There are certain films you should not watch with your parents. Now that I’m living at home again, I’m usually finding that out after the fact. Tonight’s example? Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

Having first made the bitter mistake of watching Desperado with my folks a few years back, I certainly should have learned my lesson. I mean, they enjoy the occasional bloody action flick more than the average set of parents, but Desperado really pushed their limits. Seeing Antonio Banderas straddling a naked Selma Hayek mid-movie certainly didn’t help the situation.

I rented Once Upon a Time in Mexico knowing that a) my dad and I would be the only ones watching it, and b) it was boob free.

We sat down and began chuckling at Johnny Depp’s excellent performance, cringing at some unbelievable action sequences, and otherwise enjoying the film. What soon struck me was how incredibly violent the movie was. Not just the explosive gun battles but things like the flesh-free post surgery victim, no less than three empty eye sockets, and more than excessive detail to… squishy… sound effects.

My dad is a tough guy though. He’s seen the best of the best and is a particularly avid fan of the Alien films. He wasn’t even offended the other day when I ran into the room and shouted, “Holy living fuck! I got an interview at Atari!” (I was excited). But I could tell that this movie pushed his limits… repeatedly. When it was over, there was an uncomfortable silence, followed by his trademark “Well, that was different.” (Which is how he says he hated a movie). My face was red. Short of a zombie movie or a porno, I couldn’t have picked a more graphic film.

Don’t get me wrong, I rather liked the movie. It just REALLY should have been something to watch on my own.