Who brings children to a horror movie?

[Midnightly]

I will say my son is rather interested in zombies and has sat through an episode or 2 of the walking dead (thanks hubby), and portions of the dawn of the dead (thanks again hubby) and neither one has made him flinch, nor kept him up at night. The only thing it did is make him ask why he's no longer able to watch any new episodes (ughhh) and if we can take him to see world war z when it comes out(definitely not) LOL

ETA: in all fairness these kids are probably playing call of duty at home.. and have already sat through the sinister movie (which was an even more gruesome ethan hawke movie, that I couldn't even sit through), really what is a craptacular movie about us murdering one night a year going to do to their psyche, that hasn't already been damaged lol

I think the big difference between a TV show or game at home is it can be pre-screened by the parent, you can skip extra violent aspects you can pause it and walk away, talk about it, and it's on a much smaller scale (it isn't a massive screen that takes up the whole wall that you are faced at) that and your not disturbing the other 100+ people in the theatre that all paid $12 for the "movie" experince

[jessep13]

There was a clip on the news on e night, which I found interesting. They showed 2 groupos of children, those that were exposed to violence daily for two weeks, ( on the news video games etc) And those that were not exposed. The children that were exposed to the violence were less likely to feel empathy,compassion etc... for people that were hurt in real life, due to the fact that they were exposed to it through other means daily.
I think this directly reflects to people bringing their children to horror movies.

[OgresWife]

This is a touchy subject for me, so I'll try and explain myself clearly. I've gone through the posts and felt a nerve get touched for me on some of them. Nothing against anyone, as everyone is entitled to an opinion.

I watched all sorts of horror movies as a small kid. Never in a theatre though, mainly because we couldn't afford it. I watched Hellraiser at 4 years old. But I also knew from very early on that it wasn't real. When my mom asked what I thought of Pinhead, I responded that his makeup must have taken a long time to do. (again, I was 4)

I knew Nightmare on Elm street by heart by age 3 and would run around singing that rhyme. Granted, these movies are not on the same level as some of the gore based horror of today, but for the time they were horror!

Should these children have been in the theatre, absolutely not in my opinion. My parents knew what the movies were about before I watched them, and they knew I could handle it. Going into a theatre for that sort of movie without seeing it for yourself first isn't fair to anyone there that night, the people in question included.

I am now an adult, staring down the barrel of 30 and am emphatic and sometimes sympathise too much with people. I grew up with a love of horror and it is still one of my favorite genres. I sat down last Halloween in the wind and rain storm reading Stephan Kings "It" by a lamp and handing out candy.

I'm sorry if I offended or angered anyone, but I felt the need to point out that some kids can handle movies like these (outside of a theatre) and not turn out to be cold hearted human beings.

Thank you.

[walkonby]

Just me personally, no I would not bring my kids to those types of movies.

[i_forget]

I honestly think that it depends on the kids.

I personally monitor what my children watch like a hawk, and I honestly believe that the damage that is done to them is more from cartoons than movies.

I would not bring my kids to see a horror flick because they could not handle the gore, and I do not want them exposed to it, yet they have seen Transformers and james Bond flicks, and they know that those movies are not real and they enjoy the action and the hero concepts portrayed in those movies. They do not go around acting out because they have seen them. It actually has developed their imaginations and has had a positive impact in their behaviour.
They do go around and I catch them saying the odd bad word that they have heard in a cartoon, like stupid from Cars and idiot from Open Season.
They feel that those words are appropriate because they hear them in kiddie flicks, where as they see what is going on in adult flicks and realise that it is not appropriate because they are aware of adult words and adult situations and know that they are not adults and can distinguish between the two.

Regardless of what I do, I am not able to shelter them from the world, so teaching them that difference has been the best way I can prepare them for life.

[i_forget]

I would also like to add that I feel video games are even worse, and those are as G rated as possible in my house.

[Mia001]

Just me personally, no I would not bring my kids to those types of movies.

i would'n bring myself too

[Mia001]

I would also like to add that I feel video games are even worse, and those are as G rated as possible in my house.

agreed, with the years, i find video games became more and more violents and with some disturbing like situations

[francine1985]

Have you ever seen the options for reel babies movies? Some of them are not really kid friendly movies... if there is a reel babies movie I want to see that isn't kid friendly I might take my youngest but get someone to watch my oldest. But I would really have to want to see it. I usually only go if its a movie both my kids could see.

[Darth Penguin]

This is a touchy subject for me, so I'll try and explain myself clearly. I've gone through the posts and felt a nerve get touched for me on some of them. Nothing against anyone, as everyone is entitled to an opinion.

