When is it inappropriate to watch horror films around DCs?

[coffeeandcream]

I honestly don't know - we are expecting our first in December and we have no experience of babies or young kids. We are the first of our friends and in our family to start the next generation.

DH and I enjoy thriller and horror films, but I obviously want to be a responsible parent. At what age would you say little ones become aware of the content of films their parents watch? Should we just stop watching these kinds of films at home?

Opinions and advice much appreciated.

C&C

I really wouldn't do this. It's got little to do with the images on screen and the words spoken - there's so much more to creating the atmosphere of a scary film than that. Everything is calculated to induce a feeling of discomfort and fear in the listener/watcher, isn't it; the spooky, eerie music that builds a feeling of suspense does so because the filmmakers know what elicits that reaction in people. The sudden loud noises after the music has built up that unnerving feeling... that works because we humans react in a predictable way. I think that applies to babies too, although they'd have no comprehension about what they are feeling and why.

I went to see a Lord of the Rings film at the cinema when I was heavily pregnant with DD and had to leave because she went nuts during the fight scenes with all the orks and death screams etc etc. I spent the last half an hour sitting in the foyer.

Up to about a year I'd watch most stuff with my eldest, although I'm not a big TV and DVD watcher anyway and hate violence in films. Once he could talk and was properly watching the TV then we only watched stuff suitable for him when he was awake, but generally if he was up I wasn't going to be able to concentrate on the TV anyway. Now they're teenagers and watch most things, but aren't into horror or stuff I'd forbid anyway.
Agree that some kids hate loud noises. The first couple of trips to the cinema with my eldest (to see toy story or something similar) were disasters as he hated the loud noise and sat on my knee facing into me turning round occasionally. He didn't want to leave however and by the end was getting into it but still clinging on tightly. He was 3ish by then. I left it later before taking my daughter although she seemed less noise and dark sensitive.