Why SCARY STORIES Is NOT A Good Horror Movie

[@RyanHollinger]

*What is the Best story for the book series or film?* If you like the video, make sure to hit SUBSCRIBE for more horror content!

[@Samcole0408]

Day 7 of requesting don't look now

[@DomBaham]

Ryan love the content! Please talk about the watcher in the woods!!!

[@gypsydanger0496]

To be honest Harold affected me so damn much because of the ending

[@RPRsChannel]

The movie is a horror movie for 12 year olds, and I am fine with that. Now, if they could only make horror movies for adults......

[@Godzillafan1980]

Fuck off this film was great

[@Silver_Spectre]

I honestly thought it could be a Netflix limited series with every episode being a different story with maybe the same generic characters solving the last mystery in the final episode

[@lee_s0a]

So...scooby doo?

[@TheAbigailDee]

I just commented the same thing, I should have read first! I agree though. This is what I said when I left the theatre.

[@marcusdayungg2110]

Yes!

[@Silver_Spectre]

Jam Bismuth kinda like Scooby Doo just actually scary so it has enough time to develop each story

[@sinnsage]

yes, totally agree

[@oddeyes9413]

I appreciate the practical effects. You don't see that much anymore.

[@andineffable]

That's pretty much all I wanted to watch it for. The monster creation is incredible and my biggest gripe with that was that they didnt let us enjoy the first 2 monsters as much as I got to enjoy the pale lady and jangly man. I have so much respect for del Toro and his utilization of practical effects and I was so excited to see them here and while they were incredible it was a bit hard to get through the cringey framing device.

[@dragonsember]

I honestly really loved the movie and considered it super nostalgic. I didn't think it was amazing, but I didn't think it was bad. That said, to each is own.

[@andineffable]

@@dragonsember totally fair! I absolutely respect that :)

[@andineffable]

@@dragonsember sorry I just woke up so this probably wasnt directed at me but yeah haha

[@dragonsember]

@@andineffable no it's cool it's moreso just in general. I dont think people have to be mad because someone thinks a movie they like sucks. I love a lot of movies I know suck.

[@danielsinfiniteplaylist1862]

Dude, Pan’s Labyrinth was NEVER marketed as an “edgy” children’s movie- the ratings and the actual content in the movie does never allude to it being for children, in Sweden it got an r-rating which is what it is.

[@F66x]

Yep, rated R in the US too. A child protagonist does not a child's story make.

[@AliRadicali]

In fairness I think Pan's Labyrinth is one of those films that work on multiple levels, IE a child might still enjoy some elements of it while the serious political stuff mostly flies over their heads. I wouldn't call it a children's film at all but it's film that contains enough fantastical elements to be interesting to a kid even if they don't quite get it. It's not like making a child sit through Schindler's list or something.

[@Chris-ci8vs]

Actually in some places it was marketed as a kids film, like in Australia.

[@F66x]

@@Chris-ci8vs kind of bizarre

[@hat-eating-cthulu-goat3221]

@@AliRadicali I'd like to refer you to the scene where the commander smashes a man's face with a bottle in front of his father before shooting them both. Like I'm honestly baffled if you think that children wouldn't "quite get it", forget them enjoying the movie, it would scar them for life...

[@BG_NC]

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is like early creepypastas: scary as a child, but not solid enough to survive a change in medium or be scary as an adult.

[@teddybearkiller5271]

I can still remember a small story I heard on the radio when I was little that is still scary to me thats similar to these urban legends. Also the popular Creepypastas might not scare me that much anymore (I love them I don't fear them LOL) but Creepsmcpasta still reads stories off the internet and some of them are really f*cking scary. Hell "Abandoned by Disney" still gets me!!!!!

[@EksaStelmere]

@@cakearu That nostalgic setting that most kids won't care about though...

[@justinbrown8304]

I feel like it was trying to be more of a HALLOWEEN movie more than a horror movie. Like something the new generation can watch every Halloween. That's just me

[@Bhubnipz]

How can it be a Halloween movie if it isn’t a horror movie? That seems like a prerequisite

[@lieutenantgodzilla]

@@Bhubnipz Well, Monster House isn’t exactly horror, but it’s still a movie that people watch during Halloween. It’s kind of like that.

[@solol2909]

@@lieutenantgodzilla do you know what horror is dude

[@dumbumbumbum8649]

@@Bhubnipz Hocus pocus, nightmare before Christmas, mad monster party, Addams family, plenty of Halloween movies aren’t horror movies.

[@dumbumbumbum8649]

Also, I made this same comment two months before you and got no likes. I hate you

[@fearshorts8276]

"Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark" is very much a gateway film. Wouldn't recommend it to horror veterans, but would definitely recommend it to someone that's dipping their toes in horror that'll lead them down deeper cuts.

[@Jogjosmowwdkfs]

Fear Shorts I think it’s a good nostalgia turn off ur brain movie

[@troin3925]

Fear Shorts I highly recommend you check out the tie in book called “The Haunted Book of Sarah Bellows.” It’s told in the form of the stories that were supposed to be written in the journal from the movie. It also includes concept art and it actually makes the film scarier. Like with the illustrations for the original trilogy, they don’t depict what _actually_ happens in the film, but they make it much more nightmarish. Like with Harold, after the kid was turned into a scarecrow and the main characters looked at him, out of their view was the boy’s skin on the roof of the house. With the other stories, the zombie and The Pale Lady transmogrify into horrific versions of themselves before killing the kids and The Jangly Man contorts as if it came from Silent Hill or The Thing (the John Carpenter one, not the ghost story from the first book).

[@fearshorts8276]

@@troin3925 Thanx for the recommendation, I'll definitely check it out! Had not heard of it before you mentioned it.

[@fearshorts8276]

​@Jackie Nova, the wonderful thing about horror is that the genre is elastic enough to be inclusive of all types of horror-related content, hardcore or soft-serve (so to speak).

[@troin3925]

@@fearshorts8276 You're welcome.

[@CheshireMask]

No one went for the plot, everyone went to see the drawings animated.

[@user-jn1wm3tb8v]

I did. To be honest I wanted to see how the stories are incorporated, hoping to see a bait and switch where you think it was one story when it ends up another.

[@DJ-vg1pr]

That's not an excuse for a shit movie

[@snowoffwhite7924]

Still not a good movie

[@DirtSpud]

The scarecrow eating human eyeballs with a spoon is iconic.

[@Strangelov-e]

@@DJ-vg1pr We get it you like James Wan can you get over yourself bro

[@MyBenjamin73]

Didn't like this movie, but I think it was intentionally meant to be a "Kids first horror film"

[@Podcastforthewin]

Doogert McKoog witch makes No sense. I had this book when I was a kid, and that was in the late 80,s and 90’s. This should have been adapted for adults that grew up with the book. Not kids today

[@fattyjaybird7505]

I havent seen it yet... but money is the bottom line these days... the wider the demographic, the more people go see it... make a mediocre movie and make a shit ton of money

[@SpammerRapist]

It is definitely too scary for a kid.

[@hyche_-6790]

@@Podcastforthewin I see what you did there

[@HA-ot6uf]

It feels like that's the case for most modern American horror movies.

