Movie #19: Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)

"Filigree, apogee, pedigree, perigee! "

Day 13 of the countdown. Scary. Here is our first film that's recommended by 4 out of the 15 lists surveyed. We're getting to some really good stuff here.

Let's celebrate Angela Lansbury's 85th birthday (October 16) by watching this classic movie today!

Family-Friendliness

• Rating: G


• Minimum Recommended Age: 5.33 (Common Sense Media: "On for ages 7 and up", Movie Mom: Kindergarten - 3rd Grade, Kaboose: Ages 4 and up)


• Quality Rating: 72.67% (Parent Previews Overall Grade: B, Common Sense Media: 4 stars, Rotten Tomatoes rating: 6)


• Number of Lists Recommend: 4


• Sex/Violence/Profanity: Several scenes of cartoon violence during a wildly physical soccer match, as well as one real-life scene where the group is threatened with a knife. The final battle scene, where a ghost-like army of knights fights machine-gun wielding Nazis, might be very scary for some kids. One or two uses of 'damn', the older boy tells his siblings to "shut up."


• Main Child Character Age: Charlie is "11 going on 12"


• Running Time: 139 minutes


• What does it have to do with Halloween? Nothing

Summary

An inexperienced witch''s adventures take her and her children from WWII England to a mythical land where jungle animals rule--all via an enchanted flying bed.

Watch Out For

Common Sense Media:
The final battle scene, where a ghost-like army of knights fights machine-gun wielding Nazis, might be very scary for some kids.

The framework of the movie -- World War II, Nazi invasions, and bombings in London -- is about as un-child-friendly as it gets, but the film manages to take a lighthearted approach.

The climax of the film involves a drawn-out battle between the main character and a small group of invading Nazis in which the enemy soldiers wield swords and machine guns against her. Despite this apparent violence, no blood is shed, no one is hurt, and the main character retains a smile throughout the entire battle.

IMDB:
Mild prejudice against Germans around the time of WW2 may offend some viewers. However, this is very unlikely. Nothing unsuitable for children considering this movie is aimed at a family audience.

Movie Mom:
The movie is long and episodic, and so lends itself well to viewing in shorter segments for restless younger children.

Parent Previews:
While the sorcery is used for positive reasons in this film, some parents may still want to consider the depictions of witchcraft and war before showing this classic to their younger children.

Talk About It

Common Sense Media:
* Families can talk about the difference between fantasy and reality, since it may not be clear to many kids.
* Talk about magic. What kind of magic do you wish you could perform and why?
* Families can talk about what makes a movie scary besides the story. How does the music or the lighting make you feel?
* Families can talk about language and accents. Did you find it difficult to understand the British accents? What other kinds of accents are you familiar with?

Parent Previews:
In what other ways does war impact families and children?

How do the special effects in this film compare with those of today?

What does Miss Price discover about her ability to perform witchcraft?

Also See

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Mary Poppins; the Harry Potter films; Hocus Pocus; The Wizard of Oz

Of Note

• Julie Andrews, Leslie Caron, Lynn Redgrave, and Judy Carne were considered for the role of Miss Price before Angela Lansbury was cast.
• GOOFY HOLLER: heard during the soccer game when the king kicks the hyena.
• The film received five Academy Award nominations and won one for Best Visual Effects
• It is based upon the books The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons and Bonfires and Broomsticks by Mary Norton

Trailer

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Movie #21: The Wizard of Oz (1939)

"Do not arouse the wrath of the great and powerful Oz. I said come back tomorrow."

Believe it or not, I know people who still have aversions to little people, after having watched this and Willy Wonka as children.

Family-Friendliness

• Rating: G


• Minimum Recommended Age: 5.5 (Common Sense Media: "On for ages 6 and up", Movie Mom: All Ages, Kids First! Recommended Age: 5-18)


• Quality Rating: 94.7% (Parent Previews Overall Grade: A-, Common Sense Media: 5 stars, Rotten Tomatoes rating: 9.2)


• Number of Lists Recommend: 3


• Sex/Violence/Profanity: None


• Main Child Character Age: Preteen


• Running Time: 101 minutes


• What does it have to do with Halloween? Nothing, but there are a couple of witches in it

Summary

Dorothy Gale is swept away to a magical land in a tornado and embarks on a quest to see the Wizard who can help her return home.

