Tiresome, bumbling Barney the Dinosaur. Chattering, yapping Pee-Wee Herman. These were the great Saturday morning TV characters of Generation-Y's childhood. A disturbingly happy, mentally deficient dinosaur and a pasty dude with questionable sexual interests? Worst of all was the veneer of innocence cast over their dark cores. Better that I spent weekends of my childhood renting the 1985 film Clue and catching re-runs of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, thus learning many life lessons from Tim Curry. Dapper and conniving as the butler in Clue and as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in RHPS, Curry taught me that the world isn't perfect. In Clue, I learned that sometimes people die at bizarre dinner parties at mansions in the middle of nowhere. And in Rocky Horror, I learned that sometimes people die at bizarre dinner parties at mansions in the middle of nowhere. Important lessons to learn, since a common rite of passage as a Dallas youth is to be invited to bizarre dinner parties at mansions in the middle of nowhere. If only those many, many friends I lost in junior high had watched Clue instead of Barney. Katie, Steve and Andrew, you will not be forgotten. Clue is playing as the Inwood Theatre's (5458 W. Lovers Lane) Midnight Madness movie this Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $8.50. Call 214-764-9106.
May 18-19