[@Madkendler]

"Technically, none of the kids die." One got stabbed with a pitchfork.

[@Megelos]

shhh, these youtube videos aren't a discussion its basically "i said so, bye"

[@justinkroboth360]

@@Megelos I mean, people make mistakes. In a movie this dull, it's possible to forget details.

[@GenericProtagonist7]

@@justinkroboth360 The death scenes were the only memorable things, if you forget about those you might as well not post a video about it because clearly it wasn't engaging enough for that.

[@keonbush6135]

He was stabbed with a pitchfork but there was only straw so was he really killed, also I'm pretty sure he was referencing the main characters as opposed to antagonist

[@Madkendler]

@@keonbush6135 I'm fairly certain if your innards have been replaced with straw, that means you're dead.

[@00FMklary]

Pan’s Labyrinth *IS* a film for adults, it received a literal R rating upon release. With excessive violence, death and explicit adult themes, yeah- an edgy kids film. JoJo Rabbit I can understand, it deals with heavy stuff but at least has a playful manner and don’t go too far.

[@treintaydos4830]

All my relatives treated it as a Kids movie that you absolutely had to watch (I'm from México)

[@thecollector5204]

I don't know if he sees the fact that Ofelia's fantasy was intentionally left ambiguous, because it changes the entire perspective whether or not one believes her imagination was real.

[@Smokerthesexyhunter]

I mean... jojo's mom...

[@theofficialvernetheturtley338]

Then how come my 7th grade Spanish teacher at my Christian school played it for my class?

[@teddybearkiller5271]

@@theofficialvernetheturtley338 Cuz she dumb lol.

[@dirgecry2047]

I always figured Scary Stories was never ment to be particularly scary. The book always felt like it was geared toward kids, so I just assumed that the movie was the same.

[@beekeeper2036]

Dirge Cry Your feelings about the book were spot on as it is a children’s book series.

[@justinkroboth360]

Yeah, it's definitely a children's book - it just had that grotesque artwork. I remember our elementary school having copies of it in the library, hah.

[@nocturnenix]

I think so too. Me and my younger brother weren't scared watching the whole movie (my younger brother is a pussy when it comes to horror movies). But my youngest brother is the one that got scared, even ran up to my mother's room because he said he didn't wanna watch it. So yeah, I do think the main targeted audience are kids. P.S. we still enjoyed it tho

[@nightmarefanatic1819]

It is a kids series, it's just well remembered because some of he stories were pretty gruesome and the art was terrifying. Also, it probably got Streisanded due to the books being so challenged by moral guardians in the 90s.

[@Frankiebug21]

Same. I quite enjoyed the movie, likely because I didn't go in expecting horror. I was expecting a kids' halloween movie

[@JohnStanworth]

It should've been a Netflix series like Goosebumps for teens.

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

As a 17-year-old, I don't think so. Originally, it's a children's novel that is too realistic for a horror Netflix series.

[@MariaLopez-no2ew]

There is one called rl stones haunting hour. Kinda goofy but scared my little siblings enough

[@vahnseru1302]

Well are you afraid of the dark recently made a miniseries, bringing those of us that grew u in the 90s some MUCH needed nostalgia. The release date(if I heard right) for scary stories was adjusted so they could coincide with the general audience. Which didn't make sense. If Nickelodeon did a miniseries and scary stories did a full length movie, and both are attempting to reach us who know, then why not just make scary stories a season long trope instead of something that lasted only an hour and a half.

[@JohnStanworth]

@@vahnseru1302 AYAOTD did basically a film for little kids and split into 3 episodes. They were going for an even younger demographic than in the 90s. Scary Stories (which may have been for kids decades ago), is too creepy for little kids today who are now more sheltered. I think the teen demographic would be ideal. Something like Sabrina's Chilling Adventures. That franchise went from little kids to teens.

[@sharkquisha3407]

Scary stories has more potential for a series. The stories are more creepy imo.

[@Zhigwich]

This movie felt more like an episode of Goosebumps, and I hated how they just set it up for a sequel instead of actually resolving anything.

[@Leftheria]

Of all the places to find someone with a Fire Emblem pfp I didn’t expect it to be here

[@BG_NC]

Honestly I think making it feel like Goosebumps was the point, because the Goosebumps movie did pretty well.

[@user-jn1wm3tb8v]

They should have made a series about it. Maybe with a framing device, like Tales From The Crypt? Two stories, each fifteen to thirty minutes. One is dark, the other is lighter. I always imagined this as a halfway point between children and adults. So we scare children but also make them feel safe.

[@vampire-p]

Honestly, I thought it was really fun. I think it’s meant to be a “kids first horror movie”, so yeah. I was expecting more of an anthology type thing (like Trick r Treat), but I wasn’t disappointed, especially with those practical effects, like holy damn!

[@tdata545]

EXACTLY, that's what I took from it. He's adding a lot of weird pretention to this movie that I don't think the director or creators asserted. I don't think anyone thought they were reinventing a genre. They made the movie as a passion project for fun. I also enjoyed it, and I can be rather snobby with my horror selections. That's the problem with critics, sometimes they forget to take in the intentions or "goal" of a film. Also, I never got that up-his-own-ass vibe from Guillermo del Toro. He's one of those directors that just likes to have fun and loves horror. I felt like this was a DECENT, C Grade attempt at like a throwback horror film. Creepy, not scary, but also a little campy as well.

[@oliverholmes-gunning5372]

Yeah, I thought it was alright as well. Not a masterpiece, probably not a movie I would watch again, and definitely not as good as Trick r Treat. But certainly watchable and entertaining while it lasted. And that fat ghost thing in the corridors was honestly pretty creepy.

[@squamish4244]

@@oliverholmes-gunning5372 I watched it again. It works just fine as a rewatch, which is a good sign. The guy is waayyy overthinking this movie. It's just supposed to be good fun with some genuinely creepy moments, like with Harold. And I loved seeing the illustrations that scared the bejesus out of me as a kid brought to life onscreen.

[@oliverholmes-gunning5372]

@@squamish4244 yeah I never read the book as a kid, but I still enjoyed the movie. It's a good late night watch if you want a horror movie but are stuck watching it with someone who hates real horror movies lol.

[@mcchilde2903]

I liked it too! Found it a bit scary as well

[@donnybuoy]

As someone who’s never read the books, not even as a child: I enjoyed it! It’s not scary, but the effects and performances by the young cast are stellar, and there’s some freaky imagery at play here. I rarely disagree with your videos, but, here we are! Lol. You can’t expect a teen horror movie based on a young adult series of books to be revolutionary for the genre. Also, you seem to have misunderstood the direction Guillermo Del Toro was going with Pan’s Labyrinth...

[@beatrizletras693]

I fully agreed with everything you said!

[@kira-lilym6363]

I never read the books either so went in with a clean slate too! I didn't really connect much with the storyline honestly (I can't really remember most of the main plot) but some of the horror sequences stuck with me so much. I loved the pale lady segment for the visuals, and felt genuinely terrified through much of the build up of the toe lady (I feel like the only person who was more scared by her than any other monster), and the scarecrow was an awesome and really creative first monster in my opinion. Interesting that our perspectives are more positive than those of the people who read the books

[@clucky8327]

Cringe

[@infusedwithsepticpuss]

That seems to be the demographic they were aiming at. I'm 27 and I read this book when I was 8 years old, whereas my sister who is 22 did not and has never heard of it. Very odd choice, but I guess the nostalgia was just for promotional sake.

