I just discovered your site after a discussion on a Facebook thread about things that scared the bejeezus out of us when we were kids, and I thought I'd share some of mine.
1. The Cliffhanger on THE PRICE IS RIGHT. I wasn't scared of the climber himself, but I was SO SCARED that he was going to fall off, and when he did, I'd bury my face in the couch cushions and scare bloody murder. I mean, this guy was FALLING TO HIS DEATH!!! It happens at 5:25 here:
2. The TIC TAC DOUGH dragon. This pixelated monster made me want to wet myself.
3. The flying monkeys from THE WIZARD OF OZ. I'm sure I'm not the only person who was terrified of them.
4. Artax dying in the Swamp of Sadness in THE NEVERENDING STORY. I watched this today and was close to tears.
5. The Nazis' faces melting at the end of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. Sure, they deserved it, but I still couldn't watch it.
Game show trauma? That's friggin' incredible! I love it. I got really hooked on the Tic Tac Dough Dragon last year before GSN stopped playing the reruns. Wink Martindale is actually more terrifying. He had this very mannequin like quality about him. I mean, he was good, but like a Stepford Husband or something.
Hah! Great stuff. We always hated when the cliff climber fell. We didn't scream, but we weren't amused.
Artax dying there has to be one of the saddest things in a kids' movie. 🙁
And those damn flying monkeys have haunted me FOR YEARS!
Check out the horror characters who are included in Whew's "Gauntlet of Villains"…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo_ZgF8HRgE&feature=related
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To Amanda's point: I'm in total agreement! Wink Martindale is super creepy, but damn if he doesn't have one of the bestest stage names in the business. Second only, in my book, to Morgan Fairchild.
Wink has a new show on GSN called Instant Recall. It's not very good, but he's far less creepy now. And he raps in the ad:
It's awesome. Did you know he was good childhood friends with Elvis? Oh Wink, you scandalous nymph.
Wink got his start as a recording artist – check out "Deck of Cards," on Ed Sullivan…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKgVQdBLbHs
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Bravo Dana Bravo. I really thought I was the only one. I think to myself often how I could be in love with all things scary and yet wet myself at the sight of a pixelated dragon. Ditto to the Cliffhanger. The yodeling still gives me chills.
I remember seeing Raiders in the theater for my 6th birthday. I didn't see the face-melting joy of the end until I was at least 13. I only saw the inside of my jacket hood.