We all have irrational childhood fears. For a certain segment of the population, the logo from Screen Gems productions scared the heck out of them. The documentary The S From Hell reenacts survivors harrowing formative experiences with this horrifying logo.

Director Rodney Ascher's The S From Hell debuted at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Here's a synopsis from the filmmakers:

THE S FROM HELL is a short documentary-cum-horror film about the scariest corporate symbol in history - The 1964 Screen Gems logo, aka ‘The S From Hell.' Built around interviews with survivors still traumatized from their childhood exposure to the logo after shows like Bewitched or The Monkees, the film brings their stories to life with animation, found footage, and dramatic reenactments.


Not an exhaustive historical documentary, THE S FROM HELL is a subjective film whose aim is make the audience feel the same fear and confusion as the children who were first confronted by the vexing, unfolding sights and mournful, dissonant sounds that hid in the cracks between their favorite TV shows.


Did any particular logos terrify you as a kid? For my part, I find something totally sinister about the New York Auto Giant Dot Com radio jingle. It's the shittiest jingle in the world, and I feel like I'm being barraged with a million subliminal messages.