Category: Name That Trauma!

Off the bat, I want to say I love your website…I was lucky enough to figure out one traumatic scene from childhood on my own (the head coming out of the table in THE MANITOU), but this one is still nagging at me…

It was the end of a movie I saw when I was about 9 years old…a woman was being chased by a vampire (or Satanist?), who cornered her in an empty in-ground pool. As I remember it, she was saved by the sheriff, but then he locked her in a cell; as it turned out, the whole town were vampires (or something like that), and the movie ended with a freeze frame of her screaming.

It's hard to say why I found it so scary at the time, I think part of it was the low budget film quality-it looked like it was shot on super-8, which gave it a cinéma vérité kind of feeling-but I'd really like to see it again now. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Jeremy

UPDATE: NAME THAT TRAUMA SOLVED! Thanks to sumo1964 for pointing us towards WARLOCK MOON (a.k.a. BLOODY SPA)!

I don't know the name of the movie…..I've been trying to find it for years….it was on T.V. (HBO?) Early '80s and a group of people were stranded on an island (maybe a planet) where the only source of food were plants that when you ate them, you would turn into a plant and one by one the people would give into hunger and eat the plant. It is the only movie that has ever creeped me out and it still does to this day. Any idea what the movie is?

UNK SEZ: Chris F., I've come across many a killer plant movie in my day but few where people are transformed into the plants that they've eaten. The only one I can think of where that scenario occurs is MATANGO (1963) a.k.a. ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE, Directed by ISHIRO HONDA (GODZILLA) and based on the story "The Voice In The Night" by WILLIAM HOPE HODGSON. It just might be the one you're looking for.

In the movie a group of shipwrecked people find themselves on a bizarre looking deserted island, so strange it could be mistaken for another planet. Although warned not to eat the fungus found on the island, starvation gets the better of them. One by one they succumb to temptation, only to go mad and turn into plants themselves.

As wacked out as the premise sounds, the trippy local and the palpable fear of contagion really are disturbing. Who would ever think that a movie about killer mushrooms could be so effective? Now, I'm not sure if this is the one you're seeking, I doubt it was ever on HBO but even if it's not, hopefully I lead you toward a horror classic you will enjoy anyway. Otherwise the floor is open, does anyone know of a movie that might better fit Chris F.'s description?

UPDATE: Unk was right.

Hi,

I have searched all over the internet trying to find the title to four movies I caught on T.V. when I was younger. I found the answer to the first – TOBE HOOPER's INVADERS FROM MARS (I always remember the people getting sucked down into the vortexes of sand). But I can't find the answer to these other three. Unfortunately, I don't remember much.

In the first movie, I remember a group of people, possibly older teenagers, in a room that has a television and an evil-looking man appears on the television, maybe to give them directions or taunt them or something. The room might have been some type of mausoleum or something, as I seem to remember there being a coffin in the room, and I think there was a lot of dry ice fog. The only other thing I remember is that I think the rest of the movie is simply the people getting killed in the house in various ways. The movie was very dark and I think one scene was of someone getting crushed to death by a floating coffin, maybe? I think somebody may have fallen down the stairs as well.

The second movie I remember even less. The main thing I remember was that a nurse was trying to kill some students in a high school and she killed one student by throwing a pole vaulting pole that had a sharpened end a very long distance and killing a student in front of some lockers.

Finally, the last movie was featured on Svengoolie. I've looked at the list of movies that have been featured on Svengoolie, but none seem to match this. It was an older movie about an artist who killed people and hid the bodies in these large, reddish monster sculptures he made. I remember the sculptures were very mottled in appearance.

That's all I remember! If anyone can help I would really appreciate it!

Mike

UNK SEZ: I'm pretty confident that the first one you mentioned is FRIGHTMARE a.k.a THE HORROR STAR from 1982. The film's villain makes an appearance at his own funeral via a taped message on a television, a woman is smashed under a coffin AND dry ice abounds everywhere. Check out the detailed synopsis over at HYSTERIA LIVES and check out the trailer below…

…As for the second film you mentioned I'll let Aunt John handle that one, it's one of his favorite movies of all time!

AUNT JOHN SEZ: Mike, I can say with the utmost certainty that your second trauma stems from the 1982 all-star slasher spoof PANDEMONIUM. Unfortunately, this chestnut has never made it to DVD and I can't seem to find my VHS copy anywhere here in the Kindertrauma Castle to grab the scene you are talking about. Anyhows, here's the trailer:

And here's another classic scene with CAROL KANE, EILEEN BRENNAN, and some dirty pillows:

UNK SEZ: The third film you're looking for sounds a lot like ROGER CORMAN's BUCKET OF BLOOD but you mentioned red clay and that one is in black and white. If the trailer below doesn't ring a bell, maybe one of our knowledgeable readers has a better guess?

UPDATE: Although FRIGHTMARE is correct, Mike tells us that the second film he was looking for was actually FATAL GAMES from 1984 (kudos to reader Magired for solving that one!). He has also confirmed that the third film is 1973's SCREAM PRETTY PEGGY, thanks go to our old pal Senski of HEART IN A JAR for figuring that one out (and Craig for backing him up!). Thanks to all who helped Mike solve his trio of mysteries, check out the comments for further details!-UNK

Hey guys,

My name is Mitch and I do a blog called Vitamin Burger, you were nice enough to follow me. I had a question, well more of a conformation. When I was around 10 or 11 it was either 1981 or ‘82, I saw a T.V. show and I think it was called DARKROOM? It was a omnibus type show, and had scary stories, similar to TALES FROM THE CRYPT. I remember an episode and I think it was called "Cat Got Your Tongue," but not for sure.

I can only recall a few minor details: a guy on a motorcycle, and old woman, and at the end of the episode, a woman asked the guy, "What's wrong, cat got your tongue?"… then it showed a cat actually eating the guys tongue out.

Am I right? Was it DARKROOM? Was that the name of the episode? Have you seen it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much,

Mitch

AUNT JOHN SEZ: Mitch, this trauma does come from the short-lived, JAMES COBURN-hosted anthology series DARKROOM. The segment you are talking about is called "Catnip" (from episode five) and stars JOCELYN BRANDO. For more details, and screen grabs, be sure to check out THE HAUNTED CLOSET.

Dear Fellow Horror-Heads,

Back when I was in middle school (and on through high school), I used to frequent this little mom and pop video store that was chalk full of horror VHS tapes (ah, the good ol' days!). I had always been a fan of horror movies, but this little hole in the wall video store opened my eyes to the likes of NIGHT OF THE DEMONS, SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE, KILLER PARTY, etc. I was in horror heaven (or hell depending on how you wanna look at it!). So many gems from the ‘70s and ‘80s! Some awesomely good and some so awesomely horrible that I just had to watch them another thirty or forty times just to be sure they were awesomely horrible (and sometimes to memorize the lines! Shut it! I'm weird. I'm allowed.)

For the last couple years I've been trying to remember the name of one of the movies I rented oh so long ago, but I haven't the slightest clue where to begin the search because I don't remember much about the movie. It had a very generic storyline, I believe. Group of high school or college kids decide to frequent an old house, bloody hi-jinks ensue.

There was a particularly traumatizing moment in the movie that, young as I was, just made my eyes bug out as I asked myself, "The hell?" At some point during the storyline, two people get lost in the house for a little nudge-nudge, wink-wink, zonk-zonk. That's not the part that traumatized me though.

Sometime after that couple got lost for a little horror movie lovin', a group of girls (and I don't remember if these girls were onto the fact that everyone was dying yet or not) went up to look for them. The thing that struck me as horrifying was that one of the girls, as they were walking up the stairs, said it smelled like sex.

Say what?

Yes, sex. I, hormonal and not too bright, was all like, "Oh my blazing bounty chickens, what in the world does sex SMELL like?"

To someone who didn't know any better, completely terrifying!

Anyway, I was wondering if my fellow horror-heads had any idea what this movie is called. I would love to get my hands on a copy.

Cathy

In the early '80s in Long Island, NY channel 11 used to have Saturday Matinee Theatre where they showed B-horror movies probably from the '70s on. I have a horrific memory of a long-haired brunette wearing a green dress walking towards the camera. Her face was somehow disfigured (melting?) and she had a robotic-like voice. Based on this small description, no one has been able to help me figure out what this movie is. If someone can crack this mystery, I'd be ever indebted.

Thank you,

Brooke

UPDATE: NAME THAT TRAUMA SOLVED! Special thanks to stavner for stepping it up with THE MONSTER CLUB (& FatherOfTears for finding the clips)!

UNSOLVED TRAUMA: Does anyone happen to know this one from Liam?

Hi there!

My name is Chad and I was just admiring kindertrauma very much. I have been looking for a horror movie that has haunted me since my video store renting childhood. I've forgotten the name of it, and with the decline of VHS it is getting harder and harder to solve the mystery. I can only give a few details that I remember (vaguely) and if anything rings a bell, I would be much appreciative to hear back from you.

The movie came out in the late ‘80s, possibly very early ‘90s. It involves teenagers driving through a strange small town. There is a brief, and virtually unnecessary appearance of a clown on the side of the road, holding up a sign that reads something along the lines of: "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE" which one of the teens reads out loud and queries: "That's strange." The clown and the sign are also on the box art, which is one of the few things I remember about the physical video box.

I also remember a few sleazy scenes, including an old stripper who gets groped by two old patrons. Also it is eluded that one of the teens has a physically romantic moment with a freshly murdered teenage body in a bathtub off-screen.

I apologize for not giving much to work on, plot wise, for I barely remember the point of the movie deep in the abyss of horror videos I viewed before hitting puberty. But I can guess, judging from what I do know is that the town is full of old people who murder young passersbys for whatever reason.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and if you can think of a title that resembles this I would love to hear back from you!

Sincerely,

Chad

UPDATE: NAME THAT TRAUMA SOLVED! Special thanks to reader craig for knowing that the clown in question is from THE AMERICAN SCREAM.

Hey. I just recently remembered a book from my childhood that I was looking to put to rest. It was a picture book about these aliens who come to earth. I really have no idea why, but either all the kids or all the aliens started throwing up, and there was a full color illustration of either kids or aliens/monsters or both) puking. My mom was so upset by it that she had to talk to a librarian about it. I really want to know if anybody remembers this book (and can tell me why everybody was puking). I read it in '96/'97.

UPDATE: NAME THAT TRAUMA SOLVED! Special thanks to commenter fragileguilt for throwing up the title HERE COME THE ALIENS!