Every Haunting Hour Ever #66: Uncle Howee

Season: 3

Episode: 26

Original Airdate: December 21, 2013 

Director: Ken Friss

Writer(s): Rick Drew

Ladies and gentlemen! We are at the final episode of season three! Woo hoo! So without further ado, let's dive right in! 

Jared is stuck babysitting his younger sister, Cynthia, who's been watching The Uncle Howee Show, a kids' show hosted by a loud, energetic man, featuring a puppet rabbit named Loomis, nonstop -- and learns a hard lesson in caring for his sibling when Uncle Howee and Loomis begin talking to Cynthia and plotting their escape from the television.

One of the things I liked about the episode was the balance of details. There's enough information to allow the audience to understand what's going on but there's also enough mystery to allow the audience to come to their own conclusion about how Cynthia was able to call upon Uncle Howee. For me, I have thought of two possibilities. The first is that Cynthia has an ability similar to Danny from The Shining where they can call upon another person with the same ability for help. The second is that this is all a fantasy in Cynthia's head that allows her to cope with her bully of a brother.

Another thing I liked about this episode was how they handled an unlikable character. Unlike in an episode like Bad Egg, this is a character who is intentionally unlikable and they really go out of their way to show how much of a jerk Jared is. As somebody who has experienced something similar what Cynthia went through, I also think this is a pretty realistic portrayal of sibling abuse. Because of this, the scenes where Jared is getting his comeuppance by being tormented by Uncle Howee are very effective. 

But by far the best part of this episode has to be Tom Kenny as Uncle Howee. Oh my god, you couldn't have asked for better casting! He's kind of like Yzma and Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove in the sense that every second he's on screen, he's having a ball. I think this is most prominent in the scenes where he's tormenting Jared in a goofy and over the top way, such as when he imitates a cop answering the phone when Jared tries to call the police. Hell, even his bunny pal Lumis (who is voiced by Tom Kenny if my information is correct) is great because his Ed Wynn impression is solid, as it comes really close to sounding like the actual guy. Despite this, he can still pull off the parts where he has to be unsettling in different ways. 

I think my only major complaint with this episode is Jared's acting. This isn't the worst acting I've seen but it definitely needs some work. I think the problem here is with the delivery of the lines. I understand that he's supposed to be this impatient deadpan jerkward kind of character but it falls flat because most of the time, he seems a little too deadpan and there are even parts where the inflections are rather odd. In all honesty, I think the episode more than makes up for this but I still felt like it was something I needed to point out. 

Overall, Uncle Howee is an imperfect yet fantastic episode and it was certainly one hell of a way to wrap up the season! If I were to make a Top 13 Best Haunting Hour Episodes list, this would definitely be somewhere in the top five!

Overall Grade: A

Well ladies and gentlemen, I've done it! I've not only reviewed every episode of season three but I've also reviewed about 75% of the entire series and I think that certainly calls for a celebration. I won't give away too much about the next season but let's just say that it's a lot shorter in comparison.

Overall Season Grade: 

Studs: 22/26

In-Betweeners: 4/26

Duds: 1/26 (This is for the original ending of Spaceman, which got an overall grade of D-.) 

While this season had more In-Betweeners and Duds compared to the last season, I still think season three was rather solid, mostly because the episodes that were good were extremely good and it really felt like they kicked it up a notch in terms of quality. So until next time folks, this has been Azu signing off!

Every Haunting Hour Ever #65: Toy Train

Season: 3

Episode: 25

Original Airdate: December 14, 2013 

Director: James Head

Writer(s): Craig S. Phillips and Harold Hayes Jr.

Well guys I'm almost there. Just one more episode left after this one and I'll be done with season three! 

While cleaning out the attic with his father, Logan finds a scale model toy train set that brings to life an old train and a switchman who died because of a mistake Logan's father made years ago.

One of the things I liked about the episode was Logan's father. While he is distant throughout the episode, he actually has an understandable reason as to why he's like this. You see, when he was a kid, a switchman came and saved his life but died in the process. Because of this, he feels guilty about the incident and claims responsibility for killing the switchman. Towards the end of the episode, the switchman's ghost confronts him. He wants Logan's father to forgive himself, as the switchman died saving him, and in his guilt, he buried the switchman figure. Logan's father replaces the figure, and the switch man saves Logan by switching the train track. Personally, I think he's a far more likable character than Dr. Douchebag (Jason's father) from Bad Egg. I think the main reason for this is because he seems to have quite a bit of depth to his character and I felt like this made it easier for me to sympathize with him. 

Another thing I liked about the episode was Henry. Now you could argue that he makes the twist a bit more predictable and that he didn't really need to be there. However, I didn't really mind this character all that much because he does have a few cute moments and his interactions with Logan were actually enjoyable. Not only that but the actor they got to play him did a great job. It's a bit hard for me to explain but basically, the actor makes this character feel authentic in the sense that he seems to act like a real little kid as opposed to a one liner spewing machine like Michelle from Full House. 

Overall, despite its flaws, Toy Train is a much better episode than Bad Egg. It may not be as big of a tearjerker as The Perfect Brother but I still think it's worth checking out.

Overall Grade: A-

Every Haunting Hour Ever #64: Bad Egg

Season: 3

Episode: 24

Original Airdate: December 7, 2013 

Director: Neill Fearnley

Writer(s): Erik Patterson, Jessica Scott 

So recently, Adam West had passed away. This was the guy who put Batman on the map with the 1960's Batman TV series. He was also famous for his role as the mayor in Family Guy and his role as Catman from The Fairly Odd Parents. One of the characters I distinctly remember him playing was The Galloping Gazelle in the Goosebumps TV episode titled "Attack of The Mutant". Also, I only have two more episodes of this season left to review. 

An irresponsible boy named Jason is only one screw-up away from being shipped off to military school as per his strict father and must prove himself responsible when assigned to care for an egg as part of a school project. Trouble is, the eggs donated to the school are rejects from a biochemistry lab harboring an ostrich-like monster that is not fit to live among humans, and now Jason must keep his father from knowing about his latest mistake while keeping the monster away from two government agents posing as pest control workers who want the monster back.

