Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    HORROR SCREAMS VIDEO VAULT – SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT HORROR
    • Home
    • Film Reviews
      • Films Beginning With Numbers or Symbols
      • A – C
      • D – F
      • G – I
      • J – L
      • M – O
      • P – R
      • S – U
      • V – X
      • Y – Z
    • Book Reviews
    • Franchise Corner
    • Competitions
    • Horror Screams Podcast
    • Contact Us
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    HORROR SCREAMS VIDEO VAULT – SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT HORROR

    Film Review: SCARY STORIES (2019)

    Peter 'Witchfinder' HopkinsBy Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins8th August 2021No Comments2 Mins Read

    SCARY STORIES **** USA 2019 Dir: Cody Meirick. 84 mins

    Timed to more or less coincide with the release of the Del Toro-produced box office hit SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK, this is a comprehensive feature documentary about the influential “Young Adult” horror work of Alvin Schwartz. The three volumes of “Scary Stories” published in the 1980’s and 1990’s shifted over seven million books while earning the coveted position as the most banned books of the latter decade. In one of the loveliest moments of Cody Meirick’s professionally mounted documentary, Schwartz’s widow notes how thrilled her late husband was at this controversy. Harley Poe’s Joe Whiteford (whose rendition of The Hearse Song plays appropriately over the opening titles) is among those waxing lyrical about the inspiration of Schwartz’s work. Other authors, notably R.L. Stine, enthuse over the “gold standard” of the Scary Stories trilogy and welcome attention is given to Stephen Gammell for his brilliant original illustrations. Most interesting for many will be the focus on the “too gruesome for young readers” controversy generated by the self-appointed moral guardians on a mission to get the books remove from elementary schools. We see contemporary footage of the kind of God-fearing do-gooders who have enough spare time to count the number of “curse words” and sex acts in books while being remarkably oblivious to the natural fascination children have with gruesome stories. This film becomes a perceptive commentary on the need for kids to experience horror in fiction and entertainment. “They know people die but no one will talk to them about it…” notes one contributor. Anyone who grew up loving horror and realising how important the genre was to their own fears and anxieties will be particularly touched by the moment within the 1990’s footage in which a dad defends his daughter’s right to read – while emotionally regretting his own illiteracy due to a lack of opportunity when he was her age.

    Review by Steven West

     

    SCARY STORIES is available on Amazon

     

    FacebookLikeShareTweetPin
    Cody Meirick Documentary R.L. Stine Scary Stories Wild Eye Releasing

    Related Posts

    Explore ‘Areas Of High Strangeness: Stimson Hospital’ – Documentary out now on Digital Platforms

    12th June 202501 Min Read
    Read More

    BayView Entertainment release documentary ‘ECETI Ranch Stargate: The UFO-Bigfoot Connection’

    13th May 202501 Min Read
    Read More

    Lynchian Doc I KNOW CATHERINE, THE LOG LADY Makes Hollywood Premiere 17th April, Rollout to Follow

    17th April 202503 Mins Read
    Read More

    BayView Entertainment release Documentary exploring the occult world that surrounded Hitler

    8th April 202501 Min Read
    Read More

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Recent Posts
    • Mors Omnia Solvit: the Italian occult film presented and distributed by TetroVideo and DarkVeins Records
    • Evil Awakening: LOST MEDIA RESURFACES – Horror Movie Returns After 25 Years
    • THE LEGACY LIVES ON: ANDREW PIERSON CAST AS WILLIAM SPANNER IN WITCHCRAFT 17
    • “Tonight She Comes” to MoviVue
    • A BAROQUE FILM FEST is officially in motion!
    Archives
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.