Category: Name That Trauma!

Hey! Love the show! Long-time listener, first-time caller, etc. I've had this on my mind for quite some time and am just now getting around to putting pixels to screen to get it solved. It is not a particularly traumatic memory that I need help with but it is one that has stumped me for years. Being a kid who was always interested in the macabre side of life I read every age appropriate ghost story book that I could get my hands on as a child. The one I am trying to find must have come from the library since I have never been able to find it in my collection. The book contained a story about a man walking down a lonely road. He finds a human skull in the road and he begins to kick it along as he walks. The skull begins to talk to him. I can't remember what they talked about or what happened next but I SWEAR that the story ended with a new skull in the road (the walking man's). This skull was described as new and glistening with blood in the moonlight. Well, at least that is my recollection of it. It was a visual that stuck with me as a child and into middle age. But search as I might, I cannot figure out where this story came from. I remember the book was a collection of stories and was most likely written for the elementary school set. Each chapter/story had a black and white illustration at the beginning and I can almost visualize the one that preceded this story (but not quite). Does anyone know what book this story came from? Or even the title of the story? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks so much and sweet dreams!

Dr. Nick

Hello Kindertrauma!

Once when I was younger, I was watching an older movie (70s, 80s possibly?) that was rerunning on TV. I don't remember much from it, except for this one part that scared the absolute crap out of me. In this scene, a preteen boy and a weird puffy, baggy, yellowish brown alien were sitting in a diner. Something or another happened with salt, and the alien started freaking the fuck out, screaming, and the lights started exploding. The details are extremely fuzzy, but all I can describe it as is an even scarier Mac N Me. If you all have any idea what this movie is called, I would love to watch it in its entirety.

Thank you, Nathaniel

UNK SEZ: An Alien that doesn't like salt? That doesn't sound like NUKIE (watch HERE), that creature from my favorite episode of MST3K, THE POD PEOPLE (watch HERE) or even Turkish aliens BADI (HERE) or HOMOTI (HERE). I'm stumped but I'm sure one of learned readers will know. In the meantime, I'll be watching my long lost pal Spewey below….

Hey y'all!

My boyfriend has been asking me what movie this is and I just can't figure it out. He says in it a guy is hooked up to a bunch of tubes and makes another guy drink some of the stuff from one of the tubes. My boyfriend thinks it was one of the House movies, but I haven't seen any of them in so many years that I can't remember. Can anyone verify what movie this is for me?

Thanks a bunch!

-Kathryn

UNK SEZ: This sounds familiar but I'm stumped! Maybe one of our knowledgeable readers can help! Big thanks to TOM BURMAN's 's MEET THE HOLLOWHEADS for providing today's bumper graphics!

Hey Kindertrauma-

In the mid to late 70's there was a fire safety commercial warning about the hazards of falling asleep with a lit cigarette. It featured a woman holding a photo of herself over her face talking about the fire and how her husband died because of it. I think she says, " He was the lucky one". Afterward, she pulls the picture away from her face to show that she was disfigured and burned in the fire. I remember it being very shocking and unexpected. Does this (exist) anywhere? Does anyone else remember it?

Thanks!

UNK SEZ: Boy, does that sound familiar, Larry! Kindertrauma and fire safety commercials sure seem to go hand in hand! I surely recall THIS ONE HERE which seems to feature my very own Winnie-the-Pooh doll taking a suicidal leap into flames! Hey, all of this fire safety talk has me thinking of 1966's creep-tastic PICTURE MOMMY DEAD (REVIEW HERE)! I say let's grab some images from the ol' chestnut to decorate this post and then let's watch the extra crispy, well-done flick below!

I've been trying to recall this movie that scared the crap out of me as a kid, if I'm not mistaken it begins with a house being shot up with rapid gunfire and the camera pans to a pair of crackled glasses on a table and there's a scene with a well (I think it's of huge significance to the plot) and maybe an ax? It may be b/w or partially b/w? I've seen it several times in the seventies late at night but that's all I can recall? I came across your website in the oddest way but I was so glad to find it, I figured if nothing else I could watch all the movies listed LOL. I'm desperate, I would love to put a name with his movie which has stood out in my memory all these years even though vague!

Thanks!

UNK SEZ: I sadly don't know the answer to this NTT but I do know the unrelated bumper images were kindly provided by 1978's THE ALIEN FACTOR which can be viewed in its stunning entirety below!

