kindertrauma

Traumafessions :: Reader Chuckles on "All About Ghosts"

Posted on By aunt john

it's all about ghosts

Chuckles here. I previously submitted a traumafession concerning my apocalyptic childhood viewing of the film THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD. However, reader Carly's post concerning a book called "Horrible Histories" dredged up another horror that I had nearly forgotten. The culprit this time was the slim, heavily illustrated "All About Ghosts", 1977, Maynard, Usborne Publishing. It was sort of a Time-Life book for kids about ghosts and hauntings and presented the topic in a very matter-of-fact fashion, noting the various phenomena associated with ghosts and documenting many ghostly tales.

This amusing and informative kids book scared the sh*t out of me. I really can't remember what it was that freaked me out so much – it must have been some of the illustrations. I also recall a spread showing a bunch of alleged ghost photos – I think that there was one of the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall in there. Here was photographic PROOF that ghosts existed!

In order to rid myself of the accursed book, I "loaned" it to a friend down the block and conveniently forgot to ask for it back. Years later, when I was in my teens, this neighbor moves away but before she does, she comes by and returns the book! Talk about a sense of accountability! I recall that she was a Mormon – are they really good about returning stuff? Anyhow, I immediately went through the book and I simply could not figure out what it was that I had found so terrifying – it all seemed very innocuous.

Anyone else remember this book? Anyone else up all night after reading it when you were a tot?

AUNT JOHN SEZ: For more amazing imagery from "All About Ghosts" be sure to check out our brother from another mother, Brother Bill at THE HAUNTED CLOSET! Now as for books that did an elementary school number on me, I was obsessed with Seymour Simon's "Ghosts," "The Thing at the Foot of the Bed," and anything by Daniel Cohen.

Name That Trauma :: Reader Sarah H. on Sparring Lady Spelunkers

Posted on By aunt john

I ADORE your website, and always seem to spend hours just reading your posts. My favorites are the Name That Trauma! bits, and do I have one for you. As I am probably one of Kindertrauma's youngest readers, this probably occurred late ‘90s or early ‘00s, when I was around 6 or 7. I remember catching two clips on our television that haunted me for the next several years. I would play them over and over in my head lying in my bed at night, and just sit there and shiver.

The first had escaped me over the years, but I clearly remember the second. It was not so much overly creepy as just simply excessively violent and grim. There are two women trapped in a cave and I don't think they can find their way out. They are both scraped up and grimy and the lighting is dark. They begin to fight and one picks up a pickaxe and stands over the other, who is now crying and pleading for her life. The first then swings the pickaxe down into the lower stomach of the second, and there is a gush of blood as the woman screams and cries. I don't know what happens after this, or before, but at the time it scared the living bejezzus out of me!

Anybody have a clue of what this may be?

UNK SEZ:: Sarah, glad to help out a budding horror fan! My guess is that you must be talking about NEIL MARSHALL's modern classic THE DESCENT. The scene you describe sounds like that film's ending. My only misgiving is that THE DESCENT is from 2005, a bit more recent than what you remember. Check out the trailer below and see if it rings any bells and if you haven't already seen the movie, make sure you do!

Name That Trauma:: Reader Annie on Abusive Anime

Posted on By aunt john

Hey all,

You may remember me from when I submitted my Traumafession about the BBC Animated Macbeth. This time I can't remember the name of the movie that scarred me so.

When I was about 7, I had a brief love affair with anime. What this means is that I liked to watch the episodes of SAILOR MOON that were shown on Cartoon Network early in the morning. What can I say; the short skirts drew me in. My mother, thinking that because I liked this particular show I must like every anime, rented this one movie for me that really damaged my psyche.

All I remember is that the main character is a little boy whose mother is very abusive. I don't remember if the abusive is physical but I'm pretty sure she was neglectful. This would have been enough to upset me: the whole tone of the movie was pretty dark and unsettling. What I remember most, though, is a scene with a green monster. I remember that the monster is called "a lost soul." One night, it comes to this family's house, breaks in, and tears shit up. As I recall, it's a pretty bloody scene.

