Hey everyone, PushingUpRoses here and welcome back to another Goosebumps video.
I had taken a small break from discussing children’s horror over the holidays and
didn’t have anything planned, until I got an intriguing tweet.
It read “Hey PushingUpRoses, if you ever want to talk about the worst episode of Goosebumps,
I got to nominate Attack of the Mutant.”
Now let me just say if it isn’t obvious to you already; I love horror for young adults.
Despite the targeted demographic for shows like Goosebumps, I think there’s a lot of
inspiration to take away from watching and reading children’s horror.
Because there are certain restrictions set in place for this age group, the writer is
challenged with developing something scary enough to please the young audience, and not
so scary that you’re completely traumatizing them.
Though, sometimes I think authors get a kick out of scaring the crap out of little kids,
look at this shit.
I think setting these limitations open the doors for a lot of creativity.
There’s really a sizeable overlap between the content you see or read in children’s
horror and what you see in adult horror, which is perhaps why older people still find entertainment
in scary shows for adolescents - as an example, clowns.
Clowns are everywhere to varying degrees of terrifying.
Here’s one in Are You Afraid of the Dark, intended for kids 7 and up, and for adults
we get It, or Killer Klowns from Outer Space if you prefer something a lil campier.
There’s a recent show called Creeped Out that is also made for young adults that sometimes
resembles Black Mirror; they both tell cautionary tales, many of which feature technology - I
would say in some ways, I liked Creeped Out better; but the point remains: As an adult,
there’s still enjoyment to be had with children’s horror for many reasons.
R.L. Stine once said, “When I write for kids, I have to make sure they know what can’t
happen.
They have to know it’s a fantasy.
But when I write for adults, they have to think it’s real.
Every detail has to be real, or they won’t buy it.”
For the most part, this statement reflects the content in his Goosebumps series.
Ridiculous, unrealistic bad guys and monsters such as evil dummies, parents that turn into
plants, possessed Halloween masks; everything is rooted in fantasy.
There’s no focus on weird serial killers or some greater evil, he really does take
the mundane and twist it into something scary, and for the most part I think it’s successful.
I like these books and the television series, I think they are fun and creepy and a staple
of many people’s childhoods, but you can’t have this many stories, this many episodes,
and not have a few duds.
And my friends...Attack of the Mutant is a DUD.
I almost wanted to write a script doctor video on this because I was so shocked at the levels
of failure this episode reached.
It’s a two-parter and trust me when I say: It should not be.
There is nothing less exciting than a story that drags out for 45 minutes straight.
Let’s take a look at the episode first, then I’ll discuss where it went wrong.
As we begin the episode, we’re shown panels of a frankly ugly comic with voice over for
each of the characters, The Galloping Gazelle, the hero, and The Masked Mutant, a shapeshifting
villain.
“I’ll try not to leave any skidmarks.”
...Did he just say SQUID MARKS?
YEP, HE DID.
Owner of the comic is Skipper Matthews, hyper fan of The Masked Mutant series.
His mom comes in and warns him that his father won’t be pleased to see him reading comics
after school, but she doesn’t quite have the gumption to discipline him.
Skipper: “Just let me finish it, okay?”
Mom: “Well, um.”
Dad: “What did I say about those comic books?
No reading comic books until all your homework is finished.
Dad: “Why do you think his grades are so poor?”
Mom: “Well…”
Dad: “Becaaaause…”
I’m a horrible father!
So we have the passive, naive mom and a Crispin Glover dad.
Fun.
Suddenly, the comic book shows signs of movement!
Taaaaaake ooooooon meeeeeeeeee-
The next day, Skipper meets with his school friend Wilson, attempting to share his love
for The Masked Mutant, but Wilson doesn’t seem to be interested because he’s too busy
looking at rocks, while rocking this table of the elements shirt.
Could they be going for a nerd character?
Well, maybe he has a really deep, interesting reason for collecting rocks.
After all, he’s in the rock club.
Skipper: “Why do you collect rocks anyway?”
Wilson: “I don’t know, they’re easy to find.
No matter where you are, you’re always near a rock.”
Oh okay, so it’s more like: Yeah I collect rocks because whatever.
