A Visit to the Westwood Mall on Halloween 1991 🎃 - My Retro Life

[@cindimaxwell9285]

I think I was deemed the “Thank you-police“ back then. Loved it Tyler!

[@gi_nattak]

That’s the sign of a great mom!

[@MyRetroLife]

I’m glad you were! I learned a thing or two!

[@fancypretzel2610]

Shout out to your mom for telling you to say thank you after each place you got candy at 😆

[@handzus19]

This is a real treat and endearing to see people in the 90s. People were also noticeably much more calmer, at peace, and there existed a certain warmth between people from this footage of the mall wanderers.

[@ja.8077]

Social media truly ruined so much😢

[@Tony-zx8ju]

​@ja.8077 15 years from now we'll be saying the same thing but this time about A.I. assuming the world hasnt ended

[@Zombie_Trooper]

​@@ja.8077 Oh Don't be daft. Social media is a lot of things, but the root cause of unhappiness in the world...no. Try the multiple wars, the political landscape, the growing economic divide, the housing crisis, post 2020 issues, race relations, etc, etc, things that weren't as significant in most middle American lives 30 years ago.

[@therealist4197]

Social media. News. Politicians… all to blame for ruining that stuff

[@Mandilore89]

You're only seeing the good memories of the 1990s. Keep in mind, when people filmed stuff back then, it was to capture the good because film was expensive & usage of it was far more limited to today. So that's why you see a lot more pleasant stuff from that era in time. Trust me, there was a lot of bullshit going on back then. It was just a different type of bullshit compared to today.

[@MPK112233]

Mom is on a mission to make every stop, be polite and to get the hell out of there.

[@MyRetroLife]

This made me laugh 😂

[@sirmi9868]

I'll say it again. Your dad was way ahead of his time. Genious

[@43njdevils]

I think i was a ninja turtle in 91. It's great looking back at that time compared to now. I remember i also had the cheap plastic mask with the rubber string holding it to my face lol. I thought i looked so cool.

[@mikebison]

The chubby beetlejuice kid is solid gold!

[@mgshock]

He's the ghost with the most!

[@blwn2bts]

​@@mgshockThe Ghost With the Hostess

[@empire0]

Beetleshake

[@MissLady310]

He looks like a little Tim Dillon 😄

[@JingerBreadMann]

I’ve enjoyed watching your videos over the years so much. As a 37 year old, these carry such a large hit of nostalgia. I recently learned I’m going to be a dad, and now they hit so much different. I think all of us viewers can all agree your dad did something special for us all by capturing these memories - even if we aren’t in them ourselves. I hope I can be for my kids what your dad was for you - and what he was for the rest of us.

[@MyRetroLife]

Thanks man and congratulations! Being a Dad is a best

[@sk8erboi101791]

This would have been literally 2 weeks after I was born! Who would have ever thought that I’d be able to look up and see videos of what the world was like the year I was born!?!?!?! What an awesome video your dad was able to capture. Thank you for sharing this puzzle piece of history Tyler. ❤️‍🔥🙏❤️‍🔥

[@ZenShroud1]

That skeleton door decoration at 2:06 instantly put me back three decades. We had that EXACT one on our door, probably the same year. Wow.

[@taydestiny38]

We have to all give a shout out to this Dad, who had the foresight to record everything from video game play to mall visits back in the 90s. It’s been a pleasure watching these videos and getting the all the feels of nostalgia. Also, respect to both parents trying to instill manners to these kids by making them show gratitude and saying Thank You, when they receive candy. I love seeing that!!

[@XxNxtLevelxX]

Dad was a KZbinr before KZbin ! He knew.

[@AaronMT]

I love this video. There are parallels I see here as we’re the same age. Can you imagine malls, as poorly as they are performing now be doing the same thing in 2023? I can’t imagine. Whole different era. I remember those cheaply made masks with the elastic drawstring, it was tough to breathe in them.

[@MyRetroLife]

Yeah you don’t really see those type of masks anymore do you? Thanks for the comment. We will miss malls when they are all gone :-(

[@oggamer735]

That time was the peak of humanity. If i could i would live in that time for ever.

[@semplew]

Your videos are priceless for allowing us to revisit this incredible era!

[@MyRetroLife]

Glad you like them!

[@Darkglobe1977]

Looks like Oct 31 1991 in Houston had a low of 45 which was beat in 1993 with a low of 33 or what we like to call in Canada Summer Weather!

