Remembered when they marketed R-rated movies to kids?

[Egon1982]

I remembered for 34 years they marketed R-rated adult films like Rambo, Terminator 2, Robocop, Demolition Man, Aliens, Predator etc. to kids.

I mean when i was 4 33 years ago i had a Rambo power bike and a toy gun plus a Rambo figure and i remembered watching First Blood when it aired on TV plus saw Rambo 2 on HBO at that age as i recalled they had a cartoon weekday mornings and i saw Rambo III In theaters when i was 6 years old. They made lunchboxes, halloween costumes, bubble gum, cards, coloring books, vitamins, toy guns/knives, action figures and all based on Rambo in 1985 and marketed to kids.

I also remembered seeing Robocop in theaters when i was 5 with my 12 year old big brother and my dad and thought it was an awesome movie and i had a couple of toys and watched the cartoon sunday mornings. One of my friends had a Robocop lunchbox in second grade and i saw Robocop 2 in theaters when i was 8 and had some cards.

I remembered seeing Alien on TV a month before the sequel hit theaters when i was 4 and Aliens with Cobra were the first r-rated movies i saw in theaters at that age and i had a few Aliens action figures at age 10.

I did saw Predator 1 and 2 in theaters when i was 5 and 8 as i recalled seeing commercials for Predator toys later on. I saw Terminator when i was 4 on HBO and saw Terminator 2 in theaters when i was 9 as i had some stuff like t-shirt, a few action figures, comic, poster, luchbox and more as they did some kids merchandise.

I also remembered seeing Demolition Man in theaters when i was 11 and had some trading cards and i recalled they had merchandise for kids even an action figure series.

[CyberCubed]

Usually there were cartoon or comic tie-ins to these movies aimed at kids, that's why. The Ghosbtuster cartoon was a hit so everyone tried to follow suit with making a kid cartoon adaption of a popular movie. There was a Rambo and Robocop cartoon.

[frank_one]

You surely have a good memory if you can recall all that stuff you did in the first years of your life. Your doctor should be proud.

[Egon1982]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Usually there were cartoon or comic tie-ins to these movies aimed at kids, that's why. The Ghosbtuster cartoon was a hit so everyone tried to follow suit with making a kid cartoon adaption of a popular movie. There was a Rambo and Robocop cartoon.

Ghostbusters was at least a family friendly property.

[Leo656]

Given how many kids I still see at R-rated movies, I don't think they ever stopped.

I mean, sure, they may not provide a toy line or animated series to go hand-in-hand with the R-rated film anymore, but they still present the films in such a way that the marketing itself is youth-oriented.

To me, if the marketing makes kids excited about a movie, even one they're "not supposed to see", then it counts. I didn't see Deadpool 2, but the first one was about 40% kids in the theater on opening day, at the place I went to.

But yeah, I always used to chuckle about how things like Robocop had a bunch of stuff aimed at kids. Although T2 might be a better example, since T2, unlike Robocop, didn't launch an animated series explicitly aimed at selling toys.

I think the existence of Toxic Crusaders threw me for more of a loop than anything else. The cartoon and toy line were one thing, but they couldn't have ever existed without the Toxic Avenger movies, which... well, I'm not even sure they're appropriate for adults, let alone kids.

[Egon1982]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Given how many kids I still see at R-rated movies, I don't think they ever stopped.

I mean, sure, they may not provide a toy line or animated series to go hand-in-hand with the R-rated film anymore, but they still present the films in such a way that the marketing itself is youth-oriented.

To me, if the marketing makes kids excited about a movie, even one they're "not supposed to see", then it counts. I didn't see Deadpool 2, but the first one was about 40% kids in the theater on opening day, at the place I went to.

But yeah, I always used to chuckle about how things like Robocop had a bunch of stuff aimed at kids. Although T2 might be a better example, since T2, unlike Robocop, didn't launch an animated series explicitly aimed at selling toys.

I think the existence of Toxic Crusaders threw me for more of a loop than anything else. The cartoon and toy line were one thing, but they couldn't have ever existed without the Toxic Avenger movies, which... well, I'm not even sure they're appropriate for adults, let alone kids.

What about Rambo having merchandise for kids and stuff?

Ooh Toxic Crusaders, i was 9 when i watched that cartoon and dug it as i had some of the action figures, cards, t-shirt, coloring book and comics. I rented the movie The Toxic Avenger at that age to see where it all began and OMG it was a shocking and sleazy film that made me sick especially that scene where a kid gets his skull busted in detail as we see his skull crushed by a wheel of bad guys who do hit and run stuff and that scene made me nearly puke as it looked like an actual dead kid's body with busted head but luckily it wasn't but was an awesome movie despite that horrible scene i mentioned.

