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 Reel Life with Jane!Get the latest scoop on family-friendly movies at the theatre and on DVD! R. L. STINE’S THE HAUNTING HOUR: DON’T THINK ABOUT IT
Reel Rating: 3 out of 4 Reels Cast: Emily Osment (Cassie), Alex Winzenread (Max), Brittany Curran (Priscilla), Michelle Duffy (Eileen), John Hawkinson (Jack). PLOT SYNOPSIS: Thirteen-year-old goth girl Cassie is having trouble blending into her new school and neighborhood. So she entertains herself by playing pranks on her little brother, Max, and the popular kids at school. But things get weird when she stops at a mysterious Halloween store and buys a book called, “The Evil Thing.” Sex/ Nudity: None. Some flirting between school-aged kids, but no kissing. Violence/Gore: The Evil Thing is a slimy, multi-headed monster with babies encased in eggs on its back. The monster captures Max, Priscilla, and a pizza delivery guy, and imprisons them in an underground cocoon. Max narrowly escapes being eaten when he throws blood on the monster, which dies by biting itself to death. Profanity: One “dang.” Which Kids Will Like It? Tweens aged 9 to 14, especially kids who watch the Disney Channel ( many of the stars are featured in this movie) and fans of R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” books. Will Parents Like It? Yes, although parts of it are really scary! My 10-year-old daughter and I jumped several times, like when Cassie sees a real tarantula mingling with fake ones at the Halloween store, and when kids are captured by the monster and imprisoned in its slimy cocoon a la the “Alien” movie trilogy. Special Features: Making of “The Haunting Hour”; “Think About It!” R.L. Stine’s Journey of Imagination (profile of Stine and his work); Scare-O-Meter (interactive feature in which viewers take a quiz on what scares them); “I Don’t Think About It” music video by Emily Osment. This movie also contains the songs “Still Alright” by Adam Merrin and “Tell Me” by Failed Flight. EXPERT REVIEW: Cassie (Emily Osment, “Hannah Montana”) is a 13-year-old goth girl who wears black and loves to terrorize her little brother, Max (Alex Winzenread), by telling him ghost stories and jumping out of the closet at him. Their family has just moved to a new neighborhood, and Cassie is having trouble fitting into her new school. Things only get worse when popular girl Priscilla (Brittany Curran, “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”) humiliates Cassie in the cafeteria and thwarts her attempts to get close to a cute boy named Sean (Cody Linley, “Hannah Montana”). One day on her way home from school, Cassie notices a mysterious Halloween store down a long, narrow alley. She ventures inside and is creeped out by the real spiders, skeletons, and especially the owner, who’s like a scarier version of Harry Potter’s Draco Malfoy. The owner sells Cassie an old book called “The Evil Thing.” It’s all very eerie, made more so by the book’s first page, which warns readers, “Do Not Read Aloud,” and the last page, which implores readers to not think about the monster in the book. When Cassie’s parents attend a party on Halloween night and she’s stuck babysitting her little brother, Max, she ignores the book’s commands and reads it aloud to him just before bedtime. Then Max disappears, along with the pizza delivery guy and Priscilla. Turns out, they’ve all been captured by the monster, a.k.a. The Evil Thing, and imprisoned in a spider-webby cocoon in the city’s underground municipal tunnels. Cute boy Sean comes to Cassie’s aid, and together, they figure out how to get the kids back and defeat the monster. Though geared for tweens, this movie has some fairly scary parts, especially when Cassie’s in the Halloween shop and then later, when they’re dealing with the monster and its icky cocoon. There’s also a gross scene where Cassie and Sean ring blood out of some raw meat (they need the blood to defeat the monster) The good thing is the kids triumph in the end, and maybe this movie will give young viewers hope that they can overcome the scary things in their own lives. What’s annoying is the blatant cross-promotion in anything related to Disney. Most of the stars in this movie are either featured in or have appeared in Disney Channel shows. Ok, I get that Disney is just trying to market itself to its target demo, but Papa John’s Pizza also figures prominently in the storyline. The delivery guy gets captured by the monster, and at the end of the movie, the kids are shown munching happily on Papa John’s Pizza and commenting on how delicious it is. I’m just cynical enough to do a quick Google search, which revealed that Papa John’s is a featured restaurant in Disney theme parks. There’s even a coupon inside the DVD cover. Ok, whatever. Overall, this movie will likely be a hit with any kid who loves the Disney Channel and its stars. I’m ok with that, because Disney has some great shows with positive messages about life, relationships, and doing the right thing. As for the lessons in this movie: Cassie learns she’s stronger than she thinks, and she also gains new respect for her brother, who learns to overcome his fears. Of course, the storyline is left open for a sequel. When the parents come home from their Halloween party, the dad pulls the charred book out of the fireplace, where the kids tossed it, just as the closet door in Max’s room creaks open… <cue eerie music>… JANE’S REEL RATING SYSTEM : One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it. Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender. Three Reels: Pleasant. Something to talk about. Four Reels: Wow! The stuff dreams are made of. Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries. Visit her online at www.ReelLifeWithJane.com or email jboursaw@charter.net
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by Jane Louise Boursaw