Kenneth Bamberg

In my teens I collected horror movies that I got from my older brothers, video stores and flea markets. One of my favorite films was "Re-Animator", where the protagonist Herbert invents a serum that awakens the dead. Giving life to dead things was a common phenomenon in horror movies, where dolls and statues with human traits existed. 

I often watched the movies with some guys in my room. After the movies, when I was alone and my parents were sleeping, I sometimes imagined that my mother's doll collection became animated. Adrenaline and excitement were part of the charm of the horror films. Some films had such hilarious scripts that they were more like comedies, while other films sent chills down the spine. 

Sometimes it happened that girls saw the horror movies with us. This was an opportunity to creep closer to each others. When the horror was intense we boys tried to be manly protective and courageous, even though our teeth rattled. We tried to look as untouched as possible, like we mastered the threatening and scary.