Toxic Avenger is not for everyone Leo, it's a cult classic and do you know what cult means?

[Andrew NDB]

I never gave it a second thought. My parents would always let me watch R-rated movies.

[Egon1982]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I never gave it a second thought. My parents would always let me watch R-rated movies.

Same here even in theaters with stuff like Aliens, Maximum Overdrive, Creepshow 2, Lethal Weapon movies, Die Hard 1 2 and 3, Predator 1 and 2, Robocop 1 and 2 and more.

[sdp]

PG13 movies are basically kids approved movies now so things haven't changed all that much, in fact there are less R rated films and now we all watch PG13 whether you're a kid or an adult. Hell that's the reason they don't market r rated films to kids, because there are none to market

On the other hand no one seems to care that they market M rated games to little kids

[Egon1982]

Yup and they had Resident Evil toys and for toy based on r-rated properties they do it at the adult collector market.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Usually there were cartoon or comic tie-ins to these movies.

And video games.

[Egon1982]

I remember the games too.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Egon1982

I remember the games too.

Alien, for example, had som Nintendo and SEGA games.

[AquaParade]

I always chuckle when I look back and remember my mom buying me that Cartman plushie I found in the toy isle at Target.

[Skinrash]

The original Robocop was pretty messed up. People getting shot to bits, stabbed in the neck, rape attempts, bullets to the crotch, guy getting melted alive and splattered. The violence is on par with an exploitation movie so it's crazy to think that this would be turned into a franchise aimed at kids later on.

They also released Freddy Krueger merchandise meant for kids back in the day.

[Storm Eagle]

Originally Posted by Skinrash

The original Robocop was pretty messed up. People getting shot to bits, stabbed in the neck, rape attempts, bullets to the crotch, guy getting melted alive and splattered. The violence is on par with an exploitation movie so it's crazy to think that this would be turned into a franchise aimed at kids later on.

I was eight when that came out. My mother actually let my father take me to see it. I wasn't even interested in it, but my mother thought it would be like Transformers, whch I was a fan of back then (and still am). She should have done her research since that movie was rated R. From the previews I saw on TV, I knew it wasn't really a movie for kids, and that's probably why I wasn't interested. Years later, when I was already way past the legal age where I could go to an R-rated movie alone, I reminded her of that and told her it was rated R. She said she wouldn't have let me see that if she knew back then. You'd think she had seen the previews on TV beforehand, and it's not like they keep it a secret what MPAA rating the movies get.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Skinrash

They also released Freddy Krueger merchandise meant for kids back in the day.

The video game Zombies Ate My Neighbors was full of ghosts, monsters, vampires, werewolves and witches from films not intended for children.

[Skinrash]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

The video game Zombies Ate My Neighbors was full of ghosts, monsters, vampires, werewolves and witches from films not intended for children.

The game itself was very lighthearted though and perfectly safe for children.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Skinrash

The game itself was very lighthearted though and perfectly safe for children.

It was also a good game.

[Egon1982]

Originally Posted by Skinrash

The original Robocop was pretty messed up. People getting shot to bits, stabbed in the neck, rape attempts, bullets to the crotch, guy getting melted alive and splattered. The violence is on par with an exploitation movie so it's crazy to think that this would be turned into a franchise aimed at kids later on.

They also released Freddy Krueger merchandise meant for kids back in the day.

Who do you feel about the same for Rambo and Terminator 2 or Demolition Man or Aliens?

Originally Posted by Storm Eagle

I was eight when that came out. My mother actually let my father take me to see it. I wasn't even interested in it, but my mother thought it would be like Transformers, whch I was a fan of back then (and still am). She should have done her research since that movie was rated R. From the previews I saw on TV, I knew it wasn't really a movie for kids, and that's probably why I wasn't interested. Years later, when I was already way past the legal age where I could go to an R-rated movie alone, I reminded her of that and told her it was rated R. She said she wouldn't have let me see that if she knew back then. You'd think she had seen the previews on TV beforehand, and it's not like they keep it a secret what MPAA rating the movies get.

I was 5 when i saw Robocop in theaters with my big brother and old man, i thought it was an awesome movie and i had a couple of Robocop toys and i remembered the cartoon as well. But did you too thought the movie was awesome?