[@cerebrodelictivocarclubps4309]

X1,000,000

[@TheCulturalBomb]

Horror has to be the hardest genre to make a good movie in. This wasn't a surprise. And there are so few visionary's in the genre, Ari Aster being probably the best over the last half decade.

[@FooshigiMLGlol]

Robert Eggers too

[@goatgod2009]

@@FooshigiMLGlol The Witch was so good, I despise jump scares and overly cliche horror and it just hit that perfect eerie and dreadful tone. Still need to see The Lighthouse.

[@MisterKillMan]

@@goatgod2009 the lighthouse is incredible but I wouldn't call it a horror film, although it has a few horror elements

[@vegangurly]

Jordan Peele is doing a pretty good job too I would say.

[@noblegas7073]

I’d put Jennifer Kent there as well.

[@Legendary-Nitro]

I loved the movie but if the movie was R Rated this would have been much scarier considering the scary stories books were very very descriptive of decaying bodies and characters deaths

[@nightmaresand808s]

That doesn't work for marketing to a wider audience and aimed at teens and younger for who the book was originally written for. Go watch tales from the crypt

[@Legendary-Nitro]

@@nightmaresand808s your telling me the scary stories book was intended for kids the same book where one of the story about a man falling to his death and getting crushed causing him to be dismembered

[@jarg8]

@@Legendary-Nitro um...yes. That is exactly what they are saying. When is the last time you've read one of those stories? They're so simplistically written and they're made for children. Period. That's why they work when we're younger and not so much when we're older.

[@Legendary-Nitro]

The more I think about it the scary story collection must be the reason why im so desensitized towards gore and horror

[@beekeeper2036]

Legendary | NitroRetribution The series is geared for 8-12 year olds, hence why it is found in the children’s section of bookstores.

[@BugsyFoga]

At least the practical effects were good , you gotta give it that much .

[@yaboy5692]

Except the jangly man tbh

[@higaiwokeru]

The practical effects were amazing but I do agree that the Jangly Man should only have cgi refined of his face since the actor in the suit had an amazing talent to twist his body

[@RandomPerson-gt1jt]

The directing was very good as well, really added tension to the scenes. I usually don't get scared much with horror movies, but this movie had me on the edge of my seat.

[@TheSefirosu200x]

In as much as practical effects can even be good, sure.

[@robh678]

I work at a theater and sold tickets to a mom and her 11 year old daughter. The mother said that she was taking her daughter to her first horror movie and I thought that this movie was perfect for that

[@lisalarsen2384]

So wholesome

[@sharkhammr]

The only story from the series I remember was "The Viper", the one where the twist is it's just a window washer with a speech impediment.

[@mirandastewart3544]

So that one is comedy, with a bit, of horror.

[@SoSoKayla]

Technically an accent, not speech impediment. But yes, that was one of the most memorable stories for me, too. "I'm the Viper. I've come to vash your vindows."

[@primroseprom]

Weirdly, that was the one that freaked me out the most.

[@pjdougherty6442]

I remember one involving an old bedridden man in a nursing home and another in the bed by the window. The one by the window always talks about the beautiful things he can see outside, so the other old man got jealous and killed him just to take his spot and look out the window. He sees nothing but a brick wall.

[@user-jn1wm3tb8v]

@@pjdougherty6442 Yeah it was dark.

[@JulesKM]

The thing with this movie is that it's counting on the nostalgia of kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s, but providing content that's directed at kids and teens of today who don't have that sort of nostalgia for the books, so it ends up not being for anyone. Having said that, I did enjoy it. I just didn't think it was particularly engrossing.

[@jamieh.7914]

It was still popular for us born in the early 00’s as well. However, I do believe that the vibe of the series itself didn’t really fit with today’s cinema. If it was made in the same style as the IT mini-series and Goosebumps show, it could have been more intriguing.

[@happsburg4607]

Well said. I enjoyed the recreations of the artwork that I do have some legitimate nostalgia for. The toe zombie sticks out as I basically repressed that memory. Gave me a legitimate chill in a "Oh fun a childhood fear I forgot about" way. But otherwise it was just alright. It does seem like a good horror movie for kids but, to my knowledge, younger children don't have a connection to these stories. Which is a shame really, I was sad to learn they fell out of popularity. I remember renting it from the school library and actually reading the thing was a badge of courage situation in like first grade for me.

[@wayoftheredpanda2898]

read all of them despite being an early 2000's kid, so I think teens today could find nostalgic merit in them too. They were always in the teacher's classroom library

[@X-Cactus]

I found the movie quite good, and I wasn’t lured in by nostalgia though I was familiar with the book. I hardly even remember the stories.

[@carolinewheeler77]

It doesn’t really need to get kids who are nostalgic for the books tho? Kids just like scary stuff...

[@harrisonlee9585]

Scary Stories has the weirdest nostalgia cult this side of Riverdale.

[@OrbitZombie]

The artwork creeped me out as a kid, but I can't for the life of me remember any of the stories. Riverdale is a fine dumb twist of Archie with an obvious hard on for shows like Twin Peaks.

[@Hickspy_]

Do people actually like Riverdale? Or do they just watch it for the redhead girl?

[@justaintfeelinit8742]

@@OrbitZombie yeah i remember the picture with that ghost lady obsessed with those quarters or whatever. That gave me nightmares as a kid😅

[@harrisonlee9585]

@@Hickspy_ I'll admit to liking it because it makes no real effort to be serious. It's hipster Twin Peaks, and it's occasionally quite amusing.

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

Riverdale? You mean the edgelord's version of Archie comics. It wasn't lighthearted enough. I can't believe they already ignored the source material.

[@caldavis2156]

I enjoyed it for what it was. I saw it with my girlfriend and we had fun with it. Fun scares, definitely geared more towards a younger audience, but again fun for what it is. Nothing innovative, but a good time

[@troin3925]

I highly recommend you check out the tie in book called “The Haunted Book of Sarah Bellows.” It’s told in the form of the stories that were supposed to be written in the journal from the movie. It also includes concept art and it actually makes the film scarier. Like with the illustrations for the original trilogy, they don’t depict what _actually_ happens in the film, but they make it much more nightmarish. Like with Harold, after the kid was turned into a scarecrow and the main characters looked at him, out of their view was the boy’s skin on the roof of the house. With the other stories, the zombie and The Pale Lady transmogrify into horrific versions of themselves before killing the kids and The Jangly Man contorts as if it came from Silent Hill or The Thing (the John Carpenter one, not the ghost story from the first book).

[@tempesttossed6029]

I thought that "The ABC's of Death" was a fever dream I had. I'm saddened to know it's real.

[@PurpleColonel]

That's the true horror of the film.

[@mistermoon9305]

I’ve never seen that film and I hope I never do

[@skyesfury8511]

It's one of the more creative anthologies. It's not really scary (for the majority of them). Some of them are actually kinda creative. Not sure how anyone can say it's not anthology, though. It's 26 shot films, the literal film version of anthology definition.

