SCARY MOVIES WITH SINGLE WORD TITLES (1945 - 1985)

 

Here's a macabre Saturday Night Special concept for you, a list of scary movies with one word titles, and no "The's" invited.

To choose a one word title for a horror film, you need a strong word, a single word that invokes terror, dread, confusion, or somehow gives you the creeps just thinking about it like "IMPULSE" is a good place to start. The added daggers in this title card are just frosting on the cake combined with one of the creepiest characters William Shatner ever played!

And speaking of "MACABRE," the Merriam Webster dictionary defines it as "Dwelling on the Gruesome," and I'm pretty sure that's what Schlockmeister William Castle had in mind when he made this 1958 monsterpiece of horror!

 

"ROPE," it's a simple word really, but when it's the title of an Alfred Hitchcock film, then it takes on multiple new meanings. Hitchcock must have liked one word titles, because quite a few of his films fell into this category, starting with his most famous, "PSYCHO," and  including such titles as "NOTORIOUS," "SPELLBOUND," "SABOTAGE," "SUSPICION," "BLACKMAIL," and...

 

......."VERTIGO!" I get dizzy just thinking about it!

Then it just starts getting weirder and more psychologically difficult like

"TORMENTED" from 1960.

     

This 1977 Mario Bava movie has been released as more than one title like "Beyond the Door II," or "The Demon Is Nuts," but this is the simplest and  most shocking one,

"SHOCK."

 

 

Then there are titles that just scream fun like Freddie France's "HYSTERIA" from 1965.

Here's another one-word masterpiece from Alfred Hitchcock in 1972, that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy, "FRENZY!" 

 

 "SEIZURE" from 1974 is another comforting title because after all, 

"It's a children's story!"

 

After the seizure, the "DEMENTIA" sets it!

This 1955 classic was also known as "Daughter Of Horror."

Then you end up in this happy place from 1946.

"BEDLAM"

 

Let's see, then there's "SUCCUBUS," another fun family film from Jess Franco in 1968, that is literally defined as

 "a female demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping men!"

 

 

So let's take a little "DETOUR," and "Get back on track, Jack," because in 1945, what was better than going to movie that you had no idea where it was headed?

 

Next is the "Are These Really Even Words?" Department, where they just made something up, and you had to go to the movies to find out what it even was, like "GOG" from 1954.

Believe it or not, "KRONOS" is still not a word some 67 years later!

Nor is the title of the 1962 film "ZOTZ!"

 

 

Some one word titles are very descriptive, like with 1982's "PIECES,"

 what else do you need to know?

 

Or how about "RATTLERS" from 1976? That title pretty much says it all!

 

 Now this 1966 title has charisma and plenty of mystery to it, because anything could happen in matter of  "SECONDS!"

 

For one word, it just doesn't get much more ominous than "QUICKSAND,"

and Mickey Rooney just sinks deeper and deeper into it in this 1950 film.

From 1968 we have "CORRUPTION," which is defined as "Dishonest or Fraudulent Conduct by Those in Power," so you immediately know this film's going to be a barrel of laughs!

I'll leave you with Argento's "CREEPERS" from 1985, because why not?

You're sure not going to expect sunshine and lollipops with a title like that!

Interestingly enough, this film was originally released as another single word title,

"PHENOMENA."

WILD THING - "Asphalt Kid" (1987)

It's a Wild Thing Wednesday down in The Dungeon this week!

He's "A Loner. A Legend. A Hero!"

 The  music and the movies  of the 50's and the 60's were so great , and the early 70's were good, but by the time we got to the 80's, it was anything goes! Whether that was a good or a bad thing, only time will tell! "Wild Thing" is a pretty damn fine example!

"Wild Thing" starts off in a hippie van in 1969!

Some street thugs off this young couple in the van, and their son just happened to witness the whole gruesome ordeal! There's your story!

The worst part is this stupid dirty cop was also in on the dastardly deed!! These two chickenshit bastards are Maury (Def-Con 4) Chaykin as the bad cop who will go on to be the bad Chief of Police, and Robert (Gangster Wars) Davi as Chopper who ends up being a local kingpin!