One of the things I liked about the episode was Jason. While he does start off as a bit of a goofball by making jokes about the egg assignment, he starts to take it more seriously and even forms a strong bond with the creature that was inside of the egg, which kind of tugged at my heart strings a bit. 

The other thing I liked about the episode was the creature named Timmy. Throughout the episode, you only see brief glimpses of it until the very end of the episode and when you actually get a good look at the monster, its design has a great balance between cute and ugly. Not only that but its has a bit of a personality that shares some traits with Jason's personality such as having a hatred for Jason's father, as evidenced by the scene where he drops a paint can on his head. 

Unfortunately, one of the major problems I have with this episode is Jason's father, who I will be referring to as Dr. Douchebag from this point forward. So if you couldn't tell already, my problem with this character is that he's way too unlikable. I understand that he's a strict father but Dr. Douchebag seems to flat out hate his son and treats him as if he were a mistake. Hell, even when Jason tries to take the assignment seriously, he doesn't seem to praise his son for it and instead says something along the lines of, "Wow, looks like you haven't screwed things up for once," in a cold yet aggressive manner. To add insult to injury, when Jason tries to admit that he screwed up by telling him that he broke the egg, Dr. Douchebag just ignores that and tells his son that he's going to military school. 

Based on this description, Dr. Douchebag seems to be an abusive parent, which might've worked and made a bit more sense like in My Robot, if he were intended to be a villain. But as far as I can tell, he's not because the actual villains of the episode are two government agents posing as pest control workers trying to get the monster back. What's funny about this is that the villains are portrayed more sympathetically than Dr. Douchebag because all they want to do is catch a potentially dangerous creature and keep it out of human society in order to prevent someone from getting hurt. Sure, they can be creepy when going about it at times, but from what I saw, they weren't being abusive towards any one and their struggle is played out like a more subdued version of a Roadrunner cartoon. Screenwriting 101: If a character who isn't intended to be a villain is more villainous than the actual villains, you dun fucked up.

Overall, Bad Egg is an episode that I feel really bad for because it has likable main characters such as Jason and Timmy, yet has an extremely unlikable character like Dr. Douchebag that really drags down the quality of the episode for me. If Dr. Douchebag was made more likeable or taken out of the episode altogether, I think this would've been an extremely solid episode. But as is, it's not horrible but it's not as great as it could've been. 

Overall Grade: C

Every Haunting Hour Ever #63: My Robot

Season: 3

Episode: 23

Original Airdate: November 30, 2013 

Director: James Head 

Writer(s): Melody Fox

So from what I understand, I'm halfway through the home stretch of season three, as I only have three more episodes of this season to review. And heeeeere's another one! 

Phillip is a science nerd with a secret: he has a robot that he ordered online and programmed himself, and it originally did anything Phillip asked, but the robot gradually overpowers Phillip's programming and is now doing what is "best" for Phillip, forcing him to do things like exercise and eat tasteless nutrient food. Phillip couldn't return the robot to the factory and the robot has actually scared his parents away, so he begs for his friend Tim's help in destroying it. They trick the two school bullies into helping, and while they do shut down the robot. 

One of the things I liked about this episode was Phillip, specifically the direction they take with his character. At first, he seems like the most stereotypical nerd possible (minus a Steve Urkel esque voice). However, as the episode progresses, there are implications that Phillip might've forcibly become this way due to the robot's overbearing nature. This add an interesting layer to Phillip's character as it not only shows how abusive the robot can be but it also makes the robot itself seem more intimidating. 

Another thing I liked was the robot. While its design and voice are a bit campy, it doesn't do much to take away from how horrifying it actually is. Most of what makes it horrifying is that it's so overbearing, that it seems like it's abusing Phillip. To make matters worse, Phillip had virtually no way to get rid of this thing and for a long time, he was basically left alone with it. The factory it came from wouldn't take it back and his actual parents had been scared away by it. To me, this robot is a symbol of overbearing parenting and the episode really does its best to show the consequences that this style of parenting can have on a child. 

Much like Coat Rack Cowboy, the one thing I'm split on is the ending. Without giving too much away, Phillip betrays Tim when the robot gets reset. On the one hand, the ending goes in a direction that I was not at all anticipating, which I really appreciate. On the other hand, it puts a dent in Phillip's likability and seems unfair to Tim as he stood up for Phillip against some stock bullies (who get their comeuppance via the robot) and helped him with his robot problem.

Overall, My Robot was a very enjoyable episode that took a couple of unexpected and interesting turns. Although it can be a bit campy at times, it still does a great job of dishing out the horror.

Overall Grade: A

Every Haunting Hour Ever #62: Dead Bodies

Season: 3

Episode: 22

Original Airdate: November 23, 2013 

Director: Jason Furukawa

Writer(s): Jed Elinoff, Scott Thomas

So on Monday, I had turned nineteen years old. That means I'm one year away from being legally allowed to drink... in Japan. Also, I have four more episodes left of season three. 

In this sequel to season one's "The Dead Body," Jake Skinner (who is now human after tricking Will into dying in 1961) finds his time on Earth running out when a Grim Reaper-esque wraith grabs his arm and causes his skin to rot, so Jake plans to trick Anna into sacrificing her life so Jake can keep living -- and only Will's ghost can stop him.

One of the major improvements that this episode makes from The Dead Body episode is that the bullies, Trevor and Chang, are absent, aside from being mentioned briefly. In my review of The Dead Body, I thought that Trevor and Chang were nothing more than one dimensional bullies and were also the weakest part of that episode. Because of this, I feel like omitting these characters was a smart move and really strengthened the episode for me. 

