Kids and Horror Films

[tom de plume]

I am moving this discussion to it's own thread...

Gus Bjork:
I also just watched Stephen King's IT with my older son a couple of weeks ago and he loved it. He's Farmer V Jr!How old is your son? My 9 year old daughter is showing an interest in horror and I'm starting to wean her in. But I don't want to traumatize her either (no TCM). We've been watching the classics like Frankenstein, Wolfman, Dracula, Them, etc. So far Them is her all time favorite. She really enjoyed both of Sommer's Mummy films as well. Any recommendations for some more recent horror/monster films your kids have enjoyed?My oldest son is 10 now and he has been begging me to watch horror films for the last couple of years. I had been sticking with older films (The Invisible Man, The Terror, The Blob, etc...) and made for TV films.

I just let him watch the R rated Dog Soldiers (which some of his friends saw on SciFi) this past weekend. While DS is pretty damn gory it doesn't pack the emotional wallop of the PG13 rated RING which I haven't let him see yet. I know the ending of RING would be too much for him now.

Now I know that might seem backwards a bit, but my son has been raised with video games such as Quake and Unreal and understands that cartoonish violence is just that. He is very well adjusted. He has also been playing (just found out) Resident Evil at a friend's house and claims that it is no big deal.

He begs me to watch these movies constantly and I think I am going to concentrate on mixed genre films that contain horror/sci fi and action (Aliens/Predator/Dog Soldiers/Terminator 2). Any suggestions? Of course, I am going to watch each one again to ensure that I haven't forgotten some god awful scene that will ruin his childhood.

I'm also going to try and not show him films that seem to portray women in a misogynistic fashion (see Carpenter's VAMPIRES). That would eliminate a few films, eh? I'll also stay away from slasher films as well for now.

My family raised me on horror films. I saw Friday the 13th, when I was in 4th grade. As a matter of fact, my mother was babysitting my oldest son (when he was 4) and I walked into my parent's house to find my him watching the Coppola version of Dracula on VHS. I almost shat myself. My mother said "Hey, you turned out fine." Needless, to say I asked that they tone the films down a bit when the kids go over (they have).

I would like to stress that my son is a very even tempered kid and he has a firm grip on what is reality and what isn't. I am going to let him see more types of horror films when I feel comfortable that he is handling what I have previously shown him. My other son is a wild child, a wonderful loving kid, but I'll be a bit more careful with him.

Anyone else going through the same situation we are? Anyone think I am about to ruin my child. I'd be interested to hear.

(edited for spelling)

[Scott Standridge]

I didn't see any really violent/gory films until I was in jr. high, when a friend of mine got cable and a newfangled vcr (this was the early to mid 80s). But I was a dyed in the wool horror fan way before that, from the creature features on weekends on our local ABC affiliate that showed universal classics, Hammer horror, and pretty much any suitable-for-tv stuff it could get its paws on.

I now have a 3 year old son who is very interested in all my Frankenstein/Wolfman/etc. memoribilia and in "scary monsters" that he knows I like but Mommy doesn't. My wife doesn't want him exposed to too much horror too young, and while I agree about the really gory stuff (I probably wouldn't let him see Dog Soldiers until he was in jr. high, if it were up to me), I think the old movies like Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and stuff like that would be fine, if they could hold his interest.

Still got some time to think about it, but that's my gut feeling right now.

[kittyinjammies]

My son is four, and I absolutely screen his viewing of horror.

It has nothing to do with my own personal feelings about the genre (I love it), more to do with his threshold for the emotional impact. Scooby Doo cartoons give him nightmares.

It's pretty much the Cartoon Network-fest at Chez Kennedy 24-7.

[Devil Unicorn]

YOU FOOLS YOU ARE TRAINING YOUR CHILDREN TO BECOME EVIL SERIAL KILLING MANIACS!!! REPENT NOW, OR THE LORD WILL TAKE YOU!!!

[Scott Standridge]

The Last Devil Unicorn:
YOU FOOLS YOU ARE TRAINING YOUR CHILDREN TO BECOME EVIL SERIAL KILLING MANIACS!!! REPENT NOW, OR THE LORD WILL TAKE YOU!!!You know, statements like that when I was growing up led me to believe the Lord was some kind of boogeyman who waited in the shadows for you to be naughty and then, when he had you red-handed, jumped out and threw you into a lake of fire for eternity.

