Introducing my son to horror - Starting off with 1930's Universal horror

[Neil]

So now my son is 10, I thought I'd carefully introduce him to the horror genre. I thought a nice way of doing this would be via some of the classic b&w Universal horror films which I used to love as a kid.

We started with the classic "The Invisible Man" - which in my book is really more scifi than horror - and he really enjoyed it. It was interesting discussing it later when he got the slight heebee-jeebies about the idea if the invisible man was in his room, he really wouldn't know. That said, he laughed it off and was fine.

On to "The Wolf Man" next...

[MinionZombie]

Good man.

I jumped in at the deep end, as I've said elsewhere, aged 9 with "Alien" and "The Fly II", but those were horror/sci-fi combos, and it was the sci-fi element that made it okay for me to watch them (them being a step up from action sci-fi such as The Terminator and T2), and yet when I was that age - and older - I wasn't allowed to see Poltergeist (which was rated PG-13 in America, if I'm right in thinking).

Then again, Ghostbusters was one of my favourite movies as a kid (and remains one of my all-time faves to this day), and that's got plenty of spooky goings on at an introductory level - so I think I was more drawn to horror elements from a young age.

Glad your boy dug "The Invisible Man" - I got into some of the Universal monster movies during my early teens - but I didn't see "T.I.M." until quite recently (but I loved it). Actually, I thought the film was quite dark in some regards, more so than many other such films of the time, there's a real mean streak within the movie (but in a good way), and it's wonderful in visual terms too. A genuine classic. The follow-up just didn't size-up to it, though ... the sequel was alright, but it just didn't match the first film's sheer brilliance.

"The Wolf Man" - another classic, and one that I enjoyed as a young teen (this was around the same time as I was digging into much gorier and scarier flicks like The Evil Dead and various slasher movies and of course Uncle George's flicks - Day of the Dead was my first intro to his work and I was blown away by it - it was a real eye opener!)

My discovery of horror was mostly as a result of my own curiosity, rather than being shepharded through the genre, so he should have a really good appreciation for the genre. I think that's a cool way to get into horror - go chronologically with the classics and gradually build him up. :cool:

[Neil]

I think there's one or two more (Universal) invisible man films, so we'll probably visit those too :)

[shootemindehead]

What age is the boy Neil? I remember my parents were quite liberal with films for me from a young age. Although, they were a generation and a half older than me (I was a late accident). I suppose they just didn't know how to properly censor stuff for me.

I remember seeing 'Alien', 'The Omen', 'An American Werewolf in London', 'Halloween I, II and III' and a host of other classics, including the Universal stuff, which I considered second tier entertainment even then. They were more of an excuse to stay up late. Frankly, none of them had the impact that 'Jaws' had on me.

My parents seemed more concerned with the "sexy stuff". People getting ripped apart was perfectly fine.

However, this fecker below was THE largest "scary" thing in my early childhood. He haunted my dreams for years.

1222

[slickwilly13]

You should have threw him into the shark tank like my dad did with me at age 4 or 5. Creepshow :evil:

I watched the world cable debut in the early 80's. I am glad my mom was at an art show that night.

[LouCipherr]

:D

You're doing it the right way, Neil. I was evil, I started showing my son stuff like the original Nightmare on Elm Street, some of the Friday the 13th's (first 4), and a few others as his "introduction to horror." :elol:

Not sure how many read my post a while back about it, but ANOES spooked the ever-living shit out of me at age 12 - but my son, who was only a year older than I was when I saw it for the first time, wasn't phased at all by the film. Go figure.

[Mike70]

you cannot go wrong with Universal. great choice.

[Neil]

you cannot go wrong with Universal. great choice.

The effects for The Invisible Man must have really have freaked people out 80yrs ago!

[bassman]

As others have said, you picked a perfect place to start.

Next you should just screw his mind up and show him The Thing or The Fly. :p

[MinionZombie]

As others have said, you picked a perfect place to start.

Next you should just screw his mind up and show him The Thing or The Fly. :p

:elol: Oh you brilliant, evil bastard. :cool:

[Mike70]

The effects for The Invisible Man must have really have freaked people out 80yrs ago!

i bet they did. there's some damn creative camera work in that flick.

wasn't that Claude Rains' first movie? or was it his first starring role? can't remember and am too lazy to look it up right now.


you should show him "The Thing From Another World." that has always been one of my absolute fav movies. it doesn't have anything really over the top in it.

