Great Tapes For Kids
Great Tapes For Kids
By Cesare A.X. Syjuco [Video Troll]
Published in: The Manila Times, August 24, 1987
SOME Moms would kill on rainy afternoons for a good list of Betamax titles for their post-toddler/pre-adolescents. When the kids have all outgrown Mickey Mouse but aren’t quite old enough for Hollywood hopscotch, the in-between can be pretty hard to come by. Here is a list definitely worth fighting for at the tape shops, all of which Moms and Dads will certainly enjoy themselves:
RAIDERS of the Lost Ark — In this landmark adventure flick, movieworld shaman George Lucas had proved beyond a doubt that fantasy — not ultra-realism — was the preference of the 80’s. “Raiders” has all the essential ingredients that had made those serialized cliff-hangers of pre-war vintage such a memorable part of our childhood afternoon televiewing: a whip-cracking superhero named Indiana Jones, a retinue of stonefaced Nazi stormtroopers, and a villain we all love to hate. Add a heavy touch of exotica, arab bandits and trap doors, and you have two hours of solid all-around entertainment. Hyperactive kids aping breakneck stunts may be the only drawback here.
Parent Trap — Starring the inimitable Haley Mills in a double role as twin sisters who meet accidentally for the first time while on summer camp. The twins connive to bring their estranged parents back together again with the help of sympathetic relatives and friends, even while switching roles in a merry madcap of a kiddie comedy. A rather lengthy feature on 750 cassette, this movie was once staple fare at private convent schools, and therefore has Sister Roberta’s stamp of approval.
Little Spies — A Disney Sunday Night Movie, this modern-day Mickey Rooney starrer has a low-budget storyline that’s a winner. A group of kids train diligently for weeks in black-face commando tactics in order to scale walls, jam alarms, and spring their pet pooch from a racketeering dog pound.
The Peanut-Butter Solution — A surprise package unrated on the shelves, this seemingly-mediocre fantasy film of Canadian origin has the same macabre edge that has made Grimm’s fairytales immortal classics. A fifth grader suffers a terrible fright and loses all of his hair as a result. Turning to witchcraft after medical science fails to restore his curly locks, he overdoes the formula and sprouts a head of hypergrowth that must be seen to be believed. A barber’s delight!
Captain Sinbad — Not to be confused with other less-successful titles from the Sinbad series (The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Sinbad in the Eyes of the Tiger, etc.) this golden oldie can take the rest to school with sword-and-sorcery stunts that have survived time and digital optics. A kiddie must-see, this is one of the greatest adventure flicks of the century.
Nadia — Gymnastic superstar Nadia comes to life as a warm and sensitive teenager behind the famous pout, a potentially-tragic figure who eventually triumphs over murderous public adulation and homefront political machinations. This is a respectable enough biography spiced by tense Olympic moments, emotional crisis and general-patronage romance. Perhaps a little too jaded for the hardboiled, but great viewing for both the young and the young at heart.
Ewoks: Battle for Endor — Brought to your livingroom screens by the same team that gave the world the inimitable “Star Wars” trilogy, this second in a series of expanded full-length features starring those wooly-wobbly guardians of the forest, puts all our bad-mouthing to shame regarding short-change sequels. Produced especially for kids, this movie proves beyond a doubt what a little imagination and a compassionate script can do. Grab it if you get the chance!
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Cesare A.X. Syjuco, “Great Tapes For Kids” (page 1 of 1), The Manila Times, August 24, 1987
