Introducing my son to various films...

[Neil]

I've been posting about this off and on for a while, but thought I'd make a dedicated thread on it. I've been taking my son, who's now 12, through various films trying to gauge his interest, and obviously being careful not to throw him in at the deepend complexity/horror wise. A couple of years ago we went through some of the old B&W Universal horror flicks. eg: Frankenstein, The Invisible Man. Then more recently:- - The Matrix - The Fog: He's watched this film twice more since with friends. - The Thing: He loved it, and has watch it again since! - Alien: I think he found it a little slow. - Aliens: He loved it. - Terminator: Loved it. - Terminator 2: Really loved it. - Escape From New York: Really enjoyed it. I've loved having the excuse to go back through these films, and I think next we'll venture in such films as Christine and maybe Robocop (although it's very violent of course, but he was OK with Terminator)... I think I might also venture into Night Of The Living Dead and Dawn Of The Dead... I think Day is too dark and bleak for him at the moment. As I go through these films, I'll add to this thread

[MinionZombie]

Some groovy choices there. Interesting that he found Alien slow, but seems to really be into The Fog ... the first time I saw Alien I did think it was slow, but to be fair I was a rather distracted 9 year old at the time, a time when I'd routinely watch movies in chunks of 15 or 20 minutes and then swap over to other movies to do the same thing, or do something else entirely ... and the first time I saw The Fog I rather disliked it. Although, a couple of years down the line I re-watched it and have loved it ever since, so there we are. RoboCop eh? I think I saw it around about your son's age, although it was censored for television (I was a bit "woah!" when I saw the uncut Theatrical version on VHS a while later). The Director's Cut (which I saw for the first time a few months ago) is even more graphic ... the tone, even with all it's satire and over-the-top-ness, can be quite dark at times (e.g. when Murphy is slaughtered). I suppose it's really just the graphic nature of the violence - although it is rather cartoonish (e.g. when ED-209 malfunctions and absolutely obliterates that guy in the meeting room) - but then again I don't know where you lad's at in terms of movie violence. Age 12 is probably more advanced than when I was 12. GAR's flicks - I first saw Day of the Dead when I was 14. I wasn't bothered by the gore - instead I was impressed and awed - although I was a little stunned by the language ... but I think that was just because I'd never seen a movie with such language in it before (at that point in time many of the films I was watching either didn't have such language, or had the language censored for TV ... you know, back when the likes of the BBC blushed at the F-word even after 11pm for crying out loud). In terms of Day's tone, I think I didn't quite catch the bleakness of it until much later - with repeated viewings over the years I've seen deeper and deeper into the darkness that the film holds. I guess some of these things you don't pick up on as a kid, it's only when you become an adult and start seeing the world for what it is rather than just what exists within the boundaries of your own personal bubble that you see a movie such as Day in a different light. Night of the Living Dead should be fine, and Dawn of the Dead is like a big carnival, so that should be fine as well. I suppose, considering he's seen Aliens, that would be a good barometer to just the more scary/graphic stuff against - although gore wise Aliens isn't all that strong compared to Day of the Dead, it can at least provide a hint I guess. It must be a really cool time to get to re-experience these movies through your son - someone seeing them for the first time - him enjoying these films at his age, and not being one of these wretched snotrags who dismiss flicks that are in black and white, or were released more than 10 years ago, or don't feature Adam Sandler, haha. Sounds like he was quite taken with The Fog.

[Neil]

Some groovy choices there. Interesting that he found Alien slow, but seems to really be into The Fog ... the first time I saw Alien I did think it was slow, but to be fair I was a rather distracted 9 year old at the time, a time when I'd routinely watch movies in chunks of 15 or 20 minutes and then swap over to other movies to do the same thing, or do something else entirely ... and the first time I saw The Fog I rather disliked it. Although, a couple of years down the line I re-watched it and have loved it ever since, so there we are. RoboCop eh? I think I saw it around about your son's age, although it was censored for television (I was a bit "woah!" when I saw the uncut Theatrical version on VHS a while later). The Director's Cut (which I saw for the first time a few months ago) is even more graphic ... the tone, even with all it's satire and over-the-top-ness, can be quite dark at times (e.g. when Murphy is slaughtered). I suppose it's really just the graphic nature of the violence - although it is rather cartoonish (e.g. when ED-209 malfunctions and absolutely obliterates that guy in the meeting room) - but then again I don't know where you lad's at in terms of movie violence. Age 12 is probably more advanced than when I was 12. GAR's flicks - I first saw Day of the Dead when I was 14. I wasn't bothered by the gore - instead I was impressed and awed - although I was a little stunned by the language ... but I think that was just because I'd never seen a movie with such language in it before (at that point in time many of the films I was watching either didn't have such language, or had the language censored for TV ... you know, back when the likes of the BBC blushed at the F-word even after 11pm for crying out loud). In terms of Day's tone, I think I didn't quite catch the bleakness of it until much later - with repeated viewings over the years I've seen deeper and deeper into the darkness that the film holds. I guess some of these things you don't pick up on as a kid, it's only when you become an adult and start seeing the world for what it is rather than just what exists within the boundaries of your own personal bubble that you see a movie such as Day in a different light. Night of the Living Dead should be fine, and Dawn of the Dead is like a big carnival, so that should be fine as well. I suppose, considering he's seen Aliens, that would be a good barometer to just the more scary/graphic stuff against - although gore wise Aliens isn't all that strong compared to Day of the Dead, it can at least provide a hint I guess. It must be a really cool time to get to re-experience these movies through your son - someone seeing them for the first time - him enjoying these films at his age, and not being one of these wretched snotrags who dismiss flicks that are in black and white, or were released more than 10 years ago, or don't feature Adam Sandler, haha. Sounds like he was quite taken with The Fog. Is the director's cut of Robocop really that much more graphic? I think he's particularly taken by "The Fog" as we went on a ghost work on the south coast last year, and the guide told a story about ships being run-a-ground on purpose and said the story was an inspriration for a particular film, and asked us if anyone knew what the film. Muggins here of course said "The Fog" and my son's interest was then sparked Looking forward to visiting Christine again.... And must remember to include "Halloween" at some point too!

[MinionZombie]

Is the director's cut of Robocop really that much more graphic? I think he's particularly taken by "The Fog" as we went on a ghost work on the south coast last year, and the guide told a story about ships being run-a-ground on purpose and said the story was an inspriration for a particular film, and asked us if anyone knew what the film. Muggins here of course said "The Fog" and my son's interest was then sparked Looking forward to visiting Christine again.... And must remember to include "Halloween" at some point too! Well, the DC isn't massively different - the film was already OTT - the DC makes a few tweaks, but yeah, if you can stomach the TC you'll handle the DC. http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=3609994 "Halloween" - again, when I first saw it I was a bit bored by it, only to love it a little while later. Although I do remember secretly recording it off BBC2 IIRC, and watching it with the door shut and the sound way down low with my finger hovering over the stop button ... at the time I was fairly young and wasn't allowed to watch "horror" movies at that point. Sci-Fi/Action and Sci-Fi/Horror (like Aliens, The Thing, or The Fly were all fine though!).

[Neil]

OK, gone through Christine and Assault On Precinct 13. My son really enjoyed them both, especially Christine! I'd not seen AoP13 for a long long long time, and I enjoyed it too! Although I was screaming at our heros to let the gang members in through the windows before shooting them so they could then have their weapons/ammo The visuals/camera work in Christine is lovely at times. ie: The scenes of the car on fire etc. And all the better for being practical rather than CGI IMHO!

[MinionZombie]

I saw Christine for the first time recently. It was good, although I can't really remember much about it. Perhaps if I'd watched it in my formative years... Assault On Precinct 13 - I remember being so stunned that the gang members kill a little girl in a drive-by shooting. I was probably around about 11 or 12 when I saw it, and that moment really stuck in my brain.

[Neil]

I saw Christine for the first time recently. It was good, although I can't really remember much about it. Perhaps if I'd watched it in my formative years... Assault On Precinct 13 - I remember being so stunned that the gang members kill a little girl in a drive-by shooting. I was probably around about 11 or 12 when I saw it, and that moment really stuck in my brain. Yeh, the purpose of the attacking the ice cream van is questionable. Why?

[shootemindehead]

Because AWESOME! That's why.

[MinionZombie]

Because AWESOME! That's why. Well, I'd say it shows how ruthless and awful that gang of crims are - to show a sense of lawlessness - didn't Carpenter say it was basically his version of Rio Bravo? It's the modern day wild west - urban crime gone mad! These baddies are a step above, so they pose a greater threat to the film's protagonists ... it helps amplify their plight ... that's what I'm figuring. The scene was worse how I pictured it in my head, from my memory of seeing it for the first time all those years ago (I've not seen the movie in a very long time now) ... although it's still pretty darn messed up!

[Neil]

Yeh, the purpose of the attacking the ice cream van is questionable. Why? Is this the same actor BTW?

[MoonSylver]

Lucky. I've attempted to introduce my oldest to a few movies, but when the subject is broached I get a reaction of , because OBVIOUSLY if the Old Man likes it, it must not be any good... (though, oddly, the few I have talked her into she REALLY dug, so there's a weird dichotomy going on there...too much like her mother sometimes...) In any case, gotta work in NOTLD, Jaws, The Exorcist, The Shining, & The Thing at some point...essentials, man, essentials....

[Neil]

...so thinking John Carpenter's "They Live" or the 1980s Day Of The Triffids BBC TV series next!?

[shootemindehead]

Is this the same actor BTW? Yes. Frank Doubleday. - - - Updated - - - ...so thinking John Carpenter's "They Live" or the 1980s Day Of The Triffids BBC TV series next!? 'Day of the Triffids'. I probably saw that around his age too and it stayed with me. I presume you're talking about the 80's version. BTW, it does lose a bit of its edge half way through. Budget constraints and all that jazz. Then you can show him the 'Evil Dead' remake. - - - Updated - - - Lucky. I've attempted to introduce my oldest to a few movies, but when the subject is broached I get a reaction of , because OBVIOUSLY if the Old Man likes it, it must not be any good... They're 100% correct though. Ya know, the way we were 100% correct when we were that age. ya boring auld fart.

[MinionZombie]

...so thinking John Carpenter's "They Live" or the 1980s Day Of The Triffids BBC TV series next!? They Live! They Live! They Live! To be fair I've not seen Triffids, but I just re-watched They Live t'other week and it's such a great movie! So much fun! You could follow it up with Big Trouble In Little China, perhaps.

[Neil]

They Live! They Live! They Live! To be fair I've not seen Triffids, but I just re-watched They Live t'other week and it's such a great movie! So much fun! You could follow it up with Big Trouble In Little China, perhaps. Dude! You need to watch that series! It's obviously dated and very low budget... but! Watch it! It';s basically a zombie flick!!! But with giant angry daffodils!