The Haunted Mask (TV special)
Encyclopedia
The Haunted Mask is a two-part horror
television special
that first aired on October 27, 1995, based on R. L. Stine
's book of the same name
. It follows Carly Beth, a timid girl who buys a Halloween
mask that would not come off. José Rivera
wrote the TV special, and Timothy Bond served as director. The special starred Kathryn Long as Carly Beth, Kathryn Short as Sabrina, George Davis
as Steve and Amos Crawley as Chuck, and by March 1996, it was released on VHS
.
of her head that her mother gave to her and leaves the house.
She starts acting different: she attacks her best friend, Sabrina (Kathryn Short), frightens children and vandalize
s the neighbourhood
. After scaring Chuck and Steve, she buries the head. While at Sabrina's house, Carly Beth is shocked to find she is unable to remove the mask as it seems to have become part of her skin. She goes back to the mask shop to find the owner waiting for her. The shop owner tells Carly Beth that the mask is a real living face and the only way to remove it is with a "symbol of love." Carly Beth begins to cry out and scream in horror, awakening the other masks who begin to pursue her. Chased by the other masks, she runs to the cemetery
and digs up the mould her mother gave her and uses it to deter the other masks and remove the mask from her face. She returns home to her mother, tossing the mask near the door. Carly Beth is horrified to see Noah wearing the mask upon his return.
by Protocol Entertainment
in association with Scholastic Productions. It first aired on October 27, 1995 in the United States
on the Fox Network, and one day later in Canada on the YTV network as the series premiere of the Goosebumps TV series
. José Rivera
wrote the TV special, while Timothy Bond served as director.
reporter Scott Blakey described it as a "a cautionary tale that will thrill viewers 10 and older." The Austin American-Statesman
described it as "a live-action dramatization that's scary enough to give kids the creeps but probably not scary enough to give them nightmares." The video was rated four out of five stars in the DVD & Video Guide 2005. In a positive review from Los Angeles Times
, they stated The Haunted Mask has "lots of 'gotcha' scares and giggles".
. It contained a sneak peek of the Goosebumps television adaption of A Night at Terror Tower. This video was very popular, ranking 4th in video sales a few weeks after its release and 75th in sales for the year 1996, more than any other Goosebumps video for that year.
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
that first aired on October 27, 1995, based on R. L. Stine
R. L. Stine
Robert Lawrence Stine , known as R. L. Stine, and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American writer. Stine, who is called the "Stephen King of children's literature," is the author of hundreds of horror fiction novels, including the books in the Fear Street, Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, and The...
's book of the same name
The Haunted Mask
The Haunted Mask is the eleventh book in R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series. The book follows Carly Beth, a girl who buys a Halloween mask from a store. After putting on the mask, she starts acting differently and discovers that the mask has become her face; she is unable to physically pull the mask...
. It follows Carly Beth, a timid girl who buys a Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
mask that would not come off. José Rivera
José Rivera (playwright)
José Rivera is a playwright and the first Puerto Rican screenwriter to be nominated for an Oscar.-Early years:Rivera was born in the Santurce section of San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1955. He was raised in Arecibo where he lived until 1959. Rivera's family migrated from Puerto Rico when he was 4 years...
wrote the TV special, and Timothy Bond served as director. The special starred Kathryn Long as Carly Beth, Kathryn Short as Sabrina, George Davis
George Davis
George Davis may refer to:*George Davis , Dutch-born American actor*George Davis , American environmental policy analyst*George Davis , British armed robber...
as Steve and Amos Crawley as Chuck, and by March 1996, it was released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
.
Host
The special starts with an introduction by R. L. Stine, who is in the mask shop that appears in the special. Stine also hosts the conclusion.Plot summary
Carly Beth (Kathryn Long) is repeatedly scared by her friends. After getting fooled into eating a sandwich that contained a worm by her friends Chuck (Amos Crawley) and Steve (George Davis), Carly Beth runs home and rips the duck costume her mom, Kate made for her as a result. She later goes into a mask shop hoping to find something that will scare Chuck and Steve. In the store, she stumbles upon a back room filled with some hideous masks. There, she steals one of them, goes home, puts on the mask and scares her brother, Noah (Cody Jones). She soon notices the mask won't come off, and when it finally does, she and Noah are unsure as to how she unintentionally changed her voice. After putting on the mask again, Carly Beth takes the mouldMold
Molds are fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. Molds are not considered to be microbes but microscopic fungi that grow as single cells called yeasts...
of her head that her mother gave to her and leaves the house.
She starts