Maybe I should read Robinson Crusoe

Yesterday, Swiss Family Robinson was showing at The Yugoslav Film Museum. It’s a movie that I have seen more times than I can count, but not at all in at least the past ten years. I think my parents taped it off TV when I was young. I remember rewinding and watching the action sequence when the pirates attack over and over again. I was a bit nervous that my memory of the movie would be much better than the movie itself.

My speculation will have to continue for another day. I tried to go see it, but wasn’t allowed to. I think it was a special screening of some sort and they had no empty seats, but I didn’t understand all of what the ticket-seller said. I didn’t have my ears primed for a complicated explanation—I was listening to make sure I got the ticket price right.

So I came home and watched a few episodes of Lost and was stunned by the similarities. I guess stranded on a desert island narratives only have so many variations. Both have weird animals and strangers appear. There are love triangles. Both groups are attacked by baddies. (Although Lost is much much scarier about it. I have learned that I can’t watch episodes before bed or I have nightmares.) The Swiss Family are way better in the housing department, though—I would love to live in their treehouse. Living under a tarp or in a weird underground lair is not so appealing.