Magnificent Bastard: A classic of American children's literature, the Gingerbread Man runs as fast as he can, until he meets the fox. Either by feigning being hard of hearing or offering to ferry him over a river while guiding him towards his head the fox manages to trick the Gingerbread Man into getting close to his snout and eats him. Often American children's first exposure to this trope, the fox shows that you don't need to outfight a hero, sometimes you can outwit them.
Shocking Moments: Not for an adult, who's likely heard of the ending, but for a small child, it can be quite surprising and sad to have the Gingerbread Man being fatally eaten by the fox, especially if said kid was used to fairy tales where only bad guys die and/or eaten characters come back.
The dead cat strung up in Mallory's house is unsettling, but looks too goofy to really work as a shocker.
Dixon getting broken out of the mental hospital by an army of hairy old hillbillies would be a fine eccentric Robert Altman touch in a more comedic film, but this film generally plays things straight, so it's just too weird to be taken seriously.
The 1992 animated series:
Accidental Nightmare Fuel: As many YouTube comments say, many people were afraid of this show in their childhood. Its strange sounds and music, its slightly unnerving atmosphere, and its barely expressive characters have been accidentally responsible for scaring many children.
Creepy Cute: The titular gingerbread man is a bit creepy, but at the same time he's a Nice Guy who likes to help his friends.
