kindertrauma

Name that Trauma:: Dustin in Minnesota on a Comic Book Pit

Posted on By unkle lancifer

Greetings friends of all things creepy!

Here's one that hopefully one (or more) of you will be able to answer.

When I was growing up, I was a fan of horror comics. Although they would give me terrible nightmares, I would keep buying and reading them.

One of them that stands out in my mind I didn't buy, but found in my grandparents' attic. I am assuming it had belonged to one of my uncles. I am estimating this to have happened some time between 1977-81. I don't recall the title of the story or the comic in which it appeared, but I remember vague details from the story line. It involved a creepy house that the main character was curious about. In one of the panels toward the end of the story, it showed him standing outside of the house in the daytime, thinking about going inside. He finally did, and at the end he fell into a pit. I think the final frame showed him falling, his face either screaming or frozen in horror. There may have been a "spiral" he fell into — either that, or I'm confusing it with the intro to Lidsville. I am positive on him falling into a pit, though.

Do any of you horror comic fans know either the comic or the story title I'm semi-remembering?

Thanks!

Dustin in Minnesota

Mash Up:: The Birds Vs. The Fog

Posted on By unkle lancifer

People like to talk about how JOHN CARPENTER's HALLOWEEN carries a torch for HITCHCOCK's PSYCHO but how come folks rarely gossip about the mad crush THE FOG clearly has on THE BIRDS? I say these two coastal calamity movies need to get a room! Bays Antonio and Bodega are totally doing it and out of wedlock, I might add! THE FOG is so smitten it can't resist name-dropping Bodego Bay within the course of the film but I believe the goo-goo eyed flattery extends further than that.

Stevie (ADRIENNE BARBEAU) Wayne's windy, twisty roofless car ride echoes a similar drive taken by TIPPI HEDREN's Melanie Daniels and Stevie herself, could easily be siblings with raspy-voiced, fellow nicotine fiend, Annie Hayworth (SUZANNE PLESHETTE).

JAMIE LEE CURTIS' hitchhiking, free spirit Elizabeth Solley seems worlds away from HENREN's trickster socialite Melanie but they have one important thing in common, it is implied in one form or another that the arrival of both into a previously peaceful haven may be exactly what attracts the horror to come.

In both films the terror more or less, comes from the sky and the malevolent force masquerades as a harmless routine part of nature. The nightmares modus operandi is to, like the tide, surge and ebb, bombard then retreat and always with the unsaid threat that the next attack will be ten-fold. Each flick cradles large casts who huddle together to face the onslaught and quickly learn the benefits of barricading doors and windows with furniture. Both movies share a mutual concern for how the crisis affects community members both old (JANET LEIGH, JESSICA TANDY) and young (VERONICA CARTWRIGHT, TY MITCHELL), all the while, happily ignoring the more typical recipient of horror's attention, teenagers.

Where the two films diverge the most dramatically is with their explanations and conclusions. CARPENTER has no problem naming names. It is thanks to the corrupt actions of our forefathers that we suffer, the false lights of hope and understanding that hang above the jagged rocks of greed and prejudice are to blame. Simply put, we reap what we sow. You could even say that the dense swirling mists of THE FOG represent the cloudy confused view one has before they put their truth exposing THEY LIVE glasses on.

HITCHCOCK, with his devilish understanding of human behavior, throws implications towards everything from chicken seed to God's wrath, to repressed (specifically female) jealous rage allowing the audience (represented by the hysterical mother in the diner?) to burn any witch that suits them. He stands back silent, knowing that no tragedy is scapegoat-free for long. If he has any slant it appears to be that terrible things are simply a part of nature itself and that no attempt to fortify against them will suffice.

CARPENTER's accusation is tempered by his coda; Antonio Bay returns to normalcy and things are put back in their place with a stern warning to remain mindful. In HITCH's world there is no miraculous clean-up, no redemption after dues have been paid, no understanding the baffling events. The sun comes up as it always did but the world is forever scarred and changed. For the record, I prefer CARPENTER's outlook, that salvation is possible through accountability even though I sadly suspect HITCH's nihilism may be closer to the truth. In any case, I only wish that at some point during THE FOG that somebody called up the KAB radio station and requested Stevie play the "Risselty Rosselty Now Now Now" song, that would have made this love affair complete.

