I remember being so excited to see The Little Mermaid at the cinema; my grandmother took me, we had popcorn, it was fabulous. Until the scene where Ursula was impaled. I remember crying my eyes out, WTF had I just seen?!? That memory has stuck with me all this time and here are just a few of the memories that have stuck with others.
1 – Return to Oz is one of my all-time favourite films, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that it had some seriously terrifying scenes init. Who can forget the headless Princess Mombi chasing our protagonist while numerous disembodied heads scream ‘Doroooottthhhhyyyyy Gaaaaaaalllllleeee’?
2 – Or when Belinda drops an egg into the mouth of the Gnome King? Watching him crumble away as the gnomes groan ‘poison’….
3 – How Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark got a 12 rating is beyond me. Killer scarecrows, spiders bursting forth from your body and a Jangly Man are bad enough, but the Pale Lady is something else altogether. That grin *shudder*.
4 – The Witches was a fantastic book and the (original) film was delightfully dark. However, that moment when The Grand High Witch reveals herself is nightmare fuel to this day.
5 – Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. Large Marge. Say no more.
6 – Roger Rabbit was already disturbing; the weasels were creepy and let’s not talk about the poor shoe (I will never get over that scene). But the moment when Judge Doom is run over by the steamroller propels the film into serious horror territory.
7 – Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory appeared to be a quite light, bright kids film at first glance. Then you realise it plays out like a slasher film. Kids are bumped off one at a time and they are psychologically tortured by the antagonist, Mr. Wonka, whilst on the now infamous boat trip.
8 – The Adventures of Mark Twain was a 1985 film created using stop motion Claymation, creating a wonderfully creative and creepy atmosphere to the film. Especially when you hit The Chronicle of Young Satan…
9 – Dumbo and Timothy Q Mouse happen to drink spiked water and end up participating in a spine-chilling hallucination which are enough to drive you to drink.
10 – ET is my own personal trauma memory. The alien lying there, skin all grey. Massive nope from me.
11 – There are so many moments from The Dark Crystal that you could choose but I think watching the podling having its life essence drained from them is right up there. The uncomfortable uncanny valley, the unnerving lack of soul in those eyes… give me the Skeksis any day.
12 - The NeverEnding Story was a staple in childhood trauma. We all know that scene, but what about The Sphinxes Gate? Our hero approached two topless (why?) behemoths who talk to him without ever moving. Then, just when you think that’s eerie enough, a gust of wind blows open the helmet of a previous have-a-go hero.
13 – Winnie the Pooh was, and still is, a childhood favourite of many. But the Heffalumps and Woozles scene is some straight up fever dream shit.
14 – Disney’s The Watcher in the Wood. All of it.
15 – All Dogs go to Heaven is literally based around a murdered dog called Charlie who comes back to earth to seek revenge on his killer. Erm. But when Charlie has a nightmare about Hell it’s something else entirely.
16 – Spirited Away is, in my opinion, one of the greatest films of modern times. It is also one massive head fuck. Our hero, Chihiro, ends up in the spirit world after watching the witch, Yubaba, turn her parents into pigs in a very unsettling scene.
17 – The Brave Little Toaster is based around anthropomorphic electronics such as, well, a toaster. The appliances have an unnatural attachment to a young boy they refer to as ‘Helpful Master’. There are plenty of shocking scenes, including this one with a clown that could put Pennywise to shame.
18 – The Walrus and The Carpenter from Alice in Wonderland. They literally murder all the little babies by tricking them then eating them. Alive.
19 – The 1940 Disney Pinocchio is one of the most frightening films. Stromboli kidnaps the little wooden boy and shuts him in a tiny cage, threatening to turn him into firewood when he stops making Stromboli money.
20 – But the most alarming scene of all (in my humble opinion) was the donkey scene on Pleasure Island in Pinocchio. The panicked cries of the young boys still manage to send shudders down your spine.
And those are just a few of the creepy films which were, apparently, entirely suitable for kids. And they wonder why so many of us are in therapy 😉 What scenes really stuck in your mind as a child? Let me know what you think in the comments, thanks for reading, take care of yourselves and I will see you next time.
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