Spotlight on Nostalgia. Watching Goosebumps at Thirty

 

With the anticipation on R.L Stine's new series dropping in July. I decided to revisit one of my childhood favorites, Goosebumps. I don't know too many kids that grew up during this time in the 1990s that didn't tune and watch this and get scared out of their wits. I know parents who probably enjoyed some of them as much as their children.  I know that you can stream most, if not all of the series on Netflix. However, a couple years ago, I started collecting them on DVD. I guess something to pass on to my future kids. So, do they hold up after so many years? Well let's visit three episodes and find out. 

                                           

                                            

                                              The Blob That Ate Everyone

Synopsis:  " 12 year-old Zack Beauchamp's dream is to be famous horror writer. He's just written a story about a giant pink, oozing, wet blob that terrorizes the neighborhood. When Zack starts typing his story on the old typewriter he found every hair-raising word begins to come true!"

I think I remember this one vaguely. It probably wasn't my most favorite of the series then as it didn't leave a mark on me like The Haunted Mask. This one comes from the second season, and by now you would expect more, however it falls flat. It's a cute idea for a kid plot though. I also saw a little bit of myself in Zack, as I was the kid who was always coming up with stories and writing them. With all that being said, I can't say too much more, as it was one of the weaker of the series. 

                                               My Hairiest Adventure 

Synopsis:  " Larry Boyd and his band dare and one another to try insta-tan, but instead of bronzing, they  vanish and Larry gets hairy! Can he undo the damage before he also disappears?"

So we meet Larry Boyd being chased by dogs in the opening scene. After escaping the small pack of pups, we are now introduced to his friend group who are forming a band. While rehearsing they discover the tanning cream. Soon after his friends start to disappear and he starts growing hair. So this is one that I don't think I've seen in my youth. This was a little better than the latter, but not by much. None of the acting in these eps is worthy of mentioning in positive regard. Nor is the plot. 

                                                Piano Lessons Can Be Murder

Synopsis:  " Jerry finds a dusty old piano in his new house and takes lessons to impress a cute neighbor. But his teacher Dr. Shreek, is creepy weird and a terrifying ghost warns Jerry that gruesome secrets lurk at his music school."

Oh boy, I mentioned before about whether these were going to age well, well this one didn't. Probably the worst one I've watched so far. I can even see myself hating it as a kid. This one is not only the worst acted, its the worst effects and direction.  

So my finally verdict? Of course these are for children, and I am not going to be all in love with them like I was 24 years ago. They also have not aged well at all, I wonder looking pack at 90's television if all of it looked like crap? I hope people from my day who are now parents will show these to their kids. I also hope they share the experience and tune them on to the new reboot.