This past weekend, I let my kids watch the original Clash of the Titans. Besides being able to pass on my love for Ray Harryhausen films as my dad passed on to me, I’ve had the chance to do some short stop-motion films with both of them with smartphone and tablet (ain’t modern technology grand?).
One of the concerns was how scary the film would be to the young’uns. The man burning alive, the giant scorpions, and, above all, the Medusa sequence were most on my mind. Thankfully, all went well. The burned suitor didn’t register, the scorpions were “wow, ginormous” because “that [Calibos] is going to do something mean again, isn’t he?” and I was safely close during the showdown with Medusa.
My kids have already shown they enjoy spooky stuff, so I want to make sure they continue to get a good fright now and then… but age-appropriate scares. Artist Greg Ruth argues that exposing your kids to scary stories is a good idea.
So, I’m already thinking about the next entry in the de facto film festival to hit the kids right in the amygdalae.
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