God Almighty--scariest serial killer EVAR. wink

[tom de plume]

The Last Devil Unicorn:
YOU FOOLS YOU ARE TRAINING YOUR CHILDREN TO BECOME EVIL SERIAL KILLING MANIACS!!! REPENT NOW, OR THE LORD WILL TAKE YOU!!!Damn, I had a feeling the Lord was going to take me for this...

[tom de plume]

kittyinjammies:
My son is four, and I absolutely screen his viewing of horror.

It has nothing to do with my own personal feelings about the genre (I love it), more to do with his threshold for the emotional impact. Scooby Doo cartoons give him nightmares.

It's pretty much the Cartoon Network-fest at Chez Kennedy 24-7.I agree. Although at 4 years old I was watching Night Stalker rather then Bob The Builder.

But when, do you start letting your child watch horror? And after the child shows that he/she can handle Wolfman or Frankenstein's monster when do you introduce them to modern horror, which can be very graphic AND very frightening (and inappropriate in so many ways)?

[Samurai X]

A recomendation for your son: John Carpenter's The Thing
Very gory film but you said your son is used to gore. How about Night of the Living Dead and Evil Dead.
I saw a good amount of horror films at a young age, I saw Alien when I was 7 or 8. I also saw a lot of the classics like Dracula and Frankenstien at a young age.

[tom de plume]

Scott Standridge Screams in Italian:
My wife doesn't want him exposed to too much horror too young, and while I agree about the really gory stuff (I probably wouldn't let him see Dog Soldiers until he was in jr. high, if it were up to me), I think the old movies like Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and stuff like that would be fine, if they could hold his interest.

Still got some time to think about it, but that's my gut feeling right now.I said the same thing, but he didn't quite make it to Junior High. :D

I do think that it depends on the child. My son's main issue with me not showing him horror films was that all of his friends were watching them and their parents didn't even like horror films. Of course, those parents probably don't know what their kids do half the time. While, I didn't want to succomb to the "If they can do it, why can't I?" syndrome, I did. I feel that my son IS able to handle SOME horror films WITH dad in attendance.

Still, I am probably going to HELL. :D

[Carl Cunningham]

My Dad took me to see THE EXORCIST when I was 4.

It has had no ill effects, save for my lieflong dislike of green peas.

Well, that and my collection of human heads in the crawl space.

[Gus Bjork]

YOU FOOLS YOU ARE TRAINING YOUR CHILDREN TO BECOME EVIL SERIAL KILLING MANIACS!!! REPENT NOW, OR THE LORD WILL TAKE YOU!!!What's interesting is that the person who got me interested in horror films was my dad. He was better known in the community as Pastor.

When I was in Jr. High he would take my friends and I to see Carpenters The Thing, Alien, Phantasm etc. But he was always responsible on what we could take or not take, with an unfortunate miscalculation regarding Dr. Phibes which haunts me to this day.

My wife insists we see a film before my nine daughter does. The older has a serious aversion. We are getting her Eight Legged Freaks DVD for Christmas so that's interesting. I also appreciate the suggestions. Thanks.

Don't worry about the Lord. He'll be cool with it wait and see.

[tom de plume]

Samurai X:
A recomendation for your son: John Carpenter's The Thing
Very gory film but you said your son is used to gore. How about Night of the Living Dead and Evil Dead.
I saw a good amount of horror films at a young age, I saw Alien when I was 7 or 8. I also saw a lot of the classics like Dracula and Frankenstien at a young age.That's funny, my wife and I were just discussing these three films a few days ago. The Thing and Evil Dead are outstanding films but I am going to wait a year or so on both of them. However, I see Night of the Living Dead (original and not the sequels) and Army of Darkness in my son's near future.

[tom de plume]

Gus Bjork:
YOU FOOLS YOU ARE TRAINING YOUR CHILDREN TO BECOME EVIL SERIAL KILLING MANIACS!!! REPENT NOW, OR THE LORD WILL TAKE YOU!!!What's interesting is that the person who got me interested in horror films was my dad. He was better known in the community as Pastor.

*****edited*****

My wife insists we see a film before my nine daughter does. The older has a serious aversion. We are getting her Eight Legged Freaks DVD for Christmas so that's interesting. I also appreciate the suggestions. Thanks.

Don't worry about the Lord. He'll be cool with it wait and see.You have a really good attitude Gus. Welcome to the Corner! We are glad to have you.

