The Tingler
as a kid
I couldn’t tell the truth
if my life depended on it
not that I was a compulsive liar
or even lied that often
but under any sort of questioning
I was guilty
regardless of being innocent
Did you do that?
no – which was the truth
Go to your room
Until you are ready to tell the truth.
but
No buts. Now go, you lying loser.
to avoid that banishment
I’d have to tell a lie
but I was even a worse liar
thanks to a movie I saw
where a sort of centipede
would materialize
around the spine
when you were scared
lying scared me
as much as telling the truth
I would feel those
million sharp legs
sinking into my back
my skin would tingle
The Tingler!
that’s what that movie was called
a lie would kill me
it would crush my heart
burst out of my nose
brain spattering everywhere
insect legs would dig out from my eyes
so I was afraid to lie
the punishment for telling the truth
was bad enough
not be be believed
not to be trusted was confusing
it was better to leave the room
let them think what they wanted
because the clearly truth
made no difference
at that age
they made sure
I knew I was a lying loser
a useless dishonest kid
which I know now
The Tingler is one of my favorite cheesy horror movies. The over-arch performance of Vincent Price combined with the primitive special creature effects and superb. The basic plot: fear creates a creature in the body that kills you – fear kills literally. This basic premise has been used time after time since but never, for me, as effectively. I’m also grateful there has been been a remake with CGI amping the scares.
I was a bad liar as a kid. But there were times when I was accused of something I hadn’t done but had no way of proving it and was instantly guilty under-pressure. Oddly when I had done something & got caught I could plead innocence & be believed. I learned at an early age that truth was malleable – in today’s political climate it is clear that the truth is irrelevant. It seems blatant dishonesty is considered a virtue. But I digress though I wonder about the values children are learning today?
I worked at maintaining an innocent point of view in the piece, even the sections that retrospective. Things that I was called did stick with me though my parents never called me a loser but certainly made it clear I wasn’t living up to cultural values they approved of. My fascination for teen movie magazines was called useless though. My crush on Haley Mills was seen as foolish, but it was safer than my affection for Tarzan.
The things I was really lying about weren’t my actions but my thoughts. Thoughts that to reveal I figured would kill me. A fear that took revenge on me for decades.
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The thing I hate about The Tingler is that I wasn’t alive in 1959 so I wasn’t able to see the film in the theater and experience William Castles interactive theater. Gosh wouldn’t I give for a time machine and check that stuff out. The 1993 movie Matinee gives you a real good idea as to how it was back then. Such a good film that honors Castle style creativity.
The Tingler era LOL! The same era as Rodan. Both gave birth to the Night Gallery series. Interesting share.
I loved this! xo