Childhood films that made you think, why the hell did they make this for me?

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

To take our minds off... everything.

Watership Down goes without saying.

Plague Dogs - two abused dogs escape from laboratory. Swim out to sea and drown (which, incidentally, was NOT how the book ended).

Animal Farm. Why make a cartoon about that? Boxer

I would be interested to know if anyone else remembers Little Nezha (pronounced NIGH-ah). Chinese animated film about (TLDR) a small boy who cuts his throat after his father rejects him. There's a bit more to it than that (dragons) but that's the gist.

Dumbo, awful film, just so relentlessly depressing all the way through.

@Cakeorchocolate

The Dark Crystal The Never Ending Story Labyrinth

My three favourites!

I liked watership down. Never saw animal farm cartoon, but since it,s all about communism, but the dangers of it, no I would not think it is really a childs film.

Loved wizard of oz, witches I saw a lot latter but thought it was good. I used to like and get scared of the watches in the wood. The girl in the mirror blindfolded.

Dot and the Kangaroo. Bawled every time!

Apparently my Mum READ the bloody Watership Down book and still thought "oh, dickandsizzy will love that, I must show her the film"!!!

I watched it and hated it. Every year they would show the bloody thing at Christmas and my whole family would watch it, while I cowered upstairs trying desperately not to hear any of it.

I am now 40 years old and still, occasionally, think twice before getting out of bed in the dark. Just in case the the General is lurking somewhere.

@sashh

Neither watership down or Animal farm are children's books / films. Just because it is a cartoon doesn't make it a child's film.

but that is the thing thoguh isn't it, why make a cartoon for adults?

I do think the makers aimed it at kids. Even though the book wasn;t aimed at kids

All dogs go to heaven is one and return to oz, the wheelers are so scary, I suggested it as a Halloween film for me and my husband to watch and he point blank refused haha!

@steppemum
Adults like cartoons as well?

Return to oz was bloody awful. The heads in jars thing freaked the shit out of me as a child.

Legend (young tom cruise) too. The Devil in that gave me nightmares.

Elliott, Pete's Dragon nearly destroyed me! Why did he have to leave him? I remember my mum explaining it over and over again to me but I couldn't get beyond it! Oh and Watership Down too yes.

My children's childhood rather than mine, but 'Where the Wild Things Are' was nothing like the book and was just a relentlessly depressing depiction of relationship breakdown that left my Dd sobbing.

[quote ThistleWitch]@steppemum
Adults like cartoons as well?[/quote]
really?

Most of these ar epretty naff basic cartoons.
When they were made I don't think they were aimed at adults.

When The Wind Blows.

@mylittleyumyum

When The Wind Blows.

now that was aimed at adults.

I remember the book coming out, and it was clearly marketed as not suitable for children.

When they made the film it was for TV and it was shown in the evening, like 9pm.

Should never be shown to kids.

I read the book When the Wind Blows as a child.

And Brother in the Land, which was bloody awful. Nobody told me the cold war had ended till I was about 13, so I just assumed as a child that it was only a matter of time until they dropped the bomb.

Oh Christ, Brother in the Land 😱

I need to throw in the "Animals of Farthing Wood".

I'm 34 and still traumatised by the fate of the hedgehogs.

And yes, BFG also is responsible for many a nightmare.

Return to Oz gave me nightmares for months afterwards. The princess with the room of heads was terrifying.

The Dark Crystal was the creepiest shit I've ever seen.

Return to oz here too ! We were terrified of the wheelers also what was the film with the horse that does in the swamp I remember being really badly affected by that

Dies not does !!

@scryingeyes

I've always hated the Wizard of Oz. Not appealing at all with hurricanes and witches. Bluegh

My children will only watch the Wizard of Oz if we fast forward through all the black and white bits! They're going to get a shock whenever they finally get around to watching the whole thing: "what do you mean, it was all a dream?!"

Return to Oz - jars in heads.. Urgh
The Never Ending Story - depressed horses 😭
The water babies - can't quite remember why but I just get an uneasy feeling thinking about it.

Water Babies - starts with a small boy being forced up a chimney.

Kes

Along with Ring of Bright Water & Watership Down.

I accidentally watched The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas a few years ago - never again.

It’s never the gore that affects me, rather the slow thoughtful (traumatic) films / books.