For me, there were too many films to pick from. Of course some of the films that came to mind I thought maybe they weren't aimed at kids to begin with, like Time Bandits. Is that a kids film? It has a PG (not a rating anymore but is still used unofficially) rating. Also, Where The Wild Things Are. The film is based on a children's classic book but I feel the film would go over children's heads, its too deep for them to grasp. So, I went for safer options and films that I was obsessed with as a child and film I saw as a teenager and used to watch on a loop at Uni.
1. Jumanji
Couldn't stop watching this as a child. Didn't see it in the cinema but saw it frequently on TV and when I taped it. A game becoming real when you play it, anyone of any age can enjoy this, plus it has Robin Williams in it. He wasn't outrageous and he wasn't completely serious, a great balance for a children's film based on a book. This also came out around the time people were loosing interest in board games, excellent boost.
2. The Goonies
'Goonies never say die!' That's right, they don't. I saw this when I was older, in college and couldn't stop watching it in Uni. Kids going on an adventure to find some treasure to save their homes while gangsters track them down. Again, I'd watch it. But I think this film appeals to the older crowd for nostalgic reasons. Still, it has some great meme making moments in it.
3. Labyrinth
This was going to be in the list from the start. Classic film starring David Bowie
and his crotch as the Goblin king who makes a teenager run through a maze to save her baby brother she screams wishes would be taken away. A musicial mixture of Bowie, puppets, mayhem, dream sequences and the bog of eternal stentch that seems like the worst thing in the world. A film that deserves 'cult' status and has inspired the 'Masquerade Ball' at the Prince Charles Cinema which I enjoyed immensely, especially blowing bubbles at the screen and singing along to 'Dance Magic Dance'.
Don't forget to check out where Thursday Movie Picks all started -
Wandering Through the Shelves.
I haven't watched Jumanji for the longest time, will need to revisit that soon. Great picks!
ReplyDeleteI remember being so excited to see Jumanji in the theaters, and having plans with friends and we were all set to go and then my dad abruptly decided to take us to see Toy Story instead and I was SO PISSED and then...I was in love because Toy Story is perfect.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't seen Jumanji. I really need to.
All three greats! Labyrinth is one of those that always comes up in conversation among people my age. Such a classic. I also picked The Goonies this week. You just can't go wrong.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Jumanji yet but Labyrinth is an interesting movie, I know it's a fantasy but it's look is so firmly rooted in the 80's. I didn't see Goonies until recently, it came out after I was a kid so I avoided it but so many had seen it and talked about I decided to give it a try, it was fun but the once was good for me, still a good pick for the theme.
ReplyDeleteNeat picks! Totally agree with Jumanji and The Goonies. The former is also on my list too - it's too hard to pass up!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Labyrinth. I've found that Goonies doesn't really hold up as well for adults if they didn't see it as a child. Also for me, Jumanji is only great because Robin Williams is in it. Otherwise it would fall kinda flat. I did love all three of these films as kid too though!
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Thank you! The film is even better after the long wait, its a classic!
ReplyDeleteAh man, that sucks but then doesn't as Toy Story is one for the ages. I still say its for the ones who saw it in the cinemas, including the sequels, they were made for the kids of the 90s. I saw it too, but waited for Jumanji - you should definitely seek it out.
ReplyDeleteExactly! Can't go wrong with The Goonies. Labyrinth was a film that everyone watched as a kid, then (in my case) was told I was weird for liking it in secondary school, then it became 'the' film to watch or have watched when everyone grew up.
ReplyDeleteBoth Goonies and Labyrinth are 80s classics for me and Jumanji is now a 90s one, definitely check it out :)
ReplyDeleteThank you :) When I was choosing, I couldn't decide the two other spots but Jumanji was always up there.
ReplyDeleteMy picks are definitely influenced by loving the films as a kid first - nostalgia is strong.
ReplyDeleteI never really got into Jumanji.
ReplyDeleteI think I did watch The Goonies as a child but forgot all about it and saw it again as an adult; really enjoyed it. I suppose at least for me it wasn't the nostalgia factor because it had been before my time; it was simply a cute fun watch.
I alway wanted to play Jumanji after watching it, I tried Zathura, a space genre game but it wasn't the same. That was more about brothers than anything.
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