Monster/Horror Movies You've Seen in the Theater or Drive-in

[Unknown Primate]

In the 'Poltergeist' Remake Gets Director (Modern Monster Movies forum), some of the gang was talking about feeling "old" because of seeing some flicks in the theater .  Man - that hit home!  I feel blessed that I was able to see some pretty cool movies back in the day.  I'll have to add to the list a little at a time, but here are a few.

Drive-In
The Mad Doctor of Blood Island, paired with Blood Demon.
Last House On The Left
Wrestling Women vs The Aztec Mummy
Werewolves On Wheels
Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Theater
Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors paired with Crack In The World
King Kong vs Godzilla
Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad
Jason And The Argonauts
Jack The Giant Killer

Man - those were magical times.  Okay, old-timers - what are some of your favorites?

[RedKing]

Well I'm a little younger than you Mark, but I caught the tail rnd og the drive in era-the late 70s and early 80s, although there are still 3 drive-ins within 50 miles of me today!
Drive-in:
Godzilla vs Megalon paired with Giant Spider Invasion (which terrified me! I was 5 at the time)
At the Earth's Core
People That Time Forgot
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger
SSSSSS
Orca
Manitou
Poltergeist with Raiders of the Lost Ark
Clash of the Titans
Return of the Jedi

Theater:
Star Wars
Godzilla vs the Cosmic Monster (twice!)
Godzilla On Monster Island
King Kong 76
Star Trek(I've seen all the original series cast movies theatrically except 3, but I was only a kid for 1 and 2)
The Black Hole

[McDougals House of Horror]

In the 'Poltergeist' Remake Gets Director (Modern Monster Movies forum), some of the gang was talking about feeling "old" because of seeing some flicks in the theater .  Man - that hit home!  I feel blessed that I was able to see some pretty cool movies back in the day.  I'll have to add to the list a little at a time, but here are a few.

Drive-In
The Mad Doctor of Blood Island, paired with Blood Demon.
Last House On The Left
Wrestling Women vs The Aztec Mummy
Werewolves On Wheels
Texas Chainsaw Massacre


Man - those were magical times.  Okay, old-timers - what are some of your favorites?

I remember like it was yesterday seeing the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" in a drive-in theater in Orange, California (near Anaheim Stadium). That film was so terrifying (especially in 1974) that my girlfriend was crying and we had to leave -- of course I went and saw it at a later date. Years later, at various conventions I shared that story with Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface), Edwin Neal (Hitchhiker) and Terry McMinn (the girl on the meathook), and they all said that they have heard many similar stories over the years. They're amazed at the following that movie still has. TCM is still horrifying today -- and with very little blood/gore, just sheer terror!!

[Zackuth]

Drive-In theatres--I miss them!!!  As a kid in the Chicago area (Griffith In.) watching at the Ridge Road theatre:
War of the Gargantuas
Godzilla's Revenge
Monster Zero
The Lost Continent
Island at the Top of the World

And at the Lancaster (California) Drive-In
The Omen
Halloween
The Fog
The Shining
Without Warning
Terror Train
And hours of others

Nothing can match the sound from the speakers at the drive-in.

[Unknown Primate]

I remember like it was yesterday seeing the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" in a drive-in theater in Orange, California (near Anaheim Stadium). That film was so terrifying (especially in 1974) that my girlfriend was crying and we had to leave -- of course I went and saw it at a later date. Years later, at various conventions I shared that story with Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface), Edwin Neal (Hitchhiker) and Terry McMinn (the girl on the meathook), and they all said that they have heard many similar stories over the years. They're amazed at the following that movie still has. TCM is still horrifying today -- and with very little blood/gore, just sheer terror!!

You're right on the money!  I was 18 & my girlfriend was 16.  We sat in the back seat while my little brother and her little brother sat up front.  It was all we could do to keep them from climbing over the seats to get in back with us!  My girl was nearly traumatized by TCM and I had to put up a brave front, LOL!  A few months later, I saw TCM with a couple of friends in a small indoor theater, double billed with THE MANITOU.  Saw it, probably 3 or 4 more times at midnight matinees.  NEVER lost it's punch!

[Paul L]

Well, scads in the theater. A few that come to mind:
King Kong Escapes ~my first big screen monster flick, & it's been a favorite every since.
Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster/Hedora
Godzilla vs. Mecha-Godzilla
Scrooge (1970) ~my favorite movie
Sinbad & the Eye of the Tiger
Most of the Star Trek films
Star Wars & The Empire Strikes Back
Halloween (original)
The Sentinel
Jaws
The Creature From The Black Lagoon~at a revival house, in 3D!