The Masked Mutant, now somehow FREED from the confines of his comic book, decides to
follow Skipper as he takes a bus to an orthodontist appointment.
He meets a young girl named Libby who asks him if he goes to Franklin Junior High.
Skipper: Huh, who?
Me?”
Libby: “I wasn’t talking to the empty seat.”
I was TALKING to your COMIC BOOK.
She expresses she also collects comics, then they get into a brief conflict where they
discuss who has better taste.
Libby likes goofy comics, and Skipper likes action heros.
Skipper decides his tastes are better.
Skipper: “Nah, I’m the coolest.”
He was in fact, not the coolest.
He realizes he misses his stop and just decides to get off the bus in some random location.
Heh, the bus has the Goosebumps logo on it.
Not the cleverest easter egg I’ve ever seen.
Also, after we see the logo the camera cuts right to some trash so… take that however
you will.
A few steps off the bus and Skipper sees… um.
Well, it’s… it’s….
Smoochy: “IT’S A ROCKET SHIP.”
This is the Mutant’s headquarters as shown earlier in the comic Skipper was reading.
Skipper: “Wow…” this looks cheap…
We get a small glance at the Mutant, who suspiciously looks like The Tick.
That night, Skipper attempts to tell Wilson what he saw, but his friend is skeptical.
He tells him he probably just saw a set or something, because clearly, Mutant HQ is not
a thing.
...Wait.
Wait a minute.
Wilson looks and acts somewhat like Skipper’s Dad.
Earlier, Skipper’s Dad clearly dodged a kiss from the mom, and look!
LOOK!
She’s reading FORBIDDEN FANTASIES!!
The plot is clear to me now.
Dad had an affair with Wilson’s mom because Skipper’s mom is checked out of the marriage
which is why she needs to fill the hole in her heart with cheap smut.
And Skipper doesn’t look anything like his parents so his mom also having an affair,
inspired by said cheap smut!!
Does Skipper know?
Are the comics HIS ESCAPE?
Dad: “Strange…”
Dad comes in and scolds his son for reading comic books again, and tell him it’s time
for bed.
Skipper, of course, goes not go to bed.
He stays up under the covers, reading the latest issue of The Masked Mutant.
Skipper: “AHHH.”
AHHHH SQUID MARKS.
The next day, Skipper attempts to find the building, but it’s gone.
Defeated, he goes home, where he has mail waiting for him: A special edition comic.
Skipper tells Wilson that the comic is trying to guide him because it’s predicting what
is happening; he’s now convinced the building is behind an invisibility shield.
Wilson is like “Yeah whatever I still like rocks.”
Later that same evening, Skipper returns, and Libby joins him.
She decides to humor him and attempt to pass through the invisibility shield, and it works.
All right, time to see what this place looks like.
Skipper: “Wow…” this looks REALLY cheap...
The effects here are pretty abysmal - I try to take the year and limitations of technology
into account but it just isn’t cutting it.
On top of that, the garish colors of the building on top of the holy sounding organ playing
in the background is considerably NOT scary.
Welcome to clown church, will begin mass shortly.
The next chunk of this episode moves VERY slowly so: Let’s speed it up.
Libby and Matthew explore, the elevator malfunctions, and they can’t get back up to the exit.
They explore more.
Libby disappears.
Skipper finds a room where comics are being fleshed out.
He finds a sketch of what appears to be HIM but you can’t convince me that isn’t Bobby
Hill.
Skipper: “it’s me!”
Dude no, it looks nothing like you!
He also finds a questionable drawing of The Masked Mutant.
He turns around, sees the mutant and…
“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH”
Now let’s gallop into part 2!
Get it, because the galloping Gazelle, heh heh heh.
Turns out Libby was trying to scare him with a cardboard cutout.
What?
What the HELL is happening?
They manage to find another way out, and that evening at dinner, Skipper realizes he feels
kind of grody, and can’t focus.
He seems to have this weird comic book vision, though to be honest I would probably also
zone out if I had parents with the personalities of wilted lettuce.
Don’t worry, I am sure Wilson can explain this entire situation with more logic.
Wilson: “Maybe you’re going nuts.”
He says, as he scrutinizes a rock.
