Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark

Rated: MScary Stories To Tell In The Dark

Directed by: André Øvredal

Written by: Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman

Screen story by: Guillermo Del Toro and Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan

Based on the series by: Alvin Schwartz

Produced by: Guillermo Del Toro, p.g.a., Sean Daniel, p.g.a., Jason F. Brown, p.g.a., J. Miles Dale, p.g.a., Elizabeth Grave, p.g.a.

Executive Producers: Peter Luo, Joshua Long, Roberto Grande

Starring: Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, and Lorraine Toussaint.

“Sarah Bellows, tell us a story.”

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark pieces together the fabled fiction of Alvin Schwartz (who wrote the series), where screen story writer Guillermo Del Toro (along with Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan) hang the film on the idea that: “Stories can hurt, and stories can heal”.

Set in 1968 where, ‘If it’s in the newspaper it has to be right,’ but really there’s a lot wrong, like the Vietnam War and the fact Stella’s (Zoe Colletti) mum has left her with her dad (Dean Norris); Stella’s only friends in the world, Chuck (Austin Abrams) and Auggie (Gabriel Rush).

But having buddies makes life easier to live until they decide to show new-kid-in-town Ramón (Michael Garza) the Mill Valley haunted house. On Halloween.

The story of the haunted house being the young daughter, Sarah Bellows was a child killer.  That she killed the children of Mill Valley who listened to her scary stories on the other side of the wall of her locked room.

Her family hid Sarah away because they said there was something very wrong with Sarah.

So when Stella finds Sarah’s book of scary stories in the haunted house, she thinks it’s a good idea to take it home to read.  She’s a writer too.

Then new stories start appearing in the book.  New scary stories like, ‘Who took my toe?’.  It’s worse than it sounds.  Particularly when the stories start coming true.

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark feels like one of those coming-of-age movies but really, it’s a scare-fest with body parts that come to life and bugs crawling out of empty eye-sockets.

The monsters are impressive with director, André Øvredal not holding back on the nightmarish imagery, while adding subtle details like the skin chewed around Stella’s fingernail.

I was absorbed and surprised as monsters came to life in cornfields and glaring red-lit corridors… But then the film became a crusade.

The story still holds and hey, it had to go somewhere; but I just couldn’t put myself into the shoes of Stella because there didn’t seem to be any fight or build to the strength of her character.  How did this kid suddenly get to be so strong?

Crimson Peak

Crimson PeakGoMovieReviews Rating: ★★☆ (2.5/5)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Robbins, Lucinda Coxon

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikow, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver

Yes, there is lots of red. And perhaps I should have drunk some red to get through this one.

It’s one of those movies I just have to watch. Ghosts, a love story and blood. I love the romantic gothic, old fashioned gore, and Crimson Peak looked to meet all my expectations.

Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikow), believes in ghosts. She can see ghosts.  Some are good, some are bad, and they’re all pretty scary. Yes, there’s the classic love story of girl meets Baronet bad boy. And there are surprisingly graphic bloody bits. But Crimson Peak just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

I’m not sure if it was the acting or the story that annoyed me. But I was disappointed to see Charlie Hunnam, you know, the guy out of Sons of Anarchy, playing the part of Dr. Alan McMichael. What a waste. I found Mia Wasikow, playing Edith Cushing, a bit forced. This also could have been the script writing. But I found her the same in Alice in Wonderland (2010), so maybe I’m just not a big fan. There were a few red (ha, ha, excuse the pun) herrings in the story as well. Nothing was ever made of Edith being a writer, yet this seemed the most important part of her character.

The saving grace was the visual effects. There’s something about falling snow within a grand old castle. With chandeliers, sweeping staircases and dark ghosts creeping out of the shadows. Very nicely done, if not over-done. Really, there can be such a thing as too much crimson!

I’d say Crimson Peak is suited to a younger crowd, even with the gory bits. Those who enjoyed The Twilight Saga film series would probably enjoy this film. More of a teen love story with ghosts and guts.

 

 

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