Creepy Childhood Films
by Lazy_Ballerina | created - 15 May 2015 | updated - 15 May 2015 | PublicA list of children's films/ TV shows that were surprisingly creepy and somewhat disturbing.
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1. Return to Oz (1985)
PG | 113 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Dorothy, saved from a psychiatric experiment by a mysterious girl, is somehow called back to Oz when a vain witch and the Nome King destroy everything that makes the magical land beautiful.
Director: Walter Murch | Stars: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie
Votes: 30,373
2. Coraline (2009)
PG | 100 min | Animation, Drama, Family
Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, an 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.
Director: Henry Selick | Stars: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders
Votes: 263,939 | Gross: $75.29M
3. The Dark Crystal (1982)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and to restore order to his world.
Directors: Jim Henson, Frank Oz | Stars: Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz
Votes: 71,492 | Gross: $40.58M
4. Goosebumps (1995–1998)
TV-PG | 22 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
"Goosebumps" was a series of scary anthology stories based on the children's books by R.L. Stine. Series one was hosted by R.L. Stine for twelve episodes.
Stars: R.L. Stine, Kathryn Short, Cody Jones, Scott Wickware
Votes: 15,236
5. The Witches (1990)
PG | 91 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A young boy stumbles onto a witch convention and must stop them, even after he has been turned into a mouse.
Director: Nicolas Roeg | Stars: Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher, Rowan Atkinson
Votes: 54,680 | Gross: $10.36M
6. Labyrinth (1986)
PG | 101 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Sixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.
Director: Jim Henson | Stars: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Shelley Thompson
Votes: 149,647 | Gross: $12.73M
7. The NeverEnding Story (1984)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach, Gerald McRaney
Votes: 157,017 | Gross: $20.16M
8. Pinocchio (1940)
G | 88 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A living puppet, with the help of a cricket as his conscience, must prove himself worthy to become a real boy.
Directors: Norman Ferguson, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Ben Sharpsteen | Stars: Dickie Jones, Christian Rub, Mel Blanc, Don Brodie
Votes: 159,928 | Gross: $84.25M
9. The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)
G | 96 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
One of puppet-maker Geppetto's creations comes magically to life. This puppet named Pinocchio has one major desire, to become a real boy someday, but he has to learn to act responsibly.
Director: Steve Barron | Stars: Martin Landau, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Geneviève Bujold, Udo Kier
Votes: 6,293 | Gross: $15.09M
10. Watership Down (1978)
PG | 91 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Hoping to escape destruction by human developers and save their community, a colony of rabbits, led by Hazel and Fiver, seek out a safe place to set up a new warren.
Directors: Martin Rosen, John Hubley | Stars: John Hurt, Richard Briers, Ralph Richardson, Michael Graham Cox
Votes: 39,439
11. Spirited Away (2001)
PG | 125 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Miyu Irino, Rumi Hiiragi
Votes: 850,027 | Gross: $10.06M
12. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
G | 144 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
A down-on-his-luck inventor turns a broken-down Grand Prix car into a fancy vehicle for his children, and then they go off on a magical fantasy adventure to save their grandfather in a far-off land.
Director: Ken Hughes | Stars: Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Benny Hill
Votes: 50,730 | Gross: $7.50M
13. Wizards (1977)
PG | 80 min | Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
On a post-apocalyptic Earth, a wizard and his faire folk comrades fight an evil wizard who's using technology in his bid for conquest.
Director: Ralph Bakshi | Stars: Bob Holt, Jesse Welles, Richard Romanus, David Proval
Votes: 13,017 | Gross: $9.00M
14. E.T. (1982)
PG | 115 min | Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, Dee Wallace
Votes: 437,714 | Gross: $435.11M
15. The Watcher in the Woods (1980)
PG | 84 min | Family, Horror, Mystery
When a family moves to a country home, the young girls experience strange happenings that have a link to an occult event years past.
Directors: John Hough, Vincent McEveety | Stars: Bette Davis, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Kyle Richards, Carroll Baker
Votes: 7,067 | Gross: $5.00M
16. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
PG | 104 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When a cartoon rabbit is accused of murder, he enlists the help of a burnt out private investigator to prove his innocence.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer
Votes: 216,940 | Gross: $156.45M
17. Anastasia (1997)
G | 94 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
The last surviving child of the Russian Royal Family joins two con men to reunite with her grandmother, the Dowager Empress, while the undead Rasputin seeks her death.
Directors: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman | Stars: Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Christopher Lloyd, Kelsey Grammer
Votes: 136,102 | Gross: $58.41M
18. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
G | 75 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Alice stumbles into the world of Wonderland. Will she get home? Not if the Queen of Hearts has her way.
Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Jack Kinney | Stars: Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway
Votes: 154,118 | Gross: $1.07M
19. Alice in Wonderland (II) (1985)
TV-PG | 94 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Alice is in Looking Glass Land, where she meets many creatures and attempts to avoid the Jabberwocky (Tom McLoughlin), a monster that appears due to her being afraid.
Stars: Natalie Gregory, Sheila Allen, Red Buttons, Anthony Newley
Votes: 3,344
20. The Peanut Butter Solution (1985)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
Peanut butter is the secret ingredient for magic potions made by two friendly ghosts. Eleven-year-old Michael loses all of his hair when he gets a fright and uses the potion to get his hair back.
Director: Michael Rubbo | Stars: Mathew Mackay, Siluck Saysanasy, Alison Darcy, Michael Hogan
Votes: 2,701
21. Monster House (2006)
PG | 91 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
Three teens discover that their neighbor's house is really a living, breathing, scary monster.
Director: Gil Kenan | Stars: Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner, Spencer Locke, Ryan Whitney
Votes: 138,281 | Gross: $73.66M
22. The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
G | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
A group of dated appliances embark on a journey to the city to find their master after being abandoned in a cabin in the woods.
Director: Jerry Rees | Stars: Jon Lovitz, Timothy Stack, Timothy E. Day, Thurl Ravenscroft
Votes: 27,748
23. Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (1976)
G | 84 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Raggedy Ann and Andy leave their playroom to rescue Babette, a beautiful French doll kidnapped by pirates.
Directors: Richard Williams, Abe Levitow | Stars: Claire Williams, Didi Conn, Mark Baker, Fred Stuthman
Votes: 1,069
24. Dumbo (1941)
G | 64 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Ridiculed because of his enormous ears, a young circus elephant is assisted by a mouse to achieve his full potential.
Directors: Samuel Armstrong, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts, Ben Sharpsteen, John Elliotte | Stars: Sterling Holloway, Edward Brophy, Herman Bing, Billy Bletcher
Votes: 142,138 | Gross: $1.60M
25. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.
Directors: Victor Fleming, King Vidor | Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr
Votes: 428,803 | Gross: $2.08M
26. The Secret of NIMH (1982)
G | 82 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
To save her ill son, a field mouse must seek the aid of a colony of rats, with whom she has a deeper link than she suspected.
Director: Don Bluth | Stars: Elizabeth Hartman, Derek Jacobi, Dom DeLuise, Arthur Malet
Votes: 45,187 | Gross: $10.14M
27. The Black Cauldron (1985)
PG | 80 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A young boy and a group of misfit friends embark on a quest to find a dark magic item of ultimate power before a diabolical tyrant can.
Directors: Ted Berman, Richard Rich | Stars: Grant Bardsley, Freddie Jones, Susan Sheridan, Nigel Hawthorne
Votes: 40,770 | Gross: $21.29M
28. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
PG | 95 min | Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
In a small American town, a diabolical circus and its demonic proprietor prey on the townsfolk.
Director: Jack Clayton | Stars: Mary Grace Canfield, Richard Davalos, Jake Dengel, Jack Dodson
Votes: 10,620 | Gross: $8.40M
29. Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989)
G | 85 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Each night, young Nemo goes to Slumberland and has adventures and befriends the king of Slumberland, Morpheus. But one night Nemo discovers Nightmare Land, and the evil nightmare king, throwing Slumberland and Nemo himself into danger.
Directors: Masami Hata, Masanori Hata, William T. Hurtz | Stars: Gabriel Damon, Mickey Rooney, Rene Auberjonois, Danny Mann
Votes: 8,273 | Gross: $1.37M
30. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
G | 100 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A poor but hopeful boy seeks one of the five coveted golden tickets that will send him on a tour of Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory.
Director: Mel Stuart | Stars: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear
Votes: 227,470 | Gross: $4.00M
31. Fantasia (1940)
G | 124 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
A series of eight famous pieces of classical music, conducted by Leopold Stokowski and interpreted in animation by Walt Disney's team of artists.
Directors: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe Jr., Norman Ferguson, David Hand, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen | Stars: Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Corey Burton
Votes: 104,019 | Gross: $76.41M
32. Bambi (1942)
G | 69 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
The story of a young deer growing up in the forest.
Directors: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, David Hand, Graham Heid, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Norman Wright, Arthur Davis, Clyde Geronimi | Stars: Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, Bobette Audrey, Peter Behn
Votes: 154,144 | Gross: $102.80M
33. My Girl (1991)
PG | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Vada is obsessed with death. Her mother is dead, and her father runs a funeral parlor. When Vada's father hires Shelly, a makeup expert, and begins to fall in love, Vada is outraged and does everything in her power to split them up.