I don't remember much of the movie (if it is a movie at all) but this image stayed with me. Maybe some of you anime experts out there can help me find it so I can watch it again and reassure myself that it's not as terrible as I remember.

–Annie

UPDATE: NAME THAT TRAUMA SOLVED! Extra special thanks to Va of Va's The Cinema Experience for emailing us MERMAID'S SCAR.

Traumafessions :: From The Makers of The Black Waters of Echo's Pond…

Posted on By unkle lancifer

UNK SEZ: Look kids! We've got some special traumafessions from the makers of THE BLACK WATERS OF ECHO'S POND which opens TODAY!

SEAN CLARK (Screenwriter, THE BLACK WATERS OF ECHO'S POND):

My first memory of seeing a horror film as a child was seeing JAWS in the theater when it came out. I was terrified and it ruined going to the beach for me for the rest of my life. When Ben Gardner's head popped out of the bottom of the boat I just about pissed myself! The next one was seeing ALIEN in the theater. I remember getting a stomach ache the next day and staring at my belly afraid an Alien was going to come ripping out of it. I was freaked out. Lastly I think the worst one was TRILOGY OF TERROR. I saw it on T.V. and when the segment played where the Zuni Fetish Doll comes to life and chases KAREN BLACK around her apartment I was in tears and screaming for my mom to turn it off. They wouldn't shut it off and I had nightmares for months. I was a huge KISS fan and had the Mego 12" Gene Simmons doll and it kind of reminded me of the Zuni Doll so I had my mom lock it up in a cupboard in the kitchen. I thought it would come to life and attack me.

GABRIEL BOLOGNA (Director, THE BLACK WATERS OF ECHO'S POND)

Hands down, the scariest film I saw as a kid, that still haunts me to this day, is THE EXORCIST. The total fright-experience in WILLIAM FRIEDKIN's chilling masterpiece still holds today, because he so brilliantly blurred the lines between make-believe and reality. Because of that film, I can't tell you how many times at bed time as a child, I had to check underneath the bed, under the furniture, check the closets, etc. Looking back, it seems almost comical that, out of all the places in the world, the devil would choose to lurk in my very bedroom — by the way, THE EXORCIST was on cable again a couple of months ago, and afterwards — I checked under my bed.

UNK SEZ:: Thanks guys for the stellar trauma-testimonials! All you traumatots out there, GO see this movie and support not only independent cinema but guys who are nice enough to supply traumafessions! THE BLACK WATERS OF ECHO'S POND stars the legendary Michael Myers foil DANIELLE HARRIS and JAMES DUVAL of DONNIE DARKO and (my favorite) MAY fame! Heck, you'll even get a nice dose of ROBERT PATRICK! So whatcha' waiting for? Go, check your local listings for a theater near you!

Kindertrauma Funhouse :: Spellbinder Spectacular!

Posted on By unkle lancifer

UNK SEZ:: Yes, the unstoppable Internet buzz is accurate! Today, the greatest day ever invented, is the day that YOU can win a pre-owned VHS tape of the 1988 smash SPELLBINDER starring AUDRA LINDLEY. Too behind the times to own a VHS player? I feel for you but rest assured this priceless item also makes a great paperweight, conversation piece or secret location to hide money. Did I mention it's out of print and theoretically banned? Not owning this tape is sort of like condoning book burning if you ask me.

YOU MUST HAVE IT! Even if you don't know any of the answers to today's Funhouse, you can still win because our winner will be picked randomly by number. Knowledge shall never prevail over enthusiasm here at Kindertrauma Castle! If you're so inclined, you could leave a comment simply telling us why YOU MUST WIN or about your most favorite THREE'S COMPANY episode. You may even want to start a scorching interweb debate over who was the better landlord, The Ropers or Mr. Furley. Get commenting, today YOU could be the SPELLBINDER!

