MovieChat Forums > E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) Discussion > This movie PERMANENTLY traumatized me

This movie PERMANENTLY traumatized me

posted 12 years ago by Ohyoubigsilly
77 replies | jump to latest

To this day, only one movie, out of the thousands of films I've seen over the years, ever truly traumatized me. That movie is E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial.

I was an 80s baby, and in the years after the movie's release, naturally my mom bought it on VHS thinking it would be a cute, uplifting film for a young kid to watch. What she didn't realize is that she had made a big, BIG mistake.

All it took was witnessing the cornfield scene for the very first time as an impressionable 5-year-old, and the die had been cast. This was a horror film as far as my childhood self was concerned.

So many scenes and details disturbed me overwhelmingly, in particular these:

• Music/sound effects at beginning (so eerie)
• FBI chase scene at beginning (the screeching figure running through the ferns)
• Cornfield scene
• E.T.'s hand coming out of the bushes to grab Reese's Pieces candies
• Back-and-forth exchange of the baseball from the tool shed
• Closet scene with E.T. among the dolls
• Gertie encountering E.T. for the first time
• Government listening in on the household from a van on the street
• E.T. bloated and face-down in the pond
• Elliott's mom encountering E.T. for the first time in the bathroom
• Scientists entering the house in astronaut suits

It's pretty much one scary/creepy/eerie scene after another.

When I was little, I was too afraid to even open my eyes lying in bed at night in fear that that sausage-skinned monster would be squatting there next to my bed, waiting to gnaw my face off with his jagged E.T. teeth. I was absolutely terrified. E.T. was (and still is) a recurring subject in my nightmares. I still can't sleep with my closet door open.

Whenever I'm surprised by an advertisement with E.T., a photo on a website, or even if anyone ever mentions the movie casually, a jolt shoots down my spine, and my heart rate instantly jumps. This is the effect he still has on me as a grown adult!

Despite the movie's impact on my life, I somehow still feel captivated by the story, and watch it again every few years because I get a thrill from it.

Has this movie affected/disturbed/traumatized anyone else as much as it did me?

[–] Slogutis 11 years ago

I'll add to this thread and concur that I was terrified of this film too. Couldn't say the exact age I saw parts of it, maybe I was 5? Can't say, but man this movie scared the crap out of me.

I remember the scene that really messed with me was the one where ET is all white and starts screaming. I hated that. I never watched the whole film. I've only seen bits and pieces over the years of my childhood cause I was way too scared.

Happy to see other people had this experience. I still to this day have never watched the entire movie.

[–] ChrEberle 10 years ago

Interesting and sad. I was lucky to never have seen this movie as a kid. I also grew up in the 80s (I was born in 1978) - and DO remember - and always did the fact, that the mere photo of E.T. in some TV-Magazines - and maybe some trailer on television scared me too!

I NEVER, EVER found this creature cute or whatever.

So, finally, a few weeks ago, at the age of 35 I watched this movie - and STILL found this creature scary! And also the whole movie is one weird thing.

THAT is E.T. ??? I thought... wow, I did not miss much in the past decades...

[–] residentevil6901 10 years ago

I was 9 when it came out and it didn't scare me it was just disappointing, I knew it was a kid movie but I wanted a more adult version at that age after growing up on Star Wars. My complaint was how goofy and weird looking they made E.T. I could see why he would scare some kids, personally I thought if this is a kid movie they should of made him a little cuter. I think the movie is good but quite a let down for me. The only movie that ever traumatized me was the Exorcist, I hate that movie and will never watch it again.

[–] irishm 8 years ago

I'm with you on "The Exorcist". I finally got to the point where I can watch it once in a while, but not in the dark and never right before bed. The scenes in the beginning with that freaking statue are as bad as the possession stuff later on.

[–] twofacetoo 10 years ago

I'll admit, all of the shrieking and strangulated screeching from ET REALLY got to me as a kid, in terms of both annoyance and fear.
But I've gotten older, and now... now I think the film is just overrated. It's a complete mess and, in my opinion, a heap of over-praised trash.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Vipala 10 years ago

The only horribly scary part of this movie is the frequent crotch shots of different males.

[–] SlickySlixta 10 years ago

I don't recall being scared by it when I was a kid, but it always made me sad and depressed. I haven't seen it for at least 15 years, maybe I'll give it another shot one day.

[–] fabiolah 10 years ago

My oh my, welcome to my club...high five!

Although I was older than you when I first saw it, around 10 or 11, ET had the very same, long lasting, traumatizing effect on me. Everyone around me was like "oh, how cute & sweet poor ET was, I wish I had one for myself" and stuff, while I only wished I'd never seen it. Never wanted any of the merchandise products either. Although later I read the book, I can't really recall it.

Today I re-watched the film after so many years and, though the fear is gone, I'm still unable to like ET, not for a second...

While I see the film's merits, I, now as an adult, still find the creepy scenes, you listed, creepy. Too creepy to call it a disney-ish family flick...