Watch Out For

Common Sense Media: "The Wicked Witch of the West is quite creepy and menacing, as are her scary henchmonkeys. Very young children may be frightened during the twister scene."

Movie Mom: "There are a number of different scenes in this movie that may be scary for children. Many adults still remember the flying monkeys or Dorothy looking into the crystal ball and seeing her aunt turn into the witch."

Parent Previews: "Some children may find the tornado sequence frightening (even though the depiction contains many comic elements, like the old Grandma in the rocking chair who knits while riding the winds of the storm). Other anxious moments in the Land of Oz center around the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) as she does her best to regain the coveted (and magic) red shoes Dorothy is wearing."

IMDB: "The Scarecrow is briefly seen holding a gun. A house falls on top of the Wicked Witch of the East. No blood is shown at all, but we do see her lower legs sticking out from under it. They curl up and disappear at one point, which is shown close-up. The Wicked Witch of the West sets the Scarecrow on fire twice. (He is saved both times.) The flying monkeys might be considered scary to some kids. They capture some characters and fly away with them, including Dorothy."

Talk About It

Common Sense Media:
* Families can talk about elements of the classic movie that 70 years later can be found in contemporary films. What other popular movies follow a main hero and his supportive friends on an important journey?
* Discuss the way that the movie combines several genres. How does the change from black-and-white to color affect the movie's tone?
* How does the Scarecrow demonstrate his intelligence, the Tin Man his heart, and the Lion his courage? How does each one find what they need within themselves?

Movie Mom:
Talk with children about the way that the Scarecrow demonstrates his intelligence, the Tin Woodman demonstrates his heart, and the Lion demonstrates his courage. Even the humbug Wizard finds that he had the means to go home all the time. Dorothy, who in the first part of the movie runs away from home to try to solve her problems, spends the rest of the movie trying to get back. Even if the story is just a dream (in the book, it is a real adventure), this makes a great deal of emotional sense, a way of working through her inner conflicts.

It is also worth talking about the scene in which Dorothy and her friends disregard the Wizard's plea to "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" and discover that he is really just an ordinary man. This can be a touchstone or metaphor for many kinds of challenges children face. It can help them recognize that the overpowering figures in their lives (parents, teachers, adults, sports figures) are just imperfect human beings. And it can also help them recognize attempts, by themselves as well as others, to distract people in hopes of hiding our imperfection and vulnerability.

Parent Previews:
When Dorothy and her friends began their journey to Oz, they were counseled never to leave the Yellow Brick Road. What happened when they forgot that advice? How could this metaphor apply to real life?

What did it take for each of the characters to discover they already possessed the traits they wished they had? What can you learn from their example?

Of Note

• AMC's Filmsite lists the "dispatching of [the Wicked Witch's] Flying Monkeys to stop the progress of Dorothy Gale's (Judy Garland) companions to free her" as one of the Greatest Scariest Movie Moments and Scenes
• In Baum's books, Oz is no dream. By contrast, the movie makes it clear that Dorothy dreamt the whole thing up. Of course, children of all ages refuse to accept that the vivid, colorful Oz is a dream, while the dull sepia-toned Kansas is reality. Audiences of the day were leery of fantasy and demanded this cop-out.
• Many of the Wicked Witch of the West's scenes were either trimmed or deleted entirely, as Margaret Hamilton's performance was thought too frightening for audiences.
• Judy Garland had to wear a painful corset-style device around her torso so that she would appear younger and flat-chested.
• Terry (Toto) was stepped on by one of the witch's guards, and had a double for two weeks. A second double was obtained, because it resembled Toto more closely. Judy Garland very much wanted to adopt Terry after the two spent so much time together shooting the film. Unfortunately, the owner of the dog wouldn't give her up, and Terry went on to a long career in films. She died in 1945 and was buried in her trainer's yard.
• In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #10 Greatest Movie of All Time.
• The name for Oz was thought up when the creator, Frank Baum, looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N, and O-Z, hence "Oz."

Trailer

Watch It

Embedding has been disabled for Part 11. Watch it here.

Movie #23: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

"A child's voice, however honest and true, is meaningless to those who've forgotten how to listen."