[Aghora Eats Kittens]

Gus Bjork:
[QUOTE]with an unfortunate miscalculation regarding Dr. Phibes which haunts me to this day.

No kidding... When I first viewed Dr. Phibes, the ending freaked me the hell out. I was all but nine or ten methinks... The Bogeyman stuck with me at a viewing of five years of age. There was a distinct difference in my reaction. The Bogeyman had me shocked because of the scissors scene, but Vincent Price simply scared me. I was able to see the difference between cartoonish gore, and what Vincent Price was capable of. For my money I think I was more "effected" by Vincent Price.

Keep in mind I have no kids of my own, but I tend to think the overall bleakness of Romero's Living Dead would do more to simply SCARE the crap out of a child than say... The Blob circa Steve McQueen.

By the way... Godzilla is always good for a kid.

[Edited for Godzilla]

[Gus Bjork]

but Vincent Price simply scared me. I was able to see the difference between cartoonish gore, and what Vincent Price was capable of. For my money I think I was more "effected" by Vincent Price.It's been over twenty years and some scenes still stick in my head. I keep thinking if I rewatch them I'll see how cartoonish these are (especially the 'sausage maker' scene in Return). But what if I'm wrong....

This is what I'm trying to avoid with my daughter now. But kids are weird. She would probably have a bigger problem with the non-stop profanity in Dog Soldiers than she would with the gore. She can watch all three Jurassic Park films and not blink an eye but for some reason she is really bothered by some scenes in the Harryhausen Sinbad films. I'm looking for a pattern. Her reaction (carefully watched) to Eight Legged Freaks might be telling.

[Gus Bjork]

By the way... Godzilla is always good for a kid.I agree. I'm proud to say that she knows almost every Godzilla monster by name.

[Devil Unicorn]

Actually, if it wasn't for my father's love of sci-fi and horror, and introducing me to some of the greats early in my life, I would not be nearly the same person I am today. My comment above was just a sarcastic jab at people who have their heads so far up their uncreative asses that they can't understand how harmless violent movies can be, and the amount of creativity and imagination they can generate in a child. I will show my children appropriate films when they are the right age, but there is a huge list of movies that they absolutely MUST see eventually.

[WrappedinPlastic loves life]

Samurai X:

Very gory film but you said your son is used to gore. How about Night of the Living Dead and Evil Dead.
I don't know this person...but while Evil Dead is a good gory movie, I don't think a 10 year old can take the Tree Rape scene. Hell...it's still a hard scene for me.

[horror freak]

My son, who is 13, pretty much screens himself when it comes to horror films. While his favorite horror film is John Carpenter's The Thing, he tends to prefer the old classics (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Fly, The Invisible Man, and The Haunting). He shys away from the really gory films, although I did get him to watch Phantasm and In the Mouth of Madness. He understands the difference between real-life violence and screen violence, so I see nothing wrong with letting him watch horror movies. After all, I watched horror films when I was growing up, and I turned out just fine.

Signed,
horror freak
Morningside Institute for the Criminally Insane

[Charlie Brigden]

I first saw The Evil Dead when I was five.

[tom de plume]

Mr. Plastic crawls from the well:
Samurai X:

Very gory film but you said your son is used to gore. How about Night of the Living Dead and Evil Dead.
I don't know this person...but while Evil Dead is a good gory movie, I don't think a 10 year old can take the Tree Rape scene. Hell...it's still a hard scene for me.I agree. The Tree scene was brutal.

[i3ullseye]

Yeah, i ws 4 when i saw the exorcist also. it was still in theatres, and i cried non-stop begging to go. Seeing no other way out, my step-father became the designated chaparone, and he woudl take me to see it. They figured fairly early in i woudl cry and we woudl leave.

Little did they realize....

I had seen many MANY horror movies before that even. Drive ins were big, and I was always in the back seat so i could go to sleep while they watched their scary double features. i can remember being 3 years old and waking my parents up in the front seat because they had both fallen asleep.

I screen more for sexual content and language for my kids than i do violence gore or horror. My 6 year old son gets skitting about weird things, but my 4 year old daughter eats scary up.

Don't shelter our children too much, you will smother them.

[Sleeplesslumber]

I'm still too young to even start thinking about raising kids (I'm only 19). But I do have some suggestions:

Tremors is a good film to watch and there is little human gore besides the head scene.

Curse of the Demon = near perfect film for kids.

