The nightmares. So many nightmares.
When I think back on my childhood, I can’t honestly say that horror movies were responsible for giving me nightmares. Sure, some of them undoubtedly crept in from time to time, but for the most part, guys like Jason and Freddy entertained me more than they scared me. But one thing that did give me nightmares as a kid, and still sometimes to this day, was “Unsolved Mysteries.”
The show, which premiered in 1987, was originally hosted by Robert Stack, and it used dramatic re-enactments to bring to life stories of mysterious murders, strange paranormal activity, and even alleged encounters with extraterrestrials. Basically any mystery that couldn’t or hadn’t been solved was profiled on “Unsolved Mysteries,” with Stack creepily narrating the various tales.
Though I’ve gone back and re-watched episodes in recent years, I don’t honestly remember any of the stories that I watched as a kid. But what I do remember, what stuck in my brain, were the sights and sounds of the show. I remember the logo, I remember Stack’s chilling narration (right down to specific things he said), and oh boy will I never forget the opening theme song.
The original “Unsolved Mysteries” theme song was composed by Michael Boyd and Gary Remal Malkin, and it’s one of the downright creepiest tunes in the history of entertainment. Most horror movie scores cannot even compare to the show’s theme, which someone managed to perfectly encapsulate all the ominous goings-on that the series was devoted to exploring.
All these years later, that theme has been restored in glorious HD. Enjoy the nightmares.