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

_"Pioneers used to entertain themselves by telling scary stories. At night they might gather in somebody's cabin, or around a fire, and see who could scare the others the most."_ *~ Alvin Schwartz (Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark)*

[@CatsForTheCatGod]

Mr. Friendship The pioneers used to ride these babies for miles

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

@@CatsForTheCatGod **literally drives a rock to deliver Pizza Time**

[@ronnallen3823]

There was this show here in Australia called “R.L Stines The haunting hour” it freaked me out when it was on the telly and an episode about an evil school mascot called “Big yellow” still terrifies me to this day more than anything else I’ve seen. Seeing the trailer for this movie reminded me about that big yellow bastard

[@jester2077]

It did also play in America, that episode and monster still scares me to this day, what I found amazing about the show what how many times the main characters were implied to have died, including the kid in Mascot.

[@MrAjking808]

Y’all cringe 😬 none of that is scary

[@ronnallen3823]

Aj King mate i was like 13-14 and barely ever watched horror movies, that sort of thing freaked me the fuck out

[@flushfries5633]

That show was pretty intense for a kid’s show

[@cat-dead-camcorder3802]

I used to watch that when I was like, 9-10, and it gave me nightmares and a fear of dolls from that one episode with the life sized doll.

[@DOODKOOK]

I think you're forgetting the demographic of tween and teens in this regard. Not to mention, the film being an American Hollywood film and receiving a PG-13 rating in America should be a good indication of it's target demographic. The film being rating too high in your country isn't so much a failure on the films part to decide it's own audience, but rather a failing on your countries review system to accurately gauge a films contents. As far as the comments about Del Toro's other works go, I disagree strongly with that too. The point of films like Pan's Labyrinth are the themes and ideas within, not necessarily the scares in them. Regardless of how it was marketed, I don't think anyone would argue that Pan's Labyrinth was supposed to be a horror film or even particularly scary, just simply off-putting at times and soaked in a dark atmosphere. He isn't compensating scares with themes, he's simply exploring themes in his own way which modern audiences are so accustomed to being vehicles for scares. The Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth isn't a jolt of skin-crawling horror, it's a moment of danger for our protagonist on her journey. Simply because it is also kind of creepy doesn't mean Del Toro is failing us as an audience by not fully committing to the potential horror of the scene.

[@TsumiMegami]

This

[@Lv20Bard]

I agree with this statement, and I do think that Scary Stories is a rare gem in modern cinema as a PG-13 horror movie. But I think, as an adaption of the short story collection, that it should’ve aimed for a R rating because adults are the ones who read the short stories as children. By no means a bad film though

[@sandwich_masterX]

The pale lady picture was the most horifying thing I've ever seen and it still makes me lose some sleep sometimes.

[@alchemist4evr]

I think for once you might be a little TOO cynical with this take. When I saw it in theaters, my initial reaction was feeling like a kid again. Getting the same feelings I got watching Truth or Scare, Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, The Mummy, Monster House, etc. A mixture of first horror with whimsy. Mostly it reminded me of a sleepover I had when I was 12ish where my three friends and I watched The Ring and One Missed Call back to back. I can absolutely see tweens in the future dare each other to watch this movie in the dark and would consider it a good "Kid's First Horror" if you will. P.s. I did think the ending with the dude re-enlisting was weird, especially since Del Toro is very much anti-war.

[@5th_cellar]

Being fair to the ending, I got the sense it was supposed to play up that he wasn't given much choice since he'd been caught draft dodging.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

It seems disappointing that the movie has the draft dodger re-enlisting,even though there were good reasons not to go to Vietnam.l guess the producers felt a conservative message was somehow more uplifting.

[@ArDeeMee]

How tf are you guys thinking the draft dodger „re-enlists“? It’s a DRAFT. No one gives a F whether you want to go. The police literally drag his ass there.

[@theaxolotlgod1204]

Imo it was pretty fun. It didn’t make me go WOW but it was a fun movie to watch.

[@DisDatK9]

Timotheetus G I think he’s not making the point that it’s all around an awful movie, just that it’s not the masterpiece of horror that many of its fans are claiming it is. I do agree though, it was fun to see my childhood nightmares come to “life”.

[@troin3925]

Timotheetus G I highly recommend you check out the tie in book called “The Haunted Book of Sarah Bellows.” It’s told in the form of the stories that were supposed to be written in the journal from the movie. It also includes concept art and it actually makes the film scarier. Like with the illustrations for the original trilogy, they don’t depict what _actually_ happens in the film, but they make it much more nightmarish. Like with Harold, after the kid was turned into a scarecrow and the main characters looked at him, out of their view was the boy’s skin on the roof of the house. With the other stories, the zombie and The Pale Lady transmogrify into horrific versions of themselves before killing the kids and The Jangly Man contorts as if it came from Silent Hill or The Thing (the John Carpenter one, not the ghost story from the first book).

[@Jill4ChrisRedfeild]

Same, if I was 10 years old this would've been a great introduction to horror.

[@Ilovegrunge123]

@@Jill4ChrisRedfeild I've seen some parents take their kids to go watch the IT remakes i think kids these days are used to seeing worse horror.

[@QuikVidGuy]

"technically none of the kids die" but you JUST went over one of them turning into straw

[@Pear_chan]

Yeah but he was alive straw

[@JarthenGreenmeadow]

He's fiiiineeee

[@jamescarter3196]

The guy really doesn’t know shit about horror in general and his insight is ridiculous. This video is awful.

[@bloodyhell8201]

@@jamescarter3196 make your own channel then

[@paradoxglitch1108]

@@jamescarter3196 then you explain it

[@spookssnatchley780]

I saw this movie in theaters with friends, when the dude said “Who ordered the chicken” we all looked at eachother and started laughing really hard

[@been_rly_n2_paragliding_lately]

Spooks Snatchley the black guy. Always the black guy.

[@anaconda1078]

When I saw the trailer it made me remember being in third grade being unable to sleep because of the scarecrow story. When it came out I was disappointed about the lack of skin being left to dry in the sun, which was the the specific line my dad taunted me with.

[@noahbeitzel79]

Finally!! I thought i was going crazy when everyone started praising it like a masterpiece. Good to know I wasn't alone

[@Ilovegrunge123]

That's how i felt when people were praising Silent Hill 2 and saying how scary it was.

[@infamouscrusader2183]

Same. Overrated

[@CasualKiwiYGO]

A Super Eye Patch Wolf shout out in the latest Ryan Hollinger vid? Neat.

[@SeanHiruki]

Casual Kiwi YGO glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed

[@TheAlmightyLoli]

Problem is that it's not rated R. It has setups for super disturbing imagery, but it's watered down because the studio wanted the kiddie audience. Despite fans of the book being adults by now.

[@thoughtfuldevil6069]

Eh, I liked it. I mean, I didn't love it, but it was O.K. I don't regret seeing it. But I wouldn't buy it on DVD.

[@trinaq]

I agree, the performances were alright, and I liked some of the effects, but I wouldn't rush to see it again.

