Sunday, November 3rd, 1974

Got up early, watched some TV and read. Then we went to see CHARIOTS OF THE GODS?  It wasn't as good as it could have been, partly because of the lack of Rod Serling's narration. I had hoped it would have it. An article about Von Daniken in the paper this morning said that they found genetic formulas on cave walls of the mutations that the aliens used to make the cave men what they were. If that's true, that wold really be something!

I got a paper poster ad for the new BILLY JACK movie at the theater and I began my second DEADMAN folder.

Tonight I saw part of THE GENERAL on Channel 48, an old Buster Keaton film!

NOTES: As I mentioned before, I was really into all the ancient astronaut stuff that was prevalent at the time. While I think some of it was stretching the premise, there are parts that still make sense to me today!

This was probably the first time I saw even a portion of THE GENERAL. I knew Keaton from the BEACH PARTY movies and TV appearances he did late in life but was just beginning to discover his classic silent movies. Eventually, Buster Keaton would become one of my all-time favorite film stars and easily my favorite silent comic. 

Saturday, November 2nd, 1974

I got up early to a storm. After it finally subsided, Terry called. We didn't discuss the jail thing at all but I heard his Mom in the background. I didn't bring it up.

We managed to sit through EIGHT full hours of APES movies!! I purposely didn't eat all morning before we left so my stomach didn't even hurt! Afterwards, I was starved so I went to McDonalds but I had to wait 20 minutes to be served! Anyway, the lady did refill my Coke, free. By the time I got home, the day was gone except for a few good TV shows.

NOTES: I remember loving this marathon but squirming after a while and starving before it was over. In 2012, I spoke with Terry yesterday about it and he still remembers it, too. 

Friday, November 1st, 1974

Another Halloween's come and gone with hardly any notice. We has a pep rally again. In the gym this time. It wasn't half as good as the other one we had outside. Some coach was there and made a big speech about school spirit but I never had any anyway. While everyone else was jumping and hollering with the cheerleaders and stuff, I just sat there feeling pretty foolish. I would have felt even more foolish if I had gotten up, too! Oh, well. I lived through it.

Mr. H was absent again. We got the new school paper. We got our grades in Geometry. I may not be getting Spanish this year but I'm A-OK in Geometry.

Got some good stuff about Roddy and about Clint's new movie over at SS tonight.

This morning, I got up really early and read comic books. Read more when I got home and successfully managed to avoid IT.

Saw PLANET OF THE APES for the first time in color tonight since we finally got the TV fixed.

Saw the beginning of THE GRADUATE again, too. The only good part as I like to call it.

NOTES: Never have been a big fan of THE GRADUATE or Mike Nichols as a director. I laugh like crazy at Nichols and May from the late fifties/early sixties. I enjoy Dustin Hoffman's performances in dozens of other films. I think Anne Bancroft was a superb actress and a very funny woman when she wanted to be. And I certainly never complained about the Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack. That said, after a well-done opening I still say the rest of the film was a pretentious bore, badly directed and aimless. It's not like I don't "get" sixties style filmmaking. I quite enjoy it in fact. Just...not THE GRADUATE.

Thursday, October 31st, 1974

IT. Bought a new mag. Too bad. Also got a lot of neat comics and mags, too, including the two newest EC reprints from Kidd's. It's about time!

WEBN played the whole Christopher Lee album in honor of Halloween. Not many trick-or-treaters here tonight but we did get a few.

Football in Gym again. Yuccchh!! My shoe string broke during it, too. Had to invent a whole new creative way to tie it.

Terry's Mom and Dad were sentenced to one day in jail each for allowing him to miss 122 days of school last year! UNFAIR!! I don't suppose I can expect him to see the movie this weekend now. Oh, well.

Watched Dean Martin roast Bob Hope late tonight.

The new bank at 4th and Madison is getting ready to open.

Looked at the book in Spanish class. Has 4 or 5 great pix of Linda plus 3 from THE EXORCIST.

NOTES: Had forgotten that about Terry's parents. I think what happened wasn't so much that he randomly missed 122 days but he had actually quit school to go to work full-time at McDonalds. Looks like he went a few weeks at the beginning of the school year, then quit. The odd part was that his parents had specifically bought a house directly across the street from a high school so he could easily attend. His Mom still lives there, today! Terry would quickly get a GED long before the rest of his class actually graduated.

Not sure why I was so adamant about it being unfair, though. In retrospect, the sentence seems like nothing more than a judicial slap on the wrist.

Not sure why I bothered to note that new bank opening, either. I never had an account there and I don't think I ever knew anyone who did!

