10 Shocking Moments From Family Films

10. Pink Elephants - Dumbo

On the surface, Dumbo is an enchanting story about a deformed elephant learning to put aside what other people think and become the very best circus performer that he can. It's a wonderfully inspiring story that's nevertheless suffused with one of the most disturbing, clearly drug-influenced sequences in all of cinema, whether aimed at families or not. Dumbo accidentally gets drunk on champagne, but it's easier to believe he downed some absinthe, given the hallucinatory effects the booze gives him; dancing pink elephants are the order of the day, as Dumbo veritably trips balls for a good few minutes. There's the prevailing feeling that Disney threw this in there to make children scared of alcohol, and boy, did it work or what? Though not outwardly graphic or adult like many of the entries on this list, it's something that has no doubt messed with the mind of many a child over the years.
 
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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.