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Author Topic: Christmas Carol scared kid walkouts? John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 11-18-2009 07:37 AM                     Randy, I don't see the problem. It seems reasonable to me to take your kids to a movie that might be scary, and then leave if it is too scary for the kids. It's called pushing boundaries. There's nothing wrong with that. Just because kids might be scared by a scary movie doesn't mean everyone should "play it safe" and only take kids to the "sure thing" movies like Enchanted (they'll love it) or Saw (they'll be scared out of their minds no question). I suppose the studio might view it differently, etc., etc., from a financial perspective but... --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Eric Hooper Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 532 From: Fort Worth, TX, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 11-18-2009 11:58 AM                     Some of the older Disney films (Snow White, Fantasia, etc.) were IMO pretty darn scary for children.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-18-2009 01:41 PM                        Sleeping Beauty is pretty scary when Maleficent turns into a dragon. "Now you shall deal with me, O prince....and all the powers of hell!!!"  |  IP: Logged Hillary Charles Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 748 From: York, PA, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 11-18-2009 04:34 PM                     You're absolutely right, guys. A significant part of childhood is being traumatized by a Disney movie.  |  IP: Logged Caleb Johnstone-Cowan Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 593 From: London, UK Registered: Mar 2006 posted 11-18-2009 05:36 PM                     I remember being scared shitless by Ursula when she goes nuts at the end of the Little Mermaid, one of my first visits to the cinema. I couldn't look at the screen so kept looking back in to the projector and light beam. Wish films could do that to me now!  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-20-2009 09:40 AM                     John, I think it is reasonable to take kids to a scary movie but I don't think it's reasonable for parents to complain when the kids do get scared. It's up to the parents to know which movies might scare their kids and which movies probably will not. I don't think parents should have a reasonable expectation that "A Christmas Carol" in any of its incarnations will not have at least one or two scary moments in it. I don't think it's reasonable for parents to be upset if their kids get scared while watching this movie. In the event the kids get scared I don't think it's reasonable for parents to complain about it. They took the risk, knowingly or unknowingly. When kids get scared during a movie there are several courses of action a parent can take besides complaining. The kids could close their eyes and plug their ears till the scary part is over or the parents can take them out to the lobby and come back in when the scary part is over. A reassuring pat on the shoulder or a hug certainly helps. "It will be all right. It's just a movie." This is what my parents did with us kids when we got scared at the movies. Parents could simply pack up the kids and leave the movie. They took the risk. That's the breaks! In 1974, when I was 8 years old, my mother and her friend took all of us kids to see the movie "Arnold." She didn't pay attention to the ratings and reviews and she didn't realize it was about a creepy wedding in a cemetery where a woman marries a corpse. She was horrified! Did she complain? No. She said, "Come on, kids, we're leaving." But me and the older kids didn't want to leave. We thought creepy movies were great! We didn't care if it was a bad movie. It was creepy and we were just totally into creepy schlock. My mom took the younger kids home and her friend begrudgingly stayed behind with all us older kids while we laughed our way through the rest of the creepy-stupid horror movie. There were no complaints. Those who didn't like the movie just walked out. They might have commented something to the effect, "That movie stunk!" to the manager on the way out but that would be the end of it. In an effort to capitalize on concession dollars, I can see where managers in modern multiplex theaters might be inclined to offer rain checks to people who walk out but I don't think parents who make mistakes and take their kids to the wrong movie should complain about it. It would strictly be a "customer service gesture" on the part of the management.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 11-21-2009 06:56 PM                     Parents should make the little bastards watch the movie and learn that it really is JUST a movie and that nothing will happen to them if they experience it.  |  IP: Logged Rachel Craven Madam Moderator Posts: 2190 From: Pensacola, FL Registered: Dec 2000 posted 11-27-2009 10:40 AM                     I haven't seen it yet but my boyfriend brought his 6 y/o daughter opening week, I warned him that people are saying its a bit scary. She did very well, but... she likes 'scary' movies. He said when he was there 2 family's walked out, one with a kid that looked about his daughter's age and another family with what looked like a 2 and 3 year old.  |  IP: Logged David Favel Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 764 From: Ashburton, New Zealand Registered: Feb 2002 posted 11-27-2009 08:20 PM                     Just been re-rated in NZ from PG to M (mature)  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 11-27-2009 08:42 PM                        I do not know how the movie Is doing elsewhere but Reading's Consolidated Theatres here in Hawaii is only playing A CHRISTMAS CAROL in 3-D in only one of it's four Dolby 3-D houses. The other three is still playing it but only in 2-D. Regal is playing it in 3-D IMAX and Real D at the Dole Cannery and Real D at it's other two Honolulu locations. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-27-2009 11:16 PM                        It's over $70 million right now and will probably be a $100M+ by Christmas. I'm surprised that it's going to kick butt on THIS IS IT, I thought that'd be a $100 million movie for sure. (It'll probably be a hot DVD seller though.)  |  IP: Logged Michael Voiland Expert Film Handler Posts: 219 From: Naperville, IL US Registered: Aug 2009 posted 11-29-2009 08:45 PM                     On a side note did your print of ACC shed this purplish looking crap that's sticky in the projector?  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-29-2009 10:18 PM                     quote: Rachel Craven He said when he was there 2 family's walked out, one with a kid that looked about his daughter's age and another family with what looked like a 2 and 3 year old. A 5 or 6 year old is certainly old enough to learn the difference between real and make-believe but a 2 or 3 year old is barely old enough to sit still through an entire movie, let alone know that it's "only a movie." It was a mistake to bring them to the movie and expect them to sit still through the whole thing. I find it somewhat entertaining that a 6 year old girl likes scary movies. I assume that, by scary, you mean "Kid-Scary." I'd be way surprised if a kid that young liked real scary movies like "Halloween." (Either the originals or the remake.)  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 11-30-2009 06:18 AM                        Randy, ask anyone who works at the box office when a horror movie like Saw or Halloween opens up, and they will tell you there are parents who bring younger kids to those movies - sometimes as young as toddler age. When I warn them of the graphic nature of the movie, they almost always respond "It's ok, they like that stuff". More often than not, I know it's more about the parent not wanting to pay for a sitter, but the fact they would even take the kids is surprising.  |  IP: Logged Joshua Waaland Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-30-2009 12:00 PM                     My wife and I went on a rare date night on Wednesday when her family was in town for the holiday and watched our son for us. We went to dinner then to see Christmas Carol and my wife leaned over and told me she thought it was entirely too scary for children. I had just been thinking the same thing and agreed with her. I like the old version with George C. Scott as Scrooge. That version still has some bit of scariness to it (nothing like this new version) and tells the story well. I think most people (as we do) think that anything in cartoon form and made by Disney was made specifically for children, especially if it is only rated PG. I saw the trailers and they were shown in a more comical light. I think they went way overboard in the horror factor in this film and could have dialed it back quite a bit. I'm glad my kid wasn't old enough or I would have probably taken him to see it and been really pissed off after he was scared out of his mind. Our neighbor told us they plan to take their young daughter and we warned them not to. Most of the scary parts were gratuitous and were not necessary in telling the story anyways. I have never seen the Ghost of Christmas Present die and rot away in any other version and it still made sense. What was their point? I'm also not surprised that a lot of the people chiming in thinking it's the parents fault do not have kids themselves. I used to think most parents were stupid in they way they went about raising their children until I had one. For instance, the first time he had a meltdown in a public place I finally realized I was one of those parents I had silently judged for my whole life. I used to think I would never let my kid act that way but now I see it happens to every parent at some point unless you are just really lucky. We went to the mall this past Friday and my son was fussing about something and my wife noticed a lot of people looking at us with judgemental eyes. I figure they also don't have kids or understand. I really don't care what they think and maybe one day they will get the same lesson I did. You REALLY don't understand until you have your own children. My older siblings used to tell me that all the time and it annoyed the piss out of me. After I had my kid I realized they were right. Again, I think there is a general assumption that if it's a cartoon and made by Disney, then it is probably okay for your kid to watch. It wasn't rated PG-13 or something that would make a flag go up in my mind. I would normally not think twice about letting a kid watch anything rated PG or below. Unfortunately, our society is obsessed with pushing the envelope of what can be done next that is more shocking or indecent than the last thing. I guess I need to now add the MPAA to my long list of companies/people/groups to be suspicious of. BTW: Did anyone else find Jim Carrey's voice of the Ghost of Christmas Past extremely annoying like I did?  |  IP: Logged

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