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To be shocked watching back kids movies from my childhood with DD

508 replies

Picklepower · 17/02/2025 17:10

DD is 6 and we watch quite a few films together, mixture of old and new. Last Halloween I was so excited to watch a film from my childhood, decided against hocus pocus but went with Casper. Well, turns out not once but TWICE Eric idle's character shouts BITCH at Carrigan. (She's is tbf but a bit much for a Pg film).

Just sat down to watch Charlie and the chocolate factory (from 2005!) and mike teevee says 'even a retard could figure it out'. What the hell!

Any other corkers you've come across watching back your childhood films?

OP posts:
augustusglupe · 18/02/2025 00:45

Me & my friend got into see Saturday night fever when we were 13, didn’t think we would but did so 🤷🏻‍♀️😁

Teenagehorrorbag Grease was a PG when it came out not an 18. Practically all the girls in our class went to see it back in ‘78, we were 14.

DD loved all the 90s films. We laughed at Ace Ventura and Mrs Doubtfire and cried buckets at Casper.
My fave film to watch with her was Denis.
Shes 35 now and we always talk about the films we watched.
Oh and she loved Bad Girls when she was about 15. Shock horror!!
Christ, the ‘hard watch’ brigade 🙄 what bores.

DurinsBane · 18/02/2025 00:42

JandamiHash · 17/02/2025 20:26

Also back to the future while the bully tries to rape a woman in a car. My local cinema showed this in their “family classics” slot and I took my kids as none of us had ever seen it. I was horrified!

Same woman. Biff tried to rape Marty’s mum (when she was a teen)

OonaStubbs · 18/02/2025 00:09

Jennyathemall · 17/02/2025 18:08

Yup can’t got wrong with The Princess Bride.

Well, unless you have a speech impediment.

Edited

To not like the Princess Bride is inconceivable.

CostelloJones · 18/02/2025 00:09

We also LOVE the three Amigos in our house, it’s my ultimate silly comfort watch

CostelloJones · 18/02/2025 00:04

My DS is obsessed with Ghostbusters and we thought it would be fine for a 6yo with a love of all things spooky… turns out it’s a 12!!!?!?

He was absolutely fine, but 2 things:

1- I don’t remember anyone saying “shit” but they do. Tbf nothing DS hasn’t heard from other kids at school and he thought it was hilarious (they said a naughty word mummy!) I think it was just the once.

2 - He asked “why are there so many smokers?” (What he calls cigarettes) - which really shows the difference in generations because until he pointed it out I didn’t even take notice of people smoking, it just went over my head. Growing up it was so normal to see adults smoking pretty much everywhere! He doesn’t have any adults in his life that smoke, and found it really weird. Made me feel old, but pleased some things have changed for the better.

WearyAuldWumman · 18/02/2025 00:04

gollyimholly · 17/02/2025 23:46

My DM is a nursery teacher and there were kids in her nursery(!!!!) who watched Squid Games!

I had a colleague who was very upset when she discovered that a friend's mum had allowed a group of 10 yr old boys to watch The Human Caterpillar.

Mydietstartstomorrow · 18/02/2025 00:01

Big. Totally cringes me out. This is a kid having sex with a grown practically middle aged woman! It’s paedophilia territory and I’m sure if it was a young girl sleeping with a grown man it would not be seen as a family friendly comedy! 🤢

Another2Cats · 17/02/2025 23:53

TheChosenTwo · 17/02/2025 17:28

My youngest is now a teenager (13) and it’s a minefield sitting down to watch some of the old classics with him.
I went for a safe option the other night, trains planes and automobiles - all fine pretty much until Steve Martin goes off on a rampage and uses the word fucking about 20 times in a minute 😂
to be fair I don’t mind the odd bit of swearing in stuff and it was a 15 so my own fault!
But I do agree, and if anyone has any recommendations for any old classics to watch with nothing too hardcore I’m all ears.

I'm sitting here thinking, "trains planes and automobiles", is that really an "old classics to watch"? I was 22 and in my first job after university when that film came out.

"...and if anyone has any recommendations..."

Well, for starters, I would pretty much avoid any film from the 1980s.

Well except, maybe, for the 1983 film "WarGames" where a very young Matthew Broderick played a nerdy teenage computer geek.

Or maybe "Beverley Hills Cop" (1984) a great action/comedy with Eddie Murphy (so many people had "Axel F" as a ringtone back then).

Speaking of Eddie Murphy, another film I would recommend is "Trading Places" (1983) with Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis. A really great film.

And of course, speaking of Dan Aykroyd, you have to say, the original "Ghostbusters" (1984) is a really great film for a teenager to watch.

But I do remember that my younger brother said that he always also really liked a very overlooked film (that also starred Bill Murray and Harold Ramis) called "Stripes" (1981) where they joined the US army.
.

