My kids have finally reached an age where I have been able to start them on the path to enlightenment - reading the books and viewing the movies that I enjoyed as a kid, that helped to shape my inner self, exercised my imagination, nurtured my sense of humour and broadened my world-view. I started watching b-movies with my Dad in the mid-sixties - so my tastes go all the way back. I'd like that for my own kids, too.
So I was wondering if I had missed any good ones. What movies would you list as 'classic', not-to-be-missed, essential as foundation, AND appropriate to the 8-to-fourteen age range? And oh yeah - tell me why they merit inclusion - what are the features that make them a must-be-seen?
Keep in mind that this is not a request for a definitive list, just a starting point.
Thanks!
Godzilla movies are always a good start, they aren't vulgar or excessive with the language or violence, and are always good plain fun!
Godzvilla, King Kong, The early hammer horror, Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Mummy etc, William Castle movies... just about any B/W horroe or Sci Fi is going to be pretty tame and wonderfully cheesy.
I think Night of the Lepus was the one that got me, when I was 11... Even a child can see the absurdity in a serious movie about giant, killer bunny-rabbits. Plan 9 could be a good one, too, though it may be a little slow for the little ones. Some MST3K episodes would also be a good choice to serve as a transition from intentional to unintentional humor, though the jokes might be a little naughty at times. Oh, yeah, and maybe one of those old cheapo clip tapes (I had one hosted by Vincent Price when I was 8, and I can't remember how many times I watched it).
Killer Klowns From Outer Space is good clean and enjoyable fun. there is no swearin gore or nudity but the movie still ends up being visually pleasing while not excessive in the Veroheven way.
There is some cursing in Killer Klowns. The main cop say "f**k you all" at one point.
You can never go wrong with a Ray Harryhausen movie.
My favorites (many I first saw as a kid):
FIRST MEN IN THE MOON
THE VALLEY OF GWANGI
CLASH OF THE TITANS
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG
THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD
20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH
ONE MILLION YEARS B.C.
IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA
MYSTERIOUS ISLAND
THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS
etc.
The Guyver
Tremors (grab the edited-for-TV copy, if need be, because the line "f**k you" is said ONCE)
Mortal Kombat
Maybe the original Night Of The Living Dead
Robot Monster (3-D or 2-D, whichever)
Night of the Lepus - a good choice
Any of the good old fashioned kung fu movies. Those are easy to relate to, to see the cheesiness of, and offer good fun action. Godzilla is great too. Set those kids in the right direction!
-Scottie-
Oh yeah, you are right.
But still, it isn't that bad. I'm pretty sure most kids around the age of seven know that word anyway.
Reminds of the time when a friend was babysitting his sister and her friends and they spewed every profanity known to man at him for not getting them a glass of water. I am talking deathe threats too.
Anyway. I still go with Killer Klowns From Outer Space.
And Rodan.
I remember my first B-movie (I'd better, I'm 16) Crippled Masters. That was followed by Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer. (Yes, I'm a F*cked up kid now. I blame society.)
When I think of my early cheesy movie experiences, two things come to mind - Godzilla (already mentioned) and cheesy 70s disaster movies. These can be either the straight disaster tales, like Earthquake, the Poseidon Adventure or the Airport movies, or the "nature strikes back" variety, such as Kingdom of the Spiders (Shatner at his cheesy best) or the Swarm. The cautionary tales with the silly pseudo-scientific BS are often the best. If the kids are not quite old enough to find humour in that, there is still plenty of action to enjoy and stylish 70s clothing to laugh at.