Freaks and Geeks for Halloween

I had every intention of carrying on my long-held holiday tradition of watching Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein and a great scary movie. Netflix spit the bit on Young Frankenstein (it's probably showing up in my mailbox as we write) and while George Romero's original Night of the Living Dead was free "On-Demand," without the double feature it just didn't seem right.

So I popped in the Freaks and Geeks halloween episode (that I own) and created a new tradition. Every aspect of the roller coaster ride that is beeing a teen is nailed during this episode. I'm the guy in the back of that photo up there.

I was a stoned out geek throughout school. I was wasted pretty much everyday from my 14th birthday until I was 25. I was never cool enough to be a true Freak (we called them Heads where I grew up on Long Island) so I drifted uncomfortably between the Venn Diagram circles that were the Heads, Jocks, Geeks and Yuppies. So I can identify with almost every character on the show.

I actually dressed in drag with my best friend Dave to pick up my brother at the library. We didn't even have halloween as an excuse. I was driving so I must have been at least 16. It wasn't nearly as funny as Bill. Not much on television or in real life has ever been as funny as Bill.

If I ever get to make a movie, I promise to write really good parts for Bill (Martin Starr) and Neil (Sam Levine).

If you're keeping track, that movie also has a great part for Cheryl Hines.