Wednesday, October 30th, 1974

The day before Halloween. I can tell it's nearing. Tonight, right after Mom cleaned the SS door, it was soap-streaked!

I outgrew Halloween just as I did most other holidays several years ago. Too bad.

School Homecoming's this Friday. I'm not sure what it is but I know that even if I was I wouldn't matter anyway. Not at all. Something about a dance and football. I hate both.

Why can't I ever just be normal? I realize that now. I can never have another girlfriend. I'll never dig sports or cars or anything like a normal guy. I'm blessed with a marvelous insanity but it's stolen my life away. Oh, well...I'll live I guess.

President Nixon has been in critical condition ever since last night.

I wrote a neat poem today. I also wrote a composition about my first date with Debbie. I may regret that. I may have revealed TOO much.

I may write a letter to Barbi Benton. She's in town singing this Friday and Saturday and I like her. If it's going to get to her I'll have to do it tomorrow. I haven't decided yet.

IT ruined my day.

NOTES: I think '71 was my last year for Halloween. In 1982 I went to one grown-up Halloween party. I was not impressed. Dressed up a couple f times for work after that but that was it.

Still not sure what all the fuss is about Homecoming. Still don't care either.

I believe Mr. Nixon's condition was due to a heart problem and/or a blood clot. He would recover.

Barbi Benton had been Hugh Hefner's girlfriend, a PLAYBOY model, a Hee Haw "Honey," an actress, a country singer and about the cutest thing you ever saw! I hadn't remembered this about writing to her earlier this year when I came into possession of her current address and seriously considered writing her again in 2012 for an interview. I never got around to it. 

Tuesday, October 29th, 1974

A fast day at school but a bad one in Gym. The end of the school day brought both good and bad news. I realized that if I hadn't failed the Spanish test I no doubt came close. After school, though, I spotted a color pic of Linda on a French magazine cover! Mr. K promised to give it to me! I'm sure glad! I haven't yet seen the inside but above the picture on the cover were the words, "La Exorciste." I think the meaning of those words is obvious.

Mike told me that Arthur, now at Boone County, didn't make the band. Too bad. He was good.

This weekend, I hope to see SIX movies! CHARIOTS OF THE GODS? and all 5 APES movies over at the International '70. That should be fun!

This Thursday at 10:30, WKRQ presents Orson Welles' WAR OF THE WORLDS. I'd sure like to hear that.

I saw THE MARK OF ZORRO and a really good POLICE STORY. I also finished reading THE LIVING SHADOW. It was great!

NOTES: The mag was PARIS MATCH and it really wasn't a good pic of Linda so much as simply one I hadn't seen before. Eventually I did get it.

Arthur was my friend who had moved away after the previous school year. A shame he didn't make Band. Oddly enough he later became a professional musician I believe. 

At this point I knew very little of Orson Welles or WAR OF THE WORLDS. By now in 2012 I've seen 2 movies about it, heard it a zillion times, seen and heard multiple documentaries  on it and read both a behind the scenes book and a murder mystery with the broadcast as a backdrop. 


This version of MARK OF ZORRO was the TV movie starring Frank Langella who would seem to have been perfect casting but was undercut by a badly designed mask and a really stupid looking TV GUIDE ad. Compared to Guy Williams' grinning cavalier (as Disney's Zorro), he looked like a nervous cosplayer.

Monday, October 28th, 1974

I had several lengthy dreams about THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. Mom and Dad liked it last night. I'm glad they did. 

Dad and I put out the trash early this morning because we didn't know if the men would come today or not. They did.

After over a month, the TV was fixed finally. Again.

This was a day when I really wish I could have stayed home. A beautiful day!

In school, in Spanish, there's one couple that are...really...well...wow. The girl says she's been streaking and the two feel each other up in class and... well, almost everything else!

A really good night for TV. I saw part of Steffie on THE ROOKIES and also IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN for about the eighth time. Also RHODA took the big step. Down the aisle. It was funny! Watched a short special on the filming of THE TOWERING INFERNO, too. It was great!

NOTES: In actuality, it was probably the 9th time I had seen the PEANUTS special. I never missed it until sometime in the nineties. I still think it's one of the best animated TV specials of them all. 

RHODA's marriage was one of THE big deals on TV that season. The following season saw the divorce episode.

Streaking was the bizarre fad of taking off one's clothes and running naked through a public place...just because. Both men and women did it. There were streakers at sporting events, live TV shows, in parks, in downtown areas. There was even a popular novelty song by Ray Stevens and a Marvel-published magazine about the odd phenomenon. People who wouldn't be caught dead naked in public suddenly seemed compelled to streak!