# Help! Family Movie Night is in the doldrums **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 21, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481 "2010-07-21T16:48:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/1 "2010-07-21T16:48:10Z")
I have two children, two boys, ages 7.75 and 4.5. Saturday night is our traditional movie night. The boys, I and my wife all watch a movie together. We use Netflix to pick our next movie. We have gone through almost all the available Disney and Pixar animated canon (I think there are still a couple of very late Disney that we’ve skipped, like _Chicken Little_). We have seen a couple of live-action movies (think [Swiss Family Robinson](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054357/), 1960) and a fair amount of non-Disney animation (Shrek, Ice Age, Madagascar). Oh, and we’ve also seen the Wallace and Gromit shorts and the movie, [Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312004/). The older son is becoming a movie snob. Last week-end we saw [Curious George](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381971/) and he was complaining before the movie started (Curious George is too “baby” for him). During the movie he was laughing like a loon, but after it was over, I said “You liked that, didn’t you” and he said “Boo! Boo!” Of course his younger brother imitates the older one and also started saying “Boo! Boo!” I can’t even bring up Thomas the Tank Engine or Elmo videos any more without both of them saying “Boo! Boo!” Even though the younger loves Thomas and Elmo. Here’s where I need my fellow posters. Help me arrange the next few month’s schedule for movie night! My ground rules: [ul] [li]Rated G (we are constrained by the age of the youngest)[/li][li]Not so awful that the parents will need a full bottle of wine to be able to see it[/li][li]Doesn’t have to be animation. Some older live action movies for kids would be good (similar to _The Swiss Family Robinson_ or _Treasure Island_-the 1950 version.)[/li][li]Rated PG _may_ be OK if it’s not too scary. The oldest, when he was almost 6, asked us to turn off Disney’s _Cinderella_ because it was “too scary”. I’m sure the oldest would be fine with it now, but I know the 4-year-old really doesn’t like scenes filmed at night with loud storms (thunder and lightning) - after he climbs in my lap he’s OK though. Movies like _Cannibal Holocaust_ are **right out**.[/li][/ul] For this week we have old Charlie Brown specials. Those are only 30 minutes each, so we’ll probably watch more than one. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/2 "2010-07-21T17:16:48Z")
_The Adventures of Robin Hood Babe The Bear The Black Stallion James and the Giant Peach Jason and the Argonauts Mad Monster Party The Thief of Bagdad_ (1940) Any of the Muppet movies The _Mr. Bean_ TV show ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/3 "2010-07-21T17:20:23Z")
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory but maybe the tunnel scene is too scary if your kids are wimps ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/4 "2010-07-21T17:26:11Z")
I seem to remember that Disney had a whole bunch of goofy comedies back in the 60s and 70s. The ones that come to mind are: - The Love Bug - Bedknobs and Broomsticks - The Absent-minded Professor - Chitty-chitty Bang Bang - Mary Poppins - Benjy - The Shaggy DA (Some of these might not be Disney. I did not watch movies until 1980, so most of these are movies about which I have heard, but not seen.) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/5 "2010-07-21T17:30:42Z")
I wonder if they’d like [Jim Henson’s The Storyteller](http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Hensons-Storyteller-Complete-Collection/dp/B0000A2ZU6). Some of it’s on YouTube so you could check it out, see if you think it’s too dark. My kids loved the series but they were a bit older when they saw it. If _Storyteller_ is too mature for them, maybe some other Henson stuff, _The Muppet Movie_, etc. Or _Sesame Street_ or other kids’ TV, like _Big Blue Marble_, _Schoolhouse Rock_. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/6 "2010-07-21T17:31:09Z")
My kids (aged 8, 6, and 3) all loved the Herbie the Love Bug movies. Also check out some of the Miyazaki animated films, perhaps. My Neighbor Totoro was popular when we showed it here. Ditto Kiki’s Delivery Service. I’ll second a recommendation for the Muppets. You can’t go wrong with the Muppets. We also frequently rent library DVDs of Animaniacs (a HUGE favorite in our house) and Fraggle Rock. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/7 "2010-07-21T17:34:44Z")
**The Adventures of Mark Twain** (Will Vinton’s Claymation Masterpiece) **The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad** (Ray Harryhausen animation masterpiece. ) **Forbidden Planet** – they won’t completely understand it, but it’s colorful and has a robot and nifty special effects. And it’s one of the best SF movies ever made. **20,000 Leagues Under the Dea** (the 1954 Disney version) **Star Wars** and its sequels. The prequels, too, if you’ve a mind to. **The Last Starfighter** **Mysterious Island, Three Worlds of Gulliver, First Men in the Moon** and other Harryhausen flicks. **Peter Pan** – the recent live action-with-CGI version ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/8 "2010-07-21T17:45:44Z")
**Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs** was really cute and is available streaming from Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/9 "2010-07-21T17:59:08Z")
Forget the movies and break out a puzzle. Seriously. We did this last night when I couldn’t find anything new and interesting on Netflix. We are 5, 31 and 40. It’s the most fun we’ve had in a while. We just got a 100 piece puzzle but with Bella “helping” it took hours, but when it was finished she was so proud. But back to movies, my daughter’s favorite non-animated movie is Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. It’s on Netflix, but not instant view. Cute animals on an adventure where nobody gets killed. She also likes Beethoven although I find it annoying. My favorite that we all watch is Milo and Otis. Dudley Moore narrates and it has lots of beautiful scenery and adventure without much violence. None really. Her favorite animated movie right now is Despereaux. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/10 "2010-07-21T18:02:28Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > \*The Adventures of Robin Hood Along these lines, most any of the classic adventure movies would probably work. The Tyrone Power version of _The Mark of Zorro_, _The Sea Hawk_, etc. Maybe even some stuff that seems campy now. The Gene Kelly Three Musketeers, or Danny Kaye’s _Inspector Genera_l, or _An American Yankee in Kind Arthur’s Court._ Maybe even some early Westerns. _High Noon_ being perfectly G rated, or maybe an early John Wayne. _Red River_ or _Rio Bravo_? These should all be “grown up” enough for your older son, but fun and light enough for your younger (I think). Also, if your kids are ok with black and white, then almost any of the Frank Capra movies are good choices. _It’s a Wonderful Life_, _Mr. Blanding’s Builds His Dream House_, _Mr. Smith Goes to Washington._ Also other classics like \* To Kill a Mockingbird\*, \*Bringing up Baby[/] or _Singin’ in the Rain_ are usually fun. I also loved The Marx Brothers and Screwball Comedies (_Arsenic and Old Lace_, _The Philadelphia Story_, etc) when I was 7 or 8, but I don’t know how well either of those translate to a four year old. Actually I am not sure how well any of the above translated to a four year old’s attention and interest. But the older son should approve of all of the above. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/11 "2010-07-21T18:02:28Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Forbidden Planet** – they won’t completely understand it, but it’s colorful and has a robot and nifty special effects. And it’s one of the best SF movies ever made. That’s all true, but it also has a scary monster. Seriously, that movie freaked me out and I was 12 or 13 when I first saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Whiteknight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whiteknight/32/4962_2.png) [@Whiteknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiteknight)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/12 "2010-07-21T18:03:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **The Last Starfighter** I still remember seeing that guy get a torture laser to the head, as well as seeing android Alex’s head on the table and Centauri’s real face. 4.5 y.o. beware. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/13 "2010-07-21T18:04:43Z")
Jeez, when my kids were that age we could just watch the same movie every night and it wouldn’t bother them. I have the complete soundtrack to “The Sound of Music” forever etched in memory. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/14 "2010-07-21T18:10:28Z")
_7 Faces of Doctor Lao_ - An obscure movie but a great one. Everone I’ve loaned my copy too has liked it. Seconding my recommendation is Joel from MST3K, who called it his favorite movie of all time. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/15 "2010-07-21T18:15:14Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s all true, but it also has a scary monster. Seriously, that movie freaked me out and I was 12 or 13 when I first saw it. Jeez. I think I was five when I first saw it. the monster isn’t scary at all. Wimp. > [@](#): > > I still remember seeing that guy get a torture laser to the head, as well as seeing android Alex’s head on the table and Centauri’s real face. 4.5 y.o. beware. Have 'em turn away during that scene. Android head? Alien head? You remind me of my sister who told me to turn away during the “snake woman” scene in Seventh Voyage. One of the best parts of the picture. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/16 "2010-07-21T18:42:12Z")
May I suggest Monster movies from Universal’s great horror age. Boys like monsters, and these are not too scary as to frighten them. Specifically I’ll point to Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein as well as 1941s the Wolfman (Skip Dracula… that still moves at a snails pace and is deadly dull the kids will be bored by the endless dialogue scenes) My boys got into these movies around age 6. They also like the Marx Brothers… fist it was the physical comedy then as they grew older they came to appreciate Groucho’s rapid fire wit. Abbott and Costello’s monster movie phase was also a winner with them. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/17 "2010-07-21T18:46:07Z")
_War of the Buttons_ ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/18 "2010-07-21T19:16:38Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > - The Love Bug > - Bedknobs and Broomsticks > - The Absent-minded Professor > - Chitty-chitty Bang Bang > - Mary Poppins > - Benjy > - The Shaggy DA I second these and then add some super cheesy additions: Gus (field goal kicking mule) The World’s Greatest Athlete Snowball Express Pete’s Dragon The Shaggy Dog The Apple Dumpling Gang The Million Dollar Duck Pollyanna Parent Trap There are just tons of really fun and harmless movies with Don Knotts and Dean Jones-like characters in them that are really great physical comedy. For instance, **Gus** has a 15 minute scene in a grocery store where they are trying to catch the mule- it isn’t the greatest physical comedy ever, but as a kid and my kids just belly laugh at it. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/19 "2010-07-21T19:17:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **The Adventures of Mark Twain** (Will Vinton’s Claymation Masterpiece) Except for the Mysterious Stranger segment, pretty damn creepy. How about Spirited Away or other Japanese Animated family films. Or… Where the Red Fern Grows Ol’ Yeller Sounder ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481/20 "2010-07-21T19:24:12Z")
A couple more movies: Flight of the Navigator batteries not included\* Short Circuit Harry and the Hendersons I think I found a good method- go to amazon, put in a movie taht you like and start seeing if it shows up on any lists or in the “Other people also purchased:” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-family-movie-night-is-in-the-doldrums/547481.md?page=2)