By: Keaton Marcus

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 14, YOU MUST ASK YOUR PARENTS IF YOU ARE ALLOWED, IF THEY SAY NO…IT MEANS NO!

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A rarity in the film business is a PG-13 rated horror flick done right, their usually shallow and too gory for a training-wheels scare-fest. A fine example of a proper, 100-minute film jock-full of suitable terrors is "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark". The picture is helmed by director André Øvredal while produced and written by the visionary Guillermo del Toro. While it's not as terrifying as it should be, the jump-scares are rarely a bore, the fresh cast does justice to a firm picture and there's an adequate amount of Toro's trademark haunts. The running time is fast-paced, and you'll have more than enough valid frights in this haunted-house horror film. It's better than the average fear-ride, the storytelling is well-constructed, and the script isn't terrible either. A recurring issue is that the whole product seems a little too silly for its own good, but it’s a fun time with some candy, popcorn--and some good old screams in the cinema, an old-fashioned, entertaining flick.

"Scary Stories" is a big-screen adaptation of Alvin Schwartz's '80's campfire stories, laden with corpses, spiders and downright creepy ghosts. Its old-fashioned stuff, but its a solid yarn for teens. The narrative takes place during 1968, in America, the year Nixon was elected, and the Vietnam war was breathing down the necks of the states. Stella (Zoe Margaret Colletti), Auggie (Gabriel Rush) and Chuck (Austin Zajur) are four friends looking for a good scare on Halloween night and after they are chased by their high-school enemy Tommy (Austin Abrams) they are allowed harbor by the mysterious Ramòn (Michael Garza).

Stella then thinks of an old dwelling that is essentially the flawless specimen of a cliched haunted house. The manor used to belong to the controversial Bellows family, who supposedly tortured one of their own, Sarah Bellows. Ya, it's disturbing all right. In the seemingly innocent household, they discover a diary belonging to Sarah. Supposedly, Sarah wrote scary stories during her life in blood. The five teens begin to realize that the stories tend to come to life. "You don't read the book", "the book reads you" Stella recites during the film. The premise does have potential, and Toro does catch the wind frequently. It ain't terrific, and may not please all adults looking for an ultra-gory, R-rated flick--but for teens looking for a suitably bone-chilling experience, it delivers.

Put in a run-in with a straw-laden scarecrow dubbed Harold with a grudge. A terrific scene with an overweight, pale figure slowly creeping on you in a red hallway. A downright eerie yarn about the Jangly Man. Toro and Øvredal are having a wonderful time playing with the younger genre enthusiasts' minds, and it works. Well, most of the time. It gets creative up to a point where audiences may not be as invested as they were during the first hour. "Scary Stories" is another example of one of those films that gets great but disappoints a little in the cliffhanger ending. However, it's a pleasure if the given audience isn't looking for an excellent film. It's no modern classic, but it is certainly something. Come back for a sequel!

The final opinion is: The horror flick is laden with ridiculous jump-scares, but "Scary Stories" is an entertaining, suitably spine-rattling experience with a solid cast and some fresh ideas...$TREAM IT

By: Keaton Marcus

Box Office Info:

Opening Weekend: 20.9m

Domestic Total: 68.9m

Worldwide Total: 105.6m

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