When Good Ghouls Go Bad |  | Director: Patrick Read Johnson
Actors: Christopher Lloyd, Tom Amandes, Roy Billing, Brittany Byrnes, Jose Element
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $4.94
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Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 24052
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 93 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: FOXD2002165D
UPC: 024543021650
EAN: 0024543021650
ASIN: B00005LIRE
Theatrical Release Date: October 20, 2001
Release Date: September 4, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
IN THIS FAMILY-FRIENDLY STORY, TWELVE-YEAR-OLD DANNY WALKER IS SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT THE SMALL TOWN HE JUST MOVED TO CAN'T CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN BECAUSE OF A LOCAL CURSE. WITH THE HELP OF HIS RECENTLY DECEASED, BUT STILL KICKING, UNCLE FRED, DANNY MUST BATTLE AN ARMY OF PRANKSTER GHOULS.
Amazon.com
A 12-year-old moves with his newly divorced father to Dad's hometown and confronts the usual bullies, town curses, and rampaging by the undead in this screen adaptation of the R.L. Stine juvenile novel of the same name. Danny's first introduction to Walker Falls is the police removal of his spooky door decorations because Halloween is forbidden in this All Hallows' Eve answer to Footloose. To make matters worse, his grandfather (the ever wacky Christopher Lloyd) dies in a pumpkin accident and comes back as a goofy zombie ready to help Danny and his new (girl)friend solve the town mystery. Packed with lots of gross-out zombie action and plenty of junior high humor, this PG-rated film contains mild horror scenes, but no naughty words and one innocent kiss. Fans of the book series should be satisfied with this 93-minute adaptation, which may even inspire some young viewers to pick up a book. (Ages 9 and older) --Kimberly Heinrichs
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 20
 I would rather be eaten by fire ants than watch this again. March 16, 2010
Robert P. Beveridge (Cleveland, OH)
When Good Ghouls Go Bad (Patrick Read Johnson, 2001)
I now find myself forced to ask questions that it never occurred to me I would have to: what in the world is the Syfy Channel doing showing a movie that was originally made for ABC Family, that absolutely horrid station that is ABC's (and was originally Fox's) attempt to capture part of the screaming-adolescent market currently held by Disney Channel and Nickelodeon? And why didn't the description warn me about this when I went to record it? Most importantly, why in the world didn't I turn it off when I realized what I was getting myself into?
Plot, in the smallest nutshell I can find: the town of Walker Falls does not celebrate Halloween, and hasn't in the twenty years since a dying Curtis Danko laid a curse on the town. James Walker (Everwood's Tom Amandes), the umpty-great-grandson of the town's founder, has come back to town to reopen his father's chocolate factory, which was shut down after the curse (there's some sort of rationalization about how a chocolate factory will encourage kids to celebrate Halloween, or something). While the townsfolk are afraid the reopening of the plant will set off the curse, there's no denying the economy needs it. James plans to reopen the plant on Halloween, with a big party. Needless to say, the curse is real, and a whole bunch of oddly cute ghouls, including the recently-deceased eccentric Uncle Fred (Christopher Lloyd), pop up to remind the townspeople that this might not be the world's best idea.
I'll start off by saying that if you are the kind of person who is capable of withstanding the sound of shrieking adolescents, then you and I are coming from very different places, and this review does not apply to you. (The acid test: if you can watch five minutes of That's So Raven without wanting to tear your hair out.) I find it an even more unbearable sound than shrieking babies, so I find the vast bulk of programming on channels like Disney, Nick, and ABC Family painful. Yes, actually, physically painful. In order for me to give an original movie from one of those stations even a mediocre review, it would have to have an Oscar-worthy script, a prodigy director, a top-notch cast who all brought their A game, or some combination of the above. When Good Ghouls Go Bad, not surprisingly, has none of these elements; the script is about as good as can be expected given that Johnson (whose biggest previous writing credit was the terrible, terrible 1990 stoner comedy Spaced Invaders) was adapting a story from R. L. Stine, who can charitably be described as the Danielle Steel of teen horror. As a director, Johnson has hardly fared better. When your best-known directorial credit is a movie often regarded as one of the worst in history (Baby's Day Out), there's really nowhere to go but up...unless you just stay on the same plane, which seems to be Johnson's MO. And the cast? Lloyd is the biggest of the bunch, and let's face it, since Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Lloyd's career has been a painful illustration of the downward spiral. (With the notable exception of Wit, released, ironically, the same year as this mess.) It's terrible through and through. The only reason I'm giving it half a star is because, for some reason I cannot entirely fathom, I did not turn it off. ½
Terrific Halloween Movie.........Maybe Not for Tiny Tots December 22, 2009
Petite Fleur
SPOILER ALERT! (this review contains some info that may be spoilers)
Christopher Lloyd is hilarious as the older relative of a young boy. They recently moved to a new town where people are absolutely terrified of Halloween. Anyone who dares to put up Halloween decorations soon finds them gone. The movie goes into the town's history and why the people do not celebrate or have any fun during Halloween. But as the movie goes along we realize that people have been misled, and after some scarey scenes, the issue is resolved. The DVD cover shows Lloyd as a ghoul, also for a good reason. But he's a funny, lovable ghoul.
Why is it not for very young kids? Well, unless they've been watching movies about Ghouls, people rising from the dead, and a teen being killed is a gruesome way, it may be a bit too intense for them. This is done in a funny vein but the scenes are also scarey.
When Good Ghouls Go Bad December 13, 2009
Marilyn K. Hunt (Farmington, Il USA)
I think this is a good Halloween movie. It has lots of action and not to scary for the young.
 "It's a fake!" "Gotta be!" November 29, 2009
LAURA28
This is a great family Halloween movie. The story revolves around the Walker family, and their attempt to revive the old family candy factory. Can they suceed and also revive Halloween for the town of Walker Falls? Only one way to find out. Such a great movie, we love it!
Ghouslish! November 2, 2009
bellalunas (Washington State)
This is a really fun standard for your Halloween library and as always, Christopher Lloyd is amazing! Great for even young kids, just enough fright without up all night for everyone :)
Showing reviews 1-5 of 20
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