First off, I love your site. It's strangely comforting knowing a lot of images that scared me as a kid scared so many others too. The Jumanji posting about the plant made me think of Little Shop of Horrors with Rick Moranis. The full-grown plant scared the crap out of me and to this day I don't like the shot when the camera seems to zoom all the way inside the plant's mouth. The little plants that seemed to grow off it just added to my fright. Getting eaten by a plant like that became my worst nightmare. Those puppets were masterfully crafted. My fear of this movie confused me for years because it's a musical and so light-hearted most of the time that I didn't perceive it as a horror. I think immersion therapy helped me get over this movie but I will still flinch a little if I put it on t.v.
Gary S.
I remember as a kid I found the plant to be somewhat frightening in an otherwise cutesy musical. I was fascinated by the articulation of the plant puppet. It's no surprise that veterans of the Jim Henson company were behind the film. Frank Oz being the director and Brian Henson being one of the puppeteers.
My favorite scene is where Steve Martin sings the psychotic song "Dentist".
"NOW SPIT"!
I wouldn't necessarily say it's light-hearted. The presentation is saccharine sweet, but it is a very dark comedy. Especially if you see the alternate ending, which is available to watch on YouTube.