Category: Name That Trauma!

Okay, this isn't your standard trauma but it's been bugging me for years. It's the major pop culture mystery memory that I've never been able to solve, so maybe someone here can help!

Anyway, this is in the early '60s (probably '65 or earlier), and I'm visiting my grandmother's house. For some reason am horribly sick and kind of delusional/hallucinating (and somewhere around 5-8 years old). In the afternoon I remember seeing a T.V. show that's remained in my brain and I can't figure out what it was or why I remember it.

What I do remember is some kids (maybe two to four boys in the 10-15 year old range) on a raft in a river or a marshy area. I have the idea that they've accidentally traveled back in time. I think (this is very tentative) that maybe they were in a natural history museum and entered an exhibit and found themselves transformed back into prehistoric time. There might be dinosaurs. One of them is blaming another for getting them into that mess. I think it was in black and white (I think my grandmother had color T.V. at the time).

I think it was a series or serial of the kind they had on MICKEY MOUSE CLUB or later on THE BANANA SPLITS. I sort of remember seeing it more than once but that one awful afternoon when I was really sick stands out. So it's related to trauma even if it didn't really cause it.

Would be really grateful for any help in tracking this thing down.

—Mike F.

UPDATE: NAME THAT TRAUMA SOLVED! Special thanks to reader tychoanomaly for naming it with JOURNEY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME.

Hello Kindertrauma,

I've been a fan of your site for a few months now. Name That Trauma is definitely my favorite section. I've had this on my mind for a while now, and finally broke down and decided to submit this one.

I think it came out in the early 1980s, and may have been an After-School Special, or maybe a kids show on HBO or Showtime. It didn't scare me or anything, but it stuck in my head for some reason because it was a little bit disturbing. I'm hoping this is an easy one:

There were two kids involved, a boy and a girl, maybe around 10 years old. They had a shrunken head and a pan flute, and I think there may have been bongo drums too. The kids would play these instruments and the shrunken head would come to life and talk to them. I have no idea what the plot was.

Please help me out here.

Thank you,

— Merk H.

UPDATE: NAME THAT TRAUMA SOLVED! Kudos to reader Barry Meyer for stepping up to the plate with THE BOY WITH TWO HEADS (aka CHICO THE RAINMAKER)!

Hi there! Huge new fan and have been devouring the site greedily.

OK..I looked and looked and couldn't seem to find this one..so I am wondering if you can Name This Trauma:

It's pretty vague, but I was so traumatized by a scene in a seventies film that involves a woman swimming in a pool who attempts to come up for air and finds she cannot. Like there is glass over the top of the pool.

MY BIG FEAR. Gah. I still have nightmares.

I could have SWORN it was BURNT OFFERINGS and slogged my way through what should have been a great film but was instead…less than amazing, and didn't find the scene. Unless in my frustration I passed it….

Help?

— Jhone

UNK SEZ: Thanks Jhone! Although many horror films contain death scenes involving swimming pools I think I know just the one you are looking for. 1978's THE LEGACY (which stars SAM ELLIOT and a bunch of people who aren't SAM ELLIOT) features just such a trauma scene! Check out the clip below!

I've run this one by the folks at IMDb a while back and I don't think they came up with the correct answer. This is probably the best spot to solve it because I THINK it might be a made-for-TV movie, and you guys are so good at solving those.

Back in the early '80s there was something that played on TV that I was only able to catch a small bit of. We were at my grandparents and they only had antennae TV here in Canada, so it couldn't have been too avant garde. It also played within a fairly early time bracket (late afternoon or early evening) so that's what makes me think it was possibly a replay of a made-for-TV movie movie.

Anyway, there was a scene where two men are digging up a grave with a lady in it. They were interested in taking the ring she had on her finger. As they're doing so, she wakes up, there's a REALLY awkward moment shared among them, and then one of the men slams a pic-ax (or something) into her chest. I was so young and the recollection is so foggy, but it seems to me that she was wearing a gold turban or dress. I also remember my grandmother commenting on how good she looked considering she'd been buried in a grave, so she wasn't a rotted corpse. I also don't think she had any fangs because I never once thought she was a vampire (but it sure sounds like vampire stuff).

Any help on this one?

Hey Lance and John…

How about a Name That Trauma about a one hour special (could be based on a book) about a boy and girl locked in a library and all I can remember is the first story was about a traveling salesman (maybe the name Mr. Pym) and he ends up dead and buried behind a barn or house of a family he encounters?

Maybe a book salesman…Bibles, etc…not sure, but it seemed like the mid ‘80s (could be older)…and kinda creepy.

Any help will be appreciated!

By the way…keep up the Funhouse, I love trying to guess my favorite horror movie scenes.

Take care,

— Thunderknight!

Just discovered your website and I love it! I've been devouring the "Name That Trauma!" entries, and of course, I have one. I remember seeing this movie as a teen in the late '70s/early '80s on a Sunday morning horror T.V. movie showcase, although the movie must have come from the '60s or late '50s.

It was an anthology movie with several segments. The one segment I remember concerned a police captain and his sergeant investigating a strange series of murders seemingly committed by a supernatural being such as a vampire or werewolf. They key in on one suspect and congratulate themselves when he is arrested or killed near the segment's end, just before it's revealed to the audience, but not the police, the supernatural being actually committing the murders is the police captain's somewhat mousy, eyeglasses-wearing female secretary.

I hope this sounds familiar to someone at your website. I've scoured books on horror film to no avail.

Thanks again for the opportunity to write in, and I'll be reading more of the website!

— Robert S.

Hi Kindertrauma,

I am trying to find the name of a movie or short from about 1989-1990 sometime (give or take.)

It had a guy always professing his love for a co-worker. This female co-worker always shoots him down. Turns out the guy actually can't say he hates anyone or they turn in to a puppet. These two are off somewhere together, not sure why, but It turns out the woman can't say she loves anyone or they turn into a puppet as well. So of course she loved him all along, but could not tell him.

It wasn't long, so I am guessing it was a short film.

Please help me remember what this was from!!!

— Jai

UPDATE: NAME THAT TRAUMA SOLVED! Special thanks to reader Rhiannon Joy for naming it with the REALLY WEIRD TALES (1987) segment "I'll Die Loving."

Hi,

I have been searching for a long time, but I only have a small fragment to go on. I am hoping it rings a bell for somebody!

This is a movie that has been broadcasted on T.V. in the late ‘70s. I think this must have been in 1976 and 1977. I think it was broadcasted on Channel 56 (WLVI Boston). I am sure it was not part of the CREATURE DOUBLE FEATURE that WLVI always had on in the weekends (anybody remember that?) But I do know that this movie came on immediately after THE SHUTTERED ROOM. And this was two years in a row. First came THE SHUTTERED ROOM and then this other movie.

Now, I was 6 at the time and my dad let me watch THE SHUTTERED ROOM with him. Then this other movie came on. I clearly remember the beginning and then my dad quickly switched to another channel. THE SHUTTERED ROOM was apparently OK, but this other movie went too far, even for him. A year later, they both came on again. This time I saw more of the beginning of this second movie, and I got to see a little bit more, before dad got up to switch to a different channel (no remotes way back then.)

Now the beginning, which I remember:

A kid comes home from school, the school bus lets this kid off. I can't remember if it's a girl or boy. I am thinking a little girl but not sure on that part. It is either summer or a very nice spring or early fall day. It is sunny; the grass is green, leaves on the trees. The house is a ranch-style house, I think somewhere in the suburbs.

The kid walks up to the house and enters the house. It's quiet in the house. The kid calls out, "Mom????" No answer. Kid walks to the kitchen. The kitchen looks horrible. Blood everywhere. On the counter, on the floor, and blood-smears on the cabinets. Meanwhile the kid keeps calling, "Mom????"

That's all.

This has been bugging me big time. What movie is this, and what happened to the mother? Nothing good, I think, it was a lot of blood in there.

The fact that twice it was broadcasted immediately after THE SHUTTERED ROOM made me thought it was some kind of double feature.

Well…. is there anybody out there who can help me out?

— Ina

UPDATE: NAME THAT TRAUMA SOLVED! Kinderpal Amanda By Night can put another notch in her lipstick case as she solved this one with HOUSE ON GREENAPPLE ROAD.

Here's one for your readers.

I remember watching some movie on TV, anywhere from about 1981 to 1986. It was on a cable channel and it might have been made for that particular channel. Here's the thing. It wasn't exactly scary or traumatizing but it was bizarre. Years later I've always wondered just what the heck that movie was. I want to think it was sort of a lighthearted comedy. Here's what I remember:

An older guy, maybe in his 60's wants to become a tree, so he regularly stands outside with his bare feet in a dirt hole. His friends think he's just being loony. I can't remember if he waters himself or not, but I want to think it ends with him turning into a tree.

Does this ring any bells?

— Tom S.