ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK (1990)

After reviewing an early 90s light fantasy-ish horror fare (see here), we’re going back to the time capsule and going full on horror: ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK! This was a series that originated on the Saturday night line up of SNICK, on Nickelodeon (remember the orange couch?) Each episode had a group of kids called The Midnight Society, who would tell a different story each week while sitting around a campfire. This narrative framing offered a realistic scenario that kids could relate to; telling stories with their friends at night in the middle of the woods. This way, no matter how outlandish or fantastical the story itself was, there was always that sort of relation that these were just friends telling each other tales and trying to scare the piss out of each other. The stories themselves were very strong overall; if anyone says that the Deebo episode with the cigars didn’t make them leave the lights on afterwards then their nose should grow. We had everything; zombies, dead people resurrected, the Headless Horseman, clowns; the writers stretched everything they could for variety. And who can forget Sardo, the eccentric magic shop owner. If you want to revisit want horror looked like as a youngster in the 90s…revisit some episodes.

SLASH SCENE: Sardo, Deebo, 3-D glasses, Old Man Corcoran, too many to count…

SLASH SCORE: 5/5