What sketches scared you as a kid?

[countrymouse]

scary sketches

Love this thread! So glad I found this site!

I've just gone through all 45 pages - the memories are amazing.

2 skits scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid...

1) drtooth already mentioned - the Country Mouse and the City Mouse! (hence my name). I guess I must have been a very naive kid because although I didn't grow up in the country, I found myself feeling for the nice, sweet country mouse - only to be completely terrified at the end of the skit when they're in the City Mouse's apartment. Everything about it - the shot at the beginning (if memory serves me right) of the outside of the tall building, the City Mouse showing the Country Mouse his hi-fi (I even remember being scared of the music that came out - kinda blared out at the beginning - is this even right?) and then...especially...the CAT shadow on the wall at the end with the scary meow? Just the look of the whole thing, and even the fact that it was in 2 parts, the displaced fear of the Country Mouse - the whole thing gave me nightmares for weeks.
Does anyone know where I can see it again and face my fear? It's not on youtube

2) I don't think ANYONE has mentioned...the 4 Dragons! You know, it was a muppet fable where there was a Japanese narrator and a young prince who had to discover the 4 dragons hidden in this wall-tapestry thing, and this evil blue Muppet who was trying to discover them first - I remember the scary clock on the wall ticking away the time, very horrifying - and then the way the dragons were outlined in light when they found them, and this huge gong sound - too scary.
Does anyone else remember it?

In general also, any sketch where a muppet went flying through the air, all limp-like, scared me too. I think there were some with Kermit, Ernie, etc. - just seeing the limp legs...ugh.

Thanks for indulging my insanity!

 

[wiley207]

2) I don't think ANYONE has mentioned...the 4 Dragons! You know, it was a muppet fable where there was a Japanese narrator and a young prince who had to discover the 4 dragons hidden in this wall-tapestry thing, and this evil blue Muppet who was trying to discover them first - I remember the scary clock on the wall ticking away the time, very horrifying - and then the way the dragons were outlined in light when they found them, and this huge gong sound - too scary.
Does anyone else remember it?

I thought that clock wasn't really scary... it reminded me of the clocks in my elementary and high schools! I think Simplex still makes those clocks. The ones I've seen look similar, like this...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:OldSimplexClock.JPG
Simplex also makes fire alarms (including the pull-box with the white T-shaped lever with "PULL DOWN" on it) and PA systems. My college still has some Simplex clocks and fire alarms around campus

 

[countrymouse]

scary

That's similar for sure...
May have been my 6-year-old brain but I remembered it being black-and-white and more stark than that one...Maybe it was just the way it was shot so close up on that dark red background - may have been my first exposure to time ticking away, pressure...who knows?

Anyone know where i could see that sketch and/or country mouse/city mouse?

 

[wiley207]

THIS is the type of Simplex clock used in the sketch.
http://www.timetek.com.au/images/-6clock.jpg

But when most people think of Simplex, they think of this...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/2099SimplexFireLever.jpg

Maybe if Sesame Street did a fire alarm-related segment, they could use Simplex fire alarm components

 

[countrymouse]

scary

That's the one! Thanks - still stark and creepy to me

Does anyone remember any more details about the Country Mouse and City Mouse sketch?

 

[ISNorden]

I think he was painting the number 2 on that guy's head.

The Mad Painter painted numbers on a lot of stuff, so it's easy to confuse whixh numbers went where...

• 2 went on the sail of someone else's boat at a marina.
• 3 (in various condiments) went on bread at a woman's picnic.
• 4 went on a woman's umbrella.
• 5 went on a gorilla's beach ball at the zoo.
• 6 (in icing) went on a cake at a bakery.
• 7 went on various items held by elevator passengers.
• 8 went on the back of a man's bald head as he floated in a swimming pool.
• 9 went on the pavement of a street.
• 10 went on the seat of a wooden stool.
• 11 went on a windowpane set into a door at a doctor's office.

To get this back on topic, though...yes, the ending of Mad Painter #8 was a bit scary to me as a kid. The bald guy had every right to be angry, but I always worried about what he'd do with the painter after catching up...

 

[ISNorden]

And does anyone remember the weird cartoon
where an elephant counts to four by kicking
its legs? When it crashes to the floor, the trees
around it end up being cardboard set pieces
that crash, too. I loved this one!

I posted that clip to YouTube not too long ago, actually. It weirded me out when I first saw it, too!

 

[JoeyMuppet]

I don't know why, but when I was was a little kid.. the B is for Bubble film always scared me. I guess when I was a little kid, I didn't really understand how people blew Bubble Gum Bubbles. Plus the other part that I actually still don't like, are the close-ups of the kids blowing the bubbles. I've just never felt comfortable, watching people blow huge bubbles. I always seem to get a wierd feeling in my stomach, I guess it's just my mind playing tricks on me.

 

[10Cakes]

From the time I was born (mid-'80s) til I was about 10, I watched Sesame Street religiously. My only memories of Mr. Hooper are from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, but I do remember David. However, I don't remember finding any sketches scary, but I definitely thought some of them were just a little bit out there:

Willy Wimple cartoons - I didn't find those scary, but they were EXTREMELY persuasive, getting the message across crystal-clear. The message: DON'T POLLUTE!

the Baker films - I absolutely LOVED this segment when I was little, and I still do. This is an all-time favorite. However, the opening song and animation was rather manic.

the Number Painter - very funny and entertaining, but not quite as much as the Baker.

Pinball Number Count - this has to be one of the most psychedelic animations ever. The Pointer Sisters do an incredible job with the vocals.

E&B at Egyptian Pyramid - this has to be one of the best E&B sketches ever. Jim Henson and Frank Oz are truly amazing (RIP Jim Henson)

News Flash: Humpty Dumpty - I have NEVER seen anything so ugly before. He's even uglier than that girl from Dodgeball. Still, not really scary, but DEFINITELY ugly, hideous, disgusting, the list goes on.

I could go on forever with listing sketches. Overall, Sesame Street definitely deserves 5 stars - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

 

[Cookie fan]

How about this one? The lion's roar and the cat's noises scared me as a kid. Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hMx7Skqhv8