Drive-In:
The Exorcist
Friday the 13th (the 1st film)

[Memphremagog]

Dracula AD 1972
The House That Dripped Blood
Battle For the Planet Of the Apes
It's Alive
Alien
Halloween
Friday the 13th
Last House On the Left
I Spit On Your Grave
Tales From the Crypt
The Incredible Melting Man
Evil Dead
Dracula(1979)
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Star Wars
Legend Of Boggy Creek
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
Humanoids From the Deep
House Of Dark Shadows
Dracula vs. Frankenstein
Zombie
The Omen
Shock Waves
The Devil's Rain
The Land That Time Forgot
At the Earth's Core
The Golden Voyage On Sinbad
Sinbad & the Eye Of the Tiger
Race With the Devil
Scars Of Dracula
Empire Of the Ants
Island Of Dr.Moreau(1977)
Squirm
Incredible Two-Headed Transplant
The Devil's Triangle
Valley Of Gwangi
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
The Mutations
The Bat People
The Funhouse
Dawn Of the Dead
Phantasm
Raiders Of the Lost Ark
The Giant Spider Invasion
Westworld
Logan's Run

[MDG]

I remember like it was yesterday seeing the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" in a drive-in theater in Orange, California (near Anaheim Stadium).

TCM was one of those movies that seemed constantly in release in drive-ins in the 70sand early 80s, as part of a triple (or quadruple) bill. Others were Night of the Living Dead, House of Psychotic Women, Don't Look in the Basement and Torso.

[Hepcat]

My list:

The Monolith Monsters (Drive-In)
Curse of Frankenstein
Horror of Dracula
King Kong vs. Godzilla
Horror of Party Beach
Scars of Dracula (Drive-In)
Exorcist
King Kong (1976)
Alien

[marsattacks666]

Great thread , Mark.

As I recall.

Drive-in:
Dawn of the Dead
Alien
The Prophecy
Piranha

[yendor1152]

Well, I hit 60 last November and have been fortunate enough to dine on a steady diet of horror films since 1958, thanks to my older sister (she was 11, and I was 5 back then).

Theater: partial list!

From Hell it Came (my very first horror film ever)
House on Haunted Hill
The Tingler (missed the beginning--didn't see it until the DVD)
Brides of Dracula
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (the beginning of my 4th grade)
The Birds (4th grade again)
Premature Burial
The Raven (Price version)
The Sentinel
The Nanny (7th grade)
Masque of the Red Death (64)
The Gorgon
Dracula, Prince of Darkness (multiple times, 1966)
Rasputin, the Mad Monk (9.6)
Plague of the Zombies
The Reptile (double bill with Rasputin)
Phantom of the Rue Morgue
Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman
Queen of Outer Space (I remember the unmasking vividly)
Earth vs. The Spider (scared me crapless)
Tarantula!
Monster on the Campus (another scary pic!)
Last Man on Earth
Planet of the Apes
House of Dark Shadows (senior year)
Night of Dark Shadows
Let's Scare Jessica to Death
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine
The Blob
Attack of the Giant Leeches (I was five in November of 57, so all of the 50s movies were seen before I was eight!)
The Bat
The Space Children
13 Ghosts
The Mummy (Hammer)
Phantom of the Opera
Circus of Horrors (never forgot the knife in neck sequence)
The Exorcist (multiple times)
Exorcist II: The Heretic
Exorcist III: Legion
The Omen
Damien: Omen II
Omen III: The Final Conflict
The Howling
The Changeling
The Shining (multiple)
American Werewolf in London
Jack the Giant Killer
Tom Thumb
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (multiple)
Jason and the Argonauts
Quatermass and the Pit

This is exhausting!

Drive-in:

Blood Feast (5th grade)
2,000 Maniacs (sophomore year)
Bloodthirsty Butchers (senior year)
Giant Spider Invasion (1976)
Empire Strikes Back
Last House on the Left
Don't go into the Basement!

I gotta take a break!

[Robert W]

The very first film I saw in a theater was the 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Suffice to say it changed my life.

[Ormsby]

My parents took my brother and me to see At the Earth's Core (1976) at the Commack Drive-In here on Long Island when I was six years old. After 1978 the drive-in became too much of a place where teens hung out to get drunk, and families stopped going.

[neonnoodle]

Drive-in:

Blood Feast (5th grade)

I can't imagine what that would have done to me in the 5th grade!! 

[Arlyn1122334456]

I watched the crater lake monster at the drive in


John Woodcox