A self-admittedly odd "scared you for life" story…
This piece of music and accompanying video will immediately send a cold shiver through my entire body. My reaction to it has been the same since I was a little kid. I'll get goosebumps if I hear it and if it gets stuck in my head, it will give me the willies no matter where I am. Middle of the day, at work, at home, in the car, grocery store…it doesn't matter. And yes I know, there's NOTHING outwardly scary about it!
Over the years, I've tried listening to it, nearly torturing myself to get used to it (or over it) but my natural reaction to it is freaky. I don't know if something about the animation in tandem with the theme bothers me…it's beyond strange. Maybe something bad happened to me when I was very young while it was playing. I have no clue.
And the silliest thing about it is, I can watch Bullwinkle all day long and actually enjoy it. But if I listen to the theme and see this video…instant shudders.
I'm ice cold right now just thinking about it. I can hardly bring myself to paste the link:
Traumatized since childhood,
Whitsbrain
Nice Traumafession, Whitsbrain!
I worked at Bullwinkle's Family Food and Fun(restaurant) for a few years.
They had a light/water show with Rocky and Bullwinkle fully animated puppets! They joked around with Boris and Natasha, told stories, and played songs.
It was seriously creepy, and I had to work with it going on every 15 minutes or so.
Sadly, I can't find a single video of it online. There are videos of another version of the show without the light/water show.
Here is a sad, grainy image I found with the curtains closed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v23/nothing227/show_zpseb2d2c44.jpg
If it makes you feel better, there are some distinct notes in that theme that are disturbingly similar to the screeching Psycho shower scene music. Sometimes music is just unsettling, even if it wasn't intended to be. There are a number of Coldplay songs that actually make me nauseous; seriously, physically ill. I have nothing against the band and it isn't a criticism of them or their music. But if Clocks comes on the radio, I have to change the channel, or my stomach will turn. Sound can do crazy things to us!
Thanks Darkko…Wow! That is a creepy looking stage!
Thanks writergrrrrl…I've run this particular trauma by a few other people, and the consensus seems to be about the music. If I so much as think of that theme music in my head it makes me physically cold. If I see the video without the sound it's still eerie because I can't stop the playback of the theme in my mind.
I don't easily scare. For example, I watched a couple of found footage horror movies last night, "The Conspiracy" and "Banshee Chapter" and neither one bothered me. In fact, I fell asleep during "Banshee Chapter", even though the director kept trying to frighten with countless jump scares (word to movie makers…jump scares are not frightening, they're just startling, your movies suck!). I probably should have went with "The Exorcist".
But right now, while I think of the Bullwinkle theme…goosebumps. It's crazy.
I wonder if it's the apparent "safeness" of it that can induce such feelings. Kind of like the "ordinary day" trick used in movies where things start out peachy-keen only to go horribly awry later on. The song is so upbeat that something dark is lying beneath the surface.
Yes Jackball74. That's what's always been so strange. My reaction is the exact opposite of what it should be. I'm sure I'll never find the reason, but thanks for the response.
I'm thinking it's the "off tune" minor notes that the composer used to try and convey humor with the combination of the troubled look in Bullwinkle's eyes in the final shot. The "Fractured Fairy Tales" intro creeped me out to an extent when I was a kid.
I forgot about returning to this Comments section until I had the "Bullwinkle Show" theme pop into my head again this morning and of course, freaking me out.
Psychonator…great points and yes, the "Fractured Fairy Tales" theme is creepy. That slowed down, I'll call it, "carnival" music, is very odd. Come to think of it, Jay Ward Production themes seem to have an freaky feel to them.
I was just thinking of the intro music to "Peabody's Improbable History". That theme has a similar sounds to those mentioned above.
Almost 4 years to the date since my last comment…I pressed play on the YouTube link and this damned theme song sent a huge chill right up through the top of my head. Crazy!