PG rated Horror films? (1 Viewer)

[Wes]

I started reading through this thread http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=19312 And got me thinking.
Something my older boys (9 and 11 years old)and I love doing is turning the lights down and watching scary movies. But I have a hard time finding Horror movies that are not rated R. I have tried a couple B/W films but they just haven't been scary enough for their liking. Would like to find some scary B/W films also.
Do you have any suggestions on some good PG or perhaps R with only a little gore that made it an R. We like supernatural and monster, not to big on the slasher types that are all Rated R anyway. We did watch Jeeper Creepers which other than some language and a some conversations I skipped through it wasn't to bad. They really liked
The Others and Sixth Sense just to name a few.
Any DVD suggestions for me?
Wes

 

[DeVario]

Have you showed your sons Poltergiest yet? PG-rated, and it really scared me when I saw in the theater at age 7.

 

[Jeremy Conrad]

Is Glitter rated PG? Because that's one scary movie.

Seriously, Poltergiest is a good choice.

 

[PhilipG]

Why not try the classic Invaders From Mars. Creepy.

 

[Andy Olivera]

Another vote for Poltergeist. Other suggestions:
The Changeling - It's been a long time, but I don't remember anything particularly offensive here. Any second opinions on this one?
Creepshow - Gore is kept to a relative minimum. Segment four has one gruesome death(no worse than the mirror scene in Poltergeist), but is also the scariest of the five. Segment five has lots of profanity and some gore at the end. The networks show it with only the language and one shot(maybe two) trimmed.
The Fog - I haven't watched this in years, but I remember being puzzled as to why it was rated R.
House - Very lightweight horror/comedy. The worst it gets is a flashback to the Vietnam war where you get to see a couple guys get shot.
Lady In White(PG-13)
Night Of The Living Dead - The original, not the remake.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - One of the scariest horror films ever. Tobe Hooper was aiming for a PG rating when he shot this, so there's only a little blood, and no gore, whatsoever. The violence is all on-screen, though(I know that doesn't make any sense; it has to be seen to be understood). I guarantee that if your kids want to be scared, this will do it.
Those are the only non-gory horror films I know of(the good ones, anyway). Please note, though, non-gory in no way means non-violent(especially in the case of TCM).

 

[Pete Battista]

Here is another idea for you...

If you all didn't watch them already how about the Stephen King Mini-Series? These are not to bad as they were first released on tv but yet have the creepy scare factor you are looking for. Some of my favorites I would recommend are:

Rose Red
Storm of the Century
Salem's Lot
It {Released 10/1 on DVD)

Good Luck... I been doing the same with my daughter but she is only 6 so I been extra selective with her yet. But she has enjoyed:

Beleive - a ghost story where a couple teens help a ghost go to her just reward.

13 Ghosts - 1960 original

 

[Dick]

Andy - re: THE CHANGELING - it depends on what you personally consider offensive. It contains no nudity or four-letter words at all. The R-rating was for intensity, especially the graphically violent sequence depicting the secret murder. And, pre-1980's, PG films could be extremely violent, frightening and disturbing. PG-13 came along after INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and inherited that sort of thing, but here's an example: the 1970 R-rated film SOLDIER BLUE, which contains as horrifyingly violent a massacre as can be imagined, was re-cut shortly thereafter for PG, but all that is missing are a few quick shots of sexual brutality of Native American women by the frenzied Cavalry. Everything else remains intact, and it's sure as hell nothing you want your kids to see. That cut would easily receive an "R" if re-issued theatrically now.

 

[soop.spoon]

Shockwaves is PG... very very creepy ans atmospheric, with no nudity, very little gore and no sexual situations.
Tourist Trap... but I have NO idea how this one snuck in under an R. Very freaky and disturbing.

 

[BarryR]

The scariest film of all is THE HAUNTING (1963), which actually has a G rating. Alas, it's only available on VHS, or try taping it off TCM in its widescreen version.

 

[Jonathan Burk]

Watcher in the Woods is pretty good for the pre-teen crowd.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Night of the Living Dead is actually pretty gory, especially the "feast" scene.
How about:
Psycho (1960)
Jaws
Les Diaboliques
The Innocents :frowning:
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
The Haunting (1963) :frowning:
The Thing from Another World (1951) :frowning:
The Uninvited :frowning:
Night of the Hunter
The sad faces are titles not currently on R1 DVD.
Regards,

 

[derek]

I would suggest looking at some of the classic sci-fi/horror from the 50s/60s. More psychological than gore/violence that typifies our generation of horror flicks. Of course 10 year olds probably tune off anything 'black and white' and are so desensitized to violence/gore with current video games (Resident Evil and irk) that abound. Whatever you do decide...goto www.screenit.com and find out the exact content of the film (most current releases in the past few years.) Excellent resource.

 

[Malcolm R]

Gremlins is "PG" and had some good scares (and laughs).

 

[MikeEckman]

I second the vote for House...I cant think of too many other PG type horror movies that are actually scary...Poltergeist is a good choice too. I know this is a stretch, but what about Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness. There is nudity in the first one, so stay away from that, but parts 2 and 3 are just laughably scary even though theyre R rated.

 

[JeremySt]

Texas Chainsaw and Evil Dead 2 are pretty rough for the under 13 crowd, I think. And ED2 has nudity. ( A naked corpse to be exact)

I would reccomend

Thing from another World
Tremors
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Jaws
Lady in White
Gremilins 1 & 2
Sleepy Hollow

 

[Jan Strnad]

Seconding Tremors, The Lady in White, and the whole 50s-60sclassics suggestion (The Thing from Another World, Invasion of the Body Snatchers) and adding, in that latter category:

Them
20 Million Miles to Earth
The Monster that Challenged the World
Day of the Triffids
Curse of the Demon
Fiend Without A Face
The Blob

Cheers,

Jan

 

[Matt Stone]

Definitely Tremors.

 

[JayF]

I second Jack's recommendation of Shock Waves. This is a great, creepy PG movie that definitely delivers the goods.

Warning on Texas Chainsaw Massacre... even though it's low on the gore factor by current standards, the content is DEFINITELY not for children your age. It is very sadistic.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

I was always a teenage fan of THE GATE. The film, I believe is PG-13.

It's like an urban legend of the 80's. It has everything needed for a scary movie targeted at 80's children: Goth Rock Bands, Playing Goth Rock Record Backwards, Secret chants and spells, [Tame] Occult stuff, Crazy unexplained slumber party happenings, Parents who leave sons with know-it-all big sisters, and dungeons & dragons themes...

mmmmmm. fun.

 

[Kevin M]

I was also going to recommend Shock Waves but I was beat to it....TWICE!
You could, I suppose, say that Frailty restrains itself from overt on-screen violence apart from Dad's final reckoning
but IMO that movie is psychologically violent enough to give kids nightmares for quite a while, I wouldn't let any kid under 13 watch it.