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Short horror movies before and after show while on USA

posted 18 years ago by heiamll
15 replies | jump to latest

I have good memories of watching The Hitchhiker and Alfred Hitchcock Presents on USA in the 80s. There is something that has eaten at me, however, in the many years since then. If I recall correctly, there were short horror films that aired when The Hitchhiker didnt have enough time to fill an hour. Ive been looking for names of these shorts for what seems like forever! Let me describe a couple of them:

1) One short starts off with this guy working in a dark room on a wood project. There must be 15 minutes or so of this morose looking guy woodworking. Despite that, we never get a full shot of exactly what it is he is working on. At the end, he lays his head down on the project and there is a loud snapping sound. The camera pulls back to reveal a huge mousetrap with the carpenter in it.

2) Another one that comes to mind is this fisherman hiking deep into the woods to get to a secluded fishing hole. Along the way he stumbles and his lunch goes falling into the lake. Mumbling curses, he keeps venturing forward until he hits the perfect fishing spot. While fishing the man looks like he is getting hungry when, luck would have it, he spots a bright shiny red apple on a rock a little ways away. He leaves his pole to grab a bite to eat, but discovers the awful truth too late. After biting into the apple, a hook takes hold and pulls the fisherman kicking and screaming into the lake. The closing shot is of an apple being thrown out of the lake and onto the shore.

If anyone could help me get these, point me into the direction of where to get them, or heck, even name these shorts for me, I would be thankful! Thanks everyone! =)

[–] heiamll 18 years ago

Since posting I found one of the films. The mousetrap one was a 1977 short called The Contraption. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169703/

Very creepy film! =)

[–] sambuca 17 years ago

"Since posting I found one of the films. The mousetrap one was a 1977 short called The Contraption. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169703/";

Very interesting premise AND Richard O'Brien (of Rocky Horror and The Crystal Maze) stars in it. Now that makes it two times more watchable!

-Goodnight, mother of six!
-Goodnight, father of two!

[–] jjschueppert 18 years ago

There are two more I can recall:

There's one with a ventriloquists dummy terrorizing a woman around her house. That's all I recall (I was six ir seven).

There was also a "Johnny comes marching home" one about civil war vets finally coming home in the 80's.

I used to love USA and the Saturday Night Nightmares they had on, then there was that Captain Amazo or whatever during the afternoon. Solid programming for a young child.

[–] babythumbers 18 years ago

Another was a woman picks up an older lady hitchhiker and drives for awhile & get freaked. She pulls over and asks the lady to check her tire (the driver lady says it was flat), the old lady hichhiker gets out and the woman drives away...the driver lady goes and calls her husband to come get her. He wakes up gets in the car and goes...then as he is driving he sees the old lady hitchhiker and picks her up...it then shows his car pull over and stop...I think I saw this while watching Basket Case on Saturday Nightmares in the late 80's. Give me more, because I remember the ones you good people listed...

[–] babythumbers 18 years ago

the fishing episode came from the movie escapes I think...two more were a short with mannequinns at a shop stealing a young man's eyes and he ends up with theirs and the one with the guy who drinks the coffee...and never leaves (mentioned before)_

[–] babythumbers 18 years ago

Commander USA in the afternoons had interesting things also...there were at least 10 shorts I remember as a kid watching C.USA and Saturday Nightmares...good stuff...email me if you find any anthologies they come from (other than Escapes, Nightmares and Night Train to Terror)...God Bless...

[–] MikeD2112 18 years ago

Another was a woman picks up an older lady hitchhiker and drives for awhile & get freaked. She pulls over and asks the lady to check her tire (the driver lady says it was flat), the old lady hichhiker gets out and the woman drives away...the driver lady goes and calls her husband to come get her. He wakes up gets in the car and goes...then as he is driving he sees the old lady hitchhiker and picks her up...it then shows his car pull over and stop...I think I saw this while watching Basket Case on Saturday Nightmares in the late 80's. Give me more, because I remember the ones you good people listed...

I remember this movie vividly, and I've been looking for more information on it for 20 years now. The name of the short was "PANIC', and I discovered that it was directed by James Dearden, the writer of FATAL ATTRACTION in the late 70's. I haven't seen it since I caught it on HBO in about 1986, but it is one of the single scariest things I've ever seen in my life, and I remember it to this day & it still gives me the creeps.
I've looked for years for anyone who might have a copy of this, but no luck so far. Anyone out there who can help would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!

[–] sambuca 17 years ago

I don't believe I have seen any of the two, but the second one you mentioned reminds me of a short with Ewan McGregor I saw a few years back called "Desserts". Basically it's the same film only with a random guy walking on a beach and he finds an eclair. I always thought highly of that film because of (what I thought of as) its highly original premise. Guess I was wrong :P

You can see the film here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHHZ0Mo1mR8

Aerosmith also appear to be fans of the film, judging by the ending of this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik47M0Bgito

-Goodnight, mother of six!
-Goodnight, father of two!

[–] drhackenstine 17 years ago

I remember seeing alot of these on USA. I kinda remember one, but I forget parts of it. It involved a guy in an alley who encounters a bum with magical powers (maybe). I remember it coming on after Cheerleader Camp, filling it's time slot at like five in the morning. I have been trying for years to remember what the outcome of the episode was. Vague description, but anyone?

[–] traviseddings23 17 years ago

'A Little Fishy", "Drip", "The Dummy" and "Contraption" can now be found on youtube. Many of these films can be found on the Vincent Price-hosted film "Escapes". Some others like 'Dot' and "Panic' are still being searched after.

[–] droopfozz 12 years ago

There was one about an abusive father and the kids toys came alive that I remember seeing on USA one night as a kid. I have not been able to figure out if it was a short or an episode of one of their shows.

[–] loki242 12 years ago

That was probably an episode of the dark room I think "battlefield" redone on the Nightmares and dreamscapes movie.

I would like to go back in time and kill the idiot who created the term "reimagining."

[–] spookykid777 10 years ago

Youre thinking of the Tales From the Darkside episode Monsters In My Room.

[–] oldschoolut 12 years ago

I believe (2) is from the movie escapes that Vincent Price narrated. The story you are talking about was called "something fishy".

[–] jdspr0ut 11 years ago

oh i remember those! especially the apple one.

the one with the soliders i remember well too, but if i remember right it was the daughter in the house was playing a trick on the guy, not civil war vets returning.

and there was one about a guy getting stuck in a town and they kept trying to get him to have a cup of coffee and he panics and tries to leave. and then i think his car broke down and he is resigned and goes to the diner and has the cup of coffee and you see the town's population sign go up by one. i think? its been forever.