The Latch Key Kids

My Favorite Year Part III: Secret Of My Success

By the Spring of 1987 it was evident that the tides were shifting all around us - leaders, music, television, and of course motion pictures   Behind us already in ‘87 was Stallone, Freddy Kruger, Woody Allen, The Coen Brothers, Smoke Show Kim Cattrall, John Hughes, and of course Riggs & Murtaugh   The Giants had won Super Bowl XXI - The Chicago Bulls were making back to back playoff runs with their new star Michael Jordan and a little family show was premiering on a new network - the network was FOX, and the show was “Married With Children”    It was all moving very fast, and the Spring run up to the historic Summer of ‘87 was not going to pass quietly Hopper, Nolte, Reynolds, Hoffman, Beaty, Michael J Fox (again), the patron Saint of 1987 Steve Guttenberg (again) would all make appearances    However, it would be an old friend of The Latch Key Kids that would once again steal the show - just like he did in Studio 8H on Saturday Night Live earlier in the decade Eddie Murphy would remind everyone he was one of the funniest and most bankable actor this side of Beverly Hills   So, let’s catch up with Axel & Friends because it’s time to sit back and relax Mom & Dad won’t be back for at least an hour and welcome to The Latch Key Kids Present “My Favorite Year Part III: Secret Of My Success”

My Favorite Year (Special Edition) Planes Trains Automobiles

They say things happen in threes and in 1987 three of the best Hollywood had to offer joined together to tell a story that even now, 35 years after its release leaves a lasting impact.  John Hughes, Steve Martin, and John Candy were quite literally at the top of their games when they brought to life the Thanksgiving classic Planes, Trains, and Automobiles The film would mark a turning point for all three men, who’s roots were connected by the likes of Second City, Saturday Night Live, and National Lampoon.  As their careers continued to skyrocket into the 90’s, each of them would forge a unique and unforgettable path that helped define a generation. However, despite the countless roles and movies that would identify them.  The Jerk, Stripes, Vacation, Mr. Mom, Roxanne, Summer Rental, The Three Amigos, Splash, Home Alone, The Breakfast Club, Uncle Buck, Parenthood, Ferris Bueller, The Blues Brothers, Father of the Bride – it is the story of Del Griffith and Neal Page’s Thanksgiving journey that stands alone. A bona fide cinematic classic that captures and re-captures the heart each and every year around the Thanksgiving table.  The Latch Key Kids are going to tell you why….Because it’s time to sit back and relax Mom & Dad won’t be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present This Season Three Special Edition Of My Favorite Year 1987 – Planes, Trains, And Automobiles.

My Favorite Year Part I: Dead Of Winter

Somewhere in the middle of the 20th century’s most eclectic decade one year helped define the world through its movies, music, TV, and sports.  I asked many would say that year was 1984 or 1989 – and while they might not be wrong The Latch Key Kids will make the case in our 3rd season that the year in question is in fact 1987.  A year that would see over 220 movies released, over 100 TV shows premiere, a year that would see one of the highest year over year increases in worldwide box office, and more classics that we could ever do justice too – not to mention the release of Bad / Appetite For Destruction / Strangeways Here We Come / Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me / Bum Rush The Show and Momentary Lapse of Reason From the start of the year with Woody Allen’s ‘Radio Days’ and winter Brat Pack-esque classics like ‘Mannequin’ / ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ and ‘Less Than Zero’– horror sequels like “Nightmare on Elm Street 3’ ‘Creepshow 2’ – sequel starters ‘Lethal Weapon’ and of course one of the biggest sequels of all time the #1 movie of 1987 ‘Beverly Hills Cop II”.  It would have cool customers Jack Nicholson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, hell even Prince.  Spielberg, Stone, Levinson and of course DePalma at his Chicago best with perhaps the greatest ’87 had to offer in ‘The Untouchables’ So where do we begin?  It’s almost inconceivable but we will try because that’s The Latch Key Way…but one thing is clear we would never put Baby in a corner!  I guess it’s best to start at the very beginning…So, let’s kick off Season 3 there….Because it’s time to sit back and relax Mom & Dad won’t be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present “My Favorite Year Part I: Dead of Winter”

Ready For Prime Time Players Part XI: What Is That Velvet?

The 1970’s had been a time of great upheaval and nowhere was this more apparent than The United States of America the times were so turbulent that even a stuffy, censored, and money hungry industry such as television took a chance on group of irreverent actors and their Canadian leader and rode that rocket ship all the way to a Prime Time Emmy… Well, the 1970’s were over and so was that group of irreverent actors and their leader - The 1980’s had arrived and by October 1980 everyone was gone and in their place were a group so misguided they didn’t even realize the talent that was right in front of them. Saturday Night Live as we know it would have died a slow death at the hands of these individuals had it not been for one young man - a young man from New York, with a love for Peter Sellers, and a wit so quick and lethal that  the walls of Studio 8H could barely contain him That young man was Eddie Murphy and by 1984 he had not only saved the show he was about to shoot the most successful film of any SNL actor… From 48 hours to Beverly Hills, from Harlem to Zamunda, from racy standup to down home family films one man has done it all and had you been listening to Eddie Murphy had been telling you he was going to do it from the very beginning… Let’s take a look at his remarkable story together because it’s time to sit back and relax Mom and Dad won’t be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present “Ready For Prime Time Players Part XI:  What Is That? Velvet?”

Ready For Prime Time Players Part X: Tuesday’s Gone

By 1980 the last TV show to have started in the 1960’s Hawaii 5-0 was ending its run and shooting had already started in Hawaii on its replacement Magnum P.I.  By 1980 the path was clear for a one time B movie actor to broker his way through a convention and a hostage negotiation to ascend to the Presidency in November.  Meanwhile in New York City the once “Not Ready For Prime Time Players” were actually on in Prime Time almost every Wednesday night with a Best of SNL accompanying the new season 5 shows on Saturday.  The 1970’s were ending in more ways than one and the entire cast, writing room, and even the creator Lorne Michaels were looking beyond Season 5 of Saturday Night Live to what was next.  Broadway, Television Series, Movies these were all in the future for Jane Curtain, Garret Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner.  But before these groundbreaking, pioneering, and 100% original performers moved on we would get one last trip around the dial at Studio 8H.   Let’s take that trip with them together because it’s time to sit back and relax Mom and Dad won’t be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents: “Ready For Prime Time Players Part X: Tuesday’s Gone.”