WITCH POSSESSION MOVIE WITH GIRL WITH DOLL

Around the mid 70s we watched some movie, which was on in the afternoon, concerning some family possessed by a witch or something. The family was very much of the typical wholesome 70s type group, with a husband, wife and little girl and boy. The big thing I remember about this was that the little girl had a rag-type doll. At one point, either the witch, or the girl herself, altered the doll so that it looked evil. This was a sure sign that the witch was present. Also, I think the parents became mean as well, when they fell under the spell. There might have been one of those typical downbeat twist endings to this one, which were common back in the day. But I swear this almost had the feel of an Afterschool Special. To this day I have no idea what this was, even though I have a ton of horror movie books and have not come across it. It might have been a made-for-tv affair, I can't recall. The one thing I remember was the girl and the doll.

BACKWOODS PSYCHO MOVIE

Ok, I wasn't a kid when I caught this one on TV, but being a horror fan I would have thought I'd have come across this at some point in all these years. All I remember is a scene where some backwoods psychos capture this girl. They're not total hicks, however, as they have access to certain medical drugs. One of the killers injects this girl with something and he tells her its a local anesthetic. As a result, she is fully conscious and aware, but is paralyzed as well. The idea is he and his accomplices are going to chop her up or something and she'll be awake and aware the entire time–a grisly proposition to say the least. There are at least two male villains and maybe even a female accomplice. This all takes place inside an unremarkable interior of a house–no texas chainsaw style weirdo trappings. There was probably some kind of twist ending to this thing (although I can't recall specifics) and it must have come out in the late 70s/early 80s. It was that business with the local anesthetic that I remember though, as I've never before or since seen that plot device used in a horror film. All I know is that it was not "Last House on Dead End Street", as I've seen that movie(thinking it may have been this), and that wouldn't have been on TV back then anyway.

Sincerely,
BFD

UNK SEZ: The possessed doll movie sounds a bit like my beloved CATHY'S CURSE but if that was the case, you probably would have bumped into it by now. As for the second backwoods psycho title, I'm pretty sure you're talking about 1990's marvelous BLOOD SALVAGE featuring ELM STREET's own JOHN SAXON. If I live to be a hundred I'll never understand why BLOOD SALVAGE is not more popular among horror fans. It's such a great flick and it has just about everything going for it except maybe a memorable title. I guess you can lead a horse to YouTube but you can't make him watch! Hey, look! It's BLOOD SALVAGE below! I'm Crossing my skeleton fingers that I'm correct but if not, BLOOD SALVAGE is still worth another tip of the hat!

I see that your website helps identify old shows, particularly the creepy kind. Could you guys identify this one for me? It's an episode of a show of the Twilight Zone/Outer Limits type. I think it's from the 80s. It's about a little boy who lives in a large minimalist style house with his mom and dad who ignore him. He takes care of himself, finding his own food somehow in the kitchen that doesn't have anything that's good for kids. A man (an angel?) starts showing up and eventually takes the little boy away from the house, rescuing him I suppose. I don't think the parents ever noticed that the little boy had disappeared. If I remember right, I think that items were disappearing from the house before the little boy was taken away, like his toys and other things he needed or that the parents wouldn't need when he was gone. I'm not sure about that part, though. I remember it being a very quiet episode, not much dialogue, and the house was very airy, kind of what people in the past would think of as houses of the future — but I don't know if it was set in the future. I've looked for it on Twilight Zone and Outer Limits episode lists and on lists of similar series. I can't find it. Does anyone know what show and episode this is?

Note: Today's unrelated bumper images come courtesy of 2008's fantastic yet highly underrated SPLINTER! Check it out if you have not already because I do believe it's pretty darn awesome.

When I was a kid growing up in the 1970's, only one movie theater in town was allowed to show DISNEY movies, and it was called the Manor Theater. In the 1980's, it was featured briefly in the Stephen King feature CAT'S EYE, in the sequence where gamblers were laying odds on whether or not a frightened kitty cat could scurry across the street before being squashed by the oncoming downtown traffic.

The Manor was in the shady part of town, which always made it extra exciting when we'd go see DISNEY movies there, especially at night. I recall heading there to see 101 DALMATIANS with my family, and my dad's sister's family when it was re-released, and my Aunt Judy decided to sit in the back of the Station Wagon with us kids for some reason. Anyway, she dropped a hankie or something, and assumed it was beneath me, and was digging under my little butt for it until I got irritated and snapped, "Get your fanny out of my finger," and everyone burst out laughing at my slip of the tongue.

