It's funny how the evolution of special effects, computers, and CGI offers more and more possibilities for films—particularly horror films, and yet, the truly scariest and most impactful monster of all time is from 1939. These monsters are so vicious and evil, so terrible and horrid, that they haunt our dreams today, 72 years later, and certainly will another 72 years from now. Nightmares not only in the minds of small, innocent children, but even the minds of mature, rational adults are haunted with the memory of what they saw the first time they watched The Wizard of Oz. Hordes of those purple faces and thick, black fur carried by the ominous gray wings of those horrific flying monkeys is hard enough to recall, let alone write about. Still, I venture into my memories and stare that thought square in the eye.
This brave service—this sacrifice—is something I will do so that never again will we have to hide our scars. We will face the memory of the flying monkey scenes from The Wizard of Oz and remember those brave souls who sat in that theatre on August 8, 1939.
“And take care of those ruby slippers! I want them most of all! Now fly! Fly!” Christ have mercy. They’re coming for Dorothy. And there’s nothing we can do. The way they chase and jump at her. Remembering that image for you now is like describing to a jury how I was violated by rapacious, disguised intruders of my home. The moment they’re ripping apart the scarecrow is just one symbolic yet literal pivot in my life—these damned monkeys were ripping apart my childhood.
This was in 1939. It’s difficult enough to recall these scarring images, but to imagine how they would be had this movie been made in the modern film industry is impossible. To compare any beast or ghoul or psychopath of today to the truly vicious existence that is a flying monkey would be inherently inadequate.