I watched all sorts of horror movies as a small kid. Never in a theatre though, mainly because we couldn't afford it. I watched Hellraiser at 4 years old. But I also knew from very early on that it wasn't real. When my mom asked what I thought of Pinhead, I responded that his makeup must have taken a long time to do. (again, I was 4)

I knew Nightmare on Elm street by heart by age 3 and would run around singing that rhyme. Granted, these movies are not on the same level as some of the gore based horror of today, but for the time they were horror!

Should these children have been in the theatre, absolutely not in my opinion. My parents knew what the movies were about before I watched them, and they knew I could handle it. Going into a theatre for that sort of movie without seeing it for yourself first isn't fair to anyone there that night, the people in question included.

I am now an adult, staring down the barrel of 30 and am emphatic and sometimes sympathise too much with people. I grew up with a love of horror and it is still one of my favorite genres. I sat down last Halloween in the wind and rain storm reading Stephan Kings "It" by a lamp and handing out candy.

I'm sorry if I offended or angered anyone, but I felt the need to point out that some kids can handle movies like these (outside of a theatre) and not turn out to be cold hearted human beings.

Thank you.

Certainly..there's a difference between watching a movie at home where a child can remove themselves easily and quitely from watching some-thing they don't want than being in a situation were they are forced to behave to a higher standard than normal due to the pressure of other customers.

The brood watch Buffy, Angel and Dr Who as well as the news. In fact the news is one of the few shows I actually censor especially when there are continous reporting like the Boston Marathon bombing.

I was annoyed that P2 went to a sleep-over and the parents did a Twilight marathon for the girls. I would never show movies like that to under-aged children without the other parents' agreement first.

[Midnightly]

I would also like to add that I feel video games are even worse, and those are as G rated as possible in my house.

we don't even have a game system in our house for this reason.. i do not want my young child playing or watching violent video games.. it's only been this past year that she's been allowed on daddy's computer to play games (disney Jr only) she's 5

i don't get a thrill out of going to see cartoons in the theatre.. BUT i do it for my child she enjoys it and it's a special treat to see a movie at the big theatre and if she squeals or screams or gets antsy it's ok.. because it's a movie meant for children

[DaveP]

Hmmm. If at the age of ten your kids can't distinguish between fiction and reality, that's a parenting failure, IMHO.

A few years back I rented Revenge of the Living dead (or Return of the living Dead, something like that) to scare the older ones silly. I remembered it from my teen years as a gripping horror. they laughed their butts off through the whole thing. They know the difference between fantasy and reality.

Mine have also skinned knees, climbed trees, caught fish and gutted them, played baseball without a helmet, been outside wthout adult supervision at the age of 8 (OMG!!!). Too many people try to wrap a bubble around their kids these days - to keep them safe. All you're doing is raising dysfuntional fearful little adults who have no idea what life is, or can be.

[wolfwoman]

I actually stopped going to movies because of people not just kids. But on the subject of kids at movies, I saw my first horror flick at the age of 13 by myself and loved it! I think some people are just "geared" to it better than others. But then again, when it came to my son I watched and supervised everything he watched. Even up to the day he turned 18, if it was in my house, I had to approve all games and movies. But that doesn't mean he was a bubble wrapped kid. He hunts and has bagged his own deer and moose. He also had to dress his own game. He went to bush parties that had adult supervision ( I would check with the parents first) in other words, he was allowed to grow up and experience the world with DH and I carefully watching. It's a tricky balancing act between being over protective and not giving a hoot. Sorry, I tend to ramble.

[walkonby]

yeah, I feel that accusing parents of bubble wrapping their offspring seems a tad insulting, just because they are trying to shield their young minds and eyes from gore and such ( whether it is a movie, or the news ) To each their own.

[Midnightly]

yeah, I feel that accusing parents of bubble wrapping their offspring seems a tad insulting, just because they are trying to shield their young minds and eyes from gore and such ( whether it is a movie, or the news ) To each their own.

i think people automatically jump to extremes.. if you avoid showing your child violence, avoid video games, keep a close eye on them at all times and only let them watch PG movies your accused of coddling your child and wrapping them up in a bubble.. but if you expose your child to all this your parenting is questioned


honestly i'm all for bubble wrapping young children from the harsh realities of the world, young children (talking about under 5) don't need to be exposed to violence and wars and things that will cause nightmares the world should be filled with bubbles and magic and imagination at that age.. they grow up so fast once they start to get into school and they are young for such a small period of time why make that time even smaller (4yr old's don't need to be having crushes on boy bands but that is a whole different pet peeve there)

yes i shelter my child...she 100% believes in magic and fairies and putting on a fancy dress makes her a princess, she has no idea what moles or birthmarks are she only knows them as "pretties" but she also has climbing bruises on her legs and runs and plays at the park she play puppies rather then shooting games. i know that once she hits kindergarten that childhood innocence is going to slowly go away and honestly.. it saddens me