As said before the 1963 version the Haunting is wonderful.

Can't forget the original King Kong.

The Gate is a OK movie not really great but it strikes me as somthing that kids could enjoy.

Halloween is movie that comes to mind for older kids since the only blood seen is on the knife.

the two Gremlins movies are perfect

And just some advice the only horror movies that scarred me when I was a kid were ones in which a parent of a kid was killed by a monster, killer, whatever. My advice would be to avoid those even if it is just an extra being killed, if they have a family with them when they die don't show it to your kids.

[Werewolf Girl]

I am currently working on desensitizing my 9 year old brother to violence. I really want him to be able to appreciate horror someday. Since Im his older sister however, I have a god given right to torture him, he had an overwhelming terror of ET ever since I showed it to him when he was 3. We got up to the cornfield and he started screaming. I spent the next 5 years sneaking up behind him and whispering 'ET phone home' in a creepy gargly voice and practically tying him to a chair and trying to get him to watch the whole movie. When ETs anniversary edition came out I managed to convince him to come see it and he loved it, so all is right with the world. He has watched Gremlins and Gremlins 2 and a few of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, none of it scared him except for one scene in Gremlins two where all this gremlins pop out of a pot of boiling soup and attack Microwave Marge on this cooking show, this was just a few months ago. I made him watch it over and over and over until he didnt even care anymore... If you think this is mean, wait until hes old enough for me to show him Ginger Snaps, The Exorcist, The Ring, Pyscho... :p

[tom de plume]

Thats 'Ms.' Werewolf Gurl to you:
Since Im his older sister however, I have a god given right to torture him, he had an overwhelming terror of ET ever since I showed it to him when he was 3. We got up to the cornfield and he started screaming. I spent the next 5 years sneaking up behind him and whispering 'ET phone home' in a creepy gargly voice and practically tying him to a chair and trying to get him to watch the whole movie.ET? You are EVIL! :mad:

Leave... the... poor... child... alone...

[shootitinthehead]

I saw THE EXORCIST when I was 5 or 6, my daughter saw DAWN OF THE DEAD when she was 8...

I'd be more concerned with the glut of teeny-bopper hoochie mama's all over the radio teaching our kids that half shirts and dirty dancing are alright at a young age. Would you believe I had to tell my daughter's principle (Rayne is 11 now) that I thought Nelly's "Its getting hot in here, so take off all your cloathes (I am..so hot...I wanna take my cloooooooaaaaaathes off) was *ahem* a bit innappropriate for the after-school dance they had? And Rayne said they played it over and over...jesus, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG HERE?

[shootitinthehead]

BTW, The Exorcist WAS a little heavy for me as a child, but it was just out and mom didnt know what she was taking me to see. Woopsy doodle! I want my daughter to wait awhile for that particular film, otherwise she lets me know when something is too much. And I keep her away from "anti-hero" stuff by and large (like A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, etc)

[Frost]

I have a 7-year old son and a daughter who is a shade under 3, and both are pretty easygoing. But like it has been said, kids are funny sometimes. They both LOVE Starship Troopers, Eight Legged Freaks and Reign of Fire, and my son loves Blade, but he couldn't sleep after seeing the new Harry Potter movie.

When The Ring came out, I avoided reading ANYthing about it, in my attempt to avoid spoilers. I took my boy to see it, thinking "It's PG-13, how scary can it be?" Famous last words... the poor kid couldn't sleep for days! My wife was gonna kill me. He's resilient though, he begged and begged for me to take him with me when I went to see They. Riiiiight. "Hunter, you see certain movies and you get too scared to sleep at night, and you want me to take you to a movie about people who are too scared to sleep at night? I don't think so."

I think my son prefers action movies with monsters in them, rather than straight horror. Cartoonish gore is no problem, as he understands special effects and how unreal everything is. Even my daughter, when she brings me the 8LF dvd, says "Can we watch the spiders? They're really, really fake".

[ZombiePie]

Coming out of lurker mode, here. Kinda feel like I'm butting in.. Ah well.

In response to the first post in the thread.. My brother is 12, I'm 18, and that's not.. -too- terribly far off from your kid's age. My brother has been watching Horror movies with me for a LONG time, and none of them seem to bother him at all.. Not even Hellraiser, which sort of unnerved me the first time I saw it. We went to the theater recently and saw The Ring, and it didn't bother him either.

