If you are of the horror lovin’ kind, then you often wonder what are some good movies that your offspring can cut their teeth on, right? I know, you already know about The Addams Family (who doesn’t) and no doubt, you have taken them to see “Monster House” and “Corpse Bride” and even “Coraline”, but outside of that, what are some good starter movies?
They make get you some eye rolls and some people might even judge you but you are used to this by now, aren’t you? Good. My first suggestion: Poltergeist.
You are saying to yourselves, “For my teens, sure!” But have you thought on the merits of this movie for the younger set? My son, advanced as he is, is six years old. He loves horror and loves scary movies. I chose to let him watch Poltergeist because there really isn’t massive amounts of gore and it is a great story, lapses in storyline aside. Allow me a moment to explain about my son, so that you can gauge your own children and self.
My son is able to read and has a comprehension level beyond first grade, which is the grade level he is in. He is able to navigate the web, he reads things like “I, Robot” once in a while (Tales of Beetle the Bard has recently captured his attention somewhat) and he is able to articulate his feelings fairly well. If your child is still fairly naïve and can’t tell the difference between reality and fantasy then you need to take heed. Don’t show movies such as this to children who have no clue as to what is real and what is not.
That’s how they get nightmares.
Now that the disclaimer has been stated—Poltergeist, as we all know, is a great experiment in how far a mother will go to protect and love her children. It has a ton of symbolism that you are saying to yourselves, is way over the heads of children. Why suggest this? They’ll have nightmares for weeks! They’ll be scarred for life!
I watched it with my six year old son and when it was all said and done, we had a conversation about it.
“Do you want to know what the scariest part for me, was?” He asks. I nod, “Sure!”
He tells me, with great excitement, that the scariest part for him was, “The part where the guy starts peeling his face off!” I agree, this is a scary part and we briefly discuss how real the fake blood looked. He was very interested in the special effects. After our discussion, I offer up my choice for scariest part.
“The scariest moment in the movie for me is when the mother falls into the pool and all those dead bodies start floating up. She can’t get out and her kids are screaming in the house.”
My son screws up his face and says, “Yeah, the bodies were kind of gross. But it wasn’t that scary mom.”
I then further explained why I found it scary.
“I find that part the scariest because it involves a mother whose children are in grave danger. She wants to help them, protect them, save them but she can’t. She’s helpless, determined, and scared out of her mind. I know exactly how scared she feels because if it were you and your brother, I would be terrified that I couldn’t come and protect you from harm. There is no feeling more frightening than helplessness and despair.”
My son hugged me tight and said, “I love you Mom.”
Tell me this isn’t a great family bonding moment? This is why I suggest Poltergeist as one of my picks for cutting those horror teeth on. Not only was it fun to watch my son jump and giggle, it was a learning moment for the both of us. He went to bed with a smile on his face knowing that Mommy, if faced with dead bodies, a flood, an empty pool, monsters from beyond, and opposition from unseen forces beyond her control—and the risk that she may look like a complete fool, she would still do her best to come and save him, even if she were to die trying.
And he didn’t have one single nightmare. Now, if it had been Cannibal Holocaust, I’d have to call CPS on you (for those not in the know, CPS is Child Protective Services). But as far as family films go, Poltergeist is a choice I strongly suggest.
Of course, you know your children best. Maybe they aren’t ready for such a flick. In that case, I suggest you stick to “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” until they are sixteen year old, or older.
Thanks for reading and if you have similar experiences or questions, feel free to post them. Comments, opinions, and thoughts are always welcome! Even the nasty comments. Those are fun.
mG
No comments:
Post a Comment