Family-Friendliness

• Rating: PG "for frightening moments, creature violence and mild language"


• Minimum Recommended Age: 9.5 (Common Sense Media: "On for ages 10 and up", Movie Mom: 4th-6th Grades)


• Quality Rating: 83.25% (Parent Previews Overall Grade: B, Common Sense Media: 5 stars, Kids Pick Flicks Grade: B, Rotten Tomatoes rating: 7.8)


• Number of Lists Recommend: 3


• Sex/Violence/Profanity: 1.5.2 (Kids-In-Mind)
  
  
  
  


• Main Child Character Age: 13


• Running Time: 141 minutes


• What does it have to do with Halloween? Nothing, but Harry and his friends do use a pile of huge pumpkins to hide behind a couple of times
  
  

Summary

Approaching his third year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter has had enough of his muggle relatives. He runs away from them (finally) and enters his third term facing trouble from more than one side: for using magic outside the school and from the news that a notorious criminal, serial killer Sirius Black, has escaped the wizard's prison at Azkaban and apparently is headed for Harry. The school calls in supernatural help against Black in the form of Dementors, but unusual things continue to put Harry in peril. He is thrown into a confusing panoply of shifting alliegences and shifting shapes where nobody is who or what they seem. Who is the real criminal? What is the real crime? Who is telling or knows the truth?

Watch Out For

Common Sense Media:
For most of the school year, Harry believes he is marked for death and stalked by an escaped prisoner. He also battles a creature of kids' worst nightmares: the Dementors are black-robed floating beings that suck out happiness and feed on your worst fears, which is why Harry hears the sound of his mother's last scream when he sees them. While this can be tough for young and sensitive viewers, the bright spot is the Boggart lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Boggarts can turn into what a person fears most, but the kids learn to yell "Ridiculous!" and turn it into something to laugh at.

IMDB:
About 3 hells, 2 damns, and 1 use of bitch but referring to a female dog. Younger viewers will most likely find the dementors frightening. The dementor scenes are intense because they cause agony to all those around them They infest are deepest, darkest moments of life.

Movie Mom:
Parents should know that the movie is close to a PG-13 for intense peril and grotesque, Halloween-ish images.

Parent Previews:
Parents should remember the filmmakers' incarnation of the monsters (especially the Dementors) may be more frightening than their child imagined while devouring J.K. Rowlings' written work.











Screencaps courtesy of Screencap Paradise

Talk About It

Common Sense Media:
•Families can talk about Dumbledore's statement that people can bring light to even the darkest moments. What can you learn from the way Harry and his friends learn to defeat the Boggarts? The Dementors?
•Older kids and teens could examine all of the Potter movies to see how different directors and cinematographers can take the same characters and settings and convey a different feeling. Notice how the colors and texture of the scenes and the movement of the camera help to create the mood and tell the story.

Movie Mom:
Families who see this movie should talk about Dumbledore's statement that people can bring light to even the darkest moments. What can you learn from the way Harry and his friends learn to defeat the Boggerts? The Dementors? Older kids and teens should examine all of the Potter movies to see how different directors and cinematographers can take the same characters and settings and convey a different feeling. Notice how the colors and texture of the scenes and the movement of the camera help to creat the mood and tell the story.

Kids-in-Mind:
Magic, witchcraft and wizardry, alternate realities, friendship, family, revenge, werewolves, dreams, reliving bad memories, kindness, manipulation of time, happiness, reading tea leaves, dark omens, crystal balls, trust, betrayal, pride.

Of Note

• Is the first film released into IMAX theatres and to be using IMAX Technology
• The film was nominated for two Academy Awards — Original Music Score and Visual Effects at the 77th Academy Awards held in 2005.

Trailer

Movie #26: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

"Trees and people used to be good friends. I saw that tree and decided to buy the house. Hope Mom likes it too. Okay, let's pay our respects then get home for lunch."

Following up the last definitely-not-little-kid-friendly-movie, here's one that's suitable for just about any kid who's old enough to sit through an 86-minute film.

Family-Friendliness

• Rating: G


• Minimum Recommended Age: 5 (Common Sense Media: "On for ages 5 and up", Kids First! Juror Recommended Age: 5-8)


• Quality Rating: 93.7% (Common Sense Media: 5 stars, Parent Previews Overall Grade: A, Rotten Tomatoes rating: 8.1)


• Number of Lists Recommend: 2


• Sex/Violence/Profanity: According to IMDB, "There is a scene where the father bathes with his children. None of the genitals are seen, but there is a glimpse of the buttocks. It's very inoffensive, but you may have to understand that families bathing together is part of Japanese culture and not meant to be sexual in any sense. Additionally, there is a glimpse of the Catbus's scrotum, but it is very hard to notice." (See below)


• Running Time: 86 minutes


• What does it have to do with Halloween? Nothing

Summary

From Rotten Tomatoes: When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wonderous forest spirits who live nearby.

