DVDizzy Forum

hello everyone.
a long time ago when i was a young boy i saw this movie on disney channel.
it was about tops. spinning things as i describe it lol. it was a really good movie. and i keep thinking about it. but i cant find it anywhere and i dont know the name of it. can anyone please remind me, i would really like to see this movie again.

<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110168/" target="_blank">It Runs in the Family</a>?

no it wasnt that movie =(
it was a bunch of kids who all had tops.
and they had like tournaments with it and stuff.
to see who could spin longer. sorry i cant describe it so well.
it was a long time ago :\

The top-spinning contest <b>was</b> in that movie.

hmmm... there was this movie I remember where it was set in the depression and the kids were having top contests. At one time they go to an Asian guy and get a great top from him for like 50 cents. I think this is the same movie, don't they like find a Japanese soldier or something?

Harbinger wrote:hmmm... there was this movie I remember where it was set in the depression and the kids were having top contests. At one time they go to an Asian guy and get a great top from him for like 50 cents. I think this is the same movie, don't they like find a Japanese soldier or something?

yes it was something like that!

anyone know the name yet?

I'm pretty darned sure that IS It Runs In The Family, and not the crappy Micheal Douglas one from 2003.

Cheers,
JM

it isnt runs in the family =(

anyone know . please help i really need to see this movie again.
i cant get it out my mind.

Got to the IMDb site and enter "It Runs In The Family" (1994) and click on the trailer for the movie. You will find that this is the movie you are thinking about.

It really isn't that old of a movie, but then 12 years old can seem like a long time ago.

Anyway, this is quite a good movie. It is a lot of fun, and scenes with the top contest are great.

This is the movie you are looking for, guaranteed.

This film is called "My Summer Story." It's a sequel to "A Christmas Story," the film where the kid, Ralphie, wants a B.B. gun for Christmas. In "My Summer Story," he is after the ultimate fighting top, and, yes, at one point they go to a Chinese shop owner to get a Chinese KILLER top. It's a great, underrated sequel, but it's tough to follow a Christmas themed film. The problem you're having with identifying it is that it was originally going to be titled, "It Runs In the Family," which is what it was called in the theatrical trailers, and perhaps it did get that title in some places. However, probably to clue people in that it is a sequel to A Christmas Story, it showed up on the Disney Channel as "My Summer Story." I don't know if it ever actually got a U.S. theatrical release, but I do remember seeing the trailers for it in theaters with the original title.

It just recently came out on DVD here in the U.S. I need to get it, but I still need the Special Edition of A Christmas Story. I only have the crappy first edition. Both films are major favorites of mine!

See my post above..........that is the movie that I am referring to. Everything you said s2m is correct. Now if we can just get vaK to watch it, or at least the trailer, he will know that we aren't misleading him.

Here it is on Amazon.com on DVD (I currently have the old VHS release), where it is once again called "My Summer Story":

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... /ref=nosim

Here's the famous Christmas film in its 2-disc release (man, I want these DVDs!): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... /ref=nosim

And here is a Ralphie film that I believe was made between those two, and I think it was made for TV. I don't know if it was made for PBS or the Disney Channel, or what. I'm pretty sure I first saw it either on the Disney Channel or on the Disney Sunday Movie on ABC. Anyway, it's the story of Ralph's first job, losing and finding the family dog, and most importantly, the annual family road trip to a beloved fishing spot, "Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss," sadly, still only available on VHS (I've got this one too):

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... /ref=nosim

By the way, there were also three other Ralphie films made for TV (American Playhouse on PBS). In fact, I believe they were made before even the Christmas film! Not sure of the order, but they were:

The Great American 4th of July and Other Disasters, starring Matt Dillon as a teenage Ralphie. This is probably the best of the three, and a must watch on the 4th of July. Ralph's blind date is hilarious!

The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnovsky. This loosely revolves around Thanksgiving, so it's good Thanksgiving viewing. It's about Ralph falling for the new Polish girl next door, but getting a rude awakening when he finds out how seriously her family views dating!

The Phantom of the Open Hearth. This is about Ralph going to the prom, and I think it also tells the story of the leg lamp, made famous in "A Christmas Story." I THINK this is also the one where the Old Man helps a friend try to put together a do it yourself house that he ordered through the mail. Reminds me of that Goofy cartoon... I suppose I play the 4th of July one the most, so I'm more sure what is on that story.

Two other things. In "My Summer Story," they do the bit about mom's Orpheum Theater Gravy Boat fiasco. Well, I believe one of these PBS shows covered that story as well. Also, both "Great American 4th of July and other disasters" and "Ollie Hopnoodle's" cover the washrag chain letter story.

And, I didn't mention it before, but Ollie Hopnoodle's, as you may have guessed, is a Family Summer Vacation themed story. So, there are two Ralphie movies with summer vacation themes.


Got those three PBS shows when a Jean Shepherd fansite was selling them years ago on VHS. Not the best quality, but watchable and better than not having them at all. They say they will probably never get an official release due to legal issues over the music, but ya never know for sure. I wonder if anyone, anywhere, is selling DVDs of these programs yet... Obviously, I'm a big fan of the Ralphie films, based on Jean Shepherd's writings.

I've seen the latter film on Disney Channel, but that was several years back now.

I wasn't aware of the other sequel and will definitely have to look into checking it out.

Love that Avatar, E.W.

I forgot that I wanted to mention, back in the EARLY days of the Disney Channel, when it was awesome beyond words, I saw those 3 PBS Ralphie movies as a little kid. They used to run them all the time. Wish I'd taped 'em back then. I guess they've run all those films on Disney Channel, though I'm not sure if they ever ran "A Christmas Story." Don't remember them doing that. I LOVE tuning in to the 24 hour Christmas Story marathon every Christmas, when I'm not watching other Christmas stuff. My family even started going to a Chinese buffet for Christmas dinner every year (since my dad doesn't want to cook two huge Turker dinners a year anymore). Also have all the Christmas Story action figures proudly displayed in my room. The Flick one is hilarious. They made the entire family, plus Flick stuck to the pole. Wish all these movies were better exposed! They are fantastic films! One of the reasons I love the show "Mama's Family" is that it reminds me of the Ralphie films. In fact, the actress who plays Naomi even played Ralph's mom in "Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss." Oh, the guy who starred in "Sliders" and played Sidney's boyfriend in Scream 2 (can't remember his name just now) is the one who played Ralphie in Ollie Hopnoodle's. I think Ralph was 14 in that one.

Oh, yeah, for the record, I don't think any of these were Disney movies, except MAYBE Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss.

Neither "Ollie" nor "Family" (could never get used to calling it "My Summer Story") were produced by Disney; it was PBS and MGM, respectively.

Edit: Disney took care of "Ollie's" home video distribution, though.

Finchx0rz wrote: Edit: Disney took care of "Ollie's" home video distribution, though.

Yeah, that's what I thought. I was sure it said Disney or Buena Vista on my VHS cover somewhere. Wish they'd release Ollie on DVD now.