[@bxgeo5180]

That sunset your dad took on his camera was amazing! Had to pause the video and take it in. Halloween in the 80s and 90s were something else. Thanks for sharing this

[@MyRetroLife]

Here's a TREAT from My Retro Life! On Halloween 1991, the Westwood Mall opened its doors to families. EVERY RETAIL STORE handed out candy. As always, Dad got it all on tape! Have a great Halloween everyone.

[@zairehaylock4974]

I still love the 90's because I was born in '95. Happy Halloween, Ty.

[@MrCalverino]

Westwood Mall is sooo throwback southwest Houston!!! I love this ch... it's honestly the best gaming ch on the net!!! PERIOD!!!

[@zairehaylock4974]

@@MrCalverino Very Retro.

[@RetroRyan]

All my childhood home videos are chock full of “say thank you!” also from Mom 😂 Especially cause they were usually filmed on holidays or birthday parties 🎃🎂

[@zairehaylock4974]

@@RetroRyan Sweet childhood memories you already have there.

[@failuretothink]

In MN for Halloween 91, we had a blizzard for at least 20 inches of snow 😂

[@starxz_3ditzz]

how did you post this comment 2 hrs ago????

[@failuretothink]

@@starxz_3ditzz I am a monthly member. I think we get the episodes early?

[@sneakerssnake2787]

Sioux Falls SD here… 91’ was legendary 😂

[@thepickinpreacher]

the 90s a grande and glorious time for sure!

[@mrbransformer4184]

Thank you for these videos. My dad just recently got diagnosed with cancer, you and your dad are so much like me and my father, these give me so much comfort and remind me of everything he did for me. Thank you so much I really mean it.

[@admiralAlfonso9001]

I’ll pray for your dad

[@cindimaxwell9285]

I’ll pray for your Dad too🙏

[@MyRetroLife]

Count me in as praying for your Dad! So sorry you’re going through this.

[@mrbransformer4184]

Thank you, it means a lot. You may not ever really realize the impact these things can have, but they can really mean the entire world.

[@steveafanador6441]

I miss the 90s a lot 😢

[@daviddonnell2153]

I always loved going to the mall for Halloween as a kid. Seeing sam goody in this video was so nostalgic. This does make me sad because it is like I'm watching my childhood and here I am in my 30s wondering where the time went. Life back in the 90s was so simple, we did not need social media to talk to friends, we socialize through school, stayed over at friends house on weekends playing video games eating pizza and watching morning cartoons. Nowadays everyone is glued to their iPhones and socializing, family, friends, etc don't seem to matter anymore because people are attacking others on social media. If only we can go back to this and stop technology from advancing.

[@MPK112233]

It's funny how we all end up making these comments about the generations before us. Sometimes watching old pictures and these videos are fun but there can be a sense of sadness too. Would be nice to go back in time wouldn't it. I still enjoy going to malls, even just to stroll through. Even the ones that are barely hanging on, something special about them. However, with technology now, things may never be the same. But that's ok. Best wishes to you.

[@Chad_Walters]

Ha. Cold… When I was a kid we got two feet of snow on Halloween in 1991 here in Minnesota. Still went out trick or treating! Talkin’ bout it’s cold😂

[@MyRetroLife]

It was insane cold all over the country!

[@AugustinOlivares]

@@MyRetroLife Thats crazy you remember that...

[@seanmyster6]

I was born in 1994, so I only experienced the latter half of the decade; but even I can still confirm that the 90s was an *awesome* decade to be alive, especially if you were a kid. 😎👍

[@NintenPizza]

The late 80's and early 90's get my vote. Magical times to be alive. But i'm also really starting to appreciate the later 90's now too, due to how horrendous pop culture has been for the last 15-20 years. :P

[@ell3655]

I was born in 93 and barely remember the 90’s. Most of my memories started in the early aughts

[@wildkatz84]

so awesome, loved seeing that chubby Beetlejuice kid.

[@ja.8077]

Hell yeah, the 90s and early 2000s were such a great time to be a kid.

[@cxinthechat4276]

Facts

[@tommy516]

The Ghost kid has a Totally 90's hair cut!

[@xswoarnx]

I as a 40 year old really enjoy watching tapes from the 80's and 90's. Thank you for providing the footage and happy Halloween.

[@darkphase777]

cold hallowing, those are hot now in houston

[@BeneaththeMask69]

I love how watching someone else’s home videos still give me the same nostalgic feeling. ❤

[@shut0ut]

I don’t think we ever went to Westwood Mall. Our stomping grounds were Willowbrook, Greenspoint, and later on The Woodlands Mall. This video certainly captures the look and feel of all of them during that wonderful era. Thank you.

[@christiangonzales7429]

Willowbrook and Greenspoint weren't far from each other at all.

