Did NOTLD occur over Memorial Day?

[Mr.G]

I starting thinking this past weekend while visiting my father and grandparent's graves on whether the original film occurred over the Memorial Day weekend? It seems odd that Johnny/Barbara would drive multiple hours on a random day to their father's grave. Any opinions or an actual answer would be appreciated!

[JDFP]

No. Barbara was clearly wearing a heavy jacket. She wouldn't be wearing a heavy jacket in the middle of May in PA (at least, I don't think so) unless it was unseasonably cold. I always imagined the original NOTLD was taking place sometime in the Fall (thunderstorms which usually don't happen in the summer and/or winter). In the new NOTLD it's mentioned in a newscast that it's September/October (I can't remember for certain the exact date mentioned by the reporter) sometime, so I'd imagine the original film would be set somewhere around late September/October time-frame as well. EDIT: The time had just changed. So, I would imagine this is for "Fall Back" in gaining an extra hour during the day for the trip -- which would mark the visit sometime around the middle of October for "Fall Back" as the time usually changes in October. j.p.

[bassman]

I thought it was their Mother and her birthday, anyway?

[Philly_SWAT]

EDIT: The time had just changed. So, I would imagine this is for "Fall Back" in gaining an extra hour during the day for the trip -- which would mark the visit sometime around the middle of October for "Fall Back" as the time usually changes in October. Yes, this. It seems odd that Johnny/Barbara would drive multiple hours on a random day to their father's grave. I laughed pretty good at that quote. What may appear as a "random day" to an outsider could have deep meaning to the loved one. They drove there at their mother's request....cold have been their wedding anniversary, the anniversary of his death, his birthday, etc. Certainly they weren't celebrating daylight savings time!

[Mr.G]

Yes, this. I laughed pretty good at that quote. What may appear as a "random day" to an outsider could have deep meaning to the loved one. They drove there at their mother's request....cold have been their wedding anniversary, the anniversary of his death, his birthday, etc. Certainly they weren't celebrating daylight savings time! LOL...I could have typed that better I guess. I meant that I'm sure it was a special day instead of just some random day; given my original question of Memorial Day being a significant day. I read my original post and it does sound very cold!

[JDFP]

I tried googling it but I couldn't find the exact date Daylight Savings began in 1968, so I'm proposing if we want to be technically specific on the exact date we're going with one of these days (we know it's a Sunday per the film and mentioning of church -- unless they're 7th Day Adventists but we're going with Sunday). So, if we break it down with Fall Back and Sunday in 1968 it's going to be one of these days depending on the exact date Daylight Savings began: 10/13/68, 10/20/68, 10/27/68, 11/03/68, and/or 11/10/68. We could probably narrow this down to the exact date if someone can find out the Daylight Savings date. Incidentially, was the film also filmed during the same date that the film is set in? (I.E.: The date in the film is, for example, 10/27/68 and the film was shot as of 10/27/68 as well for the date of filming?). Just curious here... Philly? j.p.

[sandrock74]

Certainly they weren't celebrating daylight savings time! Or, were they?

[triste realtà]

They ought to make the day the time changes the first day of summer.

[rongravy]

I thought it was their Mother and her birthday, anyway? That's what I thought/remember, even though I only own the remake. Shame on me, lol. They ought to make the day the time changes the first day of summer. I love your avvy. After years of not seeing Phantasm 2 after seeing it in the theater, I finally find/buy the dvd, and now it's easily seen on Netflix streaming. WTF?!?!? It was the best of them all.

[triste realtà]

I love your avvy. After years of not seeing Phantasm 2 after seeing it in the theater, I finally find/buy the dvd, and now it's easily seen on Netflix streaming. WTF?!?!? It was the best of them all. I taped it off showtime ep speed in the eighties, bought the r2 pal for cheap from england and have yet to do a full blown proper conversion (with menus) to ntsc (hate the pal speedup) although the one I did is fine. Now you can get it for very cheap in a Universal 4 pack with SSSSS and Serpent and the Rainbow and Funhouse in ntsc r1. I think it's the best one, too.

[Yojimbo]

They ought to make the day the time changes the first day of summer. Exactly! This would make it daylight savings for spring, since she wanted to make it the first day of summer because it was nearly 8pm and the sun was still out - not the type of statement you would be making for the fall back in october. Additionally, Johnny kept griping about how he had already lost an hour of sleep due to the time change, and you lose sleep when you spring forward, not fall back - which is my favorite one since you gain an hour of precious sleep. Therefore in 1968, this would have been March 10th. I always assumed it was ordered by mother to commemorate a birthday, or an anniversary or some other such event and not related to the time change or any other holiday.

[JDFP]

Exactly! This would make it daylight savings for spring, since she wanted to make it the first day of summer because it was nearly 8pm and the sun was still out - not the type of statement you would be making for the fall back in october. Additionally, Johnny kept griping about how he had already lost an hour of sleep due to the time change, and you lose sleep when you spring forward, not fall back - which is my favorite one since you gain an hour of precious sleep. Therefore in 1968, this would have been March 10th. I always assumed it was ordered by mother to commemorate a birthday, or an anniversary or some other such event and not related to the time change or any other holiday. Touche. NOTLD '90 is sometime on the other end of the year though (in one of the news broadcasts, and someone feel free to check me on this), the reporter announces the date as being somewhere around Sept/Oct I believe. Thus, I had always imagined the first one was setting the film somewhere around the same time period (which would coincide with Fall Back as opposed to Spring Forward) since 90' is such an homage to the original film. You got me though, so it seems to be fairly certain that the original was in March of '68 which would also explain the coat Barb is wearing as well as the thunderstorm as well. j.p.

[Yojimbo]

Touche. NOTLD '90 is sometime on the other end of the year though (in one of the news broadcasts, and someone feel free to check me on this), the reporter announces the date as being somewhere around Sept/Oct I believe. Thus, I had always imagined the first one was setting the film somewhere around the same time period (which would coincide with Fall Back as opposed to Spring Forward) since 90' is such an homage to the original film. You got me though, so it seems to be fairly certain that the original was in March of '68 which would also explain the coat Barb is wearing as well as the thunderstorm as well. j.p. JD, in all honesty I was only referring to 1968 - you may actually have something there about 90 which might have been set in the latter part of the year. Plus, it seemed that the sun set pretty quickly in the remake which would be consistant with October. Cheers, brother!

[MoonSylver]

I thought it was their Mother and her birthday, anyway? Father in the original: "Mother wants us to trot 500 miles..." "I don't even remember what the man looks like!" "We were going to put flowers on my fathers grave, Johnny n' me...Johnny..." Mother in the remake.

[bassman]

Mother in the remake. Ah....yup. Got em confused. Nothing to see here, people. Move along.