[@ThusSpokeFlexo]

Thoughtful Devil welp then you have a simple taste and are far too easy to be pleased

[@thoughtfuldevil6069]

@@ThusSpokeFlexo LOL! Thanks for the laugh, I needed that xD

[@Groucho3321]

@@ThusSpokeFlexo what a dumb, pretentious thing to say. I bet you are a Rick and Morty fan and think very highly of yourself.

[@low-keybi6539]

@@ThusSpokeFlexo you sound like you're obsessed with being seen as an "intellectual" Liking one bad film doesn't mean someone's taste is automatically bad

[@lizspears4814]

The book did scare the shit out of me, the illustrations added to it. It sounds so dumb but I would hide the book just to feel safe when I was younger.

[@smdc4life]

same 😂. I still have it and it's hidden in the corner of my bookshelf somewhere 🗣

[@JoelRiter]

Scary Stories was one of my favorite book series as a kid. Namely, the notes and bibliography set me down a path of interest in folklore, anthropology, and research. The notes in the back that went through the history of the tales made me fall in deeper love. I still plan on eventually watching this despite how disappointed I will be. What’s worse, is there was an excellent story here. All real folklore summed up in an ancient book with descriptions of its origins leaving multiple possibilities

[@geofff.3343]

The books are effing fantastic though, even though they're mostly compilations of folklore (aka urban legends). Got some pretty bad nightmares. I remember one about a guy in 19th Century America who refuses to sleep outdoors when there's a barn with a stove, but the older hands said not to do that. Well, he does that and gets into a fight with a crazy not-quite-human guy and in the morning the guys just drive off without their friend, like they just knew it was gonna happen. EFFED ME UP REAL BAD AS A KID.

[@captaincrash9002]

"Effed"...

[@troin3925]

Geoff F. I highly recommend you check out the tie in book called “The Haunted Book of Sarah Bellows.” It’s told in the form of the stories that were supposed to be written in the journal from the movie. It also includes concept art and it actually makes the film scarier. Like with the illustrations for the original trilogy, they don’t depict what _actually_ happens in the film, but they make it much more nightmarish. Like with Harold, after the kid was turned into a scarecrow and the main characters looked at him, out of their view was the boy’s skin on the roof of the house. With the other stories, the zombie and The Pale Lady transmogrify into horrific versions of themselves before killing the kids and The Jangly Man contorts as if it came from Silent Hill or The Thing (the John Carpenter one, not the ghost story from the first book).

[@originoflogos]

Imagine if David Lynch adapted these scary stories. That would be supernaturally nightmarish!!

[@wariowuzo9433]

IAmNoOne but they probably wouldn’t make much sense.

[@troin3925]

Wario Wuzo The illustrations either make no sense out of context anyway, or didn’t have context to begin with (the latter with Oh Susanna).

[@originoflogos]

Wario Wuzo doesn’t matter. Lynch just needs to create a surreal, unnerving, disturbing atmosphere and the rest is history lol

[@CSGraves]

Inland Empire is plenty nightmarish.

[@clubsnatcher]

Yeah but he'd cope out an actual story because he is too much of a pussy to add real endings

[@SpinozillaSaurian]

Original Title: No, SCARY STORIES Is Not A Good Horror Movie

[@ShadowHumor]

Lol I saw that

[@theirishpotato6588]

@@ShadowHumor me too.

[@cPokopiko]

mmmaaaan. If they had played into the 80's publication and made this a smarter, campy, goosebumps-esque horror series on Netflix, that would have been so much better. Goosebumps but you see the gore. Such wasted potential!

[@buffyVampslyr364]

The illustrations are definitely part of why I remember the book, how I identify it in public.. however, there was a story in that collection about a severed toe I believe, that honestly haunted me as a kid. For some reason that book was something we read in class when I was in SECOND GRADE 😭😭 it gave me nightmares for weeks, and it more than any or experience growing up is why I don't like watching scary movies most of the time. (Which is why I watch your videos, because I don't want to be terrified by the movies themselves, but I'm still curious what themes they explore and what a film perspective on them is)

[@lazylistmaker]

The political allegory was definitely the weirdest. My interpretation was that the Nixon/Vietnam stuff was meant to parallel how the Bellows family tried to create a specific narrative around their daughter, and how this was eventually proven to be a lie. The Vietnam War was also famously the first one televised for US audiences, which meant certain things could no longer be hidden. But then Ramon voluntarily enlists and...yeah. They did try to make it a frame story, but consequently it only seemed relevant when it came into play for Ramon and the Jangly Man. The other "connections" for individual hauntings seemed random and ill-defined in comparison.

[@DitisEmile]

I read the books when I was a kid, so I was pretty excited about it! I was also super excited about the monster design, because I thought it would be done by Guillermo del Toro. Unfortunately he confirmed he had an entirely different vision than his co - writers and they went with their ideas instead, however. The real confusing thing about Del Toro and his writing stems from the fact that he seems to be an artist who creates his art more for himself than for his audience. Which is something I really admire as a fellow writer; I wish I could do the same! He enjoys his own works so much that he doesn't really seem to give it much thought who else will like it, because HE loves it and assumes that that makes it good. (I personally love a lot of his work, btw, but mostly because of his creature design.)

[@TheAbigailDee]

He is a director that I wish wasnt so strangled by others in some cases. When he has the reigns it's always great.

[@DitisEmile]

@@TheAbigailDee Exactly! His stories always sound off the wall and strange in concept (and most of them ARE) but they tend to work REALLY WELL when they are worked out following his vision.

[@heyitsnathanofficial]

me: adores Ryan’s youtube videos also me: adores Scary Stories (this will be a fun video to watch hehehhe)

[@tony_starch]

Same here lol

[@toribromwell9256]

Yup yup yup *sits with popcorn in hand*

[@josephmatthews7698]

My 7 year old is obsessed with horror. Not just the scary bits but the practical effects and she loves making them in the house. After classic horror for kids failed to excite her in the least like twilight zone, Goosebumps or are you afraid of the dark etc. We made a deal that if she did her chores and homework we could watch more adult films during the day together as long as she closed her eyes when i told her. We watched exorcist, hereditary, smile, sinister, scream, the ring and despite being some of the greatest horror films of all time she was just bored to tears except the cat scene in Sinister and most of the ring. Yet she absolutely loved this movie. I think theres room in horror for less developed themes and simple plots even if it doesnt tickle that part of our brain that loves it.

[@josephmatthews7698]

I meant cat scene in smile.

[@MrSnuffian]

It was a nostalgia trip for me solely. I grew up with the books being provided at book fairs and public libraries in my area. A lot of kids I know growing up have one specific drawing or story that stuck with them

[@endlessness]

I didn’t expect a hot take from you of all people.

[@JeweloftheWorld2000]

Not sure it counts as a hot take since the film came out about 5 months ago. At this point, I don't think anyone is going to make their decision on whether or not to watch this film based on the review. Still, this is a little more hyperbolic and opinionated than his usual content.

[@dominickjohn7762]

You people? YoU PeOpLe!?!?!

