Friday, September 16, 2011

Submitted for the approval of The Midnight Society...

If you grew up in the '90s, you know this show, you lived this show and if you are like me, you still love this show. Are You Afraid of the Dark? scared everyone during it's run and, if you are lucky enough to see it, still scares kids. I know there is the new "The '90s Are All That" airing on Nick, but I don't know if Are You Afraid of the Dark? is in its rotation yet or will be, but hopefully it will.

Like most TV shows, there are some episodes that are a lot better than others. But when Are You Afraid of the Dark? was great...it was really great. Spanning seven seasons and ninety-one episodes, it's hard to pick just ten to write about, but I'm going to try!

The Tale of Laughing in the Dark - The second episode of season one is a strong one and if you can forget Zeebo the Clown, I envy you. This tale follows a kid trying to be cool in the eye's of his friends and steals the nose from a funhouse clown named Zeebo. But soon, strange things start to happen and you know where the story goes from there. I don't know if everyone born in the '90s who is afraid of clowns can attribute it to Zeebo...but I am sure he didn't help.

The Tale of the Twisted Claw - A take on the classic tale of The Monkey Paw, two troublemakers receive a shriveled hand that gives them three wishes. The story never changes and these wishes get the boys into trouble. I'm sure there were a few people out there, who when reading The Monkey Paw later in life, said to the teacher "Hey, is this based on that Are You Afraid of the Dark? episode?". Come on...we all know at least one person who would say that.

The Tale of the Super Specs - This one introduces that loveable guy named Sardo, who owns a magic shop and is very particular about how you say his name. This is the classic story of boy likes girl, boy buys super specs, girl tries on super specs, girl sees other dimensional beings, girl and boy and magic shop owner try to fix it and it ends bad. Wait a minute...

The Tale of the Prom Queen - Now, this is the story we have heard before. Sorry for the mistake. Then again, I'm a sucker for the stories in the style of Resurrection Mary. It's generally the same story, with little variations here and there, but this is one of my favorite takes on that story.

The Tale of the Midnight Madness - I am also a sucker for the "Movie Comes Alive" story (Which would explain my love of Last Action Hero). Featuring the return of Dr. Vink, with a va-va-va, this episode also includes the title character from the movie Nosferatu. I love the usage of this classic movie. This is truly one of the best episodes from the whole run.

The Tale of the Midnight Ride - Who doesn't love The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? I know I sure do. So when that classic story and Are You Afraid of the Dark? combine, it's magical. It's a very fun episode and certainly one I will be rewatching before Halloween.

The Tale of the Curious Camera - With strong ties to a Twilight Zone episode, The Tale of the Curious Camera can't be bad. With twists, turns and clever contraptions to foil the evil object, I enjoyed this episode a lot, but it might just make you afraid to have your picture taken.

The Tale of the Quicksilver - There is always something scary about ghosts mixing with children and Are You Afraid of the Dark? doesn't disappoint with this episode. When two brothers move into their new room, they find that something lives there that wants only one thing...them. Gives you shivers...doesn't it?

The Tale of the Crimson Clown - Zeebo wasn't the only clown to terrify kids on the show. The Tale of the Crimson Clown, taking strong tips of clown doll scariness from Poltergeist, is the tale of what happens when a young boy is too greedy. I will admit, this is one of the ones I find creepy even today. Scary stuff.

The Tale of the Chameleons - This one has always stuck with me. I don't know what it is about this episode, but since I first saw it, I can't shake it. Guess I just really don't like lizards.

I know I said ten, but you can't write an article about Are You Afraid of the Dark? without bringing up...
The first three episodes of Season 7 encompassed The Tale of the Silver Sight, arguably one of the most famous episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark?. This story merged the real world with the story. I remember being so excited for this and loving every second of it when it aired. I want to say this was shown all at once, but I don't know for sure. After all, this was eleven years ago. I remember the special being a little bit better, but it all comes together gloriously in the end.

I always enjoy nostalgia and Are You Afraid of the Dark? reminds me why I love horror so much. I will always have a place in my heart for the series and, hopefully, so will future generations. Fingers crossed.

1 comment: