Day 17 - Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Platform:
Borrowed disc from the Clermont County Public Library.
Quote:
“Stories can hurt. Stories can heal. And the more you tell them, they become real.”
Synopsis:
The legend of the Bellows’ house has haunted Mill Valley for generations. Children who cross the threshold on Halloween and hear a story from Sarah Bellows are never seen again. But this year, the stories escape the mansion, and a group of teens is going to have to face their worst fears or become another of Sarah’s victims.
Review:
Guillermo Del Toro produced this adaptation of the collection of childhood favorites. I remember reading this when I was in school, and now my kids have gotten into reading them as well. You’ll recognize some of the most popular of these stories such as “The Toe” and “Me Ty Doughty Walker”. Del Toro may only be a producer on this film, but you can feel his influence in the otherworldly creature designs (even if all the eyes are in the right place). The story is set in 1968 America with the draft on, and I can only imagine that this was also a Del Toro influence, as other than one character who is avoiding the draft (which really doesn’t have much to do with the plot really), there really isn’t much cause for why this movie would have been set at that time. Choosing to set the story in a different decade feels like a Del Toro movie.
The film is also pretty tame when it comes to gory violence. There’s really no blood to speak of in the film at all, and it relies on the creepy factor to deliver the scares. Because of this, it’s a pretty good entry-level scary movie for the preteen crowd looking to move beyond Hocus Pocus level films. Veteran fans of horror will also likely appreciate this thanks to Del Toro’s contributions and that Scare Stories to Tell in the Dark is probably one of the seminal texts that lead to their love of horror (ranking right up there with Goosebumps, for me at least). The visual effects and acting are also pretty solid so that there isn’t anything to draw unintentional laughs or groans of exasperation. This is a solid recommend for a modern take on some classic scary stories.
Movie Count:
New: 12
Total: 17
DVD/Blu-Ray Borrow Breakdown: I'm sure this feature is not new to anyone really, but I'll still point out some of the benefits and drawbacks. Let's start with the benefits. Most of the digital titles you find on the Hoopla and OverDrive platforms are going to be a few years old or going to be fairly obscure titles. New release, major motion pictures are going to take a while before they relinquish streaming rights to general public services like these. But the library regularly purchases physical copies of new releases for patrons to borrow. Libraries also offer hold services so that even if your library's copies have all been checked out, you can go ahead and put in a request to be put on a waiting list so that you hold your place in line to borrow that title when it's ready for you. Interlibrary loans also allow you to check out books and movies even if your local library branch doesn't carry the title, so your options are pretty much limitless as long as you have the patience to wait for delivery. The drawbacks to this service are that you do have to pay close attention to due dates. Videos usually have a higher late fee than books, and you have them for a shorter loan period (usually 7 days). One big leg up on borrowing physical copies that the digital platforms have, is that you don't have to worry about late fees because the titles automatically return when your loan period expires. However, if you know that the movie you want is very popular, and you want a little more time with it, you could always shell out the extra $1 to keep it another day. Another drawback is that you are using shared materials. That means that you are at the mercy of the treatment that other patrons apply to the material. Sometimes you get a DVD or Blu-ray that could be scratched (I know that Blu-ray's are supposed to be nearly unscratchable, but it seems that some people have taken that as a personal challenge), or dirty to the point that it skips, or is even unwatchable.
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