The first five listed below are their picks, with my own explanation as to why they are upsetting, followed by five of my own. Please add your own opinions to this list!
1. The Wizard of Oz (1939): The Wicked Witch of the East and flying monkeys are highlights of a general unease that pervades the whole film.
2. Dumbo (1941): Besides an evil ringmaster and Dumbo’s terrifying dream of pink elephants on parade, the scene where Dumbo says goodbye to his imprisoned mother is extremely upsetting.
3. Old Yeller (1957): Any dog lover, young or old, is upset by what the young boy must do to his best friend.
4. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968): The children more than learn their lesson not to take candy from strangers when they are kidnapped by the “Child Catcher”.
5. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971): While each golden ticket-winning child is slowly removed (in various ways) from the chocolate factory, Willy’s boat trip down the chocolate river is more than unnerving.
6. Edward Scissorhands (1990): The title says it all. It takes more than a little time to warm up to Tim Burton’s wonderful, yet initially terrifying, protagonist.
7. Toy Story 3 (2010): The depressed clown and menacing baby doll security guard are genius, yet frightening, takes on the animated lives of children’s dolls.
8. Labyrinth (1986): Perhaps it’s not the other-worldly muppets themselves, but David Bowie that is the most unsettling aspect of this bizarre film.
9. Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): Again, Tim Burton’s magical Halloween land is both the stuff of genius and dark nightmares.
10. The Peanut Butter Solution (1985): A group of ghosts spread peanut butter on a child’s head in order to help his hair grow. But it keeps growing to the point where he is kidnapped by a man who wants to make magical paintbrushes out of it. It would be interesting to meet the writer of that film….
Which films scared (scare) you?
The Sullivan Movie library has a number of great children's films, including some fun scary ones like The Westing Game, Legend of the Lost Tomb and Max Magician and The Legend of the Rings.
