We continue the 31 Days of Frights with The Haunting Hour series from R.L. Stine. Similar to Goosebumps, this anthology series presents bone-chilling flights of fancy and dark morality tales for older kids unafraid of a good-old-fashioned scare.
The Haunting Hour debuted originally on the short-lived Hub network. It ran for four seasons from 2010 to 2014. The series was based on stories from R.L Stine’s The Nightmare Hour series. There were also plenty of original stories in this show. The majority of ’80s and ’90s kids remember Goosebumps series vividly. The nostalgia for that show is insane. Not as many people remember this series, but honestly, a lot of it is better than Goosebumps ever was. I love Goosebumps, and even though I do, a lot of the effects don’t hold up, the acting isn’t always great, and some of the stories did seem like they were aimed at much younger audiences. The Haunting Hour seems to be aimed at teens, and since this was the case, everything was just a little bit darker. Here are some episodes from the show worth checking out.
Catching Cold is the 17th episode of season 1. After getting a taste of the delicious Kreamy Kold ice cream, Marty Farrel becomes obsessed with catching the mysterious `Kreamy Kold Ice Cream’ ice cream truck that seems to haunt his neighborhood.
It sounds like a simple premise, but it is so damn good. The acting is great as we see this kid become insanely obsessed with finding the perfect ice cream.
Spoilers: Marty finally catches the ice cream truck. It turns out that his prize is to remain trapped in the truck until someone else comes along who wants the ice cream just as badly as he did. The last kid was trapped in the truck for more than 20 years. It’s a really dark ending and a fun watch.
The Dead Body is the fourth episode of the first season. A friendship made between a bullied boy and a mysterious new kid at school leads to school pranks that threaten to get out of hand.
This one is extra creepy. You are happy that someone is helping the bullied kid, but you also know there are ulterior motives. The acting in this one is really good as well, and there is some pretty good suspense.
Spoilers: When the bullied kid gets his revenge on the bullies with the help of the new kid, he thinks everything is okay now. Turns out that the new kid died tragically over 30 years ago in a fire, and the payment for helping out is to switch lives with his new friend. The bullied kid will no longer be remembered. Another really dark ending that is accompanied by a great soundtrack.
Dreamcatcher is the 12th episode of season 2. Feeling nervous, Lisa begins her first day at Camp Pine Mountain. She finds a friend in Amelia, but also an enemy in Meg. A camp legend about a creature that feeds on nightmares looks like it might be true.
This is a creepy episode for sure. It reminds me of A Nightmare on Elm Street, where you cannot be safe in your dreams. There are some really awesome visuals here and a really cool-looking villain.
Spoilers: The girls are trapped and about to be killed by the dream demon when their alarm clock goes off, waking them. Unfortunately, one of the girls decided to sleep somewhere else and didn’t hear the alarm. She is left screaming as the demon gets closer and closer before the screen fades to black. The episode is so good at creating suspense and has such a great ending.
Overall
The Haunting Hour is a fantastic show that gives you everything that Goosebumps did, but with more of an edge. The show has some great ideas, fun actors, and some awesome twist endings.
The Haunting Hour is not currently streaming, but you can find most episodes on YouTube.
Come back tomorrow for some more spooky reviews.