Having said that though, here are some suggestions for some older films for a 13 year old boy.

I will start off with saying, just about any "Carry On..." film he will probably find funny (it will also give you an opportunity to talk afterwards about differing attitudes towards the roles of women).

I would likely start off with Carry On Spying (1964), Carry on Cowboy (1965), Carry On Up the Khyber (1968) and Carry On Cleo (1964). Some of these are currently on ITVX.

But, if you aren't happy with that (although he will likely enjoy them), how about:

"Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" with Kevin Costner (currently on Netflix). It's even newer than the other film (1991) but is an enjoyable historical romp.

https://www.netflix.com/watch/60028308

Even though Kevin Costner was the lead (with Morgan Freeman as his sidekick), I absolutely loved Alan Rickman as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. He had some really memorable lines like "Call off Christmas":

“That's it then. Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas.”

In the original theatrical release of the film there was one very small part of a scene, that lasted maybe three or four seconds, that absolutely shocked me. But whenever I have seen the film on TV or streaming, that part of the scene (or often the entire scene) has always been removed.

Going back a bit further, how about Grease? The 1978 musical with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. I first saw this when I was 13 and my brother (who was 12 at the time) also really enjoyed it. It's currently on Amazon Prime.

You might also want to think about some "westerns"

For example, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969) with Paul Newman and Robert Redford, the film won four Oscars. A lot of action and also singing "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head". This is a trailer:

Incidentally, also think about "The Sting" (1973) with the same actors. That won seven Oscars.

Or also "The Magnificent Seven" (1960).
.

Also think about some of the early James Bond films. Anything from the first three films "Dr No" (1962), "From Russia With Love" (1963) and "Goldfinger" (1964)
.

There are also some fun little comedies like "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" (1965) about a fictitious air race race form London to Paris in 1910. It has Terry Thomas as the classic evil villain who eventually gets his due rewards. It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in that year.

Then there was a follow up to that in the same vein called "Monte Carlo or Bust!" (1969)
.

But, for me, "old classics" are slightly older than that.

Trying to think about what my brother might have liked at that age I think of the old Ealing comedies.

For example, the 1959 film "The Mouse that Roared" with Peter Sellers.

Or his later, much darker, film "Dr Strangelove" (1964) set during the Cold War.

Or how about "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (1949) a comedy/drama where Alec Guinness (Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars) plays several different characters that get killed off so that somebody can inherit a title.

An actress who appeared in that film, Joan Greenwood, also appeared in the film "Whisky Galore!" (1949) which is a really amusing film about a ship full of whisky being wrecked on a Scottish island during the war when there was rationing.

Or, "The Titfield Thunderbolt" (1953) a comedy which involved trying to keep a railway line running.

Or, "Passport to Pimlico" (1949) where the residents of Pimlico found out that they could declare independence from the UK and so not be subject to rationing anymore.

Or there are any number of films by the Boulting brothers. For example "Private's Progress" (1956) and "I'm All Right Jack" (1959) that starred Ian Carmichael, Richard Attenborough and Terry Thomas. Amusing films; the first is about life in the army and the second is about then contemporary industrial relations. Peter Sellers won the BAFTA for Best British Actor in a Leading Role for that film in 1959.

Incidentally, Jack Lemmon won the BAFTA for best Foreign Actor in that year for "Some Like It Hot" which is also another really good film that I think he might enjoy.

Talking about Ian Carmichael, another film worth watching is "School for Scoundrels" (1960) a comedy about a man who takes revenge against those who have taken advantage of him.
.

Then another couple of suggestions. "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) a really stunning film starring Peter O'Toole (along with Alec Guinness and a whole load of other famous actors) set during World War One.

Or a couple of films about thieves:

"The Pink Panther" (1963) the original film in the series with David Niven and Peter Sellers.

"To Catch A Thief" (1955) directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Cary Grant is a retired burglar in Monaco who has an imposter copying his former method of operation.
.

And then, just finally, something totally off the wall. A film I remember with pleasure that seemed to be shown on BBC every Christmas when I was young "Born Free" (1966) based on the true story of a couple in Kenya caring for an orphaned lion cub called Elsa.
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ps I'll just end all this by saying that my brother saw the film "Animal House" in the cinema at the age of 13 (he sneaked in under age, it was a "14" film) when it was first released in the UK. He enjoyed it very much at the time but says that on watching it now as an adult a few scenes did make him cringe and he would not want his own son to go and watch it at that age without him talking to him about it afterwards.

gollyimholly · 17/02/2025 23:46

Ilovegermany · 17/02/2025 23:44

My elder DSC (9) said she was watching Squid Games at her mum’s house. I don’t think it is appropriate.

My DM is a nursery teacher and there were kids in her nursery(!!!!) who watched Squid Games!

