Lauren RabainoI didn’t have a television growing up. OK, there, I said it. There’s no shame in my revealing this little bit of personal history, I can assure you; I wear my scarlet letter right here on my sleeve for all to see.
So as most of my television-crazed classmates were soaking up the foremost movies of my decade and spewing line after delicious line of quotable quotes like it was their job, I was basking in the glory of the completely and hopelessly uncool.
Talk about missing out on an entire subculture of cafeteria talk and playground jargon full of “Hey, you guys!” and “We’re not worthy, we’re not worthy.”
That being said, I must admit not having a tube during my formative years of cultural information gathering has presented me with one major philosophical quandary. Specifically, how can I call myself the queen of all pop culture if I haven’t experienced the complete popular culture of my own generation via the 24/7 streaming television of my youth?
I am embarrassed to admit that very high up there on my list of movie-going faux pas and cinematic blunders includes at one time never having seen “The Never-ending Story,” “Back to the Future,” “The Goonies,” “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” and . drum roll please . “Wayne’s World.”
Today, however, I am compelled to attest to the incredible acuity of my elementary classmates way back then, for one of these films has now made my top ten list of all time. Which film has that distinct pleasure, you ask? Ahem, that would be “Wayne’s World.”
Sprung forth from the outstanding genius of “Saturday Night Live” Mike Meyer’s and Dana Carvey (think: the birth of Athena) comes the delightfully smart epic of two sardonic, yet fun-loving metal heads who broadcast “Wayne’s World” live from their basement.
Hosted by Wayne Campbell (Meyers) and Garth
Algar (Carvey), “Wayne’s World” tells the story of two friends who find fame and fortune after selling their hilarious show and their souls to the local cable network managed by TV exec. Rob Lowe.
A tribute to the decade of its fruition, “Wayne’s World” is pure and unadulterated brilliance, human intellect at its best. This movie has everything anyone would ever want in a film: “babes” in the form of Tia Carrerre way back when she was “babe” status, awesome catch phrases, and then there’s the totally awesome scene in the car that is “Bohemian Rhapsody,” enough said.
For all these reasons, and because I truly believe “Wayne’s World” is a work of true acumen, “pop” goes this movie on my list of top-ten movies of all time.
Now for those of you skeptics out there scoffing to yourselves, I bet you’re wondering how a movie like “Wayne’s World” could ever make it in a “top” anything with the likes of “The Godfather” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogies, in addition to all six of the “Star Wars” films which . if you’re adding them all up, already equals 12 movies. I have a simple answer: I cheat. In my beautiful world, each of these bad boys counts as one.
So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, “Wayne’s World” enters my top 10. “Party on, Wayne. Party on, Garth. Excellent!”