Comments on: It’s Not, Quite Frankly, A Wholesome Situation: Dr. Seuss’ The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T

By: Dono

Dono — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 08:34:45 +0000

Anti Nazi? It even had the goons as they all sang their victory song raise their arms in the Nazi salute. Left armed, but still.

Bad Guy’s Terwilliker Academy Victory Song
A‑rooty-toot-toot-toot!
A‑rooty-toot-toot-toot!
Terwilliker-williker institute!

Hooray for us! [Hooray for us!]
Hurrah for us! [ Hurrah for us!]
We’re rough, we’re tough, we’re on the ball!
We’re gruesome one, we’re gruesome all!
We’re unthinkable, stinkable, horrible us –
HOORAY! we are victorius!

Now isn’t that too glorious?
Our nasty team notorious
Us gruesome griming glorious,
Us stinkers are victorious!

We ain’t too neat!
We ain’t too bright!
Never the less we won tonight –
HOORAY! we are victorious!
[Victorious!]

Terwilliker, we sing to thee,
Our cruel black hearts we bring to thee,
For crime and slimey villainy–
Terwilliker Academy!

Oh, the walls are green with ivy down at Harvard
And down at Princeton and Old Purdue
[in Old Purdue!]
So what? They think they’re smart with all that ivy,
At Terwilliker, got ivy, too!
[Got ivy, too!]
Hail to thee our hallowed halls!
We got poison ivy walls!
Poo on Harvard, Yale and such! We got ivy they can’t touch!

Poison ivy covered walls
Hail to thee our hallowed halls
Hallowed halls

Terwilliker, thy name we praise
We love thy foul and loathsome ways
Thy crummy criminality–
Terwilliker A‑Cat-A-Me!

Alma mater, alma mater
Never ever, could be greater
Rotten as a bad tomater
Alma mater, die-dee-dee-dow-dee-dow-dee-dow
We’re rough, we’re tough, we’re on the ball!
We’re gruesome one, we’re gruesome all!
Unthinkable, stinkable, horrible us
–HOORAY! HOORAY! we are victorious!

By: Marshal Strahl

Marshal Strahl — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 17:26:47 +0000

The Nightmare Before Christmas was just as surielistic but not as humerous

By: Steve Hazell

Steve Hazell — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 02:21:20 +0000

This is one of the few films I distinctly remember seeing in my childhood in the 50s. My wife and I watched the DVD version recently and it did not disappoint. "The 5,000 Fingers..." is one weird movie. I'm so glad it was made at a time when every release didn't have to be a blockbuster and studios were willing to take artistic risks (before the bean counters took over). I must disagree with Garry above who sees it as an anti-Nazi, anti-Fascist film. It was released in 1953, eight years after the war was over. There wouldn't be much point in opposing a movement that had already been proven to be horrific and extinguished eight years before. It would be like speaking out against the Vietnam war eight years after it had ended.

By: Edward Sullivan

Edward Sullivan — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 04:49:39 +0000

Those who will be in the San Francisco Bay Area during mid-October (2014) can see ‘The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T’ as part of an ‘Altered Realities’ film series being shown Friday evenings in October at the Mechanics Institute Library:

http://www.milibrary.org/events/cinemalit-film-series

By: I Can Hardly Believe It Happened: Terence Fisher’s The Brides of Dracula | Sonya Taaffe | Weird Fiction Review

Tue, 24 Jun 2014 06:37:44 +0000

[…] images and atmosphere and the taste they leave in the brain on waking. The Brides of Dracula is not the most dreamlike film I’ve seen, but it’s not an inappropriate place […]

By: Not a Muggle. Call me Nuggl-no. Just no. Call me Anthea.

Not a Muggle. Call me Nuggl-no. Just no. Call me Anthea. — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 03:52:38 +0000

Gotta say, I was pretty pleased with your description! It was like freeverse poetry being turned in as an essay, and then gets an A for accuracy. I noticed that at the beginning of the dream, Terwilliker looks almost normal (He's a bit enthusiastic, but so are a lot of people). And as the movie progresses, he grows stranger, more bizarre, and frightening. Also, it's pretty obvious that he's gay (NOT just because of the music and how he dresses, although the clothes were a contributing factor). As far as my favourite movies that fall into categorie "Strange" go, this is right up there with Coraline (Book & movie), Labyrinth, and Alice in Wonderland (Again, book & movie). Very well written review!

By: Garry

Garry — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 01:59:58 +0000

Wow, everyone missed the real point of this movie.
Dr. Suess was extremely anti-Nazi & anti-Fascist.
This movie is in fact an allegory about both.
It’s not so obvious until the last fantasy scene where all 500 boys are dragged in, with suitcases. The suitcases are taken from them, their contents emptied out & the boys are given numbers.
Just like the Jews taken to concentration camps!
I’d love to see the original version if it were possible.

By: Merriah

Merriah — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 01:23:06 +0000

I saw this movie when i was little back in the 90’s and I loved it! Now I get the joy of sharing it with my sons :) LOVE this movie!

By: Spreck Rosekrans

Spreck Rosekrans — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:22:56 +0000

I had forgotten about this movie but suddenly remembered it last night. It gave me nightmares like no other (and I never even took piano lessons).

By: Fabio Fernandes

Fabio Fernandes — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:29:49 +0000

Had the same traumatic experience as Steve Rasnic Tem in my childhood. A couple of years ago, I bought a DVD copy to relive it. Yep. The trauma remains (awesome trauma, though).