Are You Afraid of the Dark? "The Tale of the Lonely Ghost" (1992) Review
Some of the best memories of my childhood was watching spooky shows with my family. My older sister and I especially shared a fascination with everything spooky. Doing witchy stuff, dressing up like vampires, playing Bloody Mary and watching various shows about all of that wonderful fun. One of our most cherishes shows to this day was a show we would always watch on YTV called “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”
It was always a real treat when our favourite episode aired on our favourite Canadian children’s TV Network, called “The Lonely Ghost”. It has always been a bone chilling, most spooky favourite!
The show starts with the old campfire gang while David starts the show as he is about to tell the story to the rest of the "Midnight Society".
The story is about Amanda Cameron, whose parents are studying carvings up north. Amanda must stay with her Aunt Dottie and her snobby cousin Beth.
Beth wants nothing to do with Amanda and says she can only hang out with her and her friends on several conditions. She must clean up Beth's room and can't tell Aunt Dottie nor her nanny. She also has to spend a night in the haunted abandoned house next door alone.
Later that night, Amanda is writing a letter to her parents and confronted by Beth's nanny. She starts a conversation with her, but Beth interrupts them. Beth tells Amanda that she hates her nanny, wants her gone and that she is crazy from an event in the old house next door.
The next night, Beth and her friends take Amanda there, telling her that they all have slept overnight in the house. They explain the legend behind the supposed haunting.
Years ago, a little girl lived in that house and was constantly taunted by the other kids because she couldn't speak. One day, her mother found that her overseas husband was sick and sent her daughter to her grandmother's while she went to help him. But, while the girl was walking, she was caught by mean kids, who chased her back home and locked her in her room. Unable to contact anyone, she died of starvation, and is now said to haunt the place as a ghost.
The next night, Beth and her friends take Amanda there, telling her that they all have slept overnight in the house. They explain the legend behind the supposed haunting.
Years ago, a little girl lived in that house and was constantly taunted by the other kids because she couldn't speak. One day, her mother found that her overseas husband was sick and sent her daughter to her grandmother's while she went to help him. But, while the girl was walking, she was caught by mean kids, who chased her back home and locked her in her room. Unable to contact anyone, she died of starvation, and is now said to haunt the place as a ghost.
Amanda bravely enters the house as her cousin and friends snicker, revealing they never would sleep in the creepy house overnight. Amanda finds the girl's bedroom, hears scratches and turns around to find "Help me" written backwards on the wall.
The ghost of the little girl appears in the mirror, and Amanda, scared, runs out of the house. When Aunt Dottie gets back from working late, Amanda tells her about the writing and the ghost. Not one to believe in ghosts and thinking it was an act of vandalism, she sends her and Beth next door to clean the wall. They're both surprised to find more backward "Help me" written on the walls. The mirror changes into a portal to the world of the ghost, and Beth, hypnotized by the girl's doll collection, walks in. The ghost of the little girl walks out, and Amanda screams and being all scared, then realizes that she didn't want to hurt her, and just wants to give Amanda a necklace with a picture of Beth's nanny, revealing that she is her mother. Amanda then runs off, but Beth is still trapped in the mirror, pounding and yelling to be let out.
Amanda runs back to the house to find the nanny about to leave for a nursing home.
She begs for her to go with her to the house, shows her her daughter's necklace, and leads her back to the ghost, where they are tearfully reunited. They enter the portal and close it, letting Beth out of the portal but trapping her in the closet. Amanda and Beth's friends (who had arrived shortly after the reunion) let her out on the condition that she won't be so bossy.
The ghost of the little girl appears in the mirror, and Amanda, scared, runs out of the house. When Aunt Dottie gets back from working late, Amanda tells her about the writing and the ghost. Not one to believe in ghosts and thinking it was an act of vandalism, she sends her and Beth next door to clean the wall. They're both surprised to find more backward "Help me" written on the walls. The mirror changes into a portal to the world of the ghost, and Beth, hypnotized by the girl's doll collection, walks in. The ghost of the little girl walks out, and Amanda screams and being all scared, then realizes that she didn't want to hurt her, and just wants to give Amanda a necklace with a picture of Beth's nanny, revealing that she is her mother. Amanda then runs off, but Beth is still trapped in the mirror, pounding and yelling to be let out.
She begs for her to go with her to the house, shows her her daughter's necklace, and leads her back to the ghost, where they are tearfully reunited. They enter the portal and close it, letting Beth out of the portal but trapping her in the closet. Amanda and Beth's friends (who had arrived shortly after the reunion) let her out on the condition that she won't be so bossy.
This episode of "Are You Afraid of the Dark?", while always a classic in my childhood heart has wonderful re-watch value. If you haven't seen it, it's a great place to start. Generally the acting in the show is terribly done at times, as the child actors in the story struggle to seem genuine in their roles. The story is very simplistic, but unless this were an ongoing story, it's exactly what you would expect from a children's horror show from the 90's. It is a fun cheesy nostalgic episode that any adult who grew up watching "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" will have a good giggle out of today. And while the episode has it's lacking moments, it still proves to be a cute scary story that kids even today will enjoy. I give it 3 stars out of 5.
⭐⭐⭐
Source:
http://areyouafraidofthedark.wikia.com/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Lonely_Ghost
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