>>It also hits some of those deep childhood anxieties in a way that is unsettling even to adults. (Then again, so did "The Wizard of Oz").
>
>Ah, "The Wizard of Oz" ... one of my all-time favorites when I was a kid. I don't remember what age I was when I first saw it, but I distinctly remember that the Wicked Witch was featured predominantly in the very first nightmare I ever remember having. <g>
>

Yup. I thought the flying monkeys were creepy, too.