Traumafessions :: Unk on David Bowie and the Monster in the Closet

Posted on By unkle lancifer

DAVID BOWIE had a birthday a bunch of days ago and that made me remember the first time I was made aware of him, as a youngin' staying up late watching SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. In a few short years I'd be a huge fan, my first stadium concert experience would be seeing his "Serious Moonlight" tour but that SNL performance did nothing but freak me out. I think I was sadly raised with a rather concrete understanding of what was normal and what wasn't and it was truly alarming for me to witness someone acting so wildly bizarre. He was shamelessly strange and my little brain couldn't comprehend. I decided I should find the episode on Netflix Streaming and so I did and appropriately enough the often unnervingly intense MARTIN SHEEN was the host.

Fast-forwarding through the episode to find the musical portion, I spotted a skit that I had completely forgotten about but recognized at once and it's so kindertraumatic in theme that I have to share it here. SHEEN plays dad, JANE CURTIN plays mom and GILDA RADNER expertly portrays their excitable daughter Jenny. Dad has just finished reading POE's "The Raven" to Jenny and now it's time for her to go to sleep. He turns off the light, leaves the room and Jenny is soon terrified, imagining she sees a bear. She calls to her parents who come in to calm her and inform her that it's all in her mind. Next an intruder (GARRETT MORRIS) enters the room and Jenny screams. It's just a handyman returning for his tools the summoned parents reveal and so it's lights out and back to bed she goes. Next her bed starts to shake EXORCIST-style and the child yells again for her parents who return exasperated and explaining that they rented out the underside of her bed to a family of gypsies. Left alone once more, poor Jenny decides to put her mind at peace by making sure there is nothing in the closet. When she opens the closet door she sees this…a bloody-faced man with one eye falling out of his head, holding a hatchet!

How did I ever forget this? It was 1979, I was mad into horror and gory special effects and now I recall how amazed and fascinated I was by this figure! I remember how excited I was when she opened the closet door for a second time so that I may get another view! This was live television, I couldn't rewind it, I could only ogle heartily and try to gather as much detail as possible while I could, chances were I might not ever see it again! Jenny calls to her parents one last feeble hysterical time and their angry, frustrated voices are all she needs to know. Rather than call them back into the room and face their wrath, she'll take her chances with the psycho in the closet. I know how she feels. I realize it's highly unlikely that it was BOWIE under all that make-up doing double duty as the scary monster in the closet but I don't care, I'll imagine it was him anyway.

Name That Trauma:: Mark S. on a Bricked Up Bad dream

Posted on By unkle lancifer

I remember as a kid, turning on my little b/w tv set and seeing, what was either the ending of a movie, or an episode of anthology series. It had to have been around 81 or so. In it, a woman wakes up and upon opening her bedroom window and door, discovers that she has been bricked in! But this was apparently a nightmare. When she wakes for real, she opens the bedroom window and sees trees and hears the chirps of birds. Opens the bedroom door and nothing… But when she opens the front door to the house, it has been bricked up!

I may have the events scrambled a bit. (It has been 30+ years ya know!) Any leads would be greatly appreciated!

Keep up the great work on this AWESOME site!

Sunday Streaming :: The Hole (2009)

Posted on By unkle lancifer

Look under your carpet! Chances are something worthwhile is swept under there. I would have passed this one right by if I had not found out it was directed by the great JOE DANTE (GREMLINS). Even with that information, I admit to being a little hesitant. Who wants to see a movie about a hole? I guess it's admirable to keep a sense of mystery afloat but talk about hiding your light under a bushel! Folks, if your movie features a diabolical harlequin doll, lead with that! The evil doll is always your selling point! You can't say, "Oh, this movie is about a hole in the ground" and leave it at that. That's crazy. So now, please allow me to rectify that slight and tell you first and foremost that THE HOLE has an evil doll in it and it looks like this…

…nuff said… but I'll say a little (spoiler-free) more. In truth, this semi-dark fantasy isn't any more about a doll than it is about a hole. It's about three young people facing their fears and childhood traumas. If you are a fan of DANTE's GREMLINS, his surreal, superior segment in THE TWILIGHT ZONE MOVIE or his lovable penchant for DICK MILLER cameos, you'll want to jump into this pit. We're not talking new territory by a long shot but if you grew up delighting on the likes of THE GATE, POLTERGEIST, PAPERHOUSE or DREAMSCAPE , the familiar places THE HOLE takes you may produce a frothy nostalgic buzz more valuable than innovation. I certainly wish the climax was better played for more impact (our mostly likeable lead freezes up during scenes with the most emotional potential) but that's a small gripe considering the fun had throughout. Like DANTE's best work, it can be appreciated by folks of various ages and any remarks that it may be too dark for children I'll translate to mean it doesn't condescend. One thing is clear, THE HOLE deserves much more attention than it has garnered thus far and even though it sometimes feels like half the film it was meant to be, it's still worth a spin, if only to catch DANTE once again relishing how small things cast large shadows.

The Possession (2012)

Posted on By unkle lancifer

The ads for OLE (NIGHTWATCH) BORNEDAL's THE POSSESSION were so painfully generic that it wasn't difficult for me to decide it was less worth a two mile walk to the local theater than it was a three block walk to my nearest Red Box five months later. The signature image of a hand clawing its way out of someone's mouth was so yawn-worthy it easily nullified the SAM RAIMI "presents" credit. As much as I am happy to support horror films while they're braving the box office trenches, I don't think I was wrong reading this one as something more appropriate for a home viewing. At the risk of sounding cheap, the spending of $1.20 as opposed to $15.00 dollars undeniably puts me in a more forgiving mood, a mood that is only heightened when watching a flick alongside best pals beer, cats and quilt. This mostly standard movie deserves mostly standard complaints, clichés abound, predictability reigns and why oh why the soggy CGI? Still, I found it entertaining enough and there were a few elements that were genuinely satisfying. To focus on how unoriginal it ends up being is unoriginal in itself, so instead I decided to pick out five things that I enjoyed…

THE POSSESSION tells the tale of a little girl named Em (NATASHA CALIS) who buys an ugly wooden box at a yard sale and gets taken over by a demon that was trapped inside it. Before making her purchase, Em looks inside a window and sees a woman lying on a bed, bandaged head to toe, frantically shaking her head and pleading with her eyes, while her wailing warning of, "No!" is muffled by the glass. This scene is both totally creepy and completely hilarious to me.

CANDYMAN-like aerial shots, which I dig because I imagine they signify God looking down upon the happenings in total apathy.

JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN as dad Clyde is hyper-sympathetic and who is this MATISYAHU fellow? Apparently he's known as "The Hasidic Reggae Superstar." Anyway, I thought he really brought something unique as the Rabbi who the family turns to for help. He's so unaffected and counter Hollywood that he added an almost seventies vibe. He and MORGAN click well together and it's always nice to see such relatable folks on screen. KYRA SEDGWICK has her work cut out for not coming off as a joy killing drag and she succeeds well, particularly when she and her ex giggle through home movies representing happier days. The kids are fine too and don't delve into the obnoxious zone they easily could have. In fact this ensemble could have been trusted to carry the weight of the film a little bit more. For example, there's a scene where Mom confronts Em in her dark kitchen and we view the kid's face distorted through well placed glass jars and it's way more eerily effective than any of the less natural CGI manipulations to come.

THE POSSESSION doesn't seem confident enough in itself to blaze more of its own trail because when it leans toward its own path it walks taller. I'm also taking off points for never showing the raccoon that invades the kitchen in CGI form or otherwise. See, there is a message for all of us here! Follow your individual strengths and never skimp on the raccoons!

Name That Trauma:: Ren in Texas on a Haunted Cowboy Boot

Posted on By unkle lancifer

Hey there Folks,

Just stumbled across your great website and thought I would add in my two cents. There's a movie that's been floating around in my head since I was a little tyke…but I can't remember what the heck it is. It may even be a TV show.

All I remember is a room that is on fire (possibly) and a creepy red cowboy boot moving across the floor on it's own. I seem to remember it killed people or something stupid like that. I just can recall a lady in a room on fire, with a red boot passing by her, as if the boot has caused this mayhem. That might sound incredibly stupid, but it has been in my head for years. Think you guys could help me out?

-Ren

Dallas, Texas

Name That Trauma :: Reader Charles N. on a Mud Monster Cabin Attack

Posted on By unkle lancifer

Hi folks,

I've been visiting your site for a couple years now and really enjoy it. I was hoping you guys could help me with the name of a movie.

It was a mid-to-late '70s movie with people in a cabin being attacked by a mud monster. During one point in the movie, the front door is opened and the monster is there. They shut the door on its arm and cut if off. It comes toward them and I think one of them throws it against the wall. Plans for "building" the monster are found.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

UNK SEZ: That's a good one Charles! You're thinking of another Kindertrauma favorite, the 1978 TV movie THE WORLD BEYOND, which also aired as simply THE MUD MONSTER! It featured a pre-POLTERGEIST JOBETH WILLIAMS and was a follow up to another TV flick called THE WORLD OF DARKNESS, both were produced in hopes that a series might follow. Oh, how I wish one did! Check it out below!