The Burbs

If you haven’t seen this gem in a while, I highly recommend revisiting it while we’re all stuck at home stalking our neighbors.

It’s honestly amazing to me how many of my neighbors I’ve come to know (and know well) during the past 11 weeks. We went from 0 to 100. And what’s even more incredible is what these former strangers choose to share. I think quarantine has given everyone a case of verbal diarrhea…and it’s contagious (welcome to my life of oversharing)! It’s like we’ve forgotten how to get to know people, and instead you see a friendly face from across the street and just blurt out “I’m getting a divorce” or “my husband cheated on me with my best friend’s sister.” Then there’s the “nice to meet you” as they scurry on their way to overshare their life-changing news with someone else. It’s fucking spectacular!

Anyways, Jacoby likes “spooky” movies and I figured The Burbs was innocent enough (it’s Tom Hanks for fucks sake!) that we could all enjoy a non-cartoon movie night to bring our long weekend to a perfect close. It was just as great as I remembered! I was totally into it…and I hadn’t even drank or taken one of my husband’s edibles (a topic for another day)! It’s just an all around good, sober classic!

If you’re following me, you won’t be surprised to hear that we’ve had quite a few parental fails and our almost-7-year-old has seen way worse. That’s why I was shocked that this one left him so unsettled. He was fine until the end where Dr. Klopek tries to kill Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) and they find a trunk load of skeletal remains in his car. That’s when he announced we should have waited to watch this one until he’s eight (oh boy). He also can’t seem to accept the fact that Hans (pictured above) was part of the Klopek killings “because he just looks like a nice guy.” Either my son lacks all character judgement (possible), or I’m just an asshole (fact) and judge poor Hans by his inbred appearance. Although, despite my son’s innocence, I’m convinced Hans left the set of Deliverance, drove through the Hills Have Eyes and arrived on the set of The Burbs leaving a wake of death in his dust.