Primal Screen
Directed by Rodney Ascher
Why are we simultaneously attracted to and repelled by the things that scare us the most? In this special presentation, acclaimed filmmaker Rodney Ascher (ROOM 237, THE NIGHTMARE) explores the pop culture that left dark impressions on us as children. Starting from the immortal ventriloquist dummy of MAGIC, Ascher asks real people to look back at pop-culture artifacts that traumatized them in their youth and describe the effect they had on their lives. A singular hybrid of documentary and horror, stare into the Primal Screen.
In this Shudder Original, acclaimed filmmaker Rodney Ascher explores the pop culture that left dark impressions on us as children.
Cast: Gregory Burkart, Daniel Ferranti, Gary Holland
Member Reviews
It's an interesting short that will especially appease to those that have seen the film MAGIC or were able to appreciate when it was originally released theatrically.
Loved it and even though I'm a 2000's kid I can relate to seeing adds after the watershed and being terrified, just wish there were more episodes
This was brilliant, um...where are the rest of the episodes? This was way too good to just stop at one. Fucking Awesome how they recounted their childhood fears to the moment and why it came to be.
I'm too young to relate exactly, but I definitely had similar experiences with other trailers and seemingly innocuous ads as a child that are probably not scary at all now. Like the other reviewers here, however, I wish they had made more episodes. Maybe something about creepy clowns like the one in Poltergeist lol.
I like Rodney Ascher's films especially THE S FROM HELL. He makes films about the fears and concerns that plagued me when I was growing up: the Screen Gems logo and music, the nightmare men, and Fats from MAGIC. That doll still freaks me out! I couldn't look at an ad for the movie or pictures of Fats without getting chills and quickly looking away. I wish this was longer and covered other objects and images related to horror. I hope there is more PRIMAL SCREEN in the future.