GOOSEBUMPS: GO EAT WORMS!
(not rated)
MOVIE: *** (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
More short horror stories for kids are on this release of R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps”: “Go Eat Worms!” “Bad Hare Day” and “Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes.”
WHAT I LIKED
Like the disc of “The Blob That Ate Everyone,” this release includes three episodes of the “Goosebumps” series from the mid-90s. In “Go Eat Worms!,” we find a pre-teen boy who is fascinated with worms, to the point that he tortures his sister Regina with them. However, one day, the worms fight back. This episode was rather clever and has a great ending reminiscent of an old short film I saw once featuring Ewan MacGregor called “Desserts.”
“Bad Hare Day” reminds me more of an old “Tales from the Crypt” episode than the more obvious “Twilight Zone” stories. It follows a kid who meets a real magician only to discover the white rabbit in the act is actually another magician trapped by a spell. But things aren’t always as they seem. The writing in this one is cheesy, even for a “Goosebumps” story, but the overall concept saves it. While these stories were never overly violent, this one has a grim ending to it.
“Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes” is exactly what you’d expect. A family buys some lawn gnomes for their yard, which they are entering into a neighborhood competition. But at night, the weird little statues come to life and cause plenty of mischief. Probably my least favorite of the series, it still is enjoyable for kids to watch.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
As stated previously with the other “Goosebumps” shorts, the biggest problems include a low budget and poor production design. This really only comes into play with “Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes” because the gnomes themselves are almost too cheesy to watch. But as before, the kids will still enjoy the shorts as companions to the book series.
DVD FEATURES
No features are available on the DVD.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Kids into “Twilight Zone” (and “Tales From the Crypt”) stories, children’s style.