[@sherlockfan2000]

Juliana Howard-I've noticed a lot of people in this comments section are agreeing with Ryan & writing the movie off as a "bad movie", and it's pretty obvious it's only because it was made for families with kids in their early teens rather then adults only. It's a shame cause I finally watched Scary Movies To Tell In The Dark the other day & it's actually a pretty good movie. It's really well made, a lot of fun, the kids were likeable, & while the scares may not have been anything truly terrifying, for a movie based off a series of kids horror books it was actually pretty creepy at times.

[@JagenRay]

11:02 Wow, spelling errors, in MY KZbin video? What is this platform comiing to... Rare to see a more negative review on this channel, I like it though, would love to see what else you hate

[@kingbash6466]

The movie was alright, but let’s be real here: Trick ‘R Treat > Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

[@ScarilyOlivia]

The few times I've been asked about my opinion on Scary Stories, I usually bring up Trick R Treat as the comparison, as it did Scary Stories better than the movie actually called "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark". I think it also had roughly the same number of stories too.

[@oddeyes9413]

Trick 'r Treat. 100%

[@zacheryrodgers6983]

Well obviously, but that is a silly comparison.

[@TheHunterTroll]

Trick R' Treat is one of the best horror movies ever, not even a fair comparison lmao

[@insomniaczombie8942]

Apples to oranges, Trick 'R Treat is more adult horror whle SSTD is more of an introduction horror to younger audiences

[@TheNraveles]

People need to realize this is supposed to be more whimsical and lighthearted since it's literally based off a children's book series. It was never made to be terrifying, horrifying, or anything like that. The only horrifying thing about the books were the illustrations, which they actually brought to the big screen perfectly (Dont tell me the Pale Woman doesnt look exactly the same). It's a great introduction movie to horror and is honestly just an enjoyable movie. No one thought it was gonna be terrifying, that's just misleading yourself. This movie was easily one of my faves of the year, it was just fun. Also about Del Toro, Pans Labyrinth was NEVER for children. Where did you get that idea? Its literally about the Spanish civil war, murder, a child eating monster, and a LOT of blood. Ive never once seen the movie be marketed as a kids fairytale? One of the few videos I'm just gonna forget you made Ryan lmao, love your vids but this was just a super super questionable choice.

[@groovymovie3213]

The whole “my mom left, wahhh, I’m a weird sad kid” and “election” storylines that were shoehorned in really brought the whole thing down.

[@MintyPur]

Plus the, "we have to go save our friend" thing really brought it down too.

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

It make sense that it takes place in the 60s or 70s where the Vietnam War were intense as well as the Richard Nixon election. I wasn't bother with that aspect.

[@TryPuttingItInRice]

@@poweroffriendship2.0 the problem is that it didn't have anything to do with the story. Just pointless BS

[@constantdisappointment5658]

@@TryPuttingItInRice I kind of see them as more realistic sources for anxiety in adulthood that takes the backseat for these imaginary creatures that terrorize children. This was meant to be the characters' last trick or treating on Halloween, so they're growing up, but their fears are from their childhood or dreams, not what adults are afraid of like communism or political corruption

[@jamescarter3196]

@@TryPuttingItInRice it placed the film in a specific time period, like most films do. Are you really unfamiliar with that basic concept in films? It was such a back-burner thing in the film, it doesn’t make any sense to get really angry about it. That’s a silly response to a so-what part of the story.

[@DylzGaming]

I just rewatched Rec 2. you should do a video on the REC movie series. the first two movies were so god damn brilliant and definitely need talking about!

[@punkuke]

I haven't seen REC 2, but I saw and absolutely adored REC! It's one of my top favorite movies. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check out the sequel for sure!

[@TyroneBruinsmaFilms]

Deep Ryan might make me happy with his examination of work...but angry Ryan is most entertaining Ryan

[@Johncornwell103]

The books scary stories to tell in the dark is the child's version of Junji Ito's works.

[@dylan351321]

john cornwell that name sounded familiar so I looked it up. I saw he created The Enigma of Amigara Fault. I first had seen the story years ago, but didn’t really know who the author was. I’ll have to check out his other works. Any recommendations?

[@Johncornwell103]

@@dylan351321 Spiral, The city with no roads.

[@v1eur]

@@dylan351321 hanging balloons

[@thethiccdonut5257]

That shit is trash

[@Jill4ChrisRedfeild]

@@dylan351321 tonnes, hes done a lot of horror anthology managa and Enigma is just a small story in his huge collection. His most famous ones are Uzumaki (spiral), Tomie and Gyo, but he's also done his own interpretation of Frankenstein and has a few books of short horror collections called Shiver, Fragments of Horror, and smashed. He doesn't just do horror though! He does comedy horror, bittersweet/love stories but with a unique twist. Theyre all excellent and different :)n

[@JICheshired]

I think the argument when it comes to "target audience" is always a double edged sword. Sure you can have a critical analysis with the meta context of who it's allegedly supposed to be for. But at the end of the day, there are many people who want this bridge between these constructs of general audience age groups and such. They simply enjoy the content itself because of, in spite of, or even regardlessly of these things. Sometimes a story is a story and an individual taste or budding new tastes and etc are the target. And yes, there is a legitimate argument in someone with studio experience and a studio themselves having to more or less play the game of these things. But, I think there's something to be said about praising one content that defies these while viewing it as a criticism/bad thing in content we don't like as much. I do enjoy your videos a lot. Sorry for this long paragraph. Haha. In fact this paragraph is because I enjoy this open letter you seem to radiate with genuine discussion of media instead of flat, monotone perception. edit: 1 I agree with your opinion on how the resolution seems prowar-ish intentional or not 2 I think we need some more horror for parents to enjoy with their kids or for less intense fans to enjoy. (And just more actual family films that aren't just kids movies)

[@jessieBird96]

I have to say, the spider bite story and the toe story(both featured in the film, funnily enough) both stayed with me for a looong time. For over a year after I read the toe story, I forced my mom to let me watch as she locked all the doors and windows at night lol. And, even though I'm an adult now and know it's not really possible, I still can't sleep with my cheeks exposed because of the spider story. That said, this felt more like a horror movie geared toward younger audiences, meant to get them hooked on the genre more than it's meant for adults

[@redhellreaper9421]

If there were more scares like the red room monster, it would've been great for me.

[@Kris-wo4pj]

I didnt realize this was a thing but what i remember of it as a kid and teenager is that it was more campy than scary. And its weird how ya described that it doesnt wanna pick a road.

[@geovanrich4916]

I enjoyed the experience of seeing the movie. I'm what you'd call easily frightened so when I went to the theater and saw I was going to watch this movie alone because no one else was there I was already scared. Watching a horror movie by myself was definitely scary

[@swimmyswim417]

I feel like it could’ve been adapted better as an animated film. Really lean into the surrealism of the illustrations and just bring them to life. Or if they really wanted to go live action, they could’ve shot in black and white. I really like how “alive” the lady monster looks, but going for a Twilight Zone-type feel would’ve made the monsters seem more real to the world. I love the original books. I checked them out from the library every time I could, and I bought the 3-in-1 anthology when I had the chance. I was genuinely afraid to even touch the book-the bride’s face looked like it was ready to bite my fingers. But even though the stories themselves are tried and true urban legends that are intentionally basic and vague, I loved it because of the way it discussed horror. It was the first book I remember actually paying attention to the foreword and end notes. The mental image of this man, a writer, traveling the countryside in search of ghost stories and urban legends and dissecting them to understand exactly what in the world it is that scares us was absolutely captivating. It was the first time I started to think of horror as a true art form. And maybe that could’ve been a more compelling use of the Scary Stories imagery and title. A tale about a writer venturing off into the countryside and collecting ghost stories, only to realize that there’s a lot more to these tales than just imagination.

[@mitchellplays1440]

I think it should be in stop motion like coreline

[@innovade7887]

I also thought the movie was pretty meh. But that "Season of the Witch" Lana Del Rey cover was fucking great.

[@Darwyn4321]

I loved the Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark books when I was a kid. I also love Del Toro. I wanted this to be a good movie SO badly. Ah well.

[@edienandy]

John Caparso del toro didn’t direct this movie

[@jimsuniverse4954]

@@edienandy It was his idea not to turn it into an anthology though. It should have been imo. It should have also been rated R. Del Toro is losing it. I hope he ups his game.

[@danmakes2497]

@@jimsuniverse4954 I don't think he's really "losing" anything, but he took a different approach with it is all; much different then his previous movies which were about war and of course it'll be more terrifying. I just think Ryan is looking a little too deep, I respect his opinion of course but there's no harm in liking this movie.

[@deleted_account2894]

This movie wasnt good. The Grudge remake was worse tho

[@KeyBladeMaster-Dan]

DO NOT SPEAK OF THE ABOMINATION!!!!

[@MrRobertGillan]

Both pretty damn boring. But I liked the Fall setting in Scary Stories.

[@HA-ot6uf]

The remake was actually quite good. The remake of the remake, on the other hand, you can just tell it's terrible from the trailer alone.

[@wi11iambruh91]

@@HA-ot6uf i knew it was gonna be bad when i heard how poorly executed the classic sound was done

[@ShadowWarrior9001]

Which Grudge remake?

[@chickenpermission6969]

if it makes you feel better, those books did traumatise me as a child. i was very very curious as well as very anxious/easily scared with an overactive imagination. i saw the covers and, despite knowing i’d be scared later, read them. i couldn’t sleep for weeks afterwards

[@stroervor]

Ryan: Who is the target audience? Me anfter watched the movie in family: Obviously my mom

[@SunTzuSaidFight]

it took you 5 years to have a bad take i'm impressed some youtubers dole out bad takes on a bi-weekly basis

[@AmyLeeSArmy]

I really enjoyed the movie. It didn't take itself too seriously and is a good film for horror beginners. I think you might be reading too much into it

[@MrSasunaru101]

Tara it’s a good intro into the horror genre for children

[@crod9905]

Really? I thought it took itself too seriously, hence why it was such a chore to get through.

[@troin3925]

Tara I highly recommend you check out the tie in book called “The Haunted Book of Sarah Bellows.” It’s told in the form of the stories that were supposed to be written in the journal from the movie. It also includes concept art and it actually makes the film scarier. Like with the illustrations for the original trilogy, they don’t depict what _actually_ happens in the film, but they make it much more nightmarish. Like with Harold, after the kid was turned into a scarecrow and the main characters looked at him, out of their view was the boy’s skin on the roof of the house. With the other stories, the zombie and The Pale Lady transmogrify into horrific versions of themselves before killing the kids and The Jangly Man contorts as if it came from Silent Hill or The Thing (the John Carpenter one, not the ghost story from the first book).

[@stolenrelic]

I agree. It was a fun little horror romp.

[@mattmason7321]

In the books, people (including children) were butchered and eaten, graves were robbed, corpses mutilated, it taught kids to sing about the dead, while the dead constantly tormented people to death, and evil was often the victor in the end. Fans of the book expected the movie to have the courage to do the same. Especially given the producers, writers, and director who worked on it, since they all have R rated films in their filmographies.

[@moungeds89]

It was entertaining enough though hardly anything resembling a "good" horror movie. If they had really wanted to make it amazing then it should have been an anthology and they would have made it rated R. Also is it just me or does the audio get kind of muffled when it cuts away to you speaking directly to the camera? I've noticed that on the past few videos and I'm just not sure if I'm crazy or not...

[@Kiss_My_Aspergers]

Oh good, it's not just me. Yes, his mic is muffled!

[@eduardo_corrochio]

I would imagine that the narration audio that's done by itself to play over movie scenes is always going to be a little different from mic audio that a host uses when he's being filmed; it's a question of intimacy and the distance from the microphone to the host's mouth. The sound of both could only be a perfect match if Ryan did the entire video in front of the camera and cut portions of the audio out and put them over the film clips. At least this is my guess as to why there is a difference.

[@moungeds89]

@@eduardo_corrochio I could see that being the case, but in his older videos that wasn't an issue that I noticed.

[@eduardo_corrochio]

@@moungeds89 Aah, I see. This is a new development, then. Thanks.

[@moungeds89]

@Fuckth eChineseGovt do you feel better now for having an unnecessary overreaction to an opinion?

[@Iheartdgd]

This book had a special place in my heart when I was growing up, it basically lived in my backpack through elementary, I loved the stories and even tried to adapt a few of them, but like others I’m sure I was always scanning through the book looking at the illustrations as well. It didn’t really do anything for me when the movie was announced though as I figured it would just be another cash grab-jump cut horror film.

[@tibs8721]

The cinematography and directing by André Øvredal really elevates this film and makes each creature section feel unique. I just appreciate how it feels like an old-school horror movie, even if it is playing on my nostalgia for the book in which I would bring to school to scare my classmates lol

[@MrBrowntown112]

I’ve never read the books but I still enjoyed the movie

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

I actually read the book because I only came here from that Ghost Song. I enjoyed it except I haven't seen the movie yet.

[@jefferyjones8399]

Same here. I remember them floating around the house. I was too afraid of the covers to try to read them.

[@MagusMarquillin]

@@jefferyjones8399 I'd be afraid to read any floating book, let alone one's with those covers!

[@oneTwistedPuppy]

Why do you sound like your mic is inside of a box during the segments when you're in front of the camera?

[@azazel6342]

Dick in a box?

[@laurenrothbauer2557]

Maybe he got kind of heavy on noise removal when he edited the audio. The audio can have a muffled quality kind of like that when you do that.

[@redtexan7053]

Okay at best. I really like how they incorporated The Hearse Song though.

[@Rangernewb5550]

I remember all my classmates being psyched about this book, and it was always checked out at the library. This was around 2003 or so.

[@sockgoblin2942]

At one of the schools I went to, we used to check this book out of the library to read it at recess and with our friends to get a good scare. It wasn’t nightmare inducing, but it definitely gave us a scare enough to be tiptoeing around and jumping at every noise. I think of it because of the poem entry that was about what happens to you when you die, which involves one notable line about there being enough pus like whipped cream, and you “spread it on a piece of bread, and that’s what you eat when you are dead.” Eugh. Still grossed me out. When the movie came out I wasn’t really phased because I didn’t read the ones the movie seemed to be based on- there were three books after all, plus the editions i read didn’t have illustrations, and I was still happily watching goosebumps and the first It movie to really care. Still would like to see it, though.

[@GLORIOUSCHONK]

I'd love if it had been made some kind of anthropology or series in general.