I guess it just depends on how your kid looks at things, if they've been exposed to horror, and how desensitized they are.

I didn't start out too good on Horror.. I grew up when all of those Slasher movies were coming out, and my babysitter liked to rent and watch them (instead of watching me?) while I was there. That was, uh.. Very traumatic. I'd never seen Horror before, I was very young (3-5 years), and I was emotionally, uh.. Delicate. Thankfully, your kid doesn't seem to be any of those. I hope that didn't come out insulting in some way..

I don't think you're about to ruin his childhood. My brother watches some fairly scary stuff, and he's pretty well balanced. Except for those random fits of rage, but.. Hey, that's not too helpful, is it?

Anyway, hope that helps in some way. And sorry if it came out incoherent. I'm a bit under the weather. Just had to pop out of lurker mode and say something, though.

[shootitinthehead]

Originally posted by FROST "Hunter, you see certain movies and you get too scared to sleep at night, and you want me to take you to a movie about people who are too scared to sleep at night? I don't think so."HAHAHAHAHA! That is great! Classic stuff...

[JD is Agent FIXXXER]

I just forced my 7 year old to watch Silence of the Lambs and Se7en a few weeks ago...

been pissing his bed every night since. I feel a little guilty? Exorcist is this weekend.

- Fixxxer

[Werewolf Girl]

ET? You are EVIL!

Leave... the... poor... child... alone...
Hey, he is an unusually sensitive child...alright he's a wuss! I admit it, he makes Elmo look like The Rock. :p I am slowly working on him though, eventually he will be come a monsterous reflection of myself.

[Hubris]

My 4 year old loves the old Universal horror movies, looks at books on Dracula and vampires, and absolutely LOVES Killer Klowns from Outer Space. I try to keep language away from him as he repeats everything he hears, but he seems to censor movies himself by leaving the room when something gets too scary. He always asks "Is it OK yet?" before returning.

[Gus Bjork]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've been putting a 'must see' list together for my daughter and I and even managed to get my wife's offical seal of approval on most of them (expect Jaws which was my addition). I can't believe I forgot about Monster Squad, that's a perfect suggestion.

By the way....

Coming out of lurker mode, here. Kinda feel like I'm butting in.. Ah well.I felt the same way with my first post. As a newbie here I still feel that way. But your post was interesting. Have fun!

[tom de plume]

Gus Bjork:
Thanks for the suggestions. I've been putting a 'must see' list together for my daughterYeah, this topic has definitely helped me plan out the near-future films for my oldest son.

Tremors, Godzilla and 50's Atomic Age horror are staples at my house for my 10 year old AND my 6 year old. I'm just starting to add more Hammer films and early classics to the mix as well.

I think I am going to show Dr. Phibes to my son (since it is one of my favorite Price performances) even though it might creep him out a bit.

ZombiePie - Thanks for the comments and keep on posting. I'm sure you have a lot to add.

Thanks for the input everyone!

[tom de plume]

Watched THE ABOMINABLE DR PHIBES tonight with my son. He liked the film a lot and seems pretty keen on my one modern horror flick, one classic horror flick (well PHIBES is from 1971) routine for him.

Anyway, my next classic film will either be THE HAUNTING (a favorite) or THE INVISIBLE MAN, but next up is a more modern horror flick. So, what should I introduce my 10 1/2 year old son to?

The film should display no extreme hatred towards women, no tree raping eek! , and nothing so disturbing that he won't ever sleep again. Now I know that many of us (me included) were watching FACES OF DEATH from our cribs, but I am easing him in a bit with horror movies and my wife is probably still going to kill me.

I'm considering ARMY OF DARKNESS, PREDATOR, ALIEN or HALLOWEEN. I'll show him SIGNS when it comes out on DVD in January. Let me know if anyone has any suggestions.

[M5]

predator, AOD, and signs are all good choices, cosidering alien and halloween scared the shit out of me when i watched them for the first time :o

[Sleeplesslumber]

It is just me but I'd go with Army of Darkness. It is a fun little filk while at the same time being sort of scary.

I'd say no on Preditor all the skinings might be too much.

Alien sounds okay just warn him about the alien coming out of the chest.

And Halloween you might want to wait on because of the sex scene in it before the two teenagers are killed.

[Gus Bjork]

My daughters and I watched Army of Darkness last night (my wife was stuck at work till late leaving a very nice window of opportunity). It didn't phase them a bit. Even my more sensative 10 year old enjoyed it once I assured her that nothing bad happens to Ash's horse (is that a spoiler? If so I apologize to anyone who has concerns over Ash's horse).

