Geez, who makes movies for kids? They are terrifying!
My mother never let us see Disney movies because she'd never recovered from the animated movie scene where a mother is shot dead. (Bambi, 1942--my mother would have been eight).
I had to wait until I was a teenager to see animated movies, and I agree with her--I'd take kids to a lot of grown up movies before I'd terrorize them with some kids' fare.
Today I remembered that two of them feature garbage:
Waste Management as a Bosch-like vision of Hell.
1. The Killing Fields in The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
The Little Toaster and its friends, other old appliances, are thrown out by appliances on "the Cutting-Edge of Technology" when their owner, Rob, is about to go to college.
They find themselves on a conveyor belt at the car graveyard, watching living, talking cars ahead of them get chomped to death.
The toaster saves them by throwing itself into the gears. Rob takes them all home to be repaired.
2. The Holocaust Scene in Toy Story 3 (2010)
Woody and his friends, other childhood toys, are thrown out by an evil toy when their owner, Andy, is about to go to college.
_____________________________
They find themselves on a conveyer belt header for a hellish furnace.
Realizing they can't escape, they join hands to go together.
I cried.
But then they are rescued by a claw, operated by cute fat aliens.
Message?
Don't go to college! Stay home with your toys and eat toast.
My mother never let us see Disney movies because she'd never recovered from the animated movie scene where a mother is shot dead. (Bambi, 1942--my mother would have been eight).
I had to wait until I was a teenager to see animated movies, and I agree with her--I'd take kids to a lot of grown up movies before I'd terrorize them with some kids' fare.
Today I remembered that two of them feature garbage:
Waste Management as a Bosch-like vision of Hell.
1. The Killing Fields in The Brave Little Toaster (1987)The Little Toaster and its friends, other old appliances, are thrown out by appliances on "the Cutting-Edge of Technology" when their owner, Rob, is about to go to college.
They find themselves on a conveyor belt at the car graveyard, watching living, talking cars ahead of them get chomped to death.
The toaster saves them by throwing itself into the gears. Rob takes them all home to be repaired.
2. The Holocaust Scene in Toy Story 3 (2010)
Woody and his friends, other childhood toys, are thrown out by an evil toy when their owner, Andy, is about to go to college. _____________________________
Realizing they can't escape, they join hands to go together.
I cried.
But then they are rescued by a claw, operated by cute fat aliens.
Don't go to college! Stay home with your toys and eat toast.
D still has nightmares about the Night On Bald Mountain scene from Fantasia. And I from the banshee from Darby O'Gill & The Little People. Or sobbing through the scene where Dumbo is cradled by his caged mother.
ReplyDeleteBut I rather enjoyed being frightened and sad from stories. That was safe.
The morals of so much of Disney is so corrupt - find a prince, be pretty, obey authority and eventually be rewarded... . Blegh.
Yeah, I can see that scary sad stories/movies have their place---as you say, they can offer a safe way to feel those feelings.
ReplyDeleteThese two stories, though, felt emotionally threatening to me in a icky way:
if you don't take care of your toys (or toasters), they will suffer the pain of the damned.
I have enough problems being feeling overly responsible for the feelings of other *people*, now I have to worry about my toys' feelings too?!
Full disclosure:
I already did and do worry about the feelings of my little toy animals. I didn't need any more encouragement! :)
I must rewatch some of the Studio Ghibli animation again---I don't remember feeling icky after Totoro or Spirited Away, but maybe I'm misremembering?
Maybe it depends when you come across a certain story. And it resonates, or doesn't.
ReplyDeleteI agree that I didn't feel icky from Totoro or Spirited Away... but I also felt rather bored.
ReplyDeleteBambi is a cruel one... I also saw it when I was about eight. Dumbo too... so sad.
I don't mind so much when scary things happen, as long as all the good toys/toasters/dogs/people are rescued in the end.
My big horror movies as a child were Old Yeller and Big Red. Who would make "children's movies' where the hero dogs are killed in the end?! And who would knowingly take their children to such a movie? (Being as my mom is a big softie about dogs, I have to assume she didn't know the movies ended with the dog dead.) I know movies were based on books--such books should be banned! I think these stories were supposed to be character building. Horrible, horrible, is all I can say.
BINK: Ol' Yeller is the worst!
ReplyDeleteAs I know you know, there's a website where you can check on movies: "Does the dog die?"
https://www.doesthedogdie.com
That incinerator scene in Toy Story 3 is pretty intense. Got me to the edge of my seat, biting my nails.
ReplyDeleteBut Barbie and Ken are just hilarious and make up for that. ;)