[Neil]

wasn't that Claude Rains' first movie? or was it his first starring role? can't remember and am too lazy to look it up right now.His first real film I believe...


you should show him "The Thing From Another World." that has always been one of my absolute fav movies. it doesn't have anything really over the top in it.You know... I don't ever recall watching that!

[LouCipherr]

Next you should just screw his mind up and show him The Thing or The Fly. :p

I'll second that!

Talk about childhood trauma.. :lol:

[Mike70]

His first real film I believe...

You know... I don't ever recall watching that!

exsqueeze me? the 50's version, produced by howard hawks? that's one of the best scifi films ever! go out, find it and watch it.

on a different note: i showed my son the werewolf transformation scene from "American Werewolf in London" when he was about 3 1/2 - 4. he flipped over it. looked me and said "that's the coolest thing i've ever seen!"

he's been hooked since.

[LouCipherr]

i showed my son the werewolf transformation scene from "American Werewolf in London" when he was about 3 1/2 - 4. he flipped over it. looked me and said "that's the coolest thing i've ever seen!"

he's been hooked since.

At that age?! And he didn't completely flip his shit and end up traumatized?! I'm impressed! :thumbsup:

[wayzim]

exsqueeze me? the 50's version, produced by howard hawks? that's one of the best scifi films ever! go out, find it and watch it.

on a different note: i showed my son the werewolf transformation scene from "American Werewolf in London" when he was about 3 1/2 - 4. he flipped over it. looked me and said "that's the coolest thing i've ever seen!"

he's been hooked since.

The 50's Thing rocked! US Military with it's wise crackin Joes, equally cool dame ( Margaret Sheridan, one of my pinup heroines as a kid ) and Marshall Dillon as the Mewing Monster Veginator from another world. Watch the skies - and this film.

Ok, was that too fanboy just now?

Oh, and show him the original Fly with Vincent Price and Al Hedison ( later David ) of Voyage To The Bottom of The Sea fame.
Pretty faithful to the source story by George Langelaan, with a few shock moments (though not gory by today's standards )
That deal with the industrial press always freaked me out.

Wayne Z

Ned "Scotty" Scott: Here's the sixty-four dollar question - what do you do with a vegetable?
Nikki: Boil it.
Ned "Scotty" Scott: What did you say?
Nikki: Boil it... bake it... stew it... fry it?

The Thing from Another World

[AcesandEights]

The 50's Thing rocked! US Military with it's wise crackin Joes, equally cool dame ( Margaret Sheridan, one of my pinup heroines as a kid ) and Marshall Dillon as the Mewing Monster Veginator from another world. Watch the skies - and this film.

Ok, was that too fanboy just now?

Oh, and show him the original Fly with Vincent Price and Al Hedison ( later David ) of Voyage To The Bottom of The Sea fame.
Pretty faithful to the source story by George Langelaan, with a few shock moments (though not gory by today's standards )
That deal with the industrial press always freaked me out.

Wayne Z

Ned "Scotty" Scott: Here's the sixty-four dollar question - what do you do with a vegetable?
Nikki: Boil it.
Ned "Scotty" Scott: What did you say?
Nikki: Boil it... bake it... stew it... fry it?

The Thing from Another World

What Wayzim said above, and Mike70 before him!

Great film. When I think of classic scifi black and white that I grew up seeing on Saturday or Sunday afternoons on local TV or cable, this is the film that comes to mind!

[slickwilly13]

Fiend without a Face is creepy for a 50's movie. Rather, bloody, too.

[krisvds]

My oldest son is four and really into music. (at the moment he's listening to the new Foals album non stop) Last summer I decided to show him Jacksons' Thriller video. He loved the zombies and has stumbled through the house, slouching and limping and moaning, on a regular basis ever since. Good times. :D

My parents were completely irresponsible where censorship is concerned. I remember they took me to a screening of The Shining in a local cinema when i was ten or eleven. Needless to say I was scared beyond belief. Liked the feeling though and relentlessy started hitting the horror section of the local video library a couple of years later when we got a VHS, somewhere in the mid eighties.

