As the horror season approaches horror Halloween fans eagerly await all things spooky and terrifying, and many people can't help but get into the Halloween spirit early and watch some of their favorite scary shows and movies. Although Disney The channel has become known for its more wholesome and wacky original programming in recent years, and the 1990s were a memorable and influential time for the network, as it released some of its most beloved original movies during this period.
Although many nostalgic fans remember popular classics like Halloween City, under the covers, and My mom has a date with a vampire. First released during the harvest season, there is a very scary movie that caused a huge stir when it was first released: the 1999 movie Don't look under the bed. A controversial horror film that features a brave teenage girl who goes head-to-head with a scary man in an attempt to protect her family and her town, and does so with the help of an imaginary friend.
quick and violent reaction Don't look under the bed The issue has caused the network to stop producing horror movies for kids, and even ban the rerun of a DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) (at least for a short time). Let's take a closer look at Disney's latest original horror movie as it prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Don't Look Under the Bed contains a scary introduction and story.
Unlike the Halloween-themed Disney Channel Original Movies that were released at the time, Don't look under the bed He held nothing back and enhanced the suspense and horror in this 1999 fantasy horror film.pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable to air on a children's network at the time. Rather than following the example set by other horror films such as DCOMs, My mom has a date with a vampire. Fan favorite Halloween City User (a safe mix of horror and humor), Don't look under the bed It opted for a darker, more sinister tone that left young viewers on the edge of their seats..
In the terrifying film, bright, level-headed teenager Frances Bacon McCausland (Erin Chambers) finds herself accused of a series of bizarre pranks in her small town of Middleburg, including putting gelatin in the school swimming pool, putting dogs on rooftops, and spray-painting the letter “B” throughout the community. When Frances meets a mysterious older boy named Larry Houdini (Eric “Ty” Hodges II), he tells the confused and skeptical girl that he is actually an imaginary friend and that she is being targeted by the lone ghoul.
Naturally, Frances has reservations about such an idea, but when the pranks start to escalate, she must team up with Larry to help her clear her name and restore her town to normal. Things take a more terrifying turn when Frances' little brother Darwin is kidnapped by the evil Boogeyman (after creepily dragging him under the bed) into the terrifying monster dimension, where an epic battle ensues between the determined heroine and the infamous mythical creature, with the Boogeyman's origins eventually revealed.
What made Don't Look Under the Bed so scary for audiences?
Aside from the monster hiding under the bed, The creepy man's scary makeup and the very ominous atmosphere in the movie were very disturbing to the viewers. (And so will their parents.) 90s kids will remember the terrifying scene where the Ghoul hammers his long, terrifying nails into the roof of a building as he stalks Frances, menacingly watching her every move. Easily the most terrifying and terrifying villain in Disney movies due to his visually disturbing appearance, the Ghoul was etched into the minds of young, impressionable viewers almost immediately after his release.
It wasn't just the disturbing images that were the cause. Don't look under the bed Too stressful for kids, but The film also dealt with some dark and mature themes, including loss of innocence, fear of death, and cancer.Frances stopped believing in her imaginary friend Zoe after her brother was diagnosed with leukemia, and felt it was time to finally grow up, which ultimately led to the film's terrifying events. The concept of premature maturity and the shedding of childhood innocence was also at the forefront, which was too heavy for viewers to grasp when they were horrified by Batman's actions.
While the creepy guy alone was enough to put you to sleep with a nightlight on, watching Larry transform into a monster himself was also hard to watch, as the character change was slow but terrifying. The once cheerful and upbeat imaginary friend began to grow angry and sinister as his fingernails grew into claws, his teeth became jagged and sharp, and his eyes turned a glowing purple. When the audience realized that the imaginary friends had all become ghosts once the kids stopped believing in them, it was a huge emotional blow. Frances was forced to reflect on her fears about growth..
'Don't Look Under the Bed' sparks backlash from Disney fans
Don't look under the bed It premiered on the Disney Channel on October 9, 1999, and was only the second film on the network to receive a TV-PG rating due to its horror scenes, and Despite director Kenneth Johnson's attempts to make the DCOM not also Scary for the viewers, the adults were angry.Disney immediately received complaints from angry parents that the original film was too dark and disturbing for a younger age group and that the network had failed to cater to its target audience, with Johnson retrospectively saying: Entertainment Weekly In 2017:
“There were a number of meetings where we talked about tone and what [Disney] “We wanted it to be scary but not too scary. This is the tape we were trying to find. Everyone thought we got there until they started getting hate mail after it aired.”
The public outcry wasn't the first time Disney had been accused of venturing too far into horror, with the 1997 TV horror film Tower of terror (Presented by The Wonderful World of Disney) It has also drawn some criticism for being too scary for younger viewers. Given the sheer number of complaints Disney Channel has received from concerned parents once Don't look under the bed premiere, The network largely stopped airing reruns of the film as a result of the backlash. and stopped making original horror films (aside from the more kid-friendly ones). Halloween City series).
In October, it will be 25 years since Don't look under the bed The film was a huge success on its first release, and despite initial protests from angry parents, has become a cult classic for Disney. The film has appeared on numerous critics' lists as one of the best comedies and dramas, including rankings by Complex and Entertainment Weekly, Shocker They accurately state in their listing that the scary movie “remains in the DCOM history books for one reason: it’s freaking scary.” Years after being excluded from the Disney Channel Original Movies lineup on Disney+, Don't look under the bed It has finally been added to the streaming service, allowing brave viewers to relive the horrors of the controversial classic. flow Don't look under the bed On Disney+.
