hiya friends,
sad news today with the sudden death of John Hughes...i'm not sure how many of you know who he was or what he did, since he sorta dropped off the radar in the mid-90's - but for many of us kids growing up in the 80's, especially in the midwest, John's films played a significant role in framing the the landscape of misunderstood teenage angst; he made it okay to be young and awkward, and ultimately taught us lessons about breaking down stereotypes in the midst of peer pressures, zit creme and puberty. good times. the best times. i mean what 16 year old boy didn't want to be 'John Bender'? just for a day... i know i sure as hell did. i might, still...
..and young molly ringwald..i mean c'mon...that was a gift to us young boys in itself...
i used to drive around out in the suburbs of chicago looking for some of the locations of the great movies he made, just for fun and out of nostalgia...and i found a few, too.
i smoked a ciggy right where the high school had stood, (before it was torn down), where they shot 'the breakfast club' and drove around the little neighborhoods where several other of his films were made - listening to Simple Minds, of course..
i've always felt deeply connected to several of John's films, they've come up time and time again, in reference and in real life - and i'll remain a grateful and thankful fan of his work and influence for the rest of my days.
Rest in peace, Mr. Hughes.
pj