The little boy escapes by jumping in a river, and they think he drowned, but instead he's taken in by a street lady who teaches him about the evil blue coats and white coats!

The lady dies and the kid grows up roaming the streets like a feral cat!

The kid eventually becomes a local legend! Everybody's heard about him, but few have actually seen him in the flesh!

Kathleen (Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Hills Have Eyes, Apollo 13) Quinlan is Jane! Imagine that!

The mostly mute Tarzanesque young man and Jane's paths cross a number of times, and he finds himself having feelings for her that he has never experienced before!

Chopper reading GQ magazine gives you a good idea of the kind of humor infused into this film written by John Sayles, who among many other things, also wrote "The Brother From Another Planet!"

The legend of the "Wild Thing" becomes reality when he is forced to become visible to save Jane from the street punks!

He saves a gal from a fire, and almost loses his life in the process, and is taken into custody! "Wild Thing" was played by Robert Knepper, who has been quite busy for many years now, and has played everybody from Robert F. Kennedy to Frank Sinatra to William 'Clock King' Tockman!

Beware of the white coats she said!

The jig is up, and now Chopper and the Police Chief know that the kid they thought was dead is indeded the notorious "Wild Thing," and he's got their number!

I just like this shot because when I think "Light Lunch," I sure wouldn't consider Spaghetti, Lasagna and Pastrami!

Jane gets "Wild Thing" to talk, and they fall in love!

 Freakin' KRONOS! and Yes Virginia, they do use the song "Wild Thing" by The Troggs throughout the movie, but it doesn't sound like the original version to me, so they must have reworked it!

I sort of liked "Wild Thing," it's kind of stupid, but entertaining, and I'm pretty damn sure you've most certainly seen worse!

10 GREAT MONSTER MOVIES TABONGA! SAW IN 1957

1957 was one of the greatest years for monster movies, some of us got to see them when they came out, making for happy little monster kids. Here are 10 movies (I saw a total of 19 movies in 1957) I got to see and will be forever grateful. The movies are in no particular order.

THE BLACK SCORPION is still a ton of fun to watch, I think the best part is when the big old puss of the monster is shown with all its slimy drool and slobber!

I loved CURSE OF THE DEMON when I saw it, the Demon was a terrifying as Hell, but, the scenes in the woods of that fireball stalking Dana was even scarier to me!

When I saw VOODOO ISLAND it was a very strange adventure, of course the monster plants were very disturbing, especially the ones that attack the female helper Sarah and the one that captures the small girl, yow!..

Man, NOT OF THIS EARTH was super freaky, so many crazy things going on! Still, my favorite part was when Mr. Johnson releases Paul Blaisdell's creepy hovering Umbrella Monster!

I was totally plugged into 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH when I saw it, besides the fabulous Ymir creature, I thought that the infected crewman was freaky, would more people catch it?

Another real treat was THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS! The Brain was shocking, a big Brain with eyeballs that can fry yer ass was pretty damn scary at the time. A great role for John Agar with his weird contact lenses and all!

When I saw THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, it was so sad and depressing. I still remember when Grant Williams, in his boat, encounters the strange radio active fog that surrounds and causes him to shrink down! - p.s. the cat and tarantula were the monsters.

KRONOS blew my mind, it was so freakin' unique! The saucer from space, the little ball of light with an alien presence, the doctor taken over by the aliens, the giant, ever-growing Robot from Hell, the A-Bomb, people getting crushed, etc. Wow, a real sci-fi treat and a half!

Besides FORBIDDEN PLANET, ENEMY FROM SPACE is my favorite sci-fi movie from the fifties. I cannot tell you how amazing and creepy it was to see this Great Monster Movie in 1957 at age 9. I've always been scared by the idea of Blobs and when Quatermass looks into the dome and sees the sea of black slime twitching and writhing, well... YOOOW!! It was a movie that got inside you like INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS!

Lastly is THE DEADLY MANTIS, another movie that was amazing at the time, Universal always took extra care with their fifties monster movies and it shows with this one! I liked the scenes when it was just buzzing around. Okay then, tune in Wednesday when Eegah!! gives it his all...