[@707tinman707]

Could you consider doing a location, "Then & Now" comparison video? That'd be cool to see how much has changed.

[@MyRetroLife]

Unfortunately the Westwood Mall closed many years ago but great idea

[@beardsloan]

​@MyRetroLife is the building still standing? Your channel is big enough to collaborate with one of the abandoned exploration channels!!!

[@suxxormyfinger]

@@beardsloan The building is still there. It's at the corner of Hwy 59 and Bissonnet in Houston. The Sears which was on the eastern end of the building Is now a BMW Dealership, the western end which was a Dilllard's I believe is now a Texas Children' s Health Clinic, and the parts in the middle became business offices and the recently closed Altierus Career College. There's a bunch of pictures of the modern day interior online if you do a search for Westwood Mall Houston.

[@christiangonzales7429]

@@beardsloan Yes it is and it is still open to the public, but it is an office complex now. I went there a few years ago.

[@blade5883]

Very cool video takes me back to growing up in the 90's

[@gertrudelanny9241]

Yeah sure, noses weren’t to phones, but your dads eye was in the viewfinder. Glad he captured this timeless moment

[@mistrdevine]

Freezing cold weather never stopped us from trick or treating in upstate New York!

[@_captain_N]

to be a young kid again and hanging out at malls back in the good old days.

[@ulysses2162]

I was 12 years old in 1991, and remember that year well, as I got a Sega Mega Drive for Christmas. Greetings from 🇬🇧

[@Dhennick99]

Mom was in a mood 😅

[@retrofasho5730]

I always take a deep breath when i watch your channel. Im 37 and it feels like just yesterday i was living those worry free days! Your dads footage always hits home , 😔

[@empire0]

Im 38 and its a trip seeing videos from this time

[@chriswaters834]

Beetlejuice kid was definitely a highlight of this episode. Hats off to his makeup artist.

[@TheCollector1985]

Crazy how every Child in this Video is in their 30s or 40s. God I wished I can be a kid again in the 90s. 😭

[@paulmilner8452]

humanity peaked at 1999

[@dancinglight8411]

They look young here for being 30 or 40

[@christopherevans9119]

I remember our malls In Little Rock, Arkansas & North Little Rock doing the same 1991 because of the cold weather during that time era… Had costumes contests, local DJs & radio stations playing music, Our local news stations covering the big trick or treat event, Haunted House set up In the malls, & each store having candy, games, & prizes going on also… & also the movie theaters of both malls had All the Michael Myers Halloween 🎃 playing along with other horror movies… This video brings back the memories of the sweet nostalgia feeling for a 44yr old kid at ❤

[@Riz2336]

That’s cool man. Brings back memories of the mall days, haven’t been in a mall in a really long time

[@starxz_3ditzz]

this is SOOO cool!!!!!!, I love watching recordings from back in the day! I hope you have a good Halloween this year 🎃🎃❤️❤️

[@MyRetroLife]

Thank you! You too!

[@matthewvandenbranden7629]

It's snowing here in Wisconsin ❄️ Happy Halloween 🎃

[@GamingintoEternity]

Great footage Tyler! I'm happy the quality of the tapes are so great. I found some vhs tapes from '85 in my Dad's house and they were moldy. You brought me back to '91. At that time I was in college, 19 years old and working at the record store in the mall. I remember handing out candy to the trick or treaters. Good times, innocent times. Like you said, no cell phones like these days with everyone with their heads down.

[@black2785]

I do remember malls in Cali doing the same thing, wow

[@hqgirl567]

What an experience just to watch from my phone. This looks so cool. This is why I wish I was born in the 80s and 90s. It was so cool to see kb toys!

[@SoloBoardGamingKnight]

I just have to point out the incredible difference between then and now. Everyone seemed happier. People still had their problems but they were happier. It’s really sad when you see the parallels of people today compared to back then. In a way, with all of the “advancements” there have been, people just lived better lives back then. Talk about not making the most of what’s given. I do not see any division anywhere in this video yet that’s not what people are told today. Apparently, all it takes is to tell people that weren’t alive back then how horrible people were and they’d believe it. I’m so glad I was blessed enough to live durning the 80’s. It’s also nice to see people interacting with one another instead of looking down at their phones.

[@joserivas1517]

Hey Tyler! I love your videos but this one brings a tear to my eyes. 1991 was my first Halloween. I still remember those type of costumes witht the plastic mask and the logo on the shirt. I had a TMNT one 😅. One of those memories I'll never forget and this one is such a throwback. The streets used to be filled with kids and teens witj their parents. Now i feel like that tradition is slowly fading

[@Prophacyx]

That's literally the same thing i was wondering looking at all these adults in the video. How their life would be back in the 90s.

