When I was about six years old, one of my favorite movies was a little film called THE CHRISTMAS TOY. Only, it also happened to scare the utter shit out of me, with its concept. For, you see, when the Jones' leave the room, their toys come to fucking life.
The film opens with Kermit the Frog dressed as Santa Claus falling down the chimney, and into the Jones' home. He explains how, in essence, whenever any of the human beings leave the room, the plastic and stuffed play things come to life. Apparently, they also like to sing, for as soon as Kermit peaces out, we get a musical number.
I had a very over active imagination as a child, and the premise of the film more then anything fucked with my head. So, wait, when I leave the room, my Ninja Turtles and my Fraggle Rocks will come to life?! And when I come back inside, they will go back to playing dead? What the hell, am I not cool enough for them to just talk and sing to me! Or, are they planning some kind of terrible plot against me, and they can't talk about it in front of me! According to the plot if the toys are seen moving by humans, they become frozen. I'll tell you, if I saw a stuffed animal come to life, I'd be frozen too; frozen in fear for my sanity.
I'm sorry, I love the toys and inanimate objects come to life films, but can you see how they might be disturbing to a small child who hasn't yet solidified his sense of reality? Re-watching it, of course it just seems silly, but yes, I was also still a little freaked out. Fuck, there is a scene where one of the main toys, Rugby the Tiger, is spying on the adults from inside the closet! Tell me that Tiger doesn't seem a little whacked out.
Sincerely,
UNK SEZ:: Thanks Spooky Sean! Kids, make sure you go and check out Sean's fortress of awesome-tude SPOOKY SEAN'S SINFUL BLOGGERY!
I love The Christmas Toy! I was a teen when it first aired and I watched it with my nephew who was two at the time. He use to call it Cat Toy. I still watch it every year. The song Rugby Tiger sings to revive Mew always brings a tear to my eye. Is it just me or were the creators of Toy Story inspired by this and The Brave Little Toaster?
Oh yeah, they most definitely were.
I forgot to mention in this post, I had a two foot tall talking Big Bird doll, and I had a nightmare when I was little that when you pulled the string instead of it saying, "I'm Big Bird," and "I love you," it started saying shit like, "Sean, I can see everything that you do." Doesn't help that my mom put it on a dresser, directly across from my bed, so talking Big Bird, with his unconcerting glass eyes, would stare down at me while I slept.
Shit, "more then anything…"
It should have been "more than anything."
Grammar police, come take me away!
Yes! I'm planning on covering "Christmas Toy" in a future post, closer to x-mas… the one really creepy part of that special which hasn't yet been mentioned is Rigby's plan to wrap himself so he can be re-opened again this X-mas… which in the rules established for this world, means he'll be killed as soon as the child opens him because he'll have been seen somewhere other than where he last was. Essentially, it's a suicide mission!
Oh man, I forgot about that part. The film has such screwy character psychology too it.