I’d take that over my generation’s childhood trauma any day:
this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2025
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Artax! Don't give up!
Here's some more trauma:
The novel it's based on makes it clear that The Neverending Story is a psychic parasite that traps young readers in an escapist fantasy, never growing up, never facing your real fears, just endless running down an egocentric treadmill of main character syndrome.
I read the book (as a kid) and didn't get that from it at all, but that sort of subtlety would have gone over my head. I'll have to read it again if I can bring myself to do it.
I do remember seeing the movie after reading the book and being pretty annoyed as the movie only covers about the first half.
Well, do you recall how fulfilling the wishes demands a sacrifice of Bastian's memories and self?
One might alternatively phrase that as wish fulfillment, if one was tricky writer sort.
One might also note that the Story demands Bastian pass it on to another child if he wants his own memories back. Once he realizes he is not willing to give up his last memories of his father.
Passing to a new host once it has drained Bastian of what it wants and his defenses prevent it from gaining more, as it were.
A successful parasite is not one that kills its host, after all, it's one that spreads and grows.
And then it evolves and spreads to a new, American movie going population where that message isn't profitable so it just becomes a standard chosen one story.
Honestly no I don't recall any of that, but to be fair I read the book around 30 years ago. Yes I'm old. Your points have intrigued me though and I'm going to have to find my old copy and read it again.
You're gonna have to fill me in here. I don't know this reference.
The horse the audience has grown attached to becomes depressed, and allows himself to sink slowly beneath the mud. The boy understands what is happening and that the depression is going to kill his friend. He pleads and panics as the horse very graphically sinks out of sight with an incredibly disturbing practical effect that must have been real life animal cruelty. Then the boy is left alone in the swap. It's a fucking brutal scene that symbolizes suicide.
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The Neverending Story. That's the scene where Artax the horse gives up and let's the bog of depression drown him
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Most of the “childhood trauma” people are citing are things that weren’t aimed at children to begin with. Try some Watership Down (1978) at 2pm on BBC1 during the Christmas holidays.
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Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. It spun in. There were no survivors.
That's real childhood trauma.
This movie got a lot of grief, but I liked it. It was simultaneously a let down and scary to see the alien. As far as aliens go, it’s a pretty boring generic biped. But the suspense and buildup to seeing it, and the way they presented the scene as the viewer seeing it recorded alongside terrified people was great. Nailed it.
Maybe the worst aspect of the movie was the beyond-the-grave prompts regarding water and baseball bats. Meh. But the rest was pretty good.
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The aliens that were allergic to water invaded a planet that's 71% covered in water. Such a stupid movie, such a bad director.
They're not aliens. They're demons.
You never actually see a spaceship. They don't ever show any technology or even clothing.
And they're defeated with an act of faith.
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That movie was fucking dumb. Nothing of value was gained by watching it.
SFW version of trauma ("There's Something About Mary", zipper scene)
How'd you get the beans over the frank?
Big beans.
What scene is that?
It's from Signs. It's the first time you see the aliens, from a shakycam newscast. Scared the hell out of little me.
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Could’ve easily been a screenshot of the last air bender
There is no movie in Ba Sing Se.
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