It is Wednesday and it that means it is time for another Mid-Week Mini Review. And now I'm going back to the classic Goosebumps TV episodes from the 90s! Going order I am moving on to episode 2 The Cuckoo Clock of Doom. Now, I remember being really freaked out by this episode when I was younger. However, it isn't one of my favorite episodes in the series. It has some fun cheesy elements but just doesn't come across as well as some of the other episodes from the series.
At the beginning of the episode we are introduced to Michael, a young 12 year-old boy who has recently had his birthday. It seems his life is just difficult for a kid his age. All his friends are sort of jerks, his little sister is a manipulative little brat, and his parents are indifferent to his pain. His sister consistently plays pranks on him to amuse herself and her friends and calls him a "krej" which is just "jerk" spelled backwards. (Was that a thing in the 90s? Because I never once called anyone a krej and never had anyone call me one either.) His sister even went as far as to trip Michael at his own birthday causing him to fall face first into his own cake. All his friends laugh at him for this.
Michael has had it. But when his father buys an expensive antique clock and brings it home Michael makes a plan to get back at his sister. He thinks that if he can in someway break the clock then the blame will fall to his sister and she will finally be in trouble for once in her life. Unfortunately, Michael's plan backfires when it turns out the clock is magical. Because he turned the cuckoo's head backwards he has reversed the flow of time. Each day he wakes up and time has reversed and he is getting younger and younger at an accelerated rate. After his sister disappears from existence he realizes that if he doesn't do something to fix the clock he too will quickly disappear from existence. There is only one problem, the family no longer owns the clock since they have regressed in the timeline and the father will not have bought the clock yet!
At the beginning of the episode we are introduced to Michael, a young 12 year-old boy who has recently had his birthday. It seems his life is just difficult for a kid his age. All his friends are sort of jerks, his little sister is a manipulative little brat, and his parents are indifferent to his pain. His sister consistently plays pranks on him to amuse herself and her friends and calls him a "krej" which is just "jerk" spelled backwards. (Was that a thing in the 90s? Because I never once called anyone a krej and never had anyone call me one either.) His sister even went as far as to trip Michael at his own birthday causing him to fall face first into his own cake. All his friends laugh at him for this.
Michael has had it. But when his father buys an expensive antique clock and brings it home Michael makes a plan to get back at his sister. He thinks that if he can in someway break the clock then the blame will fall to his sister and she will finally be in trouble for once in her life. Unfortunately, Michael's plan backfires when it turns out the clock is magical. Because he turned the cuckoo's head backwards he has reversed the flow of time. Each day he wakes up and time has reversed and he is getting younger and younger at an accelerated rate. After his sister disappears from existence he realizes that if he doesn't do something to fix the clock he too will quickly disappear from existence. There is only one problem, the family no longer owns the clock since they have regressed in the timeline and the father will not have bought the clock yet!
This episode really scared me because the thought of being erased from existence seemed even worse than dying. But luckily the story has a decently happy ending because it is intended for children. However, there is a twist at the end that shows Michael's true character. (My mother always hated the ending of this episode as did my little sister.)
This episode is good, very similar to episodes of The Twilight Zone. But it still isn't one of my favorites. The acting is pretty bad, even for Goosebumps, and it lacks the spooky atmosphere that some of the other episodes capture fairly well. As a writer of horror I often emphasize the importance of setting and mood as a reflection of the theme and main character. It is a very classically gothic concept. So stories such as this one are enjoyable but don't speak to me personally on the level that some of the darker and creepier episodes do.
This episode is good, very similar to episodes of The Twilight Zone. But it still isn't one of my favorites. The acting is pretty bad, even for Goosebumps, and it lacks the spooky atmosphere that some of the other episodes capture fairly well. As a writer of horror I often emphasize the importance of setting and mood as a reflection of the theme and main character. It is a very classically gothic concept. So stories such as this one are enjoyable but don't speak to me personally on the level that some of the darker and creepier episodes do.
Summing it Up
This is a good episode but is not a "must see" for me. It is entertaining and has its merit. The story is good with a fun and thrilling twist ending. But the acting leaves a little to be desired and the actual themes and mood of the work don't have too much that I really connect with. But it does have some great scary elements.
Deaths: ?
Language: 1
Gore Factor: 0
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 2
Fun Factor: 3
Overall Rating: 3
Deaths: ?
Language: 1
Gore Factor: 0
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 2
Fun Factor: 3
Overall Rating: 3