The Tale of Laughing in the Dark

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Air Date: Saturday, August 22, 1992
Storyteller: Betty Ann (Raine Pare-Coull)

Frame: Just as Betty Ann is getting into her story, which takes place at a carnival, Kristen (Rachel Blanchard) gets up to walk out of the meeting based on Betty Ann's introduction of a clown to the story. As the rest of the group taunts her, primarily Kiki (Jodie Resther), Kristen stays to prove her bravery to them. Even though she technically makes it to the end of the story, it is established that she is terrified of clowns, and Eric (Jacob Tierney) can't help but give her one final good scare with a clown mask, sending her running.

Story: A little snot named Josh (Christian Tessier), his best friend, Weegee (Daniel Finestone), and Weegee's little sister, Kathy (Tamar Kozlov), attend a local carnival called Playland. However, they hesitate to enter a fun house, fearing it's really haunted by a cigar-smoking clown named Zeebo. Josh, the ever-cocky kid, tries to show his bravery by going in and stealing a dummy Zeebo's nose, and getting Weegie to wear it to school for a week. But it is soon met with the haunting consequences of what happens when someone takes something that doesn't belong to them.

Review: This episode has a few memorable moments that stand out as spooky and solid atmospherically. The room of doors in the fun house has a certain eeriness to it I can't quite put my finger on, and all of the haunting aspects of the episode never show a ghost, but maybe a puff of Zeebo's cigar smoke and a giggle, leaving a little to the imagination. Sadly, however, none of that is enough to dull Josh's attitude or his constant talking to himself, which becomes annoying. So, while in some ways it's pretty effective, in others, you get taken out of any spooky fun you may be having with it.

Final Rating: Nervous

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