[@jamieh.7914]

ssj panda I agree, like Goosebumps

[@veronicamalast618]

Did you mean anthology? Anthropology is a study of human cultures and societies and their development. Anthology is a collection of stories in writing or in film.

[@literalcancer8810]

Hell if people wanted a cinematic version of those stories crypt tv has some high quality shit on their channel that is very reminiscent of the original book

[@ThePokemonBeader]

When I went to go see this movie in theaters, I was actually really entertained, not just with what was going on in with the movie but also with the fact that several people in the audience actually were making commentary throughout it. I think everyone knew it was just gonna be some cheesy stuff but honestly, it was surprisingly a lot of fun. Not to mention it's not dragged down by its fan base, unlike say joker, that just inspired a bunch of edgy shitheads. It was really one of the best times I had at the movies. I sincerely hope theres a sequel ^.^

[@abrickonjupiter]

You hit the nail on the head for me with "Who is this movie actually made for?" It's what stuck out to me the most after seeing it the first time, for pretty much all the reasons you named and then some. Watching it, I had no idea whether to show it the grace I frequently (perhaps a touch erroneously) show horror targeted to younger teens or to treat it on the same level as an adult horror film trying to be ambitious. The Nixon thing was a particular confusing thorn poking out of the narrative for me, because nothing really built up any context for me to place its significance to the story, even thematically, because so little was really reinforced as having anything to do with it. When the characters escape the Jangly Man the first time, and flee from the police station, there's that closeup of the television declaring Nixon's win as a dramatic cap to the scene, and my reaction was a frustrated, "And? Why is this here? To remind us it's the 60s?" The drama of the closeup didn't feel like it made any sense. Then that FUCKING ENDING where the dude goes to war anyways. I saw this with my usual theater buddy who has taught a few film analysis classes, and we both didn't know what to make of it. "The war is bad and kids are dying and Nixon's a shit, but also don't run away from your fears and dodge the draft for this notoriously controversial war." I don't know how much of that was Del Toro idea, or if the script swerved hard from its original gist to avoid some sort of political accusation? I love Guillermo, but I do agree that he gets a little thematically and moralistically ambitious with his films and also their political backdrops, which has mostly worked in the past (Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth, etc.), but here can't genuinely commit or doesn't know what it really wants to do or say with it enough to make it feel more organic. I kind of wish they'd all just stuck to making a fun anthology monster flick with shamelessly indulgent set-ups rather than shoehorn a meaningful backdrop they can't expand upon anyways.

[@hyperbomb02]

The movie was made for people who grew up with the book, to take their children to the movies to introduce them to the book. So while it may not have had gore in it and it carries a PG13 rating, bringing a younger child isn't the end of the world, it's no worse than the book series. It attempted to bring the tension, twists, and feeling of the book series to the screen without gore or getting bogged down in what people consider "adult". It succeed for the most part on that merit. And really, bemoaning the movie because it didn't take the "easy route" as an anthology isn't a bad thing. Pretty much all anthology movies are bad, while this isn't perfect, it created a blanket narrative that allows the film makers to introduce book stories to the movie, while also leaving it open for another movie where we can get more book stories continuing in the framework they set up. You are actually invested in the movie now so a sequel is welcome for more than just nostalgia of childhood tales.

[@ThusSpokeFlexo]

Scary stories doesn’t even properly use any of the source material

[@maria.whiddon]

Agree

[@yaboy5692]

Yup. It should have just been a short episodic series of the actual stories

[@NinjaTyler]

@@yaboy5692 would've worked far better as a mini series on something like Netflix

[@yaboy5692]

NinjaTyler exactly !!

[@ThusSpokeFlexo]

@@yaboy5692 Del Toro said he didn't make it an anthology film or series because "They are always as bad as the worst story, never as good as the best story"

[@joey4track]

I haven't seen it yet but that is sad because this is the guy who made Troll Hunter and The Autopsy of Jane Doe which were both fantastic. I am surprised he made a bad film tbh

[@renamon5658]

This movie has goosebumps and are you afraid of the dark vibes

[@X-Cactus]

Renamon 565 No it doesn’t. Are You Afraid of the Dark is far more narratively driven. Goosebumps couldn’t even hope to be as good as the show either.

[@kilssj2250]

I'm with you!! 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark', as a film, should have been done as a series of anthology stories that may become together at the end kind of like the film 'Trick-or-Treat'... THAT was anthology done terrifying well!! 👻😱 I love well done practical effects and I love anthology stories and I love horror but this film didn't really make good use of all of those things at the same time.

[@sportshistorybuff]

Happy to hear I am not alone. So much hype about this film might have set me up for a letdown. One of the stories didn't even have any resolution or explanation. It simply ended and the next tale started.

[@yeasttown7580]

This is small but I’m so happy you mentioned super eyepatch wolf, you both are a couple of my favorite youtubers! I always hoped you were aware of him lol

[@daru_klas]

"Nothing ever comes anywhere close" Exactly how I felt. The scarecrow part made me think we were gonna get a real disturbing, expectation subverting film. Then it just got more and more boring.

[@mushrooms5601]

That’s why you don’t start out with the best one

[@Astrolionking]

I usually agree with you fam but Nah This movie wasn’t perfect but it’s great as a Halloween movie and just something to chill with if you don’t wanna be overly scared. It’s a fun movie.

[@TimZoet]

I felt the exact same thing. Got all hyped because this was the movie which would shake up the whole horror genre... and after 15 minutes I looked at my friend with a face like: "Is this really how it will go? Just the same old same old?.." - walked away around the time when the guy got dragged under his bed by the toe-lady. I've seen this movie a thousand times. Not _this_ exact movie, but this movie has been overdone

[@JaneBarkley]

As a horror fan with kids sometimes it can be tough to find films that walk the line of being scary but not too scary. Films that will help them get into the genre without being too much for them depending on their age. This one does that, which is disappointing in terms of personal nostalgia and love for horror in general but as Fear Shorts said it works as a gateway and will probably delight anyone who has wanted to bring anyone into horror who previously wouldn't.

[@Lyander25]

I grew up with the awesome books with Stephen Gammell's art. The movie made me sad.

[@Lyander25]

Also screw you Ryan I hyped those books to kingdom come among my circle of friends :)) ... I had fewer friends after.

[@_Digishade_]

For the record, the original "Scary Stories" book *did* scar my childhood. It was and still remains at least one of the most iconic representations of horror artwork of all time, in my mind. The stories themselves... not so much.

[@madisonstoner7405]

As a kid, I couldn't walk around my house in the dark for fear of The Bride. That picture jumps out at you when you turn the page, there's no getting away from it. As an adult, I didn't even want to watch that "toe" scene. I KNEW that image was coming.

[@jarrodedson5441]

@@madisonstoner7405 yeah neither could i

[@condawg758]

i just liked the movie because i thought it was a fun little flick. i liked all the practical effects and designs, but i didnt really pay attention to the story

[@josephkeen7224]

My stepdad actually expected the bully turning into a scarecrow.

[@dragonempress8367]

Thing is... I've never seen the book so it kinda scared me more. Especially the pimple scene since I always had a fear of acne or Trypophobia.