self deprecating gal that she played in the movies. She was over it. But, she still signed. And, I met her. Wow.
You will see from the pic that I did get Molly's signature - at the center. Lea Thompson is at the upper left and Andrew McCarthy is at the bottom right. Pretty awesome. Totally rad-ass-bitchin', actually.
Best part about the evening, though was the aftermath. We were hanging outside the club, trying to act cool and well, what-do-you-know but Nicolas Cage exited the place.
I was beside myself. But, having the newfound energy of meeting so-many-cool-people-in-one-freaky-night-in-LA I asked him for his autograph. He said, "Why? I wasn't even in this movie". I retorted, "But I LOVED you in Valley Girl". He signed.
Of course.
I don't remember anything else.
Try as I might, I can not remember how I got Charlie Sexton's signature:
My head was in the clouds.
Good times.
31 comments:
I can SO picture the white sweater dress!!
All those people you mentioned were so cool. We wanted to BE them!
Lucky you! That is awesome. Oh how I loved those people in the 80's. I am still an 80's girl at heart. Girlfiend, YOU ROCK!!! Thanks for sharing the pics. I enlarged them on the screen just so I could go back in time.
Oh yes, I remember that movie (and sweaterdresses). I can't believe you talked to all those stars - dang, girl, can I have *your* autograph? :-)
Sweaterdresses (mine was royal blue with a fuschia belt!)!! Mary Stuart Masterson! Andrew McCarthy! Nicolas Cage! OMG this post is full of so many terrific memories!
This post made my morning.
That's an awesome story! I had a gray SWEATSHIRT dress..yep the same material we wear around the house on Sunday with our pj bottoms.... but it was totally bitchin'. It had bat wing sleeves and I wore it with my neon pink accessories. The belt slung around my hips a la Madonna, bead necklace, giant gawdy 80's earrings and little ankle socks sticking out of my granny boots. I hadn't thought of that ensemble in a long time. Sigh... the good ole' days. Thanks for the trip down memory lane Wendy.
Wow! Rubbing shoulders with the sort of rich and famous! Cool.
When I worked at Disneyland, Richard Simmons hugged me. Still gives me the creeps when I think about it! ;-)
I bet you were rockin' the sweater dress!
I was up on everything. We are the same 'level of maturity' (bout-bout) but I gotta ask. Who is Charlie Sexton? Have I repressed something???
That is still one of our fave soundtracks- classic.
Neat story- oh, those were the days ;)
Awesome!! As a total 80's fanatic I'm so jealous of you right now! My sweater dress was a deep "Prince" purple. Which I wore with white accesories, natch.
The coolest autograph I have is Keifer Southerland's. My dad was an extra on "The Cowboy Way", and the band he played for was hired as entertainment for the cast and crew, so he got the signature for me. Of course, at the time, I didn't think Keifer was *that* cool, but now I'm like "Hell YEAH, I've got Jack Bauer's autograph!" (even though I don't watch "24"). My dad said Keifer was a totally nice guy, but that Woody Harrelson is an asshole.
WOW!!! How Cool!!
NO! Ok, listen I met Nicholas Cage at the bar in Granita and this was seriously only like a month after he won the Oscar for "Leaving Las Vegas" and all I gush was, "I loved you in Valley Girl".
He was SO not amused.
I loved Some Kind of Wonderful, I think because of the whole girl drummer thing (I was the only girl drummer in the whole school at the time).
I totally think you should start wearing sweater dresses all the time again:)
OMG!!! I was daydreaming about the SKW soundtrack, reading your post and then I got to CHARLIE SEXTON!!! Was he a cutie or what?! Loved that hair, those cheekbones, loved Beat's So Lonely! Good grief, I wanna use exclamation points all over!! I have both those albums in my closet. But no autographs! Thanks for your, like, totally cool post! =)
Thanks for the flashback. nothing ever is going to beat the 80's teen movies and soundtracks. Those days are way gone.
Wendy, I so with you on the Valley Girl fanaticism. I watch it everytime it's on. Same thing for Some Kind of Wonderful, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Ah, the 80s!
I had a bright green sweater dress that I rocked with a rhinestone studded denim jacket and patent leather stilletos. I also was a "hat girl" and would wear these funky fedoras a-la John Taylor all of the time. Wow, good times!
Dang I soooo loved Charlie Sexton!!
Dude, you were cool before cool was cool. I remember the gloves Watts wore. Oh, how cool she was as well.
You are my hero!!! Nicholas Cage has always been "the One" for me, ever since I saw him in Wild At Heart. What a cool story.
I don't know what's going on over on the other side of the pond but sweater dresses are definitely back in. I hope you didn't get rid of yours. And the boots? Very. Cool.
And, hey, I dig the new look. Very earthy, homey, comfortable....I like it.
That is SUPREMELY cool! What an awewsome experience.
Keep smilin!
One of my favorite movies ever! How cool that you got to attend the premiere! Luckeeee! I'm a little jealous!
OMIGOD - can't forget sweater dresses! They were DA BOMB!!! I also loved oversized Benetton sweaters and LOTS of Aqua Net hairspray.
I, too, dig the soundtracks and STILL listen to the soundtrack from "She's Having a Baby" - the very old Kevin Bacon movie :)
I loved that movie and all other John Hughs movies! Dont you forget about me is playing right now on the radio as I type.
Sorry I have not posted in a while. BTW, I LOVE the new look!
Damn straight that's rad ass bitchin! I'm so jealous... the 80's were my era, and Some Kind of Wonderful was my movie- I swear I was Watts (did play the drums, did love my best friend John, and did have that hair). Must have been cool meeting the Brat Pack too... or at least some of them!
Kris
ps. No sweaterdress for me, I was a "punker" back then... yeah. More like a Poser. But I did get my finger broken at the bottom of a mosh pit while slam dancing to the Circle K's. It was so black and blue. Combat boot got me.
Oh yes, I remeber that movie well- bringing back memories of the 80's.... (can you believe my 20 year high school reunion is THIS year???)
Oh dear. I don't remember the movie at all! The title doesn't even ring any bells. Still sounds like fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su4OTFT0Ku0
Charlie video...I know I need to get a life... =)
Andrew McCarthy? You met Andrew McCarthy?? I *still* love him.
Being an 80s girl myself, I envy the crap out of you. Eric Stoltz still makes random appearances in my fantasyland!
And I have more soundtracks then 'real' cd's. Drives my husband crazy when I'm listening to Lost Boys....
I'm still absolutely crazy about Charlie Sexton! 20 years...and he is still incrdibly HOT!
I had such a HUGE crush on him back in the 80's (ok, that hasn't really changed)
It's weird to look at the pics of him from when he was 16. He looks like such a kid...and yet I am still incredibly attracted to both versions of him. (The teen and the adult.) lol.
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