You know what I love most about this time of year? The cycle of facing what made you afraid as a child and finding the thrill in revisiting that experience as opposed to the all-consuming terror. As years go by, it’s easier to see that the shadows on the walls were tree branches, that the creaks in the floorboards were mom and dad moving around after you went to bed, and that the monsters lurking in your closet were just clothes and boxes.

But what if they couldn’t be explained away as a shirt or an odd sound? What if it wasn’t in your head – what if it was real? That’s the premise of today’s entry, Gary Mellor and Ben Wilkinson’s Amy’s Torch, from 2008.

This isn’t big budget by any means, but I’m willing to cut it some slack. The charm in this one lies in the presentation. I really liked the musical choices and use of narration; it brought a Gothic feel to it, which did wonders for establishing mood. I found that it made me feel like a cross between an adult looking back with memories of monsters and a little girl who was actively living the nightmare. The “magic” of the flashlight, the dismissal of the mother (right down to the “silly girl” we’ve all heard) – all normal, all things that can be explained as a child with an overactive imagination… until we get to that monster. And boy was that one creepy. Never underestimate the power of a creepy ass puppet, folks. Especially when paired with a splatter of fake blood and an audible crunch.

Happy Saturday, and don’t let the bedbugs bite.