The Vale of Ghosts Jeffrey Miller Audio Reviews

By Aaron Wallace

Don't tell any child of the 1990s that you don't know about Goosebumps. The series, which began in impress in 1992 and fabricated its fashion to television by 1995, sold hundreds of millions of books and wove one of the thicker threads in the fabric of '90s culture, at to the lowest degree for kids.

Each book found a youthful protagonist facing off against the strange or supernatural, all flowing from the imagination of filthy rich author R.L. Stine. The softcore horror format managed to create a legitimately scary tone, though the dollars in profit gained surely far exceeded the hours of sleep lost. The TV series subsequently adapted the books for one-half-60 minutes mini-adventures, the latter never impressing me nearly as much equally Stine's novellas did.

The original book line ended in 1997, followed by the prove in 1998, and yet somehow their popularity persists. While the like-merely-meliorate "Are You Afraid of the Night?" stays subconscious in its eponymous shadows, 20th Century Fox keeps finding a market for new "Goosebumps" DVDs every unmarried yr.

The two latest are Set on of the Mutant and Ghost Beach , the latter of which is the much weaker 1 and the subject of this review. For the low only not rock-bottom retail price of $14.98, consumers are offered iii episodes and non a single frill.

Clunky, poorly acted, and entirely void of temper, "Goosebumps" is an embarrassingly abysmal evidence. The books might non be as entertaining every bit I remember them either, only they're surely ameliorate than this... and from what I know of the TV series, this particular disc's offerings are some of the worst.

Let's expect at the episodes now:

1. Ghost Beach (21:56) (Originally aired Oct 19, 1996)
A brother and sister see two other kids on the beach. When they mention this encounter to their grandparents, the usually cheery geezers become ominously outraged. Clearly, there'southward something worrisome near these kids, and if yous've read the episode title, I'll bet y'all can estimate what it is.

2. The Barking Ghost (21:25) (Originally aired October 11, 1997)
Cooper's scared to death of the barking dogs outside on Halloween. His family unit mocks him, but there's existent reason to be spooked past these canines. At what point is a title simply a spoiler?

iii. Exist Careful What You Wish For (21:56) (Originally aired May 11, 1996)

In an astoundingly original premise (sarcasm), a young girl is given three wishes but they all go horribly wrong. It reminded me of when I asked if I could review "Goosebumps" and then had to sit down through 90 minutes of awfulness. To be off-white, this episode is the best of the iii. Information technology'due south also the least "scary." Equally Clarissa the wish wielder, Ellen-Ray Hennessy is more memorable than anyone else on the disc.

VIDEO and AUDIO

The nicest matter I tin say about the moving picture is that it's presented in its native i.33:1 fullscreen ratio. Soft, grainy, washed out, and blurry, this certainly isn't the worst shape I've seen '90s television in, but information technology'south articulate that Fob hasn't done a affair to spruce it up. Non that we should expect much for a low-primal release like this, but the faded transfer is just 1 more reason to avert the DVD.

The packaging labels the audio as "Dolby Environs," which is really simply Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. There'south nothing remarkable most the track, which sounds slightly muted and compressed, but ultimately does what it needs to do.

BONUS FEATURES, MENUS and PACKAGING

There are no bonus features, no real previews, and not much of a bill of fare. There is one very short promo for "Goosebumps" on DVD, which plays when you first put the disc in. The 16x9 selection screen stays upward only long enough for ane loop of the theme song, so automatically launches into the showtime episode. The menu recycles the comprehend art, which also appears on the disc itself. When you're done with information technology, put it back inside its standard black eco-friendly keepcase or just snap it in half.

Closing THOUGHTS

The idea backside Goosebumps: Ghost Beach is for you to brand an impulse buy in the Halloween section of your local Target. Don't succumb. These episodes aren't eerie or festive or even fun. They're downright uncomfortable to sit through and won't do the least to get you in the full-moon-and-pumpkins spirit.

More on the DVD / Buy from Amazon.com

whiteantionce.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.dvdizzy.com/goosebumps-ghostbeach.html