Harlem Corners

During the three year period between 1989 and 1991 there wasn’t a movie released that I didn’t see. The reason for this was Harlem Corners. Harlem Corners was a dollar movie theater on 87^th and Harlem in Bridgeview. It was perfect because my friends and I would get out of work from Kmart at 9:30 and be able to get to the theater before the 10:00 shows.

We usually hit the cinema on Monday, Tuesday’s or Wednesday’s. On Sunday’s we had softball with the Kmart team. On Thursday’s we had movie night at our house in Willow Springs. Friday and Saturday nights were usually spent going to a party. So, those other nights being bored in the suburbs and not being able to drink legally on top of being poor, we would usually just hit Harlem Corners and catch a flick. It didn’t matter what was showing, because we didn’t care.

With the movie only costing a buck to get into, it was perfect for our minimum wage earning asses. As a matter of fact we were so cheap we used to have Denise, a girl who used to work at Kmart with us, sneak us in for free. So anytime I am surfing cable and a movie comes on from that time frame, you can bet I saw it.

I have a lot of fond and some not so fond, memories of those times and here are just a couple of stories from the days of hitting Harlem Corner’s.

Parenthood
One night we were working at the Mart and my friend Chris asked innocently enough, how many people we could get to go see this shit move that night. I told him easily twenty. He doubted me. I was in the Pharmacy that night, so I grabbed my address book and started making calls from the Pharmacy phone. I called everyone I knew and told them, to go see the movie and to bring some friends.

Sure enough when we got there the theater was packed with people we knew. I lost count of exactly just how many people were there. Weather it was luck or no one having anything to do on a weeknight, we were able to literally fill the theater with our posse. It was like we were having a private screening among people we knew. As bad as the move is (and boy is it bad) we wound up having a pretty good time with it.

Lock Up
For those of you who don’t remember this classic, it starred Sylvester Stallone as a prisoner at the end of his sentence and Donald Sutherland as the vindictive warden. It sucked in case you were wondering. Well, my friends and I headed up to Harlem Corners to check it out.

As we usually did we snuck in some beers and a bottle of who knows what. Before the movie even starts someone drops a full beer and it goes rolling down the aisle stopping at some old man’s feet as beer is spraying everywhere. The sight and sound of it caused our teen asses to go into hysterics.

Then the movie started. It was really bad so, we all started making comments. Our friend Mike who has always been, how can I say this the most graphic, made some sexually inappropriate remarks about Stallone’s wife in the film, causing some gasps and angry looks from the other patrons. He was asked to leave, but instead just moved one row back fooling the sixteen year old security guard.

Sex, Lies and Videotape
As per usual with nothing to do one night, we decided to hit Harlem Corners after work. For some reason, that night it was just the boys. So, we look at what is playing and not knowing anything about it decided to get tickets for Sex, Lies and Videotape.

It was a group of about eight guys. Let me just say that it was in a word, awkward. Eight guys going to see Sex, Lies and Videotape together was way more then our suburban, nineteen year old asses could get our heads around. It was how can I say this, kind of gay. And I mean that, in no derogatory way towards the homosexual community. Usually after a movie we would hit Taco Bell or something like that and grab a bite to eat. Not that night. After the movie, no words were spoken. We all got in our cars, and drove directly home without ever discussing it until years later.

Tremors
Here was a movie I expected nothing from. We all wound up loving it. In fact we loved it so much we went back the next night and then the next. All told, I think I saw that movie at Harlem Corners at least ten times.

Johnny Handsome
For some moronic reason we were really hyped to see this movie. So, again a bunch of us head up to Harlem Corners to go see it. Basically it was about an ugly criminal who gets plastic surgery, gets a new face becomes “handsome” but that can not change his past. All this staring Mickey Rourke.

The hate and adjectives that were used to describe this as we left would make Redd Foxx blush. We are all discussing our hatred for it when, our friend Rob, mentioned that he liked it. This led to an argument that lasted for like a week. I could not comprehend how anyone could possibly like that movie. I wonder, if I mention it to Rob today if he will cop to liking this movie at one time?

When Harry Met Sally
Wally, Chris and I were off of work one night. Our other friends were working so we decided to hit the early show at Harlem Corners to see a movie and then meet up with everyone when it was over. We head over to see what is playing and for some God forsaken reason decide to go see When Harry Met Sally.

Yes, three guys in their teens, thought it was a good idea to go see maybe the lamest romantic comedy in the history of cinema together. We should have all been forced to wear tampons for the remainder of the night as punishment for our lack of judgment. The movie ended and instead of meeting up with our friends we instead just went home. The first thing I did upon getting home was shower as to remove the stink of that film from by body.

Blaze
I had been trying to get this girl from Sporting Goods to go out with me. She was just my type, pretty, petite and kin of naïve. (Hence, easily duped.) She was also a good Mexican, Catholic girl. I should have known that it was a long shot but I figured what the hell.

So, we go to eat at Giordano’s and then I decide to spend the two bucks and take her to a movie at Harlem Corners. Again, I had a brain fart and thought it was a good idea to see Blaze with her. For those who don’t remember (and who does?) it was about a Louisiana politician (played by Paul Newman) who falls in love with a stripper. The film had many scenes taking place in strip clubs.

Like I said she was a nice wholesome Catholic girl. She was shy, and was quite embarrassed from what she was seeing on the big screen. It was beyond awkward watching that movie with her and I never got a second date with her if memory serves.

Matinee
This would be the last movie I would see at Harlem Corners. It was 1993. The theater turned into a complete pit by then. There were kids running around unsupervised. Pop was caked into the floor. The seats all needed repairs. It became depressing to try to watch a film there.

Jenny and I went there to see this movie for some reason, (it is a very forgettable film starring John Goodman) and the crowd and my surroundings just made the whole experience unpleasant. I walked out of the theater and said to myself, well that’s it. This will be the last movie I see here and it was.