Scary Stories

Comprised of several interviews (including R.L. Stine), old news footage, and archived audio interviews of the late author Alvin Schwartz, Scary Stories is a wonderful, nostalgic, and immersive telling of the storied history of the classic children books. Loaded with interesting facts and information, it's fun watching former teachers and librarians or kids at the time look back discussing the book and actually look at them again for the first time. Part of the fun brilliance of the documentary is the illustrated recreated scenes drawn in the style of the famed artwork in the books as people tell their stories and memories of the books. Another thing the film does very well is explore and explain the subtle genius behind the seemingly simplistic writing style. It looks at the historical and cultural significance of several stories and the lessons they teach and the cultural and regional context in which they are told. There is a very compelling segment in the film showing footage from the time of parents and people making the case to ban a book. It's fascinating to watch and the topic is thoroughly explored and given proper time to look at both sides of the argument. Scary Stories is extremely well done and I would definitely recommend it to anybody, but it is especially recommended to anyone with fond memories of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books.

The stories feel timeless, the books are infamous and the slice of nostalgia is priceless. And this documentary celebrates all of it. "Scary Stories" offers a deeper look into the controversy surrounding the books. The battle between censorship and free speech, framing literature as cultural heritage. Which is exactly what these books were then, and still are today. Cody Meirick, the director offers both sides of the argument, showing no forced, influential bias. Greatly appreciated because it allows for an authentic flow to the documentary's narrative.

The film includes introspective pieces from R.L. Stine, Amelia Cotter, Bruce Coville and Q.L. Pearce, plus plenty of artists and writers influenced by "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark". The real star of the documentary, and rightfully so, is the books' original artwork. Meirick guides the viewer through the three distinct topics explored in documentary nicely. The author, Mr. Shwartz, the controversy, and the legacy of the book series' influence on pop culture and horror fans. This is clearly a must for both the horror reader and anyone who's childhood included the books- especially those who maintain a love for "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark". It is a fun, informative, and entertaining watch.

This simply didn't focus on it's topic enough and bored the hell out of me with just talking to the guys family, about how great they think he was.

I grew up a big fan of these books and was excited to see this documentary available on demand. This was much for informative about the books and author than I anticipated. It also presents a good contrast of viewpoints of how the books can be perceived by the public. I highly recommend for fans of the books and (soon-to-Be) fans of the 2019 film.

I've been following this documentary over the years, hoping year after year I'd be able to watch it. Finally I was able to view it on Amazon Video and it was incredible! The production value and amount of effort really showed, and as a huge fan of the book series, I'm happy to say all the interviews gave me even more insight to the Scary Stories series.