[@brandoboyer731]

Thanks for this brother! Thanks for helping us all remember.. those were the days!

[@blade5883]

The good old days

[@andrewstarordeadoff5211]

In the early 90's I had the same haircut as your buddy Brian and my mother had the same haircut as your mother! 😄

[@westonmeyer3110]

Kids these days probably couldn’t even imagine malls functioning like this. Even when I was growing up just a few years later malls were already heavily scaling back from activities like this. They weren’t just retail centers, they were community centers that our parents basically lived at when they weren’t in school.

[@badcp455]

Videos like this are priceless. Thank you and your family! Legendary!

[@Nintendolove27]

Thank you for the best Halloween gift imaginable…this is simply amazing!

[@MyRetroLife]

You are so welcome!

[@georged7627]

We here in Australia just started trick or treating a few years ago as it didn’t make an impact like it did in the US…everyone just thought it was an American thing 🤘🏾but hey its fun as hell

[@GeekTruth64]

Through your video I was able to relive some of my own nostalgia, thank you so much for sharing.

[@eliteprophet7630]

you took us on an adventure through a time machine! thank you for this!

[@AcousticFogg]

What an amazing life, here in Mexico, helloween is not a big festival but we have “dia de muertos”.

[@SeanMic517]

I was born on October 30th 1991. It’s so cool to see this footage knowing somewhere on the earth it was my 2nd day alive

[@Mark-mu4pj]

Loved Halloween back in the 90s...Happy Halloween everyone 🎃👻

[@JustinSteereMusic]

Seriously, this is a gem. It's amazing that your dad thought to film all this stuff not knowing how big streaming and videos would be past the tape recorder era. Especially all this stuff in the mall and different places that don't exist like this anymore and the footage is watchable. What an incredible piece of history to have. Your dad is giving all of our memories the gift of sight again. Around 1991 is when I really started to get excited about trick or treating. Happy Halloween!

[@Ronsilk-pu5hr]

I was in my 20s in the 1990s and yes it was a great time to be alive. The world was so much better then it is now.

[@mikewarner5583]

Much respect tyler, im positive both your dad and my mom are looking down on us both being very proud 👏❤❤❤❤ lost my mom 3 years ago. She did as much for me as dad did for you!

[@Chal0099]

MONSTER IN MY POCKET COSTUME?! Those were my favorite toys when I was a kid, around that same time! I collected them around 1991/1992!! That and Castlevania started my love for gothic horror

[@TheAtariNetwork]

I miss these days. Thank you for sharing not only your memories but a reminder of a simpler and in many ways a better time.

[@Recoil816]

I was 7 years old the year I did this at my local mall in 1990; the 'Independence Center' (in Independence, Missouri... imagine that). Every single store was giving out candy. We took paper grocery bags in, and left with them probably half-full. After that, we went and trick-or-treated around our neighborhoods for another solid hour at least. When I say those bags were filled to the brim, it isn't an exaggeration. It was easily my favorite Halloween as a little boy.

[@dc2akira]

Oh ma gah the sound in the background @2:52 filled my childhood through the 90’s. My aunt had a toy ghost that would kind of tremble while playing that same looping sound.

[@gray_g_gamer]

I love this so much so many memories unlocked even though I'm in Canada we did the same. And when I seen that 9.99 for Nintendo games I was like 😱

[@BobBilly-gq8xy]

8:25 tyler plotting his revenge on the person who bumped into him XD 🤣🤣😆😆

[@ToeTag9899]

The 90's was the last great decade in society IMO granted it was far from perfect but it was the closest we ever got.

[@Gameboy-Unboxings]

That's not opinion.. it's fact. 👍

[@skywishr1313]

​@Gameboy-Unboxings no it's an opinion

[@EvaFull]

😂 😂😂😂 I had a “Westwood Mall” in my hometown too. Happy Halloween 🎃 Tyler!!!!

[@joshmiller887]

I often watch older footage and see people living their lives and ask that same questions. “What was their life like? Where were they going?” Thank you so much for sharing!

[@EDFCentral]

I have those exact Beistle brand diecut Halloween decorations that you have in your windows, that i use to this very day! The witch, skeleton head, pumpkin are iconic to me. Its not Halloween without them.