HOW TO PLAY:: Below are ten images from ten horror movie posters. The more movie titles you identify, the better you will feel today. If you don't recognize any of the images talk about THREE'S COMPANY.

Traumafessions :: Reader Carly on Dr. Suess & Horrible Histories

Posted on By aunt john

I was quite a bookworm as a kid, so it's no surprise that a lot of my Kindertrauma came from books. There are three that come immediately to mind – Two of them were from Dr. Seuss books; one was a short story – I think it was in the same book as "The Sneetches" – that involved this pair of sentient green pants with nobody inside them that followed the narrator around, basically stalking him! I read that book in the dentist's office and it scared me for weeks afterward.

The other Dr. Seuss culprit was a single page in the middle of "There's a Wocket in My Pocket," which is basically a book that existed so Dr. Seuss could draw a bunch of fun creatures and name them, I think. Anyway, the page in question was a double-page spread that had this picture of just a giant lump under a rug in a darkened room, with the narrator peeking in very nervously. This was the Vug under the rug, and the worst part of this was that at that age, the usual response to being scared at night was to hide under the covers – but I wasn't safe there! The Vug hid under rugs; what if it was hiding under the blanket WITH ME?

As for the other thing that jumps immediately to mind – when I was in the first grade, my family lived in Wales for a couple of months. In the U.K. they have this series of kids' history books called "Horrible Histories" that basically give a bunch of weird and gruesome facts about different periods in history. I loved those books and devoured them; nothing in them fazed me in the least, except for this one ghost story.

It was a story about a guy who was staying as a guest in some palace, and he's told he's going to be put in the Brown Room. People apparently expect him to react to this, and he doesn't understand what all the fuss is about, until he sees a ghost. You know the drill. It was a really formulaic ghost story but supposedly true, and the illustration was really creepy to me at the time. (I can't find it anywhere online, but I still have the book.) I remember that night not being able to sleep, and not even being able to MOVE for fear the ghost would get me.

I foresee several more of these submissions in my future!

Carly

Spellbinder (1988)

Posted on By unkle lancifer

I've been making a great effort to wean myself from using the word "awesome" but the 1988 supernatural thriller SPELLBINDER sure doesn't make it easy. I first caught this one back in the day and although I remembered being impressed by its scorpion sting ending, I didn't recall much else about it. The other night I stumbled across it again in HD on our local cable provider's ON DEMAND feature and wow, what a difference a couple decades (and a non-crappy presentation) makes. Don't get too far ahead of me here, SPELLBINDER is still a B-movie, I'm not saying it's a lost classic or anything (or am I?), it just happens to accomplish everything it promises to and more. It just happens to be awesome…damn.

I can't help it! Fans of eighties late night cable will feel me. With the multiple of choices at our disposal these days it's difficult to recall just how special an entertaining, vaguely naughty trip to the dark side like this once was. SPELLBINDER may have gotten lost in the pack when originally released but as it stands today, I'd say it's a diamond in the rough that deserves much more recognition. If nothing else, SPELLBINDER is the type of flick that's built to stop A.D.D. channel surfers right in their tracks. Everything about it may suggest mediocrity but once immersed within the story, you're not going anywhere. In fact, like the devil himself, its greatest strength may be in its ability to masquerade as ordinary. The all around no frills, zero gloss approach creates an arena that allows its few moments of artsy surrealism to be that much more jarring.

The caliber of acting is a might better than what you might expect too, even those with little to do at least have a certain amount of presence. TIM DALY (STORM OF THE CENTURY) is perfectly cast as naive everyman Jeff Mills who makes the understandable lame brain mistake of trying to help someone in crisis. Leaving the gym with buddy Derek (break me off a piece of that RICK ROSSOVICH), Jeff witnesses sexy Miranda (erstwhile charmer KELLY PRESTON) getting a plate full of knuckle sandwiches from her greasy, long-haired goon of a boyfriend Aldys (maybe she locked his saxophone in the car?) This meet non-cute is followed by Jeff's inadvisable invitation for Miranda to move right in after she displays some magical orgasmic healing power. Well, greasy Aldys turns out to be just one of many who want Miranda to return to the fold as it later becomes clear that she is AWOL from a Satanic cult.

