Yesterday, Variety announced that Snakes on a Plane helmer David R. Ellis has signed on to direct Humpty Dumpty, a 3-D sci-fi horror movie about a murderous half-alien, half-human being. Some might balk at the idea of turning a child-friendly nursery rhyme into a bloody horror flick, but I say: Bring it on! After all, should we really be that shocked that "Humpty Dumpty" can so easily be transformed into a scary movie? It’s about a giant egg. Who is capable of feelings. What’s scarier than that?
Plus, plenty of childhood-related figures have been adapted into images of pure terror — clowns, dolls, leprechauns — and several nursery rhymes/songs are rooted in horror as well. Don’t believe me? Well, let’s see: There’s "Ring Around the Rosie," a nice song/game that’s based on the Plague. And "London Bridge Is Falling Down" is thought to be referencing the Vikings’attack on the London Bridge (another theory points to child sacrifice). "Humpty Dumpty" itself was likely inspired by the English Civil War.
So yes, I feel that "Humpty Dumpty" will make for a perfect horror flick. I only wish more nursery rhymes would follow in its footsteps. How about "Sing a Song of Sixpence"? The rhyme is about a bunch of blackbirds that are first baked in a pie, and then decide to eat the queen’s nose. Go ahead and try to convince me that that wouldn’t make a killer revenge flick. What do you think, PopWatchers? What nursery rhyme should be turned into a horror film? And which childhood images scared the bejeezus out of you? My vote goes to Hugo, the Man of a Thousand Faces.
OMG, that hugo thing is terrifying. i LOVE horror movies and im willing to see this one in theatres. but the one thing i wont watch is anything with dolls whose faces are interchangeable or even porcelaine dolls.
Why not after all…
Little Girls they used to say
Never stray along your way
Never trust a stranger friend
Heaven knows where it will end
Then as now a simple truth
Sweetest smile holds sharpest tooth.
I’ve never seen that Hugo thing before, and I wish I could still say that. Whatever that is, it’s not some child’s toy, but a thing of pure evil. It’s frightening. Truly, horribly frightening.
pssst — Humpty Dumpty was pushed!
another good horror idea could be something based around Hansel and Gretel. like the witch comes back for revenge and goes after brother-sister pairs. or some kind of reversal where the “witch” was actually good, and the kids were evil.
I know Little Red Riding Hood has been done to death, but if you go back to Grimms Fairy tales, and not the Disnified versions, they are creepy all on their own. Cinderella’s bird friends pecked out the eyes of the wicked stepsisters….Rapunzel was cast out into the desert pregnant…One that was particularly creepy was the one where the girl’s seven brothers were turned into blackbirds or something, and she had to knit them sweaters out of nettles and put them on the birds to return them to their forms. Ohh and speaking of knitting, Sleeping Beauty was just scary, as well as Toads and Diamonds. I think that would be my first choice…Would you have the face and body of the lovliest maiden, but have toads fall from your lips whenever you spoke?
you know what would be better….a film adaptation of The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde. It’s a detective story about nursery rhyme characters and who murdered Humpty Dumpty. It’s fantastic.
Oh heck yeah! There have been so many already, I’m ready to see something new! I mean, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, even the Tooth Fairy, so Humpty Dumpty would be awesome. And I totally agree that if they went back to the original Grimms’fairy tales, they could have all kinds of horror movies to make.
Search, View and Print All Your Court Record Files! >>>> http://lookuphistory.blogspot.com/
Try reading “Still Life With Crows” by Preston Douglas and Lincoln Child, it takes nursery rhymes to a whole new level as well!
Claire, you took the words out of my mouth! I love Jasper Fforde’s novels. And what fun movies they would make. I think if Hollywood wants to go the nursery rhyme route… Jasper Fforde Nursery Crime novels are the way to go!
Kate—well done article as always. Hugo still haunts me from a Christmas long ago…I was anxious enough having to contend with a “jolly old elf” slipping into my house while I slept to “drop off a bunch of unsolicited gifts” (nothing is free so what does this elf want from my family…he will be coming back yes?)…yikes….Connie!!! Help me!!!!lol
Hugo looks just like John Locke!
Check out http://www.myspace.com/humptydumpty3d More Images
The only thing that puzzles me is why we always think of Humpty Dumpty when it wasn’t even mentioned in the song?
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
all the kings horses and all the kings men
couldn’t put humpty together again
See? He’s not an egg. What if he’s a vase or something fragile too? how come we thing humpty’s an egg?