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From what I understand, Labyrinth is a film classic. My friends rave about it, make references, and get jazzed up about commemorative film screenings. I'll have to take their word for it, because there is no way I am watching that shit again.
Here's why. My parents had a firm ban on films that contained "adult" content — picture kids being kicked out of the room during kissing scenes, and me and my friend Ashley hiding behind the couch to secretly record the audio from Dirty Dancing on a tape recorder. But my folks didn't seem terribly fazed by scary subject matters. And so it was that they rented Labyrinth, popped it into the VCR, and stood back as my 7-year-old self nearly passed out in terror about 10 minutes in. The premise of a baby going missing was simply too frightening for me to bear. I still get chills thinking about it, and my kid brother is 30.
Now, I understand that Labyrinth has puppets and weird David Bowie musical numbers, neither of which sound too terrifying. I just can't watch it for the same reason I can't watch E.T., which has only ever made me break into convulsive sobs or run hiding under the bed in fear, or both. For the record, I also haven't watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs since the time my mom's well-meaning friend had to carry my sobbing body from the theater; two years later, I stopped the ride at Disney World because the Evil Queen's image still traumatized me.
We may be able to watch Scream Queens now without running from the room screaming, but we R29'ers weren't always so chill. Click ahead to see the movies that terrified us as kids, gave us nightmares, and made us seriously question the judgment of our babysitters.
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