The other thing I liked about this episode was the character development. The first major piece of character development is from Anna. In this episode, she's trying to study for her SATs, which are extremely important if she wants to get into college. However, she gets distracted by Jake who says that she'll have plenty of time to take tests. She tries to resist but she eventually gives in. I think this makes her seem more like a real person because there are times when we know we need to do something important but we get distracted by certain things, which can sometimes be difficult to ignore or resist. The other major piece of character development is from Will. Throughout the episode, Will is trying to get Anna's attention and warn her about Jake, though she doesn't seem to notice him, much to his dismay. Towards the end of the episode, Will musters up all the courage he can and uses his ghost powers to fight Jake and save Anna from becoming another victim of Jake's trickery. Because of this kind deed, he is rewarded by becoming human again while Jake is sent to hell, presumably by the wraith. 

One of the weaker parts of this episode was the effects for the wraith. In this episode, the wraith shows up twice and when they're shown on screen, it's clear that CGI was used. Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against CGI itself. But the problem here is that the CGI looks like something out of those live action Scooby Doo movies, which aren't all that great looking. This is show that has had great special effects in the past and even when the effects didn't look all that great (see The Golem Part 2), they still worked to the episode's advantage. However, the CGI in this episode does not do that and it just sticks out like a sore thumb. 

Overall, Dead Bodies is a great follow up despite one or two setbacks. 

Overall Grade: B+

Every Haunting Hour Ever #61: Long Live Rock and Roll

 

 

 

Season: 3

Episode: 21

Original Airdate: November 16, 2013

Director: Neill Fearnley

Writer(s): Brandon Auman 

Hello there ladies and gentlemen and welcome to my review of the twenty first episode of season three. For those who don't know, season three has about twenty six episodes, making it the longest season in the series. Since I'm currently reviewing the twenty first episode, I only have about five more episodes to go before I'm finished with this season. In other words, we are in the home stretch! 

Holden is a boy with a garage band, but no musical talent when it comes to playing lead guitar. So when a former, Keith Richards-esque rock star-turned-music shop owner known as Sir Maestro offers him a new guitar seemingly for free, Holden jumps at the chance, only to learn that Sir Maestro wants more than cash for payment and Holden's friends have been tempted with similar offers. 

One of the things I liked about the episode is Sir Maestro. I'm not sure if I used this comparison already but he's kind of like the villain from Something Wicked This Way Comes. He's charismatic but not to a point where he can't be creepy. Not only that but his design is also great. I think it really fits and even enhances the whole rock star motif he's aiming for. 

Another thing I liked about this episode was the climax. So in the climax, Holden challenges Sir Maestro to a "rock-off" in order to save his friends from Maestro's control. There are quite a few things about this climax that I really liked. First off, Holden gets a nice bit of character development. In the beginning of the episode, Holden's guitar skills are less than great and blames his guitar. However, when he's forced to use his original guitar in the rock off, his skills have clearly improved as he doesn't seem to make a mistake when playing. Second, the climax kind of reminded me of the rock off from the Tenacious D movie, which I think they might've been referencing or paying homage to in their own way. 

Unfortunately, there is one problem I have with the episode. So there's a scene where Sir Maestro sneaks into Holden's room and explains that he wants his soul once he gets his bandmate's souls. Now this doesn't seem too bad but the problem with this scene is that it kind of screws up the pacing and I feel like they could've conveyed this information in a much more time efficient way. 

Overall, Long Live Rock and Roll is an episode that does a good job balancing the creepiness with the fun. It's a rather solid episode that's worth checking out. 

Overall Grade: B+

Every Haunting Hour Ever #60: Coat Rack Cowboy

 

Season: 3

Episode: 20

Original Airdate: November 9, 2013

Director: James Head

Writer(s): Jack Monaco

A long time ago, I remember watching this episode for the first time. Back then, my thoughts on the episode could be summed up as, "Not bad but not very engaging." Well, now that I've made it to this episode in my Every Haunting Hour Ever marathon, I might as well give it a second chance. 

Ethan and his older brother, Brett, are sent back to the days of the Old West, where an outlaw named John "Mad Dog" McCoy (who was hanged for his crimes on the tree in Ethan's yard) challenges him to a final showdown at high noon after learning that his resting place has been cut down and turned into a coat rack.

One of the things I liked about this episode was the setting. So this episode mostly takes place in the wild west. With TV shows that were made in this decade, including The Haunting Hour, you don't really see this type of setting too often. Because of this, it's neat to see. Not only that, but the music and visuals do a good job of engulfing the viewer into this type of environment. 

The other thing I enjoyed about the episode was the villain. Although there are times where his acting can get a bit hammy, he still manages to come off as intimidating. I think this comes from how he talks to Ethan and Brett in a very threatening manner and the fact that he shoots his gun to silence them when they're bickering without a second thought. 

There's one part of the episode that I'm on the fence about however. Towards the end, Ethan starts telling Mad Dog about how his decision to shoot the sheriff has had numerous consequences on various people (particularly the sheriff's children) and even the town itself. At first, Mad Dog shrugs it off. But then as Ethan gives out more details, the outlaw's guilt grows and grows and eventually gets to a point where it ends up killing him. After Mad Dog is slain, Ethan tells Brett that the details he shared with Mad Dog were false. On the one hand, it kind of feels like a cop out because it seems like the writers were afraid to have either character shoot a person. But on the other hand, the whole made up backstory thing does tie into Ethan's love of storytelling. 

Overall, Coat Rack Cowboy was a lot better than I remember, although it isn't without its flaws. Even if you aren't into wild west stories, I still think this a good episode to check out.

Overall Grade: B-

Every Haunting Hour Ever #59: Lovecraft's Woods

 

 

Season: 3

Episode: 19

Original Airdate: November 2, 2013

Director: Neill Fearnley

Writer(s): Brandon Auman

The plot of today's episode goes a little something like this. A man tells his psychiatrist of the struggles that led to his downfall, beginning at his great-uncle's bedside, where he receives a key to a locked collection of his papers. The papers reveal a lifelong obsession with an underwater deity, Cthulhu, around which a cult has formed. Nah just kidding! Here's the actual plot. 

