With Labor Day weekend coming up, we are at the very end of the summer season – but that just means that fall is about to start and that Halloween is on its way. Movie-goers can expect to see all kinds of ghoulish stories find their way to theaters in the weeks before the spooky holiday, but for those looking for something a bit more family-friendly, it looks like Goosebumps will be the perfect option – as previewed in the brand new trailer below:
Basically, Goosebumps, starring Jack Black, looks a whole lot like Jumanji, but with the added twist of having all kinds of weird monsters take the place of the terrifying elements of the jungle. This brand new trailer gives us a special look at many of the creepy beasts that wind up being unleashed from R.L. Stine’s books… so we figured now would be a perfect time to take a look at some of the horrors the movie will feature. Get ready for these eight major threats!
Giant Praying Mantis
Given that Goosebumps is going from the book world to the movie world, it only makes sense to adapt a monster that started off as a movie character in the book "A Shocker On Shock Street." R.L. Stine’s Giant Praying Mantis is modeled after the big creature features of the 1950s like Them! and Tarantula, and it looks like it’s going to be one of the big heavies of director Rob Letterman’s film.
The Abominable Snowman
It’s almost a shame that Goosebumps is set in Greendale, Maryland, if not only because it takes The Abominable Snowman away from his Pasadena home from the books. Of course, just because he’s not in sunny California doesn’t mean that he’s not still a terrifying monster whom people are really best not being around. The good news is that he seems rather dumb, so at least that’s an advantage.
Zombies
We now see zombies everywhere in pop culture, but they actually have a special significance in the world of Goosebumps. This is because the walking dead were featured in "Welcome To Dead House," the very first novel in the great children’s book series. Presumably the zombies featured in Rob Letterman’s movie won’t be as vile and disgusting as those featured on The Walking Dead, but from the way the characters in the film are running from them we can assume that they’re still bad news.
Venus Fly-Trap
Fans of the Goosebumps books likely remember the plant-related madness from "Stay Out Of The Basement," but I believe that this rapidly-growing Venus Fly-Trap is featured from the choose-your-own-adventure-style story "Lost In Stinkeye Swamp." Exactly what it does to a person when it finds one caught between its many sets of jaws remains a mystery after watching the new trailer – but it may also be a question to which we really don’t want an answer.
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp
"The Werewolf of Fever Swamp" is the only monster in the trailer that is directly referenced by the title of the book that introduced it, which is kind of special. Really, though, it does seem to be your typical run-of-the-mill werewolf – walking on two feet, rocking a lot of body hair, and sporting some mean chompers and claws. I guess one thing that makes him a bit special is that he apparently has an awareness of R.L. Stine’s scent, and I must say I’m curious how that happened.
The Invisible Boy
The Invisible Boy presumably comes from R.L. Stine’s 1993 story "Let’s Get Invisible," and it seems that he is well versed in tormenting people with his special gift. Given that he is just a kid who can turn invisible, one might argue that he’s not exactly a major physical threat – but he does give Ryan Lee's character Champ quite a good slap. Also, he does a surprisingly good job hanging on to the car while it’s in motion.
The Lawn Gnomes
Given that gnomes are typically sweet little fantasy creatures, and the fact that they’re made of terracotta clay, you might not expect Lawn Gnomes to pose much of a threat… but obviously you shouldn’t under estimate them. These little beasts from "Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes" seem to be pretty skilled at throwing knives, are super quick, and have no problem going right for the face.
Slappy The Dummy
The new Goosebumps trailer doesn’t present much for Slappy The Dummy to do (maybe they’re saving his antics for the big screen), but he is certainly made to look quite menacing, watching a house burn from a safe distance. As the central figure of "Night Of the Living Dummy" and the subsequent sequels, Slappy is one of the most popular creations of R.L. Stine, and one can hope that his role in the film will be as significant as his legacy.
