Alvin
Schwartz made R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike possible. Although they far
eclipsed him in terms of fame and merchandising, he was the favorite gateway
drug of choice for a generation of young adult horror readers. His three short
story anthologies (largely inspired by folklore and urban legends) continue to
post strong backlist sales, thanks in good measure to Stephen Gammell’s now
iconic illustrations. Thirty-eight years after the initial publication of the
first book, several of Schwartz’s tales have been cleverly adapted in Andre Øvredal’s
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,
co-produced and co-adapted by Guillermo del Toro, which is now available on DVD
for all your holiday shopping needs.
It
is Halloween 1968 in rural Mill Valley, PA. Richard Nixon is poised to win his
first presidential term, so things aren’t all bad. Stella Nicholls and her
fellow horror fan high school pals have prepared a satisfyingly effective
counter attack for when bullying Tommy Millner inevitably comes looking for
them. Fleeing from the number-two-smelling jock, they take refuge in the car of
Ramon Morales, a teenaged migrant farm worker “following the harvest.” He and
Nicholls are both rather shy, but they still have instant chemistry.
Since
it is Halloween, Morales drives them to the local haunted house, once owned by
the proud Bellows family. According to legend, young Sarah Bellows, the “different”
daughter, was kept locked in a secret room by her cruel parents, without any
human company. Nevertheless, people would sneak into the house to hear her tell
her scary stories. Of course, bad things were said to happen to her listeners
afterward, especially when she continued the practice as a ghost.
Unfortunately, the tall tale turns out to be true.
Devoted
fans of the original anthologies might take issue with the approach taken by Øvredal,
del Toro, and screenwriters Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman, because it
elevates the framing device to the primary narrative, instead presenting
Schwartz’s stories as Sarah Bellows’ tales, which unfold is real life,
tormenting her victims, as they magically appear in her journal. However, for
viewers not invested in the Schwartz trilogy, it is a shrewd way to shape the
material and build towards a legitimate climax.
Arguably,
this concept maybe wouldn’t have played out as well without the screen charisma
of Zoe Colletti and Michael Garza, playing Nicholls and Morales. They are
refreshingly earnest and their chemistry is based on the degree to which they
identify with each other, rather than sexuality. Colletti has some surprisingly
poignant moments with Dean Norris, memorably playing her single (abandoned)
father Roy. Frankly, there should have been more of them together.
