I spent some time yesterday using my Personal Computer like a microfiche, searching newspaper archives of my hometown slice o' southeastern Connecticut for horror movie ads. I don't know why, really, but these are the kinds of things I do. It was terribly exciting, although not as exciting as using an actual microfiche. But then, what is? Maybe chewing a cinnamon-flavored gum, but I wouldn't know as I prefer mints.
Anyway, I found a whole bunch and ugh, there were horror movies everywhere back then. I know I saw most of these...in fact, that
Poltergeist drive-in show was the one where I made my mom take me to the concession stand after the face-peeling scene because I was so sure I was gonna barf. And geeez, a two-theater theater showing only
Friday the 13th and
The Changeling?? The days, those sure were them.
6 comments:
1. This was a trap! Clearly THE CARE BEARS MOVIE II advertisement was the most terrifying thing in this lineup.
2. I miss newspaper movie ads.
I'm part of what seems to be a whole generation for whom Stripes was the first R rated movie seen in the theater.
I think the only R rated movies I snuck into as a tween were teenage comedies and the odd war movie. All my R rated horror watching was on cable.
As a Public Service Announcement (and a totally shameless plug) for those of you, like me, who miss the days of vintage movie newspaper ads please check out the new and improved Scenes from the Morgue.
Of particular interest, our Slasher Marathon: Stalk 'n' SlashCinema.
As far as mismatched double-features go, I believe the oddest I found so far in the Morgue is either the Drive-In Combos of THE EXORCIST and John Wayne's CAHILL: U.S. MARSHALL, ELVIS ON TOUR and NIGHT OF THE LEPUS, and most mind-boggling of all, a two-punch combo of MAN FROM DEEP RIVER and CHARLOTTE'S WEB.
Fuck this shit. I just realized the local newspaper doesn't have movie ads anymore. I used to wait the whole week for Friday paper to get my scissors on them and now I'm told there haven't been any in over ten years. If I still ordered the paper I'd quit it.
I love these old ads. How fantastic that studios used to care about the artwork used to promote a film in a newspaper...those days are gone.
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