When looking for a shortcut to get to a party, three friends, Margaret, Nickolas and Erica, take a short-cut through the Lovecraft's Woods, a strange patch of woods just as evil as its namesake.

So from what I understand, this episode has nothing to do with H.P Lovecraft. But is it still a good episode regardless? Well, let's find out. 

Now one of the things I liked about the episode is the suspense. While it does get off to a bit of a slow start, the episode becomes extremely suspenseful once the "ghoul" character is introduced and it barely lets up for the rest of the episode. I'm not going to lie, this has got to be one of the most suspenseful episodes I've seen so far. 

The other thing I liked about the episode was the twist. Now early on, part of the twist is revealed once you get a good look at the ghoul's face (i.e Erika is the ghoul.) However, the rest of the twist is kept a mystery until the very end and honestly, it not only through me for a loop but it also made sense given what happens to the characters. 

The final thing that I liked about this episode is the Erica character. Now at the beginning, she acts rude towards her friends. However, as the episode progresses, you start to learn more about her and when Erica gets accidentally scratched by something in the woods, the scratch becomes worse and worse to the point where she becomes deformed. In other words, while Erica isn't a total saint, she still manages to be likeable enough to where you feel sorry for her when she has bad things happen to her. 

Overall, Lovecraft's Woods is a solid episode. While it may not be as good as Detention, there are plenty of strong elements that really make this episode enjoyable in its own right. 

Overall Grade: A-

Every Haunting Hour Ever #58: Worry Dolls

Season: 3
Episode: 18
Original Airdate: October 26, 2013
Director: Neill Fearnley
Writer(s): Nicole Dubac

Like with Poof De Fromage, this is an episode I've been wanting to talk about for quite a while. However, my thoughts on this episode are little different from my thoughts on Poof De Fromage. What do I mean by this? Well let's start the review to find out!

As a souvenir from her traveling parents, Jordanna (Katherine McNamara) receives a box of knitted dolls known as "Worry Dolls" said to magically fix people's worries -- which prove disastrous when their nanny (Gwynyth Walsh) goes missing, Jordanna's heirloom violin breaks, and Jordanna's parents (Kirsten Robek, Cameron Bancroft) quit their jobs and become obsessed with family togetherness. Jordanna eventually learns of the "Worry Dolls" effect and ends up burning them.

One of the things I liked about the episode is the story. So in this episode, we have workaholic parents, which on its own is rather cliche. However, they put a very interesting spin on it. Unlike in a lot of these stories, the parents play the cliche straight but slowly subvert it as the episode progresses. They do this by making it clear to the audience where they're coming from without seeming unlikeable. Not only that, but once they start to become too obsessed with family bonding, Jordanna and Max yearn to get out of the situation and become more appreciative of the fact that their parents work a lot.

The other thing I liked was the ending. Towards the end of the episode, the parents become obsessed with family bonding to the point where it gets very disturbing. To stop the madness, Jordanna lights a fire in the fireplace and throws the Worry Dolls right in there, effectively turning them into dust. When the dolls are burned, everything goes back to normal. That is, until the burned Worry Dolls gather around Jordanna's pillow in the dark of the night! While the whole "it's still alive" twist doesn't seem all that special, the way its planned out makes it work. From the music they play to the design of the dolls to the lighting scheme, it becomes a frightening scene and solid way to end an episode.

Overall, Worry Dolls is a surprisingly good episode that took a cliched story and put its own little spin on it.

Overall Grade: A-

Every Haunting Hour Ever #57: Funhouse

Season: 3

Episode: 17

Original Airdate: October 19, 2013

Director: Michael Robinson

Writer(s): Erik Pattenson and Jessica Scott

So today's episode is a rather interesting one. The best way I can describe the plot is that it's a mix between Headshot and A Creature Was Stirring. But does this mean that the episode is good? Well, let's find out. 

Bitter and angry over his father abandoning his family and his mother too busy with work to care, a boy named Chad becomes addicted to visiting a traveling fun house, where he can let out his familial frustrations with sadistic glee by smashing a model replica of a family arguing at the dinner table, but the more time Chad spends at the fun house, the meaner and more addicted to the violence he becomes. 

One of the things I liked about the episode was the main character. In this episode, Chad gets quite a bit of development. In other words, we really get a sense of how he feels about the situation and how he tries to handle it. However, he isn't exactly pitch perfect. For example, after destroying a model of a family arguing in the fun house, he gradually becomes more obsessed with it to a point where he becomes extremely violent. Because of this, it was easy for me to care about him and get wrapped up in his story. 

The other thing I liked about the episode was the source of the horror. In this episode, the main source of horror is Chad's descent into madness and it's both horrifying and tragic at the same time. Not only does Chad's behavior grow uglier but he also starts to become physically deformed the more he goes into the fun house. Honestly, this was hard for me to watch because I've seen just how anger and sadness can sometimes make a situation worse that it was before from my experience living through a divorce. 

Despite this however, I have a couple of issues with this episode.

One of the problems with the episode is the pacing. At times, it can be a little too fast. Although it's nowhere near as bad as it was in Night of The Mummy, it's definitely noticeable. 

The other problem with the episode is the main character's acting. Don't get me wrong! His acting isn't anything terrible but at times, it can get a bit too hammy. Honestly, for me, it's borderline distracting. 

Overall, Funhouse is a rather solid episode and honestly, that's all I have to say about it.

Overall Grade: B+

Every Haunting Hour Ever #56: Detention

Season: 3

Episode: 16

Original Airdate: October 12, 2013

Director: Neill Fernley

Writer(s): Harold Hayes Jr. and Craig S. Phillips

Hey there ladies and gentlemen! Have you ever wanted to see a show like The Haunting Hour do their take on The Breakfast Club? Well it's here so, let's look at it anyway. 

Kate, a snooty homecoming queen, Halftime, a lovable, but dim-witted jock, and Audrey, an apathetic Goth girl, are stuck in detention for unknown reasons, but when Kate goes missing and strange images and noises begin haunting them, Audrey and Halftime soon realize that their after-school punishment is from a higher power. 

