Traumafessions :: Reader Renee N. on Levitating Sphere/Blob-Shaped Monster

Remember a little while back when reader Tom B. had a Traumafession about an electric talking octopus in a movie of whose name he had no idea? Well, one of our other readers Grokenstein solved that mystery right quick, identifying the movie as THE ATOMIC SUBMARINE.

Almost immediately a strange new feeling wafted through the Kindertrauma offices. It was a feeling of gratification and purpose. Maybe with the help of some of our knowledgeable readers like Grokenstein we could help people not only talk about their childhood traumas, but also identify them as well. As luck would have it, it didn't take long for another opportunity to I.D. a traumaic memory to surface. Here's a nameless trauma from reader Renee N., neither Aunt John nor myself has any idea what this kind lady is speaking of. Maybe one of you guys do? Leave a comment or write in to kindertrauma@gmail.com if the following rings any type of bell with you. Let's try to help the long-suffering Renee get some closure!!!

Hi!  I love your site, kindertrauma, and I'm really hoping you can help me out with identifying a movie I saw when I was a kid that I only barely remember (but it scared the shit out of me and still haunts me with this one image…) I very hazily remember that the plot centers around these 2 kids, and they end up traveling to this magical city or something, maybe it was in the clouds? Everything seems fine in this place except for one thing (this is the part that scared me) – in the center of town there's this big pit or well, and in it lives this giant, levitating sphere/blob shaped monster.  It looks like a big floating grayish ball with a face on one side, and the people in the city make sacrifices to it or something.  The only other thing I remember is that the kids eventually get away and go back home or to the real world or wherever it is they came from.

I saw it when I was pretty little, so it was probably made in the early to mid eighties?  I know that's basically nothing to go on, but if it rings any bells please let me know, it's been driving me crazy for almost 2 decades!  I have to know what the hell was up with that blob-thing and why in god's name would a kid's movie show something so scary?

UPDATE: Reader Sébastien M. just wrote in with the following answer:

The movie you're looking for is called THE GREAT LAND OF SMALL (1987). It's a French Canadian movie that I remember seeing on TV here in Québec under the French title "Ce n'est pas parce qu'on est petit qu'on ne peut pas être grand".

In this movie a leprechaun takes two kids from our world into a magical realm that includes a floating boulder-thing called Slimo that transmogrifies creatures into butterflies. So that blob monster you're referring to is probably Slimo.

Matthew was really close to find it when he came across THE PEANUT BUTTER SOLUTION (Opération beurre de Pinottes) because both films were created by the same production company Les Productions La Fête. THE GREAT LAND OF SMALL was directed by Vojtech Jasny and it is the 5th installment in the Tales for All (Contes pour tous) series of childrens movie. You can find the movie on DVD on the first box set of the Contes pour tous which was released in Canada in 2006. Unfortunately, I don't think this release has the English audio and subtitle.

I remember being scared of that movie too as a child and this is really a great Traumafession! It brings back so much memories. There was always something really odd and creepy about those French Canadians children movies made in the 80's. You have to see them to know what I mean. Maybe it was the low budget factor!