Ilovegermany · 17/02/2025 23:44

My elder DSC (9) said she was watching Squid Games at her mum’s house. I don’t think it is appropriate.

AnotherDayAnotherIdea · 17/02/2025 23:43

I re watched bugsy malone recently and I as a total prude am looking forward to watching it with my children.

Flight of the navigator was good too.

As someone said many films that we grew up loving were shown on terrestrial TV which would have beeped out or chopped out the swearing. Back to the future is a very good example of that, it doesn't have beeps, they just chop it out so you can't even tell. And then you go and buy the video and it's got the swearing in it. Shame dvds don't come with an option in the menu to have the "family" cut.

Daisydiary · 17/02/2025 23:42

Meanwhile, the latest Bridget Jones is a 15! Ridiculous!

anotherside · 17/02/2025 23:35

I think with the easy accessibility of virtually every film ever made lots of kids are watching stuff much too young. I mean lots of kids start loving dinosaurs at 4 years old and Jurassic Park is just a few clicks away so it’s kind of understandable so many parents put it on when they’re 5-8 years old. But probably not a good idea as it wasn’t designed as a young kids movie.

8misskitty8 · 17/02/2025 23:33

First Harry Potter was banned in our house for a while as even though it’s a U draco uses the words ‘fat arse’
Back to future is a PG but has swearing including ‘shit’ I was shocked seeing it on sky/cable asi had previously only seen the edited ITV version. Also questionable storyline of mum fancying and kissing her son !

Shirt circuit, ‘piss off’ I’m sure is used in it.

andthat · 17/02/2025 23:23

Picklepower · 17/02/2025 17:27

Grease prompted me to ask my mum what a virgin was when I was about 5

Well it’s not really aimed at 5 year olds, is it? 🤷‍♀️

WearyAuldWumman · 17/02/2025 23:17

StMarie4me · 17/02/2025 22:21

That was never a kids movie!

I recall that a second, expurgated version was edited in order to capture the teen market.

Yup. This confirms it.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076666/alternateversions/

JoyousGreyOrca · 17/02/2025 23:14

Scentedjasmin · 17/02/2025 23:00

Jaws is a good one. I sat down to watch it with my 10 year old son, thinking that as it was a PG it would be fine. Lots of swearing, teenagers drinking, smoking weed and heavy petting in the sand dunes. I couldn't believe that it was a PG.

Jaws is a 12A

Scentedjasmin · 17/02/2025 23:11

ReadingParty · 17/02/2025 19:08

Is the Goonies the one where they won't let the fat kid ('Chunk', predictably) come inside the house unless he pulls up his top and does a dance that makes all his torso fat wobble?

Yes, but you can't beat the 'truffle shuffle' not to mention 'one eyed willy'.

JoyousGreyOrca · 17/02/2025 23:07

Picklepower · 17/02/2025 17:27

Grease prompted me to ask my mum what a virgin was when I was about 5

Grease was a 12, so 5 year olds should not have been watching it

Scentedjasmin · 17/02/2025 23:00

Jaws is a good one. I sat down to watch it with my 10 year old son, thinking that as it was a PG it would be fine. Lots of swearing, teenagers drinking, smoking weed and heavy petting in the sand dunes. I couldn't believe that it was a PG.

Raindropskeepfallinonmyhead · 17/02/2025 22:56

The Ringer

Lunde · 17/02/2025 22:53

When I was at Uni in the 80s Monty Python Life of Brian was banned by the local council for being blasphemous.

ThisFluentBiscuit · 17/02/2025 22:52

Longtimelurkerfinallyposts · 17/02/2025 21:27

Where did you get that idea from? It's not the name of a dish anyone uses in India at all!

Back on topic:
Watership down was terrifying when I was young. And I have a memory of being so upset by Pinnochio as a toddler that we had to leave the cinema!

But by the time When the Wind Blows came out, we'd already read all of Raymon Briggs' books, and knew what to expect. And even saw the stage version of it at the theatre one time.

There was a lot of other problematic TV in the 1970s & 80s - think most children were expose to things like Benny Hill, James Bond, and of course the Carry On films.

Presumably they use whatever the Indian word for curry is, obviously! Or if curry isn't an Indian dish, then there are a few thousand Indian restaurants in Britain you need to write to. 😂

zaxxon · 17/02/2025 22:50

I once took the DCs to see the original Disney Pinocchio. The negative stereotyping of Italians was awful, so crass ... salami, garlic, violent temper ... I was dying inside. Can only hope they were too young to really take it in

AInightingale · 17/02/2025 22:48

Don't get the objection to the word 'virgin' in Grease. Didn't anyone here go to a Catholic school? And even if you didn't 'virgins' seemed to be mentioned in every other Christmas carol we sang from about the age of seven onward. Hymn writers seemed to have a fixation on 'virgins' wombs' for some reason.