One of the things that I liked about the episode was the characters. At first, the characters start out as the most stereotypical characters you can imagine. However, as the episode goes on, they slowly become more three dimensional and somewhat realistic. Truth be told, I was about to hate these characters when I first saw them but after I saw them get a lot of development throughout the episide, I was pleasantly surprised! Not only that but considering that these are one off characters (which usually get minimal character development) in a twenty minute episode, that's quite impressive!

Another thing I liked about the episode was the atmosphere. In this episode, the school is a maze like area that's practically inescapable. It feels empty and quiet save for screaming and other voices screeching over the loudspeaker. Not only are these sounds unnerving but they also act as foreshadowing for later in the episode. Speaking of which... 

The other thing I liked about the episode was the ending. This is by far the best part of the episode not only because the characters get the most development here and is quite heartwarming and heartbreaking but also because we find out why they're really in detention. You see, we find out that all of the characters had died and none of them are innocent. For example, Audrey is responsible for throwing the smoke bomb at the float Halftime and Kate were riding on, which caused the float to crash and lead to their deaths. Halftime is responsible for rigging the Homecoming vote so Kate could be Queen in order to be invited to a party and Kate is responsible for being the bitchiest bitch who ever bitched. Despite this though, they are given a chance to redeem themselves and are taken back to when the parade is just getting started. Long story short, they take the chance and redeem themselves by not making the previously mentioned mistakes and choose to just enjoy the parade and have a good time. 

Overall, Detention is one of the most if not the most adult episode in the entire series and I don't mean in the whole "Ha Ha! Let's throw in lots of swearing, sex, and violence" type of adult. I'm talking about the type of adult that actually challenges its target audience by giving them dark and complex themes to think about, giving them likable but flawed characters to latch onto, and just giving them an overall interesting experience. 

Overall Grade: A+

Every Haunting Hour Ever #55: Séance

Season: 3

Episode: 15

Original Airdate: October 12, 2013

Director: James Head

Writer(s): Melody Fox & Tim Shell

So I recently finished watching an episode of Penn and Teller's Bullshit (yes that's the name of the show) about Ouija boards and I gotta say, it was not only hilarious but quite informative as well. Along with their Sleep Inc and Hypnosis episode, it may be one of my favorite episodes in the series. Speaking of Ouija boards... 

As part of a joke, Naomi (Julia Sarah Stone) and Tracey (Laine MacNeil) try to scare Naomi's sister Carla (Joey King) by summoning the ghost of an evil man named Cyrus Clayton (Ian Gregson), a sawmill worker who was fired for drinking on the job and killed his boss before he lost his leg. But the joke's on them when Carla goes missing and the spirit is let loose in the house. 

One of the things I liked about the episode is how they execute this plot. So from what I understand, it's kind of similar to the episode Creature Feature in the sense that its paying homage to movies from a certain time period while parodying them at the same time. However, unlike Creature Feature, it's not that crazy or grandiose and it's not even paying homage to the same types of movies (Creature Feature pays homage to 1950's B-Movies while this episode pays homage to 1980's horror films.) Despite this though, the episode still has fun with its idea and it still manages to pull it off well. Not only were there quite a few scenes that made me laugh due to the delivery of the lines and how well they make fun of a cliche, but when the episode wants to be dark and atmospheric, it can do that with little to no issue. 

Overall, Seance is a fun episode to watch. I know this review was kind of short but I honestly don't have anything else to say about it without talking about the episode scene by scene. 

Overall Grade: B

Every Haunting Hour Ever #54: Terrible Love

Season: 3
Episode: 14
Original Airdate: February 9, 2013
Director: Ken Friss
Writer(s): Natalie Lapointe & Greg Yolen

Heerrree's Azu! Yeah I don't really have a proper intro this time so... here's the review. 

Maggie (Emma Grabinsky) is hopelessly infatuated with Brendan (Joel Semande), but he doesn't even notice her. When she messed up a chemical experiment, she meets Cupid (David DeLuise) – depicted as a man in a white suit instead of a boy or young man with wings, which he explains away as old photographs of himself. Maggie commissions him to shoot an arrow at Brendan to make him fall for her, but when Maggie worries that the love potion will wear off, she asks Cupid for another hit, which he warns against, but does at her request which drives Brendan to go into a love-induced insanity. When she tries to break with him, he gets angry and chases her. When she asks Cupid for help, he says "You wanna be alone? You got it." Cupid then pushes Brendan down the stairs. 

One of the things I liked about the episode was David DeLuise as Cupid. In this episode, Cupid is depicted as a man in a white suit as opposed to a boy or young man with wings. Not only that but instead of using arrows, he uses darts filled with chemicals (though he still uses a bow to shoot them). Honestly, I like this take on the Cupid character. It keeps true to his character while updating certain aspects of him at the same time. Not only that but like with the episode Headshot, it never goes too far with the modernizations. As for DeLuise himself, I think he does a relatively decent job at playing the character. Not only that, but I also like how he and the main character play off of each other since it leads to some really funny lines. 

The other thing I got into was the tone of the episode. For a good chunk of the episode, it gradually becomes more unnerving and tense, especially after Brenden is hit by the first love dart. However, once he's hit with the second dart, things get even more tense and horrifying and it eventually reaches its peak when Brenden chases Maggie throughout the school. You know, truth be told, I was on the edge of my seat after Brenden was hit by the second dart. After this point, he becomes a full fledged infatuated psycho, even going as far as to buying Maggie a fucking Tarantula as a Valentine's Day gift!   As you can tell, Brenden becomes ten times scarier but is also kind of funny at the same time. I think this is because the actor playing him is really having a lot of fun with the role and is just hamming it up.

One last thing I enjoyed was the ending. Without spoiling too much, the ending, in terms of the tone, is such a vast contrast from the rest of the episode, that it's just flat out hilarious! 

