Reviews and Memories By A Kid At Heart

You remember the Toys 'R Us jingle. "I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys 'R Us Kid...". Who hasn't felt this way growing up?

Nothing much on this post, just some reviews on stuff I've picked up over the past week. These things aren't from my childhood but transport me back to the feeling of what it was like being young...

Little Manhattan - For kids and adults with a memorable first love

Why is there so much crap out on DVD but good shows like The Wonder Years aren't even released yet? If you're itching for Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper to turn you into a weekend couch potato again, then you should check out Little Manhattan which came out on DVD this past week. I heard about this little movie last year but it only played on limited screens nationwide. Director Mark Levin, who happens to be a former writer of The Wonder Years, presents us with Gabe, your average eleven year old kid growing up in New York. When Gabe starts taking karate lessons he is paired with his school mate, Rosemary, as his sparring partner. Gabe and Rosemary have known each other since kindergarten, but it is in karate class that he realizes that he has more feelings for her. Before he can tell her how he truly feels, Rosemary tells him that she's transferring to a private school next school year. Crushed, Gabe tries to spend the final days of summer with Rosemary and build the courage to tell his first love how he feels. This is some really good stuff, has a cool soundtrack, and the scenes around Central Park are magic. I think this is my new favorite kid movie. It will definitely take you back to your own Rosemary... or Holly, or Kathy, or Ingrid...



5 out of 5 shots

* * * * *



See You On The Moon!- Various Artists - Songs For Kids of All Ages

Canadian music label Paper Bag Records takes a different approach to kids songs with a compilation by some of my favorite artists like Broken Social Scene and Sufjan Stevens. This CD is a mixed bag, there are some real gems in here but a few of the tracks I just skip.

The only reason I had to buy this CD was for the track Leo & Luna by Mark Kozelek. The track is a simple song he wrote about his ex-girlfriend's cat, sung over an acoustic guitar and a xylophone. This is a modern lullaby, and as usual, his voice is as smooth and cool as water. Don't be suprised if this climbs up my Audioscrobbler chart fast.

Now this CD isn't like Raffi and Baby Beluga. Think of it as Shel Silverstein-like lyrics laid over acoustic tracks. Will kids like this? Probably not, the music sounds like it would appeal more to grownups but the lyrics are for the kid in us all. But some of it is weird- Broken Social Scene's rehash of Puff the Magic Dragon sounds more like background music for a lava lamp lit dorm room filled with smoke from a bong.

Growing up I never listened to music for kids, at least I don't recall. On the other hand I was reading Shel Silverstein while listening to Run DMC and The Fat Boys.



3 out of 5 shots

* * * * *



Wonder Showzen Season One DVD - For Mature Big Kids Only

This show cracks me up I had to get it on DVD. If you haven't seen an episode of this dark satire of childhood, then you can catch it on MTV2. What makes this cool is that it is made to look like a kid's show but the twisted humor is for adults. Imagine Sesame Street on crack with puppets talking about sex, kids dancing around singing about slaves, you get the picture. My favorite segment on each episode is Beat-Kids where children walk through city streets dressed like reporters conducting interviews and asking offensive questions to grownups. And some of the most simple segments like the old grainy educational tapes dubbed over with kids voices are hilarious. Check out a clip of one of my favorites- How Hotdogs Are Made explained by kids.

I know some people will say that this stuff is plain wrong. Will you learn anything from it? Probably not, but it is awesomely funny and takes a dark look at childhood innocence lost.

And if this show doesn't remind you of Sesame Street, The Letter People and The Electric Company then you missed out on some cool childhood TV.



4 out of 5 shots

Check out some of this stuff and be a kid for the weekend!