There were some disturbing situations in children’s movies that Redditors didn’t expect to see in a children’s movie.
This month marks the 40th anniversary of the premiere of E.T the Extra-Terrestrial, which despite its long time in theatres is still regarded a must-see classic by moviegoers. The alien that phoned home made its way to the hearts of many viewers and it’s remembered for its heartwarming story, but also for its disturbing scenes.
The characters, plots, and settings in children’s films are typically designed to be accessible to a wide range of audiences. Families typically anticipate to see talking animals, a happy conclusion, and fantasy realms in the genre. Many Redditors, however, have shared their memories of frightening sequences in children’s films that seemed to be lifted straight from a horror film.
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Child Catcher – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
remarked LeaveItToYourGoat “The scene of the child-catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is always my go-to response to this question. It’s still the scariest movie I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of them.” “Especially when they’re hiding in the basement and he stares through the bars on the window,” a deleted user continued.
As a character in and of itself, the Child Catcher isn’t scary. That being said, the deleted Redditor’s reference to a “creepy” scene uses all the necessary cinematic vocabulary to put any viewer at ease. The photo frames the villain in the shadows, successfully conveying his evil intentions, and also slices his body in an odd way, giving the impression that his head is separate from his body. It’s bizarre to look at, which makes it frightening for young children.
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E.T Dying – E.T The Extra-Terrestrial
A user named elliold posted on Reddit, “I don’t know if E.T. counts as a children’s movie, but it was scary to me when E.T.’s health started deteriorating near the conclusion of the movie.” and represented the views of many. Even though it’s one of the best movies directed by Steven Spielberg, E.T. is just a really disturbing movie.
The scene in which young Drew Barrymore screamed in terror at a friend’s acquaintance was the most relatable moment in the film. However, the addition of the pale skin, some frightening-appearing astronauts, and government troops turned the scene into the ideal recipe for a horror movie. The movie contains an adequate number of terrifying scenes to terrify even the most trusting youngster who is used to seeing cartoons featuring cute animals and beautiful princesses.
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Large Marge – Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
A member who has since been removed brought up the following point in conversation: “I know this has been addressed multiple times in the past, but the Pee-Wee Herman movie with the scene that had huge Marge.” The fact that he was successful in frightening more than one youngster with this classic scene from the film must bring Tim Burton much joy.
Burton’s fingerprints are all over the expression that Large Marge makes when she exposes that she is a ghost. It is very similar to a lot of other changes that he has shown in his movies, such as the one in Beetlejuice.
There is no room for speculation regarding the reason why this specific scenario terrified a significant number of children in the 1980s.
Not only does it have enormous eyeballs, a tongue that is thrust out, and fangs that look like saws, but it also came completely out of nowhere, which is why it is considered a jump scare of the lowest possible rating. The gloomy lighting, which draws attention to the most horrifying features of her face, also makes the situation worse.
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Babyface’s Entrance – Toy Story
In the opinion of user mouse 7, “”That thing scarred me for life. It’s the baby doll head on the spider leg body from Toy Story 1. For years, it haunted my dreams “As with most children who had never seen the film before.. This modded toy seems like it belongs in a horror movie. John Lasseter, the director of Silent Hill, was aware of this, and he used it to his advantage in making her one of the scariest monsters.
Hence, the resemblance between Babyface’s arrival and that of a ghost or monster in a horror film: Children shuddered in unison with Woody in terror as the darkness, the lamp’s meagre illumination, the sudden turn of her head, and her awful creak filled the theatre.
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Anjelica Huston’s Transformation – The Witches
Anjelica Huston’s peeling of her face in the movie “is really horrifying,” stated MedschoolgirlMadison. This sequence where Eva Ernst exposes her true appearance is so believable and ugly because of the realism provided by prosthetic make-up rather than CGI. The sight of a woman slowly removing her mask is unsettling enough, but the final form taken by Eva is quite horrifying.
Old lady witches have long been associated with children’s imaginations, so seeing a disfigured and terrifying monster was a shock. “The Erica portion becoming stuck in the painting terrified me too, and back then I will wave at paintings with people just in case someone was imprisoned there too,” a Redditor recalls from the film. the impact that such scenes can have on a child’s childhood is illustrated.
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Coachman – Pinocchio
Many people are still shocked by the disturbing and adult themes in Pinocchio. Pinocchio’s coachman urges him to recruit lads for “Pleasure Island” in the Pinocchio movie, and a deleted user chose that scenario. It’s safe to say that the Coachman’s exaggerated and wicked facial features have left a lasting impression on many a child’s imagination. Although he has a frightening appearance, that is hardly the most terrible thing about this figure.
Unlike a witch or some other mythical creature, the Coachman is real. He is a child smuggler, and Pinnochio is nothing more than an exaggerated parody of the real-world crimes committed against children. The sequences in which youngsters are converted into donkeys serve as a powerful metaphor for adults and children alike.
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Swamp Of Sadness – The Never Ending Story
Another user described a situation that even grownups could not bear to watch. Reddit user satanicpuppy said, “Neverending Story…The bit in the marsh.” This is one of the rare situations in children’s movies that terrified and brought people to tears at the same time.
Viewers are gripped by shock and a sense of helplessness as they watch as Artax the horse slowly sinks into the mud and is unable to move. Atreyu’s shouts of pleas for his pal to keep going are sad. If you view the scene as a metaphor, you get a deeper meaning out of it because the swamp is a symbol of grief, and Artax succumbs to it.
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Button Eyes – Coraline
Comment by bubbleaurum, a Redditor “The entire Coraline film. I had nightmares about the eyes for months after seeing it at a birthday celebration in elementary school.” Redditors agreed, as did many others. A lot of kids were traumatised by Coraline, a stop-motion animated film that was mistaken for a joyful and cheerful film by parents and teachers.
This film is masterful in its use of fear and tension, making it unsuitable for all youngsters. This is a creepy start to the other family’s story because of the creepy button eyes, but it was only after they changed shape that we saw why stop motion is the best approach for creating unsettling animation.
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Pink Elephants On Parade – Dumbo
The post “The “Pink Elephants” skit from Dumbo” was made by user Kujo17, who added to the idea that Disney’s movies from the 1940s thought children could handle adult themes and scary scenes. The majority of people remember that when Dumbo and Timothy Q. Mouse drink alcohol together, they start imagining incredibly terrifying elephants that play, dance, and perform a very dark and disturbing song.
cielo funk further explained that “that sequence was even worse in Spanish since for some reason they decided it would be a good idea to adapt the lyrics to frightening references to ghosts and satan.” And if Disney dubbing studios from Latin America believed it was suitable to add those lyrics, it was because the visuals matched the content of the movie.
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Many Scenes – The Brave Little Toaster
The film was released in 1987 and depicts the narrative of various household appliances that go in search of their owner who has gone missing.
According to a post by a user named nalc on Reddit, “There’s some pretty f***d up things in The Brave Little Toaster,” despite the fact that the summary seems innocent and even endearing. This brought back many people’s memories of the various moments that weren’t just unsettling to look at but also broached some extremely heavy topics.
Spheros remarked, “Do you mean the part in which Toaster actually brings a flower to its death by making it feel hopeless? Or how about the nefarious and murderous firefighter clown? Or is the air conditioner destroying itself by reaching an unsafe temperature? Or the classic automobiles being pulverised into cubes by a colossal magnet before being destroyed?”
This encapsulated the dark and frightening mood of the movie in its entirety. Nobody could have anticipated that a toaster, a vacuum cleaner, and a lamp that looked so innocent could send shivers down their spines.
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