Classics I used to love as kid were the Vincent Price starred 'House of Wax' and of course 'The Raven.' The Corman Poe's are pretty sweet for a kid I think.

[wayzim]

My oldest son is four and really into music. (at the moment he's listening to the new Foals album non stop) Last summer I decided to show him Jacksons' Thriller video. He loved the zombies and has stumbled through the house, slouching and limping and moaning, on a regular basis ever since. Good times. :D

My parents were completely irresponsible where censorship is concerned. I remember they took me to a screening of The Shining in a local cinema when i was ten or eleven. Needless to say I was scared beyond belief. Liked the feeling though and relentlessy started hitting the horror section of the local video library a couple of years later when we got a VHS, somewhere in the mid eighties.

Classics I used to love as kid were the Vincent Price starred 'House of Wax' and of course 'The Raven.' The Corman Poe's are pretty sweet for a kid I think.

I was such a huge Corman fan ( still am ) growing up, even when I didn't quite understand the intelligence behind such schlocky pictures. The man knew exactly what he wanted to get from each film, what his resources were, how to manipulate the audience ( much as William Castle did ) - and he helped to invent a genre of movies along the way.

I remember reciting a Corman quote at some panel I'd done at a Sci Fi convention. He'd given this advice to some young film maker he'd been grooming, when the directer was doing some night shooting. She'd asked him about getting a few arc lights and other equipment to better illuminate the scene, and of course he shot back, "You have cars, don't you? They have headlights, don't they? Use those. "
The only guy to date who really understood that was John Carpenter - and probably George Romero.

My fav Corman film to date is 'The Undead. ' (57) which you can actually find on youtube, one of his most inventive and enjoyable movies.

Way Zim
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/roger_corman.html

[Mike70]

My parents were completely irresponsible where censorship is concerned. I remember they took me to a screening of The Shining in a local cinema when i was ten or eleven. Needless to say I was scared beyond belief.


:lol: one of the first times my parents trusted me to stay alone for a few hours with my brother while they went out for a bit (i was probably 13 or so, maybe 12). we decided to turn off the lights and watch "The Exorcist" on cable. needless to say, that put me off of green kool-aid for a long time...

[MoonSylver]

My oldest was really interested in some classic horror recently, so we checked out both Dracula & Frankenstein, both of which she enjoyed immensely. She's keen to see The Wolfman as soon as I get a copy. :)

[Mr. Clean]

Let my 4 year old watch Tremors I and II this weekend.

[Neil]

Let my 4 year old watch Tremors I and II this weekend.

Hmmm...

[MinionZombie]

hehe, I would have normally thought 4 is a bit young for Tremors - the first one particularly - but then again I don't know the kid. Hopefully Mr.Clean Junior dug the flicks though - I'm a big fan of the Tremors movies. I think I was getting into Tremors around 8 to 10 years old I think.

I remember going into the video rental shop - before the days of surfing the web - and my jaw hitting the floor as I saw "Tremors 2" had just been released. I got in on that straight away and enjoyed it immensely. The first two rock (the original, naturally, being the king of them all), and then the third feels rushed and under-funded, but enjoyable nonetheless, and the fourth was one that I initially hated, but then grew to like, even if Tremors 4 was quite perfunctory in terms of plot (the characters all learning stuff we fans already know). I enjoyed the TV series too, and was hoping we'd get a Tremors 5, but it seems everything's gone quiet on that front after suggestions it could happen after the DVD release of the TV series.

[Mr. Clean]

lol There seems to be some struggling with the logic in how I choose to censor my child. So allow me to explain. I don't let him(my 4 year old) watch anything where people are torturing other people as far as scary movies go nor do I allow him to watch sexual content. We also try to minimize bad language but he does know pretty much every "bad" word out there now and knows that he isn't to repeat them and what will happen if he does. All kids are different when it comes to what they can handle and how what they see effects them. We explain to him the difference between fiction and reality. For example, it was rather easy to explain how giant worms that want to eat you don't really exist. We did let him watch parts of Skyfall this weekend and he got confused who was the bad guys when the bad guy was dressed up like a cop.