I started to read Dune this evening, and at the mention of the Bene Gesserit “Littany Against Fear”, I started wondering where it was I’d first heard it. I remembered a monotone voice full of comedic dread uttering “I must not fear, fear is the mindkiller, fear is that little death that brings total oblivion” very quickly, over and over. I wondered about where I’d heard it before last year, when we watched the Sci Fi Channel’s 6-hour version in Sci-Fi Club, but I couldn’t place it. For the sake of my continued sanity, I’m quite relieved to realize where I first heard it. Peter Puppy, from the WB show “Earthworm Jim”. Wow, how many years ago did I watch that? It was part of my morning line up that consisted of Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and Nickelodeon’s “Real Monsters”. And after a brief Google, I find that “Real Monsters” joined the Nicktoons in 1993, ten years ago. Good gravy, that’s half my life!

I always find it so pleasantly surreal when I recall something from my childhood. For instance, when I was at Parsons, I dreamed large chunks of the movie “The Point”, which I last saw when I was in 1st grade. I think it’s part of being a senior that makes me want to revisit the things I loved when I was a wee kidlet, like the book “The Phantom Tollbooth”, the first book I read aloud to my parents since the time I was first learning to read. I must have reread that book 15 times — probably more. I wonder if the Lower School library has a copy.

Meanwhile, I’ll be trying to dredge up memories of Rainbow Brite. My sister would always insist on being ALL the “Color Kids”, making me play the parts of Murky and Lurky. Maybe I’ll rewatch some early Simpsons episodes and laugh at how many jokes I never understood. Maybe I’ll rent “Mystery Mansion”, the movie I rented almost every single time my family went to our old lakehouse thing. I’m slowly working through the Beatles movies, which I last saw in 2nd grade. But now it’s your turn to help me. For Priscilla’s Sanity, Name That Movie: Mt. Rushmore talking, with the heads moving back and forth. It acted as a sort of guiding figure. A warning: “Captain Smudge is following the fireworks.” I think it involved a friendly sea creature, most likely “Serendipity” or something. Comment if you remember the movie I’m referring to.

And now, if someone can only tell me what movie the line “Thank you for that ride down Amnesia Lane, gentlemen” is from, I would be a happy, happy person.