These are not ‘scary’ movies. But they did terrify us

By Dan Heching, CNN Updated 9:03 PM EDT, Mon October 30, 2023 The mind of a child is a notoriously impressionable place, and pretty much everyone has a story about how a scary movie watched too young scarred them for life. But what about movies or television shows that weren’t expressly meant to be scary? Sometimes, being caught off guard while watching something seemingly innocuous is far more terrifying than the chills you can experience during an actual scary movie, especially for a child.

In honor of spooky season, behold our list of titles that unintentionally scared the living daylights out of a select few (but surely, many more as well).

“Sleeping Beauty” (1959) - Shots from this Disney classic keep popping up in my X feed, as every now and again Film Twitter likes to declare it the most beautiful hand-drawn animation from the House of Mouse. The algorithm clearly has no regard for how triggering this is for me. The problem, you see, is Maleficent. With horns and facial features as sharp as the needle on which Princess Aurora pricks her finger, everything about the way she looked upset little me (and yes, I’ll admit the wonderfully vivid technicolor animation may have had a part in that). But it was the silky, sinister voice work by Eleanor Audley that lived in my head rent free and gave me nightmares for years. When boyhood crush Angelina Jolie took on the role in the 2014 live action movie, that was a confusing time for me. — Tom PageCourtesy Everett Collection.

"Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987) - John Hughes' "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" is a beloved '80s comedy about trying to make it home for the holidays and an unlikely friendship made along the way -- to most, that is. Not to my 6- or 7-year-old self. As a child I was traumatized by a scene played for laughs of Steve Martin and John Candy driving the wrong way and being briefly turned into skeletons (wearing wigs!). I've never revisited the film. And even now, when I see Steve Martin appear on "SNL" or pop up in an ad for "Only Murders in the Building," I shudder. — Scottie AndrewParamount/Courtesy Everett Collection.

"Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure" (1985) - I can't be the only one who got scared out of their skin by Large Marge in "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure." The phantom truck driver who gives our bow-tied hero a lift while he's on a nationwide search for his beloved bike seems nice enough until she suddenly adopts a ghoulish visage with cartoon eyes that pop out of her skull. A petrified Pee-Wee quickly exits the vehicle, and we never hear from Large Marge in the film again -- except that she's been dead for years, and that her ghost haunts the highways. That, and my nightmares for many years of my youth. — Scottie AndrewWarner Bros.

“Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation” (1986) - The Care Bears obviously didn't care if they gave children nightmares in the '80s. In this animated film, the round-bellied mammals of love and harmony took on an evil spirit named Dark Heart whose main goal was to destroy Care-A-Lot and the Care Bears. Whenever he wasn't in his true form as a horrifying red amorphous cloud, Dark Heart had shapeshifting powers and a maniacal laugh. At the climax of the movie and a scene better suited for a horror film, Dark Heart traps the Care Bears and Care Cousins in gems, where he psychotically declares they'll be locked "forever." Luckily, they are saved. My parents, however, couldn't be saved from many sleepless nights. -- Sandra GonzalezColumbia Pictures.

"Signs" (2002) - Ok, for starters, I know "Signs" is not a scary movie. But the birthday party newsclip scene remained absolutely terrifying for me years later. I saw it for the first time as a teen in a packed theater, everyone on pins and needles while we watched Joaquin Phoenix’s character, Merrill, stare in horror at the TV, awaiting whatever was to come. When the big reveal happened I -- still to this day -- never heard a theater scream so loud. Some of the noise was probably me. — Travis CaldwellTouchstone/THA/Shutterstock.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001) - Although I was already 20 at the time, I was completely caught off guard by the moment in Rivendell when Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) suddenly turns into a monstrous creature far more terrifying than any orc and lunges at the Ring of Power Frodo (Elijah Wood) is holding. Bilbo had always been an endearing character from my childhood, as "The Hobbit" was one of the first books I ever read and my entry into the LOTR universe. While it is true the Ring is known to corrupt any who encounter it, I was never expecting a sharp-toothed evil creature to burst forth. Still gives me goosebumps to think about. — Dan HechingPierre Vinet/New Line/Saul Zaentz/Wing Nut/Kobal/Shutterstock

"Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue" (1990) - In a cartoon team-up for the ages, everyone from Bugs Bunny and Winnie the Pooh to the Smurfs and Garfield teamed up to help a teenager named Michael make the right choices about his future as he's lured into the world of drugs by a character named Smoke, who may not have a proper body but has the power of persuasion. Smoke is so objectively scary that it's a true mystery how any kid who ever watched this special as a kid ever said yes. -- Sandra GonzalezThe Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation

"The Day After" (1983) - As a teenager, I knew myself well enough to avoid horror movies (why pay to be scared?), but I was drawn in, and horrified, by this TV movie about the effects of a nuclear war. I don't think I appreciated the acting talents of such stars as Jason Robards, JoBeth Williams, John Cullum, Amy Madigan, and John Lithgow: I was simply shell-shocked at the events unfolding on my television... and I still remember the on-screen note, just before the closing credits, that the results of a real nuclear war would be much worse than what I'd just watched. — David DanielABC Photo Archives/Getty Images.

Source: CNN entertainment.