My parents weren't the type to take my brother and I to Disney movies. I am scarred for life; I'm 34 and still sleep with a night light. My parents took us to the movies to see films like THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, THE LEGACY, PSYCHO 2 and AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. I will never forget when we got our first VCR. The first two movies we rented were THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and CREEPSHOW, try eating a bowl of chili and drinking a Malta while watching those movies. I lost my appetite and never ate chili again.
The one movie that really traumatized me was SALEM'S LOT. The scene where the vampire shows up at that kid's window was torture for me. My bed was up against the window in my room. My father would say, "Good night kids. God Bless you and remember if the guy from SALEM'S LOT shows up, don't open the window." Then he would shut off the lights. I'd put the blanket over my head and it would be 90 degrees out and I'd be sweating. I swear those nights I must have only slept because I passed out from heat exhaustion.
I VERRRRRY rarely look out the window at night..and I think the reason why is because I think that SALEM'S LOT kid will be floating out there!
Maritsa,
I cannot tell if your parents are the coolest people in the world or simply deranged (the line between the two is too thin.) Your chili trauma brings to mind the first time I myself saw The Texas Chainsaw massacre…Me and my little brother picked it out from the video store and we also were allowed to get take-out from our favorite joint "Seafood America". This meant giant styrofoam containers of questionable fried food and a tub of white mush that was supposed to represent cole slaw. We sat down in front of the movie with our dinners of course resting on classy aluminum foldable T.V trays. By the end of the movie we were both nauseated and felt disgusting. We still talk about to this day. I'm not sure if it was the food or the relentless close-ups of people's eyeballs in the movie but it took me a while to watch TCM again, even though now it's one of my favorites…
I remember my parents watching Salem's Lot when it first aired on T.V., but they didn't let me watch it. However, I did see the previews, could hear it in my bedroom, and got a play by play from the boys next door. I had a large window in my bedroom that I was afraid to look out at night for many years after that. It amazes me that my parents watched as many cool scary movies in the 70's as they did because now I can't get my mom to watch anything remotely scary.
I remember that scene from Salem's lot and my mom was (and still is) obsessed with "Dark Shadows" and i thought that scene was from the movie version but obviously i was wrong.As far as eating and gore movies I completely lose my appetite.
Of all the cheap, thrill-inducing movies I saw when I was a kid, nothing scared me as much as Salem's Lot did. The window scratching… actually, I prefer rasping.. affected me so incredibly, I often think about it to this very day. After watching this film and reading the novel only weeks apart, I was a psychological wreck. I even shoplifted a rosary from a goodwill store and convinced my sister to assist me in blessing the house. Good thing Fright Night came along and restored a sense of frivolity and sensuality into my understanding of the undead.
H Don't get your parents…I have read a lot of bloggers who would watch horror movies with their kids… as a parent I can't imagine exposing my kids to that. It's verging on abuse in my opinion…
See, this is why *I* can't have kids. I can just see it now: "Darling, you need to be quiet so mommy can watch The Sinful Nuns of St. Valentine. Oh, and NO WIRE HANGERS."
T.Kate,
Aunt John and *I* have been seriously talking about adopting…YOU!
That way we can watch whatever we want and all become traumatized and disturbed….as a family.
Well, my biological parents *are* pretty rad and everything, but… you know… it takes a village to raise a child, and I'm pretty much a thirty-year-old child so… Let's Discuss Further 😉
I can't believe I've never seen Salem's Lot. Me, the biggest Made for TV Movie freak alive… I so need to see it… like now!
Oh yeah, and I can I be adopted too? I am already potty trained… well, kinda! 😉