Director: Howard Zieff | Stars: Anna Chlumsky, Macaulay Culkin, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis
Votes: 88,949 | Gross: $59.85M
34. Hocus Pocus (1993)
PG | 96 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
A teenage boy named Max and his little sister move to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.
Director: Kenny Ortega | Stars: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz
Votes: 155,979 | Gross: $44.34M
35. Little Monsters (1989)
PG | 100 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A boy discovers an incredible and gruesome world of monsters under his bed.
Director: Richard Greenberg | Stars: Fred Savage, Howie Mandel, Daniel Stern, Margaret Whitton
Votes: 14,202 | Gross: $0.79M
36. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
PG | 76 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.
Director: Henry Selick | Stars: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey
Votes: 375,270 | Gross: $75.08M
37. The Addams Family (1991)
PG-13 | 99 min | Comedy, Fantasy
Con artists plan to fleece an eccentric family using an accomplice who claims to be their long-lost uncle.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Dan Hedaya
Votes: 180,040 | Gross: $113.50M
38. The Haunted Mansion (2003)
PG | 88 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
A realtor and his wife and children are summoned to a mansion, which they soon discover is haunted, and while they attempt to escape, he learns an important lesson about the family he has neglected.
Director: Rob Minkoff | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Marsha Thomason, Jennifer Tilly, Terence Stamp
Votes: 56,930 | Gross: $75.85M
39. Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
PG | 101 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Yearning for escape and adventure, a young boy runs away from home and sails to an island filled with creatures that take him in as their king.
Director: Spike Jonze | Stars: Max Records, Catherine O'Hara, Forest Whitaker, Pepita Emmerichs
Votes: 108,538 | Gross: $77.23M
40. Gremlins (1984)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.
Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, John Louie
Votes: 247,910 | Gross: $148.17M
41. Corpse Bride (2005)
PG | 77 min | Animation, Drama, Family
When a shy groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her.
Directors: Tim Burton, Mike Johnson | Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Tracey Ullman
Votes: 298,951 | Gross: $53.36M
42. Worzel Gummidge (1979–1981)
60 min | Family, Comedy, Drama
Children's series about the adventures of Worzel Gummidge (Jon Pertwee), a scarecrow who comes to life.
Stars: Jon Pertwee, Jeremy Austin, Charlotte Coleman, Norman Bird
Votes: 1,107
43. The Princess Bride (1987)
PG | 98 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A bedridden boy's grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon
Votes: 451,088 | Gross: $30.86M
44. Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)
PG | 91 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Ernest accidentally unleashes an ugly troll that plots to transform children into wooden dolls in the town of Briarville, Missouri.
Director: John R. Cherry III | Stars: Jim Varney, Eartha Kitt, Austin Nagler, Shay Astar
Votes: 12,804 | Gross: $14.14M
45. The Borrowers (1997)
PG | 89 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A secret family of four-inch people living inside the walls of a house must save their home from an evil real estate developer.
Director: Peter Hewitt | Stars: John Goodman, Jim Broadbent, Mark Williams, Celia Imrie
Votes: 23,621 | Gross: $22.36M
46. Legend (1985)
PG | 94 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
A young man must stop the Lord of Darkness from destroying daylight and marrying the woman he loves.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent
Votes: 72,517 | Gross: $15.50M
47. Masters of the Universe (1987)
PG | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The heroic warrior He-Man battles against the evil lord Skeletor and his armies of darkness for control of Castle Grayskull.
Director: Gary Goddard | Stars: Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Meg Foster, Billy Barty
Votes: 44,326 | Gross: $17.34M
48. All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
G | 84 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A canine angel, Charlie, sneaks back to earth from heaven but ends up befriending an orphan girl who can speak to animals. In the process, Charlie learns that friendship is the most heavenly gift of all.
Directors: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Dan Kuenster | Stars: Dom DeLuise, Burt Reynolds, Loni Anderson, Judith Barsi
Votes: 46,135 | Gross: $27.10M
49. Unico in the Island of Magic (1983)
PG | 91 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
A young unicorn named Unico must fight an evil magician and save everyone who's trapped under his spell.
Director: Moribi Murano | Stars: Katsue Miwa, Iruka, Chieko Baishô, Sumi Shimamoto
Votes: 591
51. Mr. Horatio Knibbles (1971)
60 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Family
A little girl, Mary, is disappointed when she doesn't receive a pet rabbit for her birthday, but then she gets one after all, in the form of an imaginary friend. Mary's parents can't see him, even though she insists that he is real.
Director: Robert Hird | Stars: Lesley Roach, Gary Smith, Rachel Brennock, John Ash
Votes: 153
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