Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Someone’s Start, Experience’s Disappointment

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Do you remember your first horror story? Odds are it wasn’t a paranormal franchise, a teen slasher flick, maybe not even a classic monster show. Most likely it was a campfire story, something simple that could send chills down your spine and keep you awake, quivering in your sleeping bag. Now, a horror movie is a different kind of horror; a big part of the terror they inspire is in the visuals, the ability to watch the knife slice and the blood drip and the victims scream. Campfire stories prey on your mind, making you imagine all of these things. Now, if you’re watching a good horror movie or hearing a good horror story, some of the effects will be the same; you’ll be scared, your senses will be dialed to 11, and any noise coming from behind you could be a ghost or demon slinking through the trees to claim you as its next victim. So, the question becomes this: can campfire stories and their mind games, the introduction to horror, work on the big screen? The most recent attempt to bring that campfire atmosphere to the screen has come in the Guillermo del Toro produced (that’s right – produced, not directed, sadly) adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, an anthology of horror stories by author Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell. The books are a staple of grade school book fairs, and what this film has attempted to do is become that horror staple onscreen. The final verdict? The monsters are as scary as they’ve always been – but the story itself does not match that level.

The Shape of Water: Prettier Than Expected

Guillermo del Toro has proved for many years that he is a master of crafting a story and atmosphere that is darkly mystical, a gothic masterpiece that usually includes a darker, almost horror-centric feeling. His newest creation, The Shape of Water, steps back from the darkness a little and focuses more on romance, on a fairy tale that, while slightly odd, calls forth feelings of beauty and magic rather than tension and unease. While the story may not be quite up to par with del Toro’s usual standards, he has not stepped back from his ability to completely control what goes on in front of his camera and make it all look completely out of this world. When you think about it, choosing to use a mute protagonist may be the best way for del Toro to tell any of his stories – he’s proven that the story you see is more important than the story the dialogue tells you.

Oscar® Nominations: 2018

It is time for one of the most prestigious film awards of the year: the list of Oscar®-nominated films has been announced! There are both surprises and expected additions, as well as some insane snubs (How The Greatest Showman got only one nomination is beyond me, and no mention of Girls Trip at all? Come on…). There will be plenty of Oscars® content to come before the award ceremony on March 4, but for now, you can form your own opinions on what will and will not take home that golden statue. To see Reeltalk’s take on nominated films, follow the links at the bottom of the page.

Trivia: The Shape of Water leads for most nominations at 13 (the same as last year’s La La Land).