Things that ruined your childhood

Soldato
Joined
26 Sep 2017
Posts
6,185
Location
In the Masonic Temple
The dark crystal and Jaws, I think the dark crystal scarred me more though. Although now I love it.

And a film I think was called goollies? Tag line, they'll get yours in the end. Similar to an earlier post about something coming up the toilet and grabbing you in the balls, had me tentatively looking into the toilet bowl for years as a kid
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Aug 2006
Posts
6,337
Jaws! Yes - gave me a fear of open water to this day :(

Was on honeymoon in the Dominican Republic and i dropped a towel into the water from a pier - jumped into get it and gave myself hear palpitations though fear of a shark grabbing me :(

And the corpse under the water with the protruding eye made me leap from the floor onto sleeping dad on the couch.
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Jul 2007
Posts
7,864
Location
Stoke/Norfolk
16yo Zammo dying of a drugs overdose in the "kids show" Grange Hill. Couldn't watch it afterwards, it was ruined for me. (EDIT - bit of a Mandela effect as I along with many thought he died yet others are sure he had a happy ending)

The show was so damn ****ed up and completely unsuitable for children.

Hell yeah it was awesome :D

Watching American Werewolf in London when I was 8 years old.

Totally desensitized me and I have never found an horror film since to be scary and no image of death or the dead, disturbing.

I watched Jaw 2 (18 rated) as an 8 year old round at my mates house after his dad left the VHS out. Strangely it didn't scare me at all but it got me fascinated with Sharks which is a passion I still have to this day.

I must have saw aliens when I was about 6

Linked to the above, I was a little older but saw the original Alien straight after Jaws 2 and that film scared the living bejesus out of me, especially the scene where "Brett", the first engineer to die, gets stalked through the hold with the vertical chains and dripping water. It took me until I was mid-20's before I could watch it again!
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Sep 2007
Posts
15,660
Location
Limbo
Basket Case scarred me for a few years after my step dad thought it would be hilarious to show to a 4 year old. Same with Gremlins when i was 6, cried myself to sleep for nights on end.

Ironically...both movies kick started my love of horror.
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Sep 2007
Posts
15,660
Location
Limbo
Linked to the above, I was a little older but saw the original Alien straight after Jaws 2 and that film scared the living bejesus out of me, especially the scene where "Brett", the first engineer to die, gets stalked through the hold with the vertical chains and dripping water. It took me until I was mid-20's before I could watch it again!

I watched Alien again in the cinema last year for the 4k re-release, I still got sweaty hands during the Brett and Dallas deaths despite watching the film 50+ times.

Todays horror should take note, that's how you build suspense.
 
Soldato
Joined
26 Sep 2017
Posts
6,185
Location
In the Masonic Temple
I watched Alien again in the cinema last year for the 4k re-release, I still got sweaty hands during the Brett and Dallas deaths despite watching the film 50+ times.

Todays horror should take note, that's how you build suspense.
This is true, it's always the lack of information that is scariest, no need for loud orchestras and sensory overload.
I remember being scarred and not even knowing the film. Still don't.

It was an old zombie film where the elevator opens and suddenly all the zombies rush in. It was at a moment of calm in the film and it got me good for years
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Jul 2007
Posts
7,864
Location
Stoke/Norfolk
This is true, it's always the lack of information that is scariest, no need for loud orchestras and sensory overload.
I remember being scarred and not even knowing the film. Still don't.

The only thing I felt was "cheap" about Brett's death was the Jonesy the Cat jump scare, which led to the cat needing to be caught and Brett going after him. The build up in tension with Ripley/Brett tracking "something" would have even more terrifying had it not had that jump scare, which I felt broke-up the tension before having to rebuild it again from scratch with Brett.
 
Man of Honour
OP
Joined
24 Sep 2005
Posts
35,487
I’m really not sure if was an age thing but as tense as it can be I have never found Alien to be ‘frightening’.
 
Associate
Joined
27 May 2008
Posts
399
I'd completely forgotten about Ren and Stimpy, I wish it had stayed that way, must be a repressed memory!
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
26 Sep 2017
Posts
6,185
Location
In the Masonic Temple
The only thing I felt was "cheap" about Brett's death was the Jonesy the Cat jump scare, which led to the cat needing to be caught and Brett going after him. The build up in tension with Ripley/Brett tracking "something" would have even more terrifying had it not had that jump scare, which I felt broke-up the tension before having to rebuild it again from scratch with Brett.
Agreed with you there, the false peak never gets regained.

I remembered that trap door used to freak me as a kid, but nowhere near the level of dark crystal, " drain there essense! "
 
Associate
Joined
25 Apr 2012
Posts
540
Location
Oxford
The dark crystal and Jaws, I think the dark crystal scarred me more though. Although now I love it.

And a film I think was called goollies? Tag line, they'll get yours in the end. Similar to an earlier post about something coming up the toilet and grabbing you in the balls, had me tentatively looking into the toilet bowl for years as a kid

I used to bloody love that goolies film!!!! So good!

Totally random but Willow gave me nightmares! I did not like those trolls!!!!
 
Associate
Joined
8 Aug 2011
Posts
1,932
Some show on ITV kids tv. It was basically a ghost story type thing and there was a bit where I think the ghost was pushing this girl on a swing and was getting progressively angrier. Kept pushing until the girl flew off. Can't remember what it was called but it freaked me out for ages.

Also, when I was 6 our teacher thought it would be a good idea to read a story about spontaneous combustion. I was up in tears during the evening because I'd not farted and thought I was going to explode.
 
Soldato
Joined
26 Sep 2017
Posts
6,185
Location
In the Masonic Temple
Some show on ITV kids tv. It was basically a ghost story type thing and there was a bit where I think the ghost was pushing this girl on a swing and was getting progressively angrier. Kept pushing until the girl flew off. Can't remember what it was called but it freaked me out for ages.

Also, when I was 6 our teacher thought it would be a good idea to read a story about spontaneous combustion. I was up in tears during the evening because I'd not farted and thought I was going to explode.

Was it round the twist?

Robocop got me too but it was the melting guy, "I'm melting, I'm melting" then gets hit by a car

Also some film they made us watch in English class about if a nuke went off in England, I had dreams of it happening every so often for years after that
 
Soldato
Joined
3 May 2012
Posts
8,520
Location
Wetherspoons
Dr Who used to scare the crap out of me when I was little.

Those greenish coloured monsters that looked like they were covered in camo mesh that walked out of the sea is one I remember.

WPw9aGVHvkxFaGNc7
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom