I’ve always been a sucker for high-fantasy rom-coms like Splash, Hello Again, Peggy Sue Got Married, High Spirits, Chances Are (you get the idea)… The hopeless romantic in me likes to believe that love can overcome anything – whether it’s distance, space, time, social class, curses, death, alien anatomy, or mermaid biology. And I say that with confidence, having semi-successfully navigated at least three of those situations in my life.
Needless to say, when this little devil hit video store shelves back in ’87, I couldn’t get that clamshell home fast enough. As expected, what came out of the VCR was fashionably fizzy soda pop with a distinct New Line B-movie aftertaste – but Scott Valentine’s wide-eyed schizophrenic performance made it well worth the price of a new release rental.
So, this Scott Valentine’s Day, put your mouth where your mouth is and curl up with a loved one, a box of wine, and something monstrously romantic on your choice space-age movie-watching device. And hey, if you find yourselves getting distracted before the credits roll, you’re welcome.
Of course, if you’re looking for something with a bit more bite from Mr. Valentine – To Sleep with a Vampire (1992), with the immortal Charlie Spradling, might just seduce you.