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Writers’ Picks: Our Favorite “Goosebumps” Books

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When I think of my childhood, I think of going to the library every Saturday with my dad and checking out 2-3 Goosebumps books, inhaling them alll over the weekend and then doing it all again the next Saturday. It wasn’t long before I had finished the series that had so far been released and then moved on to Fear Street.

When I was a kid, there were Goosebumps books still coming out, then came the choose your own adventure style, then the television show. Goosebumps is synonymous with a child of the 90s and I’m not the only fan here at iHorror. I took the liberty of getting my fellow writers together to find out what their favorite books in the series where.

Whether you read this with the nostalgia of your 10-year-old self or you’re looking for present ideas for your kid/niece/nephew/grandkid/neighbor/secretly yourself or what have you, hopefully you will find this list helpful.

Goosebumps

Image courtesy of the Goosebumps Wikia

Say Cheese and Die! was published in 1992 and was the 4th book in the original series. It follows a young boy named Greg and his friends who discover a mysterious camera. As they take pictures, weird occurrences begin to happen causing harm to the people around him. Could the camera be haunted? It was followed up with a second book later on called Say Cheese and Die – Again! and also had a TV episode starring Ryan Gosling.

I love Say Cheese and Die! because it’s always been one that stuck out to me just like the rest of the classics. Plus there’s so many legends surfacing around camera’s taking souls as well as the phrase “a picture says 1000s words.” Well, what if that picture shows foresees your untimely death? I just love that idea behind this and it will always be a favorite of mine!

-Tori Danielle

Goosebumps

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

One Day at Horrorland has always been the one story and episode of the TV series that really stuck with me as a child. The idea of a theme park dedicated entirely to horror was so much fun to read about, and terrible accidents aside, I would have loved to be able to experience something of the like. One Day at Horrorland will always be my favorite goosebumps story, and served as the beginning to my love for the horror genre.”

-Justin Eckert

Goosebumps

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

I’ve always been sucker for werewolves, so The Werewolf of Fever Swamp was always my favorite Goosebumps book. The story is simple enough – a kid moves to a new house that happens to be right next to a swamp, and he soon suspects that there is a werewolf in said swamp. It has all of the trappings of the typical Goosebumps books – the childlike innocence, the red herrings, the cliffhanger chapters – but it also has a werewolf! It also helps that the Fever Swamp Wolf was easily the coolest monster that found its way into the Goosebumps movie. Like many of R.L Stine’s books, it also ends with a Shyamalanian twist that, read through adult eyes, is pretty pandering, but to a kid, it was jaw dropping. One of those “no way!” moments from my adolescence.

-James Jay Edwards

Goosebumps

Image courtesy of JBowmanCantSleep

Alongside The Haunted Mask, and One Day at Horrorland, one of the Goosebumps books I adore the most is one that it seems a lot of people have forgotten: The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight. If memory serves correctly, The Scarecrow was the 20th book in the initial Goosebumps series the dark and ominous paperback cover of a menacing looking scarecrow in a corn field was enough to catch my attention. The story itself is something that I can envision as an actual horror movie, which makes it that much more amazeballs. There’s just something so terrifying about a scarecrow coming to life that is beyond unsettling. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Tales from the Crypt, and the Children of the Corn series have touched on it, and for a children’s series of books like Goosebumps making a successfully scary enough story out of it, is a feat not a whole lot of authors have under their belt. Plus it makes me hungry for chocolate chip pancakes.

-Patti Pauley

Goosebumps

Image courtesy of Overdue Review

Growing up, the Goosebumps book that terrified me the most was The Haunted Mask (book 11 in the original series). It follows easily bullied and scaredy-cat Carly Beth that just once wants to scare the kids that are mean to her. She stumbles upon a Halloween shop and goes for the most grotesque mask in the she can find. After putting it on, she realizes she can’t get it off but begins to like the power of fear the mask instills.

This one was scary as a book but was kicked up a notch when the show made a two part episode about it. I could relate to being bullied and wanting to stand up for myself. You felt the fear build in Carly Beth as she realized she couldn’t take it off and saw the change in her behavior once the mask started to take over. The second Haunted Mask book didn’t pack the same punch that this one did. It was a perfect story of finding out what truly matters.

-D.D. Crowley

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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