Based on this thread, I got thinking about Christmas shows or specials that, while ostensibly for kids/the family, had really dark or disturbing elements.
While the king of these might be "It's a Wonderful Life" (if that counts as a 'family' flim), I hadn't seen it until I was in college. When I was a kid, these are specials that kind of freaked me out.
The Little Drummer Boy: Creepy puppets, murdered parents, dead animals and the baby Jesus bringing said dead animals back, Lazarus style.
The Littlest Angel: Much like "Casper," this story is--when you get right down to it--about a dead kid. But, unlike Casper, they start the movie off with the kid dying (and going to heaven) and then have a scene or two where the little dead boy returns to earth and discovers he's invisible to his grieving mom. To make matters worse, I figured out within a few seconds that the "teacher" angel was...Herman Munster.
The House without a Christmas Tree: This was about a young girl whose mother had died and whose father now refused to let her have a tree because of the memories it brought back to him. It was a moving story, but incredibly sad. And the dad was played by Jason Robards, who is always a little scary.
A Christmas Carol (1971 cartoon): Of course, every version of this is a 'ghost story.' But this version (which won an Academy) had a distinctive visual style (and voice work by Allister Sim) that made it especially dark for an ostensibly kid-oriented cartoon. And their version of Jacob Marley was no guy in a bandage in simple bandage. He was a deformed, screaming, banshee.
Any one else?
(And please, no "Black Christmas," "the Ref," "Bad Santa" or other overtly adult stuff. I'm talking about stuff FOR KIDS/FAMILIES)
While the king of these might be "It's a Wonderful Life" (if that counts as a 'family' flim), I hadn't seen it until I was in college. When I was a kid, these are specials that kind of freaked me out.
The Little Drummer Boy: Creepy puppets, murdered parents, dead animals and the baby Jesus bringing said dead animals back, Lazarus style.
The Littlest Angel: Much like "Casper," this story is--when you get right down to it--about a dead kid. But, unlike Casper, they start the movie off with the kid dying (and going to heaven) and then have a scene or two where the little dead boy returns to earth and discovers he's invisible to his grieving mom. To make matters worse, I figured out within a few seconds that the "teacher" angel was...Herman Munster.
The House without a Christmas Tree: This was about a young girl whose mother had died and whose father now refused to let her have a tree because of the memories it brought back to him. It was a moving story, but incredibly sad. And the dad was played by Jason Robards, who is always a little scary.
A Christmas Carol (1971 cartoon): Of course, every version of this is a 'ghost story.' But this version (which won an Academy) had a distinctive visual style (and voice work by Allister Sim) that made it especially dark for an ostensibly kid-oriented cartoon. And their version of Jacob Marley was no guy in a bandage in simple bandage. He was a deformed, screaming, banshee.
Any one else?
(And please, no "Black Christmas," "the Ref," "Bad Santa" or other overtly adult stuff. I'm talking about stuff FOR KIDS/FAMILIES)
