Well, here's a thing - a horror movie starring and aimed at young Americans that I really enjoyed. I had no great hopes for this one but it's on Amazon Prime and I was a bit stuck for ideas before bedtime. So I started watching what I assumed would be a cheesy, derivative story about dumb kids meddling with a spooky book and getting bumped off one by one. Oddly enough, that's almost an accurate description. But there is an ingredient that makes all the difference - talent. This is lovely little Hallowe'en movie and I would recommend it to anyone.
Scary Stories comes with the endorsement of senior producer Guillermo del Torro, who also had a hand in the screenplay, and it shows. Adapted from books by Alvin Schwartz (1927-92) the film is a loving homage to the horror tradition as represented by Ray Bradbury, horror comics, and urban legends. Schwartz, who I'd never heard of until now, was immensely popular. Wikipedia tells us of Scary stories that: 'The series was America's most frequently challenged book (or book series) for library inclusion of 1990-1999'. My kind of writer!
The story takes place in the small town of Millville in 1968. This is not just a generic Sixties setting but a very specific time period. The presidential campaign is underway during Hallow'en and later we glimpse a TV news report of Nixon's victory. Vietnam is under way and the film theme is 'Season of the Witch', with a distinctly hippie vibe. However, as October 31st arrives, Stella - an aspiring writer - and her pals Chuck and Augie are focusing on revenge upon local jocks who keeps nicking their candy swag. Unfortunately, the revenge stunt backfires and the teen pals flee to a drive-in, which is showing Night the Living Dead. The gang clamber into a random stranger's car, and so meet Ramon, a handsome drifter with a secret. The thuggish jocks are seen off, and there's a spark between Ramon and Stella that leads her to invite him to see the local haunted house - the Bellows House.
The legend of the Bellows family concerns a deformed daughter who was locked in the cellar and while away her time telling scary stories to local kids through the wall. The gang, in Scoobyish style, discover the secret room and Sarah's handwritten book of tales. Stella takes the book, which proves to be a mistake, as Sarah resents this and is quite able to tell more stories - tales drawn from each person's innermost terrors. As each new story appears on the pages of the book, written in blood, Stella's friends suffer various spooky fates. It's a portmanteau horror tales with a strong linking story. Each horror is based on illustrations in the original books.
Finally, of course, the evil must be dealt with, aided by some proper, old-school research involving wax cylinder recordings and microfiche news items. The climax is clever stuff and there's a coda that has great charm and, yes, optimism. For all the horrors this is an upbeat view of youth, friendship, and the power of storytelling.
So, if you get the chance, set aside less than two hours of your time for this stylish supernatural feast. I don't think you will regret it.
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