Other than Disney movies, the Manor also showed B-movies on a regular basis, and eventually became the town's first discount "Dollar Movie," where my cousin and I last saw CLASH OF THE TITANS during its final run back in the 80's, when I was a teenager. I recall seeing COMIN' AT YA! in 3-D with my best friend there, but my strongest memory of the Manor was when I went to see THE ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD there…(well, that, and an Easter Sunday Double Feature of the WITCH MOUNTAIN movies, which we talked the manager into letting us stay to see one more time; oh, what fun it was). Anyway…

Before the DISNEY features began, even before the cartoons they'd sometimes show, the Manor would occasionally regale us kids with trailers for more grown-up fare, which made a trip to that theater all the more provocative for us. Before ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD began, I recall we'd decided to slip up to the balcony of the theater (another big treat for us, because we rarely got to do this), and with our Dip'n Stick candy in hand, we got ready for the show, and some possibly creepy movie trailers.

I do not know the name of the movie the trailer I'm writing about was, but I do know that it was an early 1970's movie, and it was set in Africa – possibly during the historical time period when the British Army was having regular skirmishes with the Zulu tribes or other natives who rejected their presence. I recall seeing golden plains, a caravan of some sort, and African warriors in full regalia, including exquisite head-dressings, spears, shields, etc. Note that it was not ZULU DAWN, or ZULU! as I am familiar with them, but it had a very similar look. What stood out to me, though, was a close-up of a large weapon with a massive paw with giant claws that was suddenly hoisted into the air — zoomed in on, if I remember correctly – and then it strikes someone below. A woman, I think, who's skirt has been torn from her in such a way as to expose her leg. As it slashes her leg, it leaves bloody tracks where the claws raised her flesh — and that's all I remember, other than images of fire, and a battle sequence. Long story short: the trailer both fascinated and horrified me, and I've wanted to see that movie ever since… I have no idea if it was a major release, or a B-movie, or what — but I've not seen the trailer since I saw ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD from that balcony in the Manor Theater. If anyone can tell me what the name of the movie was, I's be forever grateful.

BUDDO – A regular here at our favorite childhood haunt.

Hello,

I've written to you before and you added my little archetypal childhood fear on your website. It was titled "confessions by Warren F.", in it I related the story about a large muppet on "The Ed Sullivan Show" where Jim Henson had a "Gluttonous" huge puppet that ate "it's own" smaller version of itself… you put this on your website and I thought that was really cool.

I have another memory of a movie where there is a boy who half of his face is "burned" or "mutilated" somehow. His eye on the messed up side is totally white. He is being followed or is leading a man into an area, and it starts to rain. When the rains begin the nearby "Black Boulders" start to absorb the water and to grow into huge columns that start to collapse and the man and the boy have to find safety…. I just wonder if anyone out there can help me with this obviously twisted but true memory?

Note: Today's bumper images come courtesy of PAUL VERHOEVEN's 1985 epic FLESH + BLOOD which stars BLADE RUNNER's RUTGER HAUER and BRION JAMES, the always incredible JENNIFER JAON LEIGH and legendary Kindertrauma role model SUSAN TYRRELL! Check it out if you have not already because obviously it is awesome.

Okay, I've got a hell of a poser for you: way way back in '74 or '75, there was an animated TV movie that seemed to center around nuclear terrorism; specifically a group of terrorists using a computer (named – I swear I didn't imagine this – "Tarzan"), and threatening to detonate a nuclear weapon. I remember being right freaked out by the leader of the group as he sat in their bunker, reading a list of demands, his face – heck, his whole self – covered in what I now know was a nuclear/biological/chemical warfare suit (you know, full face gas mask, hood, gloves etc.) The group and their aims were unclear to my 5-year-old self, but it seemed less political and more cult-like. The culmination was that the bomb did go off, and one of the bad guys (possibly the leader) was thrown or fell out of a helicopter as it flew over the ruined city. I've tracked down every weird sci-fi or horror movie I was exposed to back when I was a tyke except for three, and this is one of 'em. The others are a beautiful, almost sketch-art like cartoon about fairies, the other about two kids who travel time after drinking from a fountain in the courtyard of an old mansion.

Anyway, thanks for listening, I hope maybe someone there can be of help.

-Bill S.