By Geno McGahee
The horror-themed TV shows are a common thing and were especially so in the eighties and nineties. Shows like TALES FROM THE CRYPT, MONSTERS and TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE were much fun for the horror fans. The tales were usually interesting and entertaining. I even liked THE HITCHHIKER, but always wished that he went up a few sizes in those Wranglers. Why such tight pants dude? You’re hitchhiking. It should be all about comfort. So, what about the children? Well, the horror fans not ready for adult themes were treated to GOOSEBUMPS, based on the work of R.L. Stine, a horror series that saw both TV and book releases.
In ATTACK OF THE JACK-O’-LANTERNS, we begin with two kids, Drew (Erica Luttrell) and Travis (Aidan Desalaiz) walking the streets and talking about Halloween. Travis doesn’t think that his parents are going to let him go trick or treating, but Drew insists. Drew runs into some old friends in Shane (Philip Eddolls) and Shana (Andrea O’Roarke), but it doesn’t take long for the two neighborhood bullies to harass them. Tabitha (Maria Paikin) and Lee (Gino Giacomini) rush them dressed like monsters and startle them. This leads to the idea of revenge.
The town is already haunted by four of the residents disappearing under mysterious circumstances. This is stopping many of the parents from allowing their children out on the town for candy, but Drew’s parents trust her and Travis gets out of the house too. With the help and Shane and Shana, they are going to gets some revenge and scare the two bullies. Before that, Drew has a nightmare about children being held hostage by my brother-in-law, or somebody that looks remarkably like my brother-in-law. Is that a premonition of bad things to come?
Not my brother-in-law…I don’t think.
Travis and Drew meet up with Tabitha and Lee and begin trick or treating. It all seems normal, but they soon are approached by two people with pumpkin heads with the offer of a better place to trick or treat. The reluctantly agree and find a neighborhood where they get enormous amounts of candy, but it soon turns out that all of the people are secretly jack-o-lanterns.
There’s another twist or two and it ends rather silly, but this is GOOSEBUMPS. I’m not exactly the target audience. I actually found it amusing and good for what it was. I loved the fact that they got a guy that was so much like my brother-in-law. That was very amusing, but unless you have a brother-in-law like mine, you won’t really appreciate it.
ATTACK OF THE JACK-O’-LANTERNS is worth a watch if you’re a horror fan and my son, who is 10, really liked it. So, I’m sure he’d rate it higher.
Rating: 6/10