However, this weekend my 9yr old horror lover described a movie she saw and loved at grandma and grandpa's house. After some memory recall I realized the movie was Night of the Creeps! She desperatly wants a copy of this for her very own.

I think I underestimated her. Mall Santa's gonna have an interesting conversation this weekend.

[tom de plume]

Sleeplesslumber:
It is just me but I'd go with Army of Darkness. It is a fun little filk while at the same time being sort of scary.

I'd say no on Preditor all the skinings might be too much.

Alien sounds okay just warn him about the alien coming out of the chest.

And Halloween you might want to wait on because of the sex scene in it before the two teenagers are killed.Ahh yes. Forgot about the skinnings. It has been awhile since I've seen Predator. Good point as well about Halloween. I think we will go with ARMY OF DARKNESSS.

[tom de plume]

Gus Bjork:
However, this weekend my 9yr old horror lover described a movie she saw and loved at grandma and grandpa's house. After some memory recall I realized the movie was Night of the Creeps! She desperatly wants a copy of this for her very own.Gus - NIGHT OF THE CREEPS was a fun movie (and Tom Atkins and Dick Miller were in it to boot).

[Kevin A. Ranson]

It was originally called 'parental guidance' for a reason: parents should know what level of violence, horror, sex, or whatever their children have been exposed to. If the child shows an interest (in ANYTHING), the parents should lend a guiding hand, which to anyone should be much prefered to letting kids find out all about that stuff on their own and drawing the wrong conclusions to which they then decide to blow up a school after hacking up their father... um...

All righty, we're done ranting for now.

[Scott Standridge]

Can't believe no one's mentioned "Something Wicked This Way Comes" as a horror introduction.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space will either turn your kid into a lover of cheesy horror for life or send him/her screaming toward therapy years down the road and make any future visits to McDonalds a total impossibility.

The latter of which is not necessarily a bad thing. :)

But for the universial horrors, Invisible Man is good, although his psycho rants about killing people just for the hell of it might be a little much. But kids love the dancing shirt. I love Wolf Man with a burning fuzzy pink and purple passion, but he can be a little scary, esp. when he goes for Evelyn Ankers' throat. Dracula would probably bore a kid. Frankenstein or Bride Of might be cool.

Side anecdote: my dad, who was born in '47, likes to tell the story of how when he was young he went to the movies to see "Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein." I don't know how old he was, but must have been between 5-10. Anyway, being a poor sharecropper's son he didn't get to see many movies, and had never seen a horror flick. There's a scene early on where Lou is walking through an apartment where Talbot has just changed into the Wolf Man, and Lou doesn't know. There's lots of slapstick with the WM lunging at him and just barely missing, all the while Lou is completely oblivious to his presence. Well, my dad sat through about a minute of that, then he'd had enough. Walked out and never looked back. Just goes to show, funny/scary is a fine line, esp. for kids.

That said, I think A&CMF would be great for modern kids. Funny, with monsters. Can't go wrong. Well, you CAN, but... :)

[Whiskey]

Scott Standridge Screams in Italian:

Side anecdote: my dad, who was born in '47, likes to tell the story of how when he was young he went to the movies to see "Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein." I don't know how old he was, but must have been between 5-10. Anyway, being a poor sharecropper's son he didn't get to see many movies, and had never seen a horror flick. There's a scene early on where Lou is walking through an apartment where Talbot has just changed into the Wolf Man, and Lou doesn't know. There's lots of slapstick with the WM lunging at him and just barely missing, all the while Lou is completely oblivious to his presence. Well, my dad sat through about a minute of that, then he'd had enough. Walked out and never looked back. Just goes to show, funny/scary is a fine line, esp. for kids.

That said, I think A&CMF would be great for modern kids. Funny, with monsters. Can't go wrong. Well, you CAN, but... :) You are absolutely right. Don't forget they also met the Mummy, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde and another one with Boris Karloff that escapes me. Anyway, A&C meet (insert Universal Monster Here) were my introduction to horror movies. I was so intrigued by the Wolf Man in particular -- I felt sorry for him -- that I made sure I watched the "scary" versions. It's been all downhill ever since. My daughter is 6 and that's how I'm easing her into the endless joy of horror movies. So far, it's working.