E.T. scared the hell out of me as a kid. The way he shuffles. Cranes his neck.. that scream. Ugh, the corn field scene.
That, in particular, probably set the stage for my hatred of him throughout the viewing, and perhaps to this day.
Saw it when I was about five. I remember being confused as to why people thought it was neat/funny that E.T. magically "connected" with Elliot - I felt suspicious, and vaguely recall running of a bunch of scary 'what-if scenarios through my little mind at the time. His appearance/mannerisms/scream were viscerally disturbing and creepy, and his link to the kid was a mindfuck for 5 Year-Old Me.
The whole time, I was waiting for him to expose his evil.
The scene in the morning after Halloween, when Elliot's brother finds E.T. dying in a ditch, I had a moment of relief. Just a moment, though.
Reanimated E.T.'s glowing heartbeat completely wrecked certain stuffed animals people would give me as presents over the next year or so.. some had glowy-hearts on the chest/belly area.. I couldn't sleep with them in my room. I kept waiting for their chests to illuminate on their own.. and maybe their eyes.. (imagination would start going wild at that point).
Ironically, I watched Stephen King's
Creepshow every summer at my crazy grandma's since I was about 3. While it did frighten me the first time I saw it, I watched the whole thing, and I looked forward to it every time. It was such an intense/bizarre experience.
But seriously.. fuck E.T.