Movie Memories of a Boomer Monster Kid: Matinees and Midnight TV
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In 1958, when I was 7, two things happened: 1) Universal released its classic horror movies to television as "Shock Theater", and 2) James Warren and Forrest J. Ackerman launched the magazine "Famous Monsters of Filmland". A whole generation went monster mad and became what David J. Skal called"The Monster Kids". We would check the listings for local theaters and drive-ins, comb through the TV Guide looking for old classics, and faithfully tune in to "Shock" Theater", "Chiller Theater", and Zacherle. Anything horror or Sci-Fi based we just ate up. A few movies were great; most were not, and a couple were absolutely terrible. It didn't matter; at age 11, everything seemed cool, and at age 17 they were all make out movies anyway. I have ended this list at 1969 - The moon landing made fact more compelling, and I graduated high school and went off to college. Saturday matinees and drive-in summers, like most of these films, became things of the past.
avg. score: 71 of 305 (23%)
required scores: 1, 15, 44, 53, 140