Watch Out For

Common Sense Media: Although there are slightly creepy "dust sprites" that appear in the house at first, they eventually disappear. Totoro himself might look and sound a bit odd, but he's quite sweet and gentle. The protagonist girls have an ill mother with an unnamed disease, but the moments in the hospital are not sad or depressing. Some parents may not feel comfortable with the amount of freedom the girls (as is the case with children in all of Hayao Miyazaki's films) have to wander off alone, either around their neighborhood, the surrounding forest, or on a long walk to visit their mother.

Parent Previews: There are no bad-guys--only the uncertainties associated with an ill parent.



You know, I guess it does kind of look like a scrotum...

Talk About It

Common Sense Media:
* Families can talk about why Mei and Satsuki aren't afraid of Totoro. Why are they able to befriend him so easily? How does he help them and their family?
* How do the girls deal with their mother's sickness? Does the mother's hospitalization affect the sisters differently?
* What is the animation style like? How are the humans depicted? Are the Totoros and the Catbus scary-looking? What makes it obvious they're gentle creatures?

Kids First!
* Prompted discussions about running away and how to handle fear or ghosts.

Parent Previews:
How does the fact that the mother’s health concerns are never explained in the movie contribute to the sense of seeing the world through the children’s eyes? What other ways do the film’s creators capture that feeling?

Of Note

• Roger Ebert lists it as one of his Great Movies
• Empire Magazine ranks it at #41 on its list of The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema (The greatest films not in the English language)
• Won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize and the Mainichi Film Award for Best Film in 1988

Trailer

At the Movies Review

Movie #28: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

"I can't be a-a-a wizard. I mean, I'm just Harry, just Harry."

Today's film is the first of two entries in a row from the "Harry Potter" series, and it's no coincidence that this one comes first in the countdown. Magic, or just a great ranking system? Hmmm...

Family-Friendliness

• Rating: PG "for some scary moments and mild language"


• Minimum Recommended Age: 7.3 (Common Sense Media: "On for ages 7 and up", Kids First! Juror Recommended Age: 8-12, Kaboose: "some scenes are too scary for kids under the age of seven")


• Quality Rating: 81.7% (Parent Previews: B, Common Sense Media: 5 stars, Rotten Tomatoes rating: 7.0)


• Number of Lists Recommend: 2


• Sex/Violence/Profanity: 0.4.2 (Kids-In-Mind)
  
  

  
  
  Language: 1 arse, 1 damn, and 1 hell. Also some uses of "bloody".
  



• Main Child Character Age: 11


• Running Time: 152 minutes


• What does it have to do with Halloween? Nothing

Summary

Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Watch Out For

Common Sense Media: "Parents need to know that this first movie in the Harry Potter series has some intense and scary moments. Harry Potter and friends -- who are only 11 years old here -- are in peril and get hurt, but not seriously, and most of the scares come from fantasy creatures. There's a flashback to the (bloodless) death of Harry's parents and discussion about how they died and the one who killed them."

Screen It!: "A tiny bit of profanity (minor expletives) is present as are some colorful phrases, while some of the violence has bloody results, we see a ghost's neck wound that's nearly severed his head sometime in the past, and some other "gooey" moments are present. Finally, as the film deals with kids using magic/sorcery, some kids may want to imitate that while parents may want to discuss that and other subject matter with their kids."










Screen caps courtesy of newsie__nympho

On TV

Biography Channel is airing the documentary "Creating the World of Harry Potter" about the making of the first film, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". "Part 1: The Magic Begins" airs October 14 at 9:00 PM EST, and "Part 2: Characters" airs at 10:00 PM EST.

Talk About It

Common Sense Media:
* Families can talk about the Harry Potter series. Do you like the books or movies better?
* What themes from the first in the series pop up again in later installments?
* What do you think about Harry and his friends going away to school? Would you ever want to do something like that?

Parent Previews:
If you are a Harry Potter fan, and have read all the books, how does the movie’s interpretation of J.K. Rowling’s work compare to your imagination? Does the movie change the perception that you had from the novels?

Many people are concerned about the positive portrayal of the occult made in the Harry Potter books. How do you feel about the magic and the messages presented in these stories?

Trailer