The one good thing about DVR is I'm discovering subscriptions to cable channels I didn't know I had. Which means obscure movies I haven't seen in forever. Right now I'm talking about "The Allnighter" here. You've probably never heard of it, but then, you weren't the biggest Bangles fan back in the Eighties. See, I was. I will not get into the level of my fandom but let's just say that if pictures of video ever surfaced SOMEONE would walk away with the Leah manse and fortune, such that it is.

"The Allnighter" came out in May of 1987. I was on the very edge of turning eleven and a half, my sister was just a few short days away from her seventh, I was wrapping up my sixth grade year, and looking forward to a fresh start at the local academic jr/sr high magnet. In addition to all this I was, as stated previously, a huge Bangles fan. Who wouldn't be? I mean, this was back in the day of "Walk Like An Egyptian" so you probably were too. So when I saw that a certain movie starring Bangle Susanna Hoffs I wanted to BE THERE. In addition it was rated PG-13. My parents really trusted my judgment so it wasn't completely out of the question. Of course, when it opened it was only at one theatre in town, a theatre that was quite a distance away and possibly in a bad part of town (either that or my parents just didn't want to haul my young self around).

Needless to say I did not see "The Allnighter" in the movie theatre. However, my overindulged, undersupervised friend AM had all the movie channels and her own VCR. By the time I made it to her house she had already watched the movie several times and had most of it memorized. In fact, I remember a certain scene being reviewed over and over again to illustrate that there is NO WAY the tomato sauce would've splashed that high.

I was so nonplussed by the whole thing. I suppose it was partly my relative innocence and partly the fact that it was just a craptacular movie. I do remember wishing I had Hoffs's stomach, but then I've never in my life had a flat stomach so who wouldn't?

So flash forward nineteen years and I have all these crazy movie channels I didn't know I had, also previously mentioned. I was setting up recordings and what movie is coming on in the next couple of days? "The Allnighter" is! SO I set the DVR and waited.

Today I watched "The Allnighter" for the second time ever and boy do I remain nonplussed. Who wouldn't be? This thing is five different movies packed into 100 minutes. I understand Red Herrings in a mystery or thriller but in a comedy? I swear, so much build up, so little pay off.

To tell you a little about the story it all takes place on the eve of college graduation. This university apparently gives class credit for tanning, screwing, and surfing. It seems everyone is also graduating in four years, which I suppose I can expect given the atmosphere of the campus. They also have a valedictorian which I don't remember being part of the college graduation experience, but then my senior class was considerably larger. This school appears to have less than one hundred graduating seniors. But who am I to judge? Three gals share a decent sized beachfront house. Three COLLEGE students.

Oh, and did I mention that this film was directed and co-written by Susanna Hoffs's mommy? Well, yeah.

But anyway, you can't go home again, and sometimes that's pretty cool.