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| (imdb.com) |
5. Beetlejuice/Coraline/Nightmare before Christmas
Why are these three all mashed together? Because each are
definitely intended to scare their audiences. In fact, these movies are so dark
that they've been swept up by Hot Topic-shopping teens across the states (are
there Hot Topic stores abroad?) as cultural icons. From the scary and
death-centric Beetlejuice to the unsettling Claymation and stop motion
of Coraline and Nightmare before Christmas, there's nothing all
that playful about any of these movies. Even later films like Frankenweenie and
Paranorman offer some childish and carefree aspects - pleasantries not
afforded to these dark and disturbing movies. Even when Beetlejuice manages
to be funny, there’s always the terrifying face of the titular character
himself to remind you that nothing is quite appropriate for children
to be seeing it. Despite being animation, the button-eyed monster in Coraline
and the fact that Nightmare before Christmas is practically just a
bunch of nightmarish creatures wreaking havoc, all make for a truly scary time.
Yeah there are heroes in both but even they're kind of off.
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Little Nemo,
not to be confused with Finding Nemo, is one of those animated movies
that appeared on every VHS shelf across the neighborhood with no one really
knowing how it got there. Upon viewing though, the trauma caused by
the cigar-smoking, green-faced clown, Flip, was enough to stay prevalent
in nightmares for years to come. By far one of the scariest characters to come
from child animation, Flip was a mischievous problem and his lack of reason
made him all the more unsettling. His ability to come across as a hero, despite
being a free agent in Slumberland was an odd direction for filmmakers to go.
Add on the fact he rode a giant crow, and Flip instantly became the type of
characters children were expected to fall in love with, but instead would fear.
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| (imdb.com) |
The only reason I remember Ernest Scared Stupid is
because I remember how bothered I was by the trolls turning children into
dolls. It wasn’t even the trolls themselves that bothered me so much -
although, they were part of the problem - it was the fact that children were
literally being turned into objects so the monstrous Trantor could feed on
their energy. This movie is not a childrens movie; it’s a real life nightmare. There's a reason this movie makes so many lists. Ernest Scared Stupid, even with its silly central character, never provides enough peace of mind to make it bearable.
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| (imdb.com) |
Lists showcasing the scariest kids movies are nothing new. But
often overlooked is James and the Giant Peach. Despite the fact that it
features some unsettling insect creations, horrific stop-motion and a truly
wicked pair of aunts, James and the Giant Peach is never given the
credit it deserves as a horror movie. Why does this movie even exist? With some
rough and definitely scary stop-motion and a clothing-wear spider, grasshopper
and centipede, this movie shouldn't have been conceptualized as a book, let
alone a movie. It's haunting and definitely deserving of a spot on this list.
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| (imdb.com) |
This one is entirely personal. I, in all of my years, have never
understood the appeal of E.T. Largely responsible for my sleepless
nights and later fear of aliens, E.T. was a really strange creation. Hairless
and bug-eyed, he wasn't warm or cuddly and the noises he made are the same
thing you'd expect to hear in a dark corridor before something terrible grabs
you. Take the scene when E.T. is discovered in the kitchen; that part is
straight from a horror film. The sweeping around corners, the eventual shock
and scream, all of it feels purposefully terrifying. E.T. certainly
was lovable to someone, but for those of us turned off by his attempts to
assimilate into human culture through a costume, he was just
another option in the Cabin in the Woods-like minds of
children.
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