[@JoeFpoc]

Really cool. I was about 12 around this time. The 90s was such a great time, everyone was so nice and stuff was so cheap too. Wish i could go back but I’m sure every generation says the same thing

[@Spikenector]

My favorite Halloween ever!!! Thursday night, got tons of great candy, went home and caught the new Treehouse of Horror Simpsons episode, then on friday traded candy with other school kids before the weekend!

[@OldSchoolLife]

Ah, back when malls were still great...I remember going to the mall in the 90's when they had trick-or-treating...I was a young adult then, but I enjoyed seeing what kind of costumes the kids wore, and I even dressed up myself. Good times. Thanks for sharing the memories!

[@retrorider-NYC]

Aw man I miss my GIZMO costume as a kid back then, DEFINITELY a better time to be a kid before smart phones. Thanks for sharing as always👍🏽. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!🎃

[@ungntidprssnt2799]

seeing all the different costumes from back then is awesome

[@toonswap8511]

My son recently turned 2 and he caught hand, foot and mouth a few days back. His first time Trick or Treating will have to wait until next year. We still decorated the house, pumpkins, and danced to Monster Mash & The Time Warp. Happy Halloween to you and your family Tyler!

[@BryanOrion-m5i]

I remember being a kid during this time...people were just friendly and communicated with each other...everything is so miserable these days

[@ILOVEBACONBOY2018]

I miss those times.

[@Jamesdalbright]

I remember that Halloween. We had the worst blizzard in Iowa Halloween history that year, they canceled trick or treating but my sister and I still went to our neighbors on just our block and got handfuls of candy. I enjoyed seeing kbtoys and Sam goody in your video, treasures of the past.

[@darrennye2629]

Surreal I'm from England and in 1991 I was on holiday in texas on Halloween, this is just like the shopping mall we went to at the time

[@brutalis782]

loved the video! ty. Also, its very sad seeing malls across America empty and being torn down or completely abandoned. nothing really tangible anymore... just buying online

[@arroncronce8221]

The random shot of the woman mannequin gave me Dawn of the Dead vibes for a quick moment haha but otherwise another classic thank you for this nostalgic time capsule 👊

[@trr5291]

My family had the same Halloween decorations that you had on the front door. The shopping center that we used to trick or treat in still has the event. My niece who is 9 goes every year.

[@edwardsanchez3708]

I remember that Halloween going out and trick or treating in the neighborhood, and it being cold. We didn't have a whole lot of cold Halloweens in Houston but when it was cold it just fit the season better and seemed more fun running around with friends.

[@reap_25]

I was born in early 1991. So obviously I wouldn't remember this era. But I was there as a baby, and people seemed more..."civilized" then. Can't believe most of those kids in this video are in their 40s. Wow time flies.

[@Halosword83]

My uncle worked at mr bulky's candy store at the bannister mall in the 90s. One year he gave me and my brother a 5lb bag of candy for halloween!!

[@TooBokoo]

I would've killed to live in Texas in 1991. My state, Minnesota, saw a blizzard on this night that gave us, Wisconsin and Iowa over 30-37 inches of snow. 22 people died. We went Trick or Treating in it, and it was glorious!!!

[@ryanwood6754]

such innocence. Don't see things like this anymore

[@oddpodshow]

Really enjoyed this, great vid. Cool Monster in my Pocket costume 😊

[@cesarrojas8066]

Damn man miss those good ol days I was 4 turning 5 in 1991 😢 this America I miss.

[@Richter_val82]

In my country kids don't go by the neighbourhood collecting candy, but we do buy tons of candy, decorate our houses and watch horror movies with the family. Happy Halloween 🎃

[@derpsincorporated6539]

The weird thing that this video makes me think about is how well documented the years after the release of smartphones will be. I wonder if since its so saturated if there will still be nostalgia for those times since you can see it whenever. Old footage of this time period and before are priceless. Its the only way to experience it if you weren't there.

[@DamnRandall]

This brought back a memory I hadn't thought of in a long time. Way back in 1993 or 1994, my parents took us to one of our local malls (Main Place Mall in Santa Ana, CA) for a similar Halloween event. I really don't remember anything about that except for stopping by Electronics Boutique. I specifically remember getting a Rocket Knight Adventures trading card with Sparkster on it. Fast forward to 2003, a year after high school, I got a job at that same Electronics Boutique (the signage still said Electronics Boutique, not EBGames). That same kid at EB that gave me that trading card was still working there, now the assistant store manager.

[@Craplatte]

As a european kid who only knew Halloween from TV and movies, I was always a little jealous of the tradition. Nice to see a time capsule like this 🙂 Btw., I love that your Mom always insisted on you saying Thank you XD It's such a small thing but you really notice it when someone doesn't say it.