I know it doesn't sound like much but the miraculous SPELLBINDER is somehow able to incorporate karate chicks, a kooky survivalist, heads catching on fire and the fine art of removing a roasted turkey from the oven without oven mitts into the mix as well. This movie is strange but in a subtle enough way as to genuinely infiltrate your senses. Soon even the most innocuous background performers begin to give off a menacing vibe and Jeff can hardly pass a dog walker on the street without you imagining them as a potential threat. So what you have here is an erotic, "Should have thought twice about hitting that!" thriller mashed up with a paranoid, "They're all in it!" Satanic panic movie, all spruced up with a dash of the kind of supernatural reality bending horror that was so popular at the time that this was made (thanks to Monsieur Krueger.) I don't know about you but that just about covers all of my needs.

The sad news is that SPELLBINDER has never found a home on DVD (It's on the Youtubes all the time and like I said, currently on ON DEMAND.) From the unsubstantiated gossip I've scrolled through, the rumor is that PRESTON and hubby JOHN TRAVOLTA have purchased the U.S. distribution rights and would prefer that this movie never be seen. (Yes, the folks that brought you BATTLEFIELD EARTH are embarrassed by this film.) I'm not sure if it's PRESTON's minimal boobage display or the possibility that the couple would rather distance themselves from films about life destroying cults, either way I don't care. What gets (or should I say sacrifices) my goat is that PRESTON is not the only person in this movie. If she wants to bury a movie may I suggest any or every other one she's ever made with the possible exception of SPACE CAMP? Please don't send secret assassins to murder me PRESTON, but you must realize that you are keeping the world from the best AUDRA LINDLEY performance ever. How do you sleep at night? You're an adult, you must know the difference between right (allowing me my AUDRA) and wrong (listening to the guy who made MOMENT BY MOMENT.)

You heard right kiddies; MRS. ROPER fucking brings it in SPELLBINDER! MRS. ROPER is worth the tracking down of this baby alone. I'm telling you, she's phenomenal and should have been nominated for an Oscar. She barely needs to talk; everything just registers on her mug like advertising on a blimp. The woman is a genius and does more with two scenes than some actresses (cough) have done in their entire careers. (It's not rag on KELLY day, I'm just stating the facts as I see them.) Anyway, if I should disappear in the next couple days you all know why. It's O.K., I guess I'm ready to go down for my cause…FREE AUDRA NOW!…FREE AUDRA NOW!

Traumafessions :: Kris of Coal Black Filly on "Where the Woodbine Twineth"

Posted on By aunt john

Obsessed with Kindertrauma – thank you for cataloging so many memories. Once upon a time I was starting to think I actually imagined that poltergeist episode of THE WALTONS!

Anyway, thought you might enjoy this one if you haven't posted about it already:

"Where the Woodbine Twineth" by Davis Grubb is one of my favorite stories of all time (originally titled "You Never Believe Me"). The HITCHCOCK episode haunted me for years since childhood and I could never locate a copy, until I eventually found a bootleg… but now it can be easily watched in full here.

Classic creepy doll story, complete with imaginary friends living like Mr. Peppercorn who live under the davenport.

-Kris

P.S.: I originally posted about this on my blog a while back, along with the text to the short story HERE.

UNK SEZ:: Kris, I have to thank you so much for bringing this episode of THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR to my attention, I watched it last night and was floored by it. It's really very creepy and the ending is a real haunting jaw-dropper. Thanks too for mentioning the DAVIS GRUBB short story "You Never Believe Me" on which it is based. It makes perfect sense to me that this tale came from the same mind who brought us the excellent THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. I recommend that every one who has the time take a gander at "Where The Woodbine Twineth" on HULU below, as for me I got some reading to catch up on!