E.T. the sh*t that scared me til I was 16

Yes it's true. I was scared, no frightened, no PETRIFIED of E.T. until I was 16.

My first introduction to E.T. was at 4 years old. We rented it from the Video Store. What's a video store, you ask? You see back in the day we had these big bulky things called VCRs..eff it, just google it.

I went the whole movie being OK. I kinda liked it, didn't understand it, but liked it. Then came the end. Oh man. E.T. was going home. I cried my ass off for a long time. Geez. Still gets me sometimes to this day, That's why I watch it when nobody else is home, because if anyone sees me being a pussy, I'm done for.

So I was fine. I loved it. But then came bed time.

It started with thinking E.T. was under my bed coming to get me. Then came the nightmares. I remember most vividly a dream where my Grandma and I were in the living room watching tv. There was a commercial for E.T. 2. Yes I know it was never made but hey, it's a dream. Then came a commercial for E.T. on ice. As if none of this was bad enough, I look out the window, and there's a big E.T. pushing a baby E.T. in a stroller. Then frightened as I was, I look for my Grandma to save me, but she was nowhere to be found! E.T.'s started popping up everywhere!!!

Then I woke up. Horrfied.

What looks like this to most

Looked like this to me

God it was scary.

Luckily though, I (kind of) grew up. 2002 saw the re-release of E.T. in theaters for the 20th anniversary. I manned up (as much as a 16 year old boy can do) and went to the first showing.

Oh My God! I loved it. I was no longer scared. I could now look at this movie, not as a source of torture and grandma-less nightmares, but as the classic that it truly was.

I think I ended up going to see it about 3 more times.

Today, I still love E.T. but I'll never, ever forget the anguish that the little bastard caused me for so many years.