WELCOME to the world of the straight-to-DVD feature film Haunting Hour, from the creator of the much-loved Goosebumps books series, R L Stine.
All the age-old classics of middle-school movies are here; a school dance where no one turns up, a soft-rock soundtrack and inexplicable age differences between classmates.
"For a minute I forgot we were in the middle of a nightmare "declares Cassie Keller (Emily Osment).
She's the archetypal misfit at an all-American school of wholesome cuteness, save for her new arch-nemesis Priscilla, who she dubs the Pumpkin Queen.
Cassie is the new girl in town, her penchant for heavy eye make-up and Edgar Allan Poe attract ridicule from her classmates, especially Priscilla, who hinders Cassie's romance with loveably dim sports star, Sean.
Meanwhile, Cassie's parents insist she take her convincingly-annoying younger brother, Max, trick-or-treating on Halloween.
But when he pushes her too far, she spooks him with a strange book from a mysterious store (run by Saw's delightfully creepy Tobin Bell), inadvertently unleashing a monster.
Despite the rapid resolution of the film - based on an over-simplistic riddle - Haunting Hour is perfectly-undemanding entertainment for all the family this Halloween with a couple of neat plot devices thrown in to liven up the story.
Adults should place tongue firmly in cheek to enjoy a script with (just) enough pop culture allusions and wisecracks for them, while kids must delve into the popcorn and prepare to hide behind a cushion for an evening of spooky fun.
The London Dungeon has teamed up with News Shopper to offer three readers the chance to win tickets to the attraction.
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Film and Packaging Design 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved
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