![]() Though the reader never sees the Slithery-Dee in question, it’s safe to assume it’s a sea monster who eats animals - and a very curious creature with a long tail and the stance of a human - that dare to stroll along the coast. ![]() The Slithery-Dee’s simple story line paired with its comic-strip-like presentation makes it almost memeable. “The Slithery-Dee,” Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Although it hints at a gruesome death for man’s best friend, specifically Rupert’s dog, Sam, in this story, in the end the horror hinges on the storyteller taking a pause after screaming “AAAAAAAAAAAH” and banking on somebody asking, ”Why did Rupert scream?” The big finale? He stepped on a nail.ħ8. So it’s confounding that this story is somehow one of the least scary in the series. Often dark and dusty, the horrors of an attic can range from ritual sacrifice to adolescent incest. “The Attic,” Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkĪttics have a long history of being scary. Without giving too much away, let’s just say all of this could have been avoided had the protagonist checked the peephole before opening her door and letting in a totally well-meaning, if slightly off, window washer.ħ9. I’m not saying there’s no room for humor in horror, and I appreciate the books ending with a little levity - sort of like when you would avoid nightmares by putting on a comedy after letting a horror movie scare the shit out of you as a kid - but most of these are instantly forgettable or frustratingly stupid. ![]() Let’s dive into the funny sections of these books right away. “The Viper,” Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Furthermore, reading this how-to isn’t even meant to scare you, just inspire you.Ĩ0. They are rubber gloves, but instead of being filled with something like popcorn they’re filled with mud or ice, as if that isn’t a big WTF because both things are slightly inconvenient while also being nothing consistency-wise like a hand. And so it goes, each body part corresponding to another delectable - that is, until we get to the hands. The ears are dried apricots, which is ingenious. The eyeballs are grapes, which checks out. You’re probably familiar with this game, however, which involves using food as a substitute for a rotting corpse and relies on a darkened room to disguise it as such. Here, we’re told this is a game, in the same way that one of your more annoying acquaintances might trick you into a never-ending night of Monopoly or the like. Some of the series’ weakest points come when the stories fit a gimmick rather than a narrative. “The Dead Man’s Brains,” Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark ![]() Problem is, the toe’s owner shows up looking for its appendage, but how? Something like 85 percent of our foot control comes from the big toe, so I call bullshit on that corpse finding the boy post-dinner, pre–physical therapy.Ĩ1. Tasked with catching the reader’s attention after the book’s brief explainer introduction, “Strange and Scary Things,” this story is about a filthy little boy finding and harvesting a big toe from the ground to add to his family’s soup. Unpopular opinion: The trilogy’s opener, which will appear in the movie, is a total dud. “The Big Toe,” Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark So here we go - maybe don’t read this list at night.Ĩ2. Still, there were plenty of undying themes of abuse and self-hatred that sent chills up our spines, along with some old-fashioned scares. This proved daunting, given that each book ends with a “funny” section devoted to lackluster gags. In honor of the movie’s release, we revisited all three books to determine which of the 82 tales hold up in terms of scariness and have remained relevant over the years. Judging by the trailer, this includes fan favorites like “Harold” and “The Red Spot,” undeniably two of the best in the collection. For many, they were a childhood staple: The stories, powered by Stephen Gammell’s ghastly, often unforgettable illustrations, are still etched into our memories and, possibly, inspired a passion for all things spooky.īut how good were those original stories, really? The series was published between the late ’80s and early ’90s and spans three books - Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones - yet only a handful of the 82 stories made the film cut. The Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark movie hits theaters this weekend, but true fans still remember the original book series - Alvin Schwartz’s iconic short horror stories for children.
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