The comic vision gets even worse, causing Skipper to sweat and feel fatigued.
Another new edition of the comic comes in and it documents his exploration of the headquarters,
AND shows the Galloping Gazelle about to eat it.
Seems that only Skipper can save him, and his parents are too busy trying to distract
themselves from their unpleasant marriage to listen to their sons concerns, so he hops
the bus again and enters the now FLUORESCENT building.
Skipper goes into the basement and finds…
Adam West?
Galloping Gazelle: “What took you so long?
Don’t you know you have to help me save the world?”
Adam West’s career is so… so bizarre.
He tells Skipper to quickly untie him, so Skipper of course, takes 500 years to do it.
While that’s happening, The Galloping Gazelle urges him to use his powers because he’s
the kid who’s supposed to help defeat the Masked Mutant.
Skipper’s like: “But it’s not me, I don’t have superhero powers!” and the
Gazelle is like “Whatever you’re here so let’s do this anyway now get your butt
up these stairs.”
They find the main control room where they wait for their foe.
Unfortunately he was there the whole time, in the form of a...chair with snakes for arm
rests.
Now THIS is nightmare fuel.
Remember how R.L. Stine said it’s important that kids know when something is fantasy?
This definitely fits THAT description, a Mutant Chair Snake.
The Galloping Gazelle starts whirling around, but it’s not very effective, and he just
kind of...gives up and leaves.
I am not sure why he is allowed to leave and Skipper isn’t.
Libby comes in and talks to Skipper briefly before admitting that she was the masked mutant
all along.
Libby: “There is no Libby.”
This is very Matrix.
He then starts monologuing about how he needs more characters to fight, and how hard it
is to find a decent foe these days so he disguised himself as Libby to test Skipper on his knowledge
of the comic; if he knew enough, he’d be the right kid to work into the series.
As he babbles on I just keep thinking “is he LONELY?
Does he just… need a friend or something?”
He also tells Skipper that he is now made of ink because when he entered the building
it scanned him into the comic.
...All right.
In an act of desperation, Skipper to tries and outwit him by saying he’s not the boy
he thinks he is, he’s actually Elastic Boy and he needs to get back to his own comic.
The Mutant seems to buy it but still wants to kill him with… this… uh…
Skipper says there’s only one way to kill Elastic Boy and that’s with Sulfuric Acid.
The Mutant starts to shape shift, but apparently, once he shapeshifts into a liquid he just
dies.
I don’t know why.
This wasn’t said before, it’s just part of the comic book lore.
Skipper escapes but he still feels weird.
It’s because HE IS NOW ELASTIC BOY.
Mom: “Elastic Boy?”
Skipper: “STRETCH IT.”
(Ta Da sound effect)
Right, let’s dive into what I think went wrong with this episode, because I agree that
it’s not on par with a lot of the others in the Goosebumps series, and it definitely
doesn’t hold up to other children’s horror shows that were out at the same time.
One of the biggest issues I had with the story-telling is that nothing tied together; the episode
would introduce us to all of these components, and usually in children’s horror you get
some foreshadowing early on to what the character is going to do later.
When they kept showing Wilson and his weird fascination with rocks, I was thinking maybe
ROCKS would re-enter the equation since he goes out of his way to tell Skipper how amazing
they are.
Wilson never comes back though, every scene with him just kind of feelings like padding.
And along the same line we also have this recurring “comics will rot your brain”
saying; it felt like the episode was going to go somewhere with that, as though these
creepy characters knew something about the comic book world or Skipper himself.
Near the end, the bus driver looks at Skipper so intently, as though he knew comics could
literally warp your brain, thus the comic vision Skipper was experiencing earlier.
It felt like the story was going to have some interesting twist or moral about how if you
read too many comics, you BECOME one.
Or maybe everyone was living in a comic the entire time and Skipper is the only one who
sees it.
Maybe Skipper isn’t supposed to KNOW he’s a comic book character and the bus driver
is aggressively warning him to rethink what he’s doing.
But again, these ideas don’t go anywhere.
It’s hard to suspend your disbelief for a story like this; I kept asking things like
“where is the author of the comic book?
They mention him, but what’s his role in this?”
And “How does comic book vision really work?”
I kept thinking of a million twists that would make more sense.
I thought maybe the author was evil and could trap people in his comics, that could lead
to a lot of scarier ideas.
There’s actually an episode of the Haunting Hour, a show for young adults also conceived
by R.L. Stine, that also tackles a comic book plot line, and it does it *really well.* Everything
had a solid point, there was foreshadowing, ominous ideas, the threat of danger and suspense,
and most importantly, it addressed the main character’s behaviors and why things were
happening.
I know it can be tempting to dumb things down for a younger audience, and it’s okay if
the concept is simple, it just needs to be clear.
I know that not all of the Goosebumps episodes are considered scary, especially to older
fans, but I do think they do a good job at body horror, being relatively creepy, and
bringing in strange characters.
Something R.L. Stine does to stick to his “kids need to know this is fantasy” mantra
is write bizarre parental figures - they are usually eccentric or dismissive, and there’s
usually a reason for that, but these characters are just… irritating?
Stine doesn’t necessarily write BAD parents, just strange and sometimes oblivious ones.
Now that I told you that, you’ll see it again and again in children’s horror.
These characters are actually rather boring, which is why I kept writing my own plot where
the mom has an affair with the neighbor.
There’s always a certain level of camp in Goosebumps and for some reason, this didn’t
reach that level.
Again, let’s compare this to something similar: The Ghastly Grinner, an episode of Are You
Afraid of the Dark that also focused on a comic book character.
It’s a goofy episode, but it’s consistently goofy with weird transitions, silly jokes,
and an over the top villain, and plot wise it’s easy to follow.
It’s memorable with its visuals, the weird blue goop coming out of people’s mouths,
and the Grinner himself.
I am not saying it’s a masterpiece, but it is cohesive.
And maybe the biggest reason this didn’t work is tone and pacing.
It’s not scary; the Villain takes on the characteristics of a cheesy, kind of old school
superhero; everything is cartoony in a way that clashes with Skipper’s obvious fear
and anxiety.
A lot of the first episode just features him and Libby walking around, and it just goes
on and on until the tension is totally sucked out of the room.
When you’re writing suspense, the timing is so important.
If you keep your audience waiting for too long, they are just going to get annoyed.
I couldn’t believe how long some of these scenes went, which is why I think they could
have kept this to one part.
I do wonder how different the episode is from the book, especially in tone.
The ending is very different; Skipper doesn’t turn into elastic boy in the book, he cuts
his finger and bleeds ink, making him realize he IS a character.
I like that ending a little bit better, because this isn’t doing it for me: “Stretch it!”
It’s not even a clever tag line.
Why not “Stretchin!” in place of “Bitchin!”?
That would have at least been clever in that punny, child-like way R.L. Stine seems to
enjoy.
After all, they made SKID marks SQUID marks, so if you’re gonna go with puns, go ALL
in.
This is definitely one of my harsher reviews on the Goosebumps series, but I do think it’s
important to talk about what makes children’s horror good and where mistakes can happen.
It could be that the book is solid and this was just a poor translation, and I am prone
to believe that’s the case because this pacing seems to be an issue with the episode.
Probably doesn’t help to have Adam West.
He brings that silliness up to a whole nother level.
Gazelle: “There’s a snake in my face!!!”
I hope you enjoyed this breakdown of Attack of the Mutant - if there is an episode you’d
like to see me cover, good OR bad, then let me know in the comments, I do consider your
suggestions.
Until then… stay spooky.
Hey everyone, thanks for watching my video on Attack of the Mutant.
If you liked this one, I have more goosebumps related content, but first!
You know what’s REALLY scary?
BEING BROKE!
But thanks to the help of my patrons, who donate small amounts of money in exchange
for my efforts, and a few rewards, I am WAY less broke.
If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a patron, and if you can’t, I would
still love a like or a share.
If you would like to see more of my videos, subscribing is a good option.
Here’s a few more in the same vein as the one you just watched: On the left we have
a Goosebumps video, and on the right we have an Are You Afraid of the Dark video.
See, even my outros are more consistent than Attack of the Mutant.
Thanks again and as always, I’ll see you in the next one.