Last night I had the privilege of watching a two-hour program on the Sci Fi Channel called Sci-Fi Boys. This program interviews a number of leading artists in the entertainment industry who have contributed to various horror, science fiction, and fantasy films and asks them to share the influences that helped shape their imagination and creativity. Those interviewed include Peter Jackson, Dennis Muren, Rick Baker, John Landis, Roger Corman, Steven Spielberg and others. The major portion of the documentary was devoted to the two primary influences in the lives of these men when they were growing up, that of Forrest J. Ackerman and his Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, and the stop motion animation of Ray Harryhausen. Both men were credited with providing a sense of wonder and imagination in young people for several decades that provided the inspiration which eventually translated into a new generation of filmmakers.

It was interesting to note these influences, which I shared as I grew up in northern California in the 1970s. Much like all of the men interviewed, I too saved my money and purchased an 8mm camera with a single frame capacity so that I could create my own crude stop motion animation films, although my efforts stunted rather quickly, and these men went on to create great works of art that has generated millions if not billions of combined dollars.

Some comments at the end of the documentary were especially interesting to me as these men spoke of a sense of wonder and imagination that Ackerman, Harryhausen, and other film craftspeople put onto the silver screen. Given that so many young boys were inspired by science fiction, fantasy, and horror films from at least the 1960s through the 1970s, I wonder what it was that drew our attention and captured our imaginations. Was there a wonder and fantasy void in the culture into which these films rushed? And might a possible fantasy deprivation in popular culture also be seen in expressions of traditional religiosity during this period? This would make for a fascinating exploration in sociology, culture, and film studies.

I also found the comments of several of these men personally applicable when they shared their struggles growing up in finding friends who shared their interests and that others often labeled them “weird” for having this passion. I remember feeling the same thing as an adolescent, a feeling that is perhaps even stronger now as I still enjoy these genres as an adult, and the situation is even worse in the Christian community.

My thanks goes to the Sci Fi Channel and Paul Davids respectively for airing and producing this great documentary.