When I was little, I always loved to watch videos of THE ADVENTURES OF SPOT in the playroom, but there was a preview before the episodes that scared me so much, I almost threw out my SPOT videos. It was a preview for a JIM HENSON show called FRAGGLE ROCK, and here's what scared me: The part where these giants called the Gorgs grabbed a Fraggle, but the Fraggle got away. I found it on youtube today, and boy it was different from what I remember:
Scare level ( on a scale of 1 to 5 screams): 2.5 screams, if you are 6 or under, 0 if over.
Whenever I started watching a DISNEY video, I always ran from the room before the movie started. Why? Because of terrifying THX logo. The DEEP NOTE scared me so much, that I haven't watched a DISNEY video ever since. Here's the logo:
Scare level: 4 out of 5 screams!
Yes, that THX logo tone can be a good scare. If I'm playing an older movie I have a tendency to play it a bit louder than the current movies. Well, I have two subwoofers on my home ent. system and when that tone comes on while I have the receiver cranked up……..OH BOY!!!!!!!!!!
Holy crap! I thought I was the only one who was scared by the THX logo. I'm 24 and I still have to close my eyes and cover my ears when I see it.
For you guys that are haunted by the THX intro, check out 1979's When a stranger calls with Carol Kane, that is where the music cue is taken from. I read some place that they borrowed it from the soundtrack because it was perfect for demonstrating the effect of surround sound. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.
You can blame good old George Lucas for that! He owns THX; he got the title from his first feature, THX-1138. That number pops up in his various movies from time to time. It's definitely a bowel-loosening basso profundo, especially in a cinema.
And I believe Lucas got THX-1138 from his phone number at the time. Variations of THX1138 have appeared in various Lucas and Spielberg films(i.e. a license plate in American Graffiti and the proson cell # in Star Wars).
The THX tone can be heard at the beginning of the Anchor Bay DVD edition of "Suspiria". So not only can you see the infamous US TV trailer in the extras section, you get hit by the "brown note" as well! (Good one Darth!)