15. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, High Beams High Beams, another car-related classic, is here to frighten anyone who has ever found themselves driving down a rural road alone at night. An aggressive truck driver follows the protagonist, flashing his headlights. Given the size difference between a car and an 18-wheeler, what appears to be a blatant case of road rage is frightening enough. The twist, on the other hand, reveals the true horror. The truck driver had been attempting to warn the driver that a stowaway was hiding in the back seat, ready to strike. The truck driver flashed his lights to scare the villain back into the shadows each time the villain rose with a knife in hand, ready to stab the driver. That's some scary stuff.
This is the one to purchase. Stephen Gammell's talent for illustrating the most terrifying images you've ever seen is unrivaled, especially by someone as uncreative as Brett Helquist. Helquist is a fantastic artist, but he lacks Gammell's artistic impulse and certainly has a poor understanding of psychology and what it takes to scare someone. Helquist tends to depict'scenes' that are happening on the page, whereas Gammell almost always portrays you, the reader, as the would-be victim. A strangled-to-death girl, shadowy figures in the mist. Helquist also enjoys being overt and interpreting to an exasperating degree. The amount of detail in his illustrations detracts from their impact. Gammell's approach is almost minimalist, forcing you to enter the darkest and most demented recesses of your own mind to fill in the gaps and complete the story. You never feel threatened when looking at Helquist's drawings. Don't get the re-release of the book; instead, get the original.
With del Toro and director Andr vredal evoking that original artwork for the creature designs in the film, audiences can appreciate that banned and censored imagery for the first time. Longtime fans will be able to relive the monsters that haunted their dreams for so long, as well as relive some of their old nightmares, through the medium of film. Andre vredal, Guillermo del Toro, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
"A wonderful collection of stories ranging from creepy to silly to haunting...illustrations Gammell's add just the right touch..." —Entertainment Weekly's John Scieszka "If you dare, read these." — New York Times The iconic anthology series of horror stories that will soon be adapted into a feature film! Alvin Schwartz's classic collection of chillingly scary tales, collected and retold, with original illustrations by acclaimed artist Steve Gammell. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark contains some of the most terrifying tales of horror, dark revenge, and supernatural occurrences ever told. Walking corpses, dancing bones, and narrow escapes from death abound in this chilling anthology of ghost stories. Make sure to read these books with the lights turned on!
