Retro Nightmare Fuel

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 28: The Barney balloon is carried past Macy's department store during the 76th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade November 28, 2002 in New York City. There were a total of 13 giant character balloons in the parade. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The Day That Barney Died: How the Macy’s Parade Balloon Disaster Changed the Rules Forever

Remember the time the beloved figure from children’s television was curb stomped to death on live TV? We sure do!

IT, (aka STEPHEN KING'S IT), clockwise from top left: John Ritter, Richard Masur, Harry Anderson, Tim Curry as Pennywise, Dennis Christopher, Richard Thomas, Annette O'Toole, Tim Reid, 1990, ©Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

John Ritter Thought the Original ‘It’ Was Going to Be Either ‘Really Scary…Or Really Stupid’

He correctly predicted Tim Curry’s impact on audiences.

Stephen King, 1994. ph: Steve Hill / TV Guide / courtesy Everett Collection; Steven Spielberg, director, ca. 1990s. ph: Andrew Cooper / ©Dreamworks / courtesy Everett Collection

The Forgotten Miniseries That Nearly Teamed Up Steven Spielberg With Stephen King

At one point, the two powerhouses could have combined forces to create the ultimate scary story.

screenshot of a title card for the 1979 ABC Sunday Night Movie premiere of

‘Jaws’ Also Devoured Small-Screen Competitors in Its Broadcast TV Premiere

When ‘Jaws’ premiered as the ABC Sunday Night Movie in 1979, it gobbled up massive audiences and led the network to a decisive “sweeps” week win.

title screen from the 1980s TV series

Awesome Opening Credits: ‘Tales From the Darkside’

George A. Romero’s 1984-88 horror anthology series “Tales From the Darkside” opened each episode with an unnerving title sequence featuring a combo of eerie music and ominous narration that set the mood for the story to come.

image from the

Disney’s ‘Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ Is Still Spooky Fun After 75 Years

Produced as part of 1949’s ‘The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad’ along with ‘The Wind in the Willows,’ Disney’s take on Washington Irving’s tale about Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman is beautifully animated, funny and scary.

screenshot from the 1975 movie

‘The Pier Incident’ Is the Scariest Scene in ‘Jaws’

Steven Spielberg’s classic 1975 thriller Jaws is filled with suspenseful and scary moments, but the most terrifying one of all comes in a scene where a potential shark victim actually gets away.