Overall, Terrible Love is a strange yet enjoyable episode. It's also an episode that manages to make love and Valentines Day scary, which I think is a great accomplishment for this show. 

Overall Grade: A

Every Haunting Hour Ever #53: Checking Out

Season: 3
Episode: 13 
Original Airdate: January 19, 2013
Director: James Head
Writer(s): Melody Fox

Hey there everybody! This is Azu here and welcome to the first Haunting Hour review of 2017! Woo Hoo! Anyway, as some of you might know, one of my New Years Resolutions is to finish and polish my Haunting Hour pasta before the year is over. Well, I'm currently working on the 15th chapter of the pasta as we speak. If you would like to read the current version of the pasta, tell me in the comments below and I'll be happy to link you to that version. 

Bratty teens Jeremy (Matthew Knight) and Chelsea (Matreya Scarrwener) are on a family vacation, which gets delayed when the family car gets a flat tire, then a mysterious hotel appears out of a fog. At first the parents (Allison Hossack and Barclay Hope) are told there are no vacancies, until the kids come in, and the parents receive an opulent room and an invitation to an adults-only party by fellow guest Mrs. Baker (Teryl Rothery). Jeremy follows them to the party and sees Mrs. Baker bashing a piñata that looks like her son Todd (Grayson Gabriel), who also is spying on the party. Suspicious, Jeremy and Chelsea investigate, and witness Todd being backed into the portrait of 'The Benefactor' by his mother, which opens and sucks Todd in. When they try to escape the hotel, they are caught and their parents are coerced into doing the same until Jeremy reminds his mom "If they were jumping off a bridge, would you do it too?". The parents come to their senses and they all escape as the hotel burns.

One of the things I liked about the episode was the character development. For me, the development of the characters flows very naturally and I felt like the growth didn't happen too fast or too slow. In the episode, the main characters start out as a family that doesn't get along. But once they are put through the hotel of horrors, they start to bond with one another and grow together. In other words, at the beginning of the episode, the kids start out as real brats but when their parents start to act strange, they become concerned for them and by the end, they start to appreciate them and all that they do. Not only that, but the parents also loosen up a bit and the father lets Jeremy drive the car at the end, which was something that was forbidden at the beginning of the episode.

Another thing I liked about the episode was the portrait. Let me explain. You see, in this episode, it's established that children who have stayed at the hotel, like Todd, have been sucked into it, only to never be seen again. We don't know where they go but that's kind of what makes it both horrifying and interesting at the same time. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Sometimes what you don't see is scarier than what you do see"? Well that phrase pretty much describes the reason why this portrait is so scary. In this case, it's left up to the viewer's imagination to figure out where they go, which could be scarier than whatever is put on screen. 

The third thing I liked about the episode was the moral. So the lesson in this episode is about the importance of respecting and appreciating your parents as well as your children. For me, I felt like the teaching of the moral was done well. For the most part, the episode takes advantage of a visual medium by well... showing you why you should respect and appreciate your parents and/or kids! Not only that, but both parties (the parents and the kids) learn something and grow as characters, which I thought was a neat addition. 

The only problem I have with the episode is the ending. Oh don't get me wrong! It's not a terrible ending (I mean we do get that little bit of character development from the father when he hands the keys to Jeremy) but it seems rather abrupt. I mean, after we see the portrait get hit by the candelabra, the episode cuts to the family outside the hotel. I think the ending could've been better if there was some sort of chase scene involving the family and the guests as the hotel falls apart between those two scenes. 

Overall, Checking Out is dark and very unnerving, especially with the whole portrait and child hating cult thing going on. If you can stomach the somewhat weak ending, I think this is an episode you'll enjoy!

Overall Grade: B+

Every Haunting Hour Ever #52: The Girl in The Painting

Season: 3
Episode: 12
Original Airdate: December 15, 2012
Director: Ken Friss
Writer(s): Jack Monaco 

So 2016 is coming to a close. Wow! This year went by fast, didn't it? For me, 2016 was kind of a mixed bag. On the one hand, I got Pokemon Sun for Christmas and really improved my writing skills thanks to the nice folks over at the Creepypasta Wiki for helping me do so. On the other hand, a lot of my favorite celebrities died (i.e David Bowie, Alan Rickman, etc) and Donald Trump won the election. Great... Here's hoping that 2017 will be even better! 

Becky (Bailee Madison) is dreaming of her perfect room which her mother (Camille Sullivan) can't afford when she finds a painting put out in the trash. She becomes obsessed with the image and is called by the girl in the painting (Margeaux Muir) to enter her world and is ecstatic with the room and the sleepover invitation. As she decides to stay, the clock strikes six and the girl in the painting pulls a sash, opening the ceiling, saying it opens at feeding time.

One of the things I liked about the episode was Bailey Madison's performance. In this episode, Bailey plays a girl who slowly becomes more obsessed with a painting as the episode progresses. For me, I felt like she did a nice job making the transition from liking a painting to being overly obsessed with it feel very natural and when the obsession reached its peak, it didn't feel cartoonishly over the top like I feared it would be. For a child actress, that's quite impressive. 

The other thing I liked about this episode was the villain. You see, the afformentioned girl in the painting is not the actual threat. In the episode, it's stated that the girl feeds people to a monster not because she wants to but because she has to in order to survive. Not only that, but she actually hates doing this and feels that taking advantage of a person's desire for a better life is wrong. I like how they gave the villain some depth here. Not only does it make it easier for someone to understand why she would do something like this but it also makes her seem more human and in turn easier to sympathize with. To be honest, I gotta give this episode kudos. I think it was a smart idea to go in this direction and it really paid off in the end. 

Overall, The Girl in The Painting had quite a few surprises up it sleeve. Not only that, but I felt like the premise was interesting, somewhat creative, and rather well executed.

Overall Grade: A

Every Haunting Hour Ever #51: The Golem (Part 2)

Season: 3
Episode: 11
Original Airdate: December 8, 2012
Director: Neill Fearnley
Writer(s): Jack Monaco

Last time on The Haunting Hour! Our hero's relative has kicked the bucket and they now have to dispose of their ashes in the relative's home village. However, they're stopped by some villagers who want to destroy them for looking like the relative and presumably awakening a creature. 

Jeremy must use his great-grandmother's knowledge and ashes to rid the village of the Golem and save his sister from being murdered. 

One of the things I liked about this episode is that there's almost never a dull moment. Throughout the episode, it seems that there's always something happening whether it's the golem causing a ruckus or the villagers trying to kill the main character's sister. Because of this, it creates a tense and unsafe atmosphere. 

The other thing I liked about the episode is how well it builds up the golem. In addition to the build up in the previous episode, this episode also builds up the golem as you never fully see it until the end of the episode, thus creating a lot of mystery around its appearance and how powerful it truly is. Though the pay off is rather... lackluster. 

One of the downsides to this episode is the design of the golem. When they finally show the golem in full, the design of is rather cheap and minimalistic, which comes off as disappointing after all that buildup. For me though, there are a couple of things that save it from being too disappointing. For one thing, because the golem is supposedly made out of clay, it movements are slightly jerky, which made it seem like the creature was something you'd see in claymation. Not only that, but I think that the idea of tying the golem to the deceased relative is a rather clever idea. Until Jeremy says the chant and blows the ashes of his relative onto the golem, it runs around the village causing a ruckus, which could symbolize the restless grief he was experiencing when he lost his relative. 

Overall, The Golem (Part 2) may not be as good as the first part, but I honestly think it had some rather interesting and clever ideas and kept me entertained all the way through. 

Overall Grade: B

Every Haunting Hour Ever #50: The Golem (Part 1)

Season: 3
Episode: 10
Original Airdate: December 8, 2012
Director: Neill Fearnley
Writer(s): Jack Monaco

Hello there ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the 50th review in the Every Haunting Hour Ever marathon! Hooray! Can you believe that I've made this many reviews over the past year? Boy this marathon is moving faster than I thought. Well, in celebration of this milestone, I figured that I review something special for all of you! This is... The Golem. 

Jeremy (Dylan Schmid) and Bonnie (Kacey Rohl) are saddened to learn of the death of their great-grandmother Nadia (Paula Shaw) and travel to her homeland of Russia to spread her ashes. But soon after they arrive, Jeremy learns of a secret evil that Nadia created in the form of a Golem (Dan Payne) and the villagers accuse Bonnie of being her.

One of the things I liked about this episode is the characters, particularly Jeremy and Nadia. For an episode about a relative dying, it would've been very tempting to have the episode start after the death but this episode actually shows us how strong the connection between Jeremy and Nadia really is. Part of this comes from that fact that the actress playing Nadia really gives it her all and sells this character quite well. Not only that but while she is nice, she isn't pitch perfect as shown in a flashback of her bringing something to life to presumably kill off the soldiers invading her village. Hell, she even tells Jeremy about this and given how tough it would be to tell someone about this, it gives a strong indication as to how loving and trusting she is of him. 

Another thing I liked about this episode is how they handled the death. As far as kids shows go, I think they handled it in a somewhat realistic manner. While you don't see the body for very long, the episode shows Jeremy growing more panicked and the monitor flat lining when Nadia dies, which I think is just as powerful and heartbreaking. I'll admit, when I watched this episode the first and second time, I was on the verge of crying because I've lost a couple of close relatives during my life (especially my Memé and Uncle) and it can be quite difficult to move on from something as traumatic as that. 

Overall, The Golem (Part 1) is borderline tearjerking for me and really admire how well they handled a subject as touchy as death. I don't think the second part can top this but we'll have to wait and see. 

Overall Grade: A

Every Haunting Hour Ever #49: Poof De Fromage

Season: 3
Episode: 9
Original Airdate: December 1, 2012
Director: Ken Friss
Writer(s): Erik Patterson & Jessica Scott

Poof De Fromage. From what I understand, this is one of the most infamous episodes of the entire series! In fact, there was a point where I thought this was the worst episode in whole series! After watching Pool Shark though, I started asking myself "Is Poof De Fromage really that bad?" Well, let's not waste anymore time and take a look. 

Bobby (Quinn Lord) and his family are housing a French exchange student named Jean-Louis (Vincent Martella) for a year, but a chain of strange happenings make Bobby suspect that his French exchange student may be an alien. He tells him that they are a benevolent species and are trying to save the human race from other aliens that are somewhere in the neighborhood incognito. They find out that the aliens are pretending to be cheese puffs.

One of the things I liked about this episode was Vincent Martella's performance. Whenever he's on screen, he seems to be having a lot of fun, even if the script he was given isn't all that great. In fact, I get the feeling that he knew it was kind of a bad script but decided to do his best to work with it anyway. It kind of reminds me of the actresses who played the witches in Hocus Pocus and how they tried to make something funny and enjoyable out of not so funny material. 

Another thing I liked about the episode was the concept. So in this episode, the villains are cheese puffs (audience gets up and leaves) No wait come back! It's not as stupid as it sounds! Okay, I might be reading a bit too deep into this, but from what I understand, I think they were trying to tell a cautionary tale about how eating too much junk food is a bad idea, you know, something along the lines of "If you consume too much junk food, it will eventually consume you" with a horror comedy spin put on it. There's even a part in the episode where Jean-Louis talks about what the cheese puffs can do to their victims (i.e draining the victims of their energy, etc). To be honest, a horror story where junk food is the villain does sound kind of interesting to me. I mean, it can do some horrific things to your body if consumed in large quantities and you don't burn it off with an adequate amount of exercise. However, I feel like the execution is quite poor. Which leads me to my next point. 

One of the elements in this episode that falls flat is the comedy. For every legitimately funny joke this episode throws at the audience (mainly one involving Bobby asking Jean where the real exchange student is and the episode cutting to a scene that shoes the real student literally tied up at the airport), this episode pumps out at least two jokes that don't work (i.e the scene where Bobby and Jean show off their burps and a scene where Jean reads Bobby's mind and finds out that Bobby farted). I understand that this is a kid's show but if you look at episodes like Best Friend Forever, you'll see that this show is capable of pulling off some funny jokes without relying too much on cringy bodily humor. Speaking of humor, I think the humor in this episode works best when it focuses on Jean-Louis doing something like holding a potato up to his ear like it was a phone because stuff like that is so bizarre, that the audience has no choice but to laugh at it due to how absurd it is. 

Overall, Poof De Fromage is an awful episode. But to be fair, it's kind of...entertainingly bad and if I'm being honest, I think this episode has a lot more going for it than something like Pool Shark. If this episode were retooled though, I think it could've been something much better. 

Overall Grade: C-

Every Haunting Your Ever #48: My Imaginary Friend

Season: 3
Episode: 8
Original Airdate: November 24, 2012
Director: James Head
Writer(s): Melody Fox

Hey there guys! This is Azu here and now that Halloween is over, I sort of have the post-Halloween blues. But if there's one thing that can cheer me up, it's reviewing an episode of my favorite horror anthology series! So let's not waste anymore time and dive right in! 

Shawn (Ryan Lee) has just moved to a new area, and his only friends are his brother David (Adam DiMarco) and his imaginary friend Travis (Jeffrey Ballard) who is a bad influence. After concentration, David can see Travis. When David talks Shawn out of smashing a car's windshield as Travis suggested, Travis is angry and tries to scare David by drowning him. When he doesn't back down, Travis drags him to the neighbor's barn and says they can be friends if David will burn down the barn. He refuses, they start fighting and Shawn runs in, banishing Travis, although breaking a post and injuring himself on a falling hook.

One of the things I liked about the episode was the lore they created for the imaginary friend. In this episode, Shawn's imaginary friend Travis has the ability to summon things that Shawn has feared in the past such as a monster under his bed and uses that to attack David. Not only that but by completing specific tasks, other people can gain the ability to see Shawn's imaginary friend. Additionally, Shawn can not only control his imaginary friend but he can also sense when they're in trouble. The lore they setup here is clever and quite creative! For example, since Travis could represent the negative side of Shawn's psyche, giving Travis the ability to summon Shawn's past fears actually ties into his character rather well and makes him more of a threat. 

Another thing I liked about this episode is the relationship between Shawn and David. In my eyes, this episode does a good job not only making these characters likeable but also does a good job building up their relationship without shoving in too much exposition. Throughout the episode, it's clear that David genuinely cares for Shawn and tries his best to protect him from Travis without portraying him as an over the top party pooper. Because of this, I think the relationship comes off as somewhat realistic, which is something I can totally get behind. 

The third thing I liked about this episode was the ending. Now without spoiling too much, I'll just say this. From what I can gather, this is one of those endings that can give you the feels when watching it. However, it's a very balanced ending. It's not too sweet nor is it too dark and does a good job tying up all of the loose ends. 

Overall, My Imaginary Friend is a really great episode! I think there's not much more to say other than if you haven't seen it yet, I recommend checking it out as soon as you can!

Overall Grade: B

Every Haunting Hour Ever #47: Red Eye

Season: 3
Episode: 7
Original Airdate: November 17, 2012
Director: Ken Friss 
Writer(s): Natalie Lapointe & Greg Yolen

Remember that Ben Stine commercial for Clear Eyes products where he's all like "For dry red eyes, Clear Eyes is... Awesome!" I do. I first saw a snippet of it in the Nostalgia Critic's review of the Pound Puppies movie. Oh and guess what? Red Eye is the name of today's episode! 

Georgia (Mackenzie Foy) enjoys getting mail from her father when he's traveling. But then she receives a picture with a dark shadow on it. The next picture has the shadow right next to father. After suffering bad dreams, she figures out that she is being haunted by an Alp with the power to possess small objects. When her father comes back with a doll as a present, she thinks it is carrying the Alp and smashes it at night. 

Much like the Weeping Woman episode, this episode involves a legendary figure like the Alp. However, the episode's lore and the actual lore behind the Alp are quite different. In the episode, it's explained that an Alp has the power to possess small objects like photographs. In the real world lore, an Alp attacks people, typically women, and controls their dreams. To be honest, I didn't really mind how different the lore was in this episode because they're not only doing their own thing but I think the Alp's powers are well demonstrated in a visual way, specifically when the Alp becomes clearer the more photos Georgia receives. 

The other thing I liked about this episode is the ending. Thanks to the episode not having a lot of plot, it gets to devote more time to building up an unsettling atmosphere. Not only that but it also kind of plays with expectations a bit. Like I said, in this episode, the Alp has the ability to possess small objects so when Georgia's father brings a small figurine home, Georgia smashes it thinking that the Alp is inside. However, her father (Kurt Evans) comes out and reveals his red eyes that mark him as the Alp, saying "Daddy's not here" as Georgia screams. Given how the episode sets up the Alp's lore, one might not expect to see the father being possessed by the Alp, as he doesn't seem like a small object. 

However, I do have one complaint and that's with the Alp's design. This might seem like a minor complaint as we only see the design in two scenes but to me, I feel like the design is rather silly looking. I think this is because it looks like a character that you'd see on either the Haunted Mansion ride or The Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney. Now sure, Mascot might've had a goofy looking antagonist with Big Yellow but with that episode, the combination of atmosphere, music, and heavy tension beautifully complimented the sense of vulnerability the episode was going for as shown by the idea that you know Big Yellow is coming but you don't know when he's going to strike next. However, aside from some strong atmosphere, there's not much to make up for the Alp's goofy design.  For me, if you're going to have a goofy looking antagonist that's supposed to be scary, you really gotta do more to make up for it. 

Overall, Red Eye is a fairly decent episode. While there were some elements I liked, there was some others that I felt dragged down the quality of the episode. Honestly, it's kind of a mixed bag for me. 

Overall Grade: C