We all have our creepy movies. Ghost stories, slasher flicks, twisted films-- there's something that gets everyone. But some of the scariest can be the ones you saw as a child, that scarred you with nightmares and bad memories for life. For my brother it was Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland. And don't worry, Mom and Dad, it's not your fault-- it happens to all of us! The following is my list of the top 5 movies that messed me up/gave me bad dreams/I'm still afraid of.
5. The Last Unicorn: A very interesting story, and very pretty animation. It really is a very likeable movie; in fact, I own it on dvd. But there are elements of the movie, such as some eerie ghosts walking through a fire, a collection of grotesque beasts (including one of them killing and eating the woman who imprisoned them), and, of course, the red bull. And I'm not talking about some pansy Lindsay Lohan fuel either. I am talking about a scary, firey red bull that rounds up all the unicorns in the world and keeps them as waves in the ocean. Definitely a scary concept, especially to a 6 year-old girl! Take a gander at the trailer:
4. The Neverending Story: You know, I don't even remember much about this movie, other than I know it scared the bejeesus out of me. And I know I'm not alone. My sister was creeped by this movie, my roommate was creeped by this movie (particularly the sinking horse scene), and it probably is just not as kid friendly as the marketers wanted us all to believe. Just watch the trailer and you'll see how it could have terrified me:
3. Alice in Wonderland: To be more precise, the 1985 TV version of Alice in Wonderland. This movie was scary to me in so many ways. Looking at clips now, I just get a bad feeling looking at the costumes, the sets, the little girl, and Carol Channing in that creepy white dress. I think something that made this particularly unsettling was the fact that Alice was lost for so long, and it felt like she'd never get home. And then, when she finally does-- she's on the wrong side of the mirror! She can see her parents, but they can't see her, and she's left there screaming and banging on the glass to no avail. But the ultimate terrifer in this movie most definitely would be the Jabberwocky. It's not just that he was big and mean and Godzilla-ish, it was also the way the lightning flashed, everything got dark, and Alice was just left screaming and running for her life. Also. I didn't like the rabbit or this creepy bird guy:
2. Return to Oz: This frightening story is about exactly what you think it's about, except everything is old and broken down (including the yellow brick road), and everything that was magical about The Wizard of Oz has now become dark and scary. The most distinct memory I have is of the evil witch, who instead of changing her hair or makeup, could change her entire head. I remember having nightmares about those heads for years. Just check out the following scene, which really belongs in a horror movie, and not as a sequel to a beloved children's story:
1. The Dollhouse Murders (Secrets in the Attic): Poorly made, poorly acted. Unless you are counting the dolls, because they acted great, carrying out their rolls as the ultimate
terrorizers to perfection. This early nineties movie is about a young girl who comes to live with her aunt, and slowly learns the story of how her grandparents were murdered in the house. She finds a dollhouse in the attic (pause to say that I am freaking myself out just writing this) and comes to realize that the dolls are acting out the murders so the mystery can finally be solved. There are several terrifying scenes of not only flashbacks to the actual murder, but of the dolls moving on their own: turning their heads to the camera, moving around the dollhouse, and causing books to fly off the shelves. If I remember correctly, the dolls also cry and shriek. And I wasn't kidding before, I really am starting to scare myself just thinking about this movie. Yes, I realize it might not sound scary at all, but to a young kid who never watched horror/ghost movies, it's downright terrifying. Believe it or not, there are no clips or trailers of this little gem on youtube (shocker!), so instead I'll just direct you over to IMDB, so you can verify that this movie does exist.
5. The Last Unicorn: A very interesting story, and very pretty animation. It really is a very likeable movie; in fact, I own it on dvd. But there are elements of the movie, such as some eerie ghosts walking through a fire, a collection of grotesque beasts (including one of them killing and eating the woman who imprisoned them), and, of course, the red bull. And I'm not talking about some pansy Lindsay Lohan fuel either. I am talking about a scary, firey red bull that rounds up all the unicorns in the world and keeps them as waves in the ocean. Definitely a scary concept, especially to a 6 year-old girl! Take a gander at the trailer:
4. The Neverending Story: You know, I don't even remember much about this movie, other than I know it scared the bejeesus out of me. And I know I'm not alone. My sister was creeped by this movie, my roommate was creeped by this movie (particularly the sinking horse scene), and it probably is just not as kid friendly as the marketers wanted us all to believe. Just watch the trailer and you'll see how it could have terrified me:
3. Alice in Wonderland: To be more precise, the 1985 TV version of Alice in Wonderland. This movie was scary to me in so many ways. Looking at clips now, I just get a bad feeling looking at the costumes, the sets, the little girl, and Carol Channing in that creepy white dress. I think something that made this particularly unsettling was the fact that Alice was lost for so long, and it felt like she'd never get home. And then, when she finally does-- she's on the wrong side of the mirror! She can see her parents, but they can't see her, and she's left there screaming and banging on the glass to no avail. But the ultimate terrifer in this movie most definitely would be the Jabberwocky. It's not just that he was big and mean and Godzilla-ish, it was also the way the lightning flashed, everything got dark, and Alice was just left screaming and running for her life. Also. I didn't like the rabbit or this creepy bird guy:
2. Return to Oz: This frightening story is about exactly what you think it's about, except everything is old and broken down (including the yellow brick road), and everything that was magical about The Wizard of Oz has now become dark and scary. The most distinct memory I have is of the evil witch, who instead of changing her hair or makeup, could change her entire head. I remember having nightmares about those heads for years. Just check out the following scene, which really belongs in a horror movie, and not as a sequel to a beloved children's story:
1. The Dollhouse Murders (Secrets in the Attic): Poorly made, poorly acted. Unless you are counting the dolls, because they acted great, carrying out their rolls as the ultimate
terrorizers to perfection. This early nineties movie is about a young girl who comes to live with her aunt, and slowly learns the story of how her grandparents were murdered in the house. She finds a dollhouse in the attic (pause to say that I am freaking myself out just writing this) and comes to realize that the dolls are acting out the murders so the mystery can finally be solved. There are several terrifying scenes of not only flashbacks to the actual murder, but of the dolls moving on their own: turning their heads to the camera, moving around the dollhouse, and causing books to fly off the shelves. If I remember correctly, the dolls also cry and shriek. And I wasn't kidding before, I really am starting to scare myself just thinking about this movie. Yes, I realize it might not sound scary at all, but to a young kid who never watched horror/ghost movies, it's downright terrifying. Believe it or not, there are no clips or trailers of this little gem on youtube (shocker!), so instead I'll just direct you over to IMDB, so you can verify that this movie does exist.
3 comments:
Creepy McCreeperson. Yes and yes. Add to that "The Witches" with Angelica Huston and I am thoroughly freaked.
I think some of the dolls from Dollar General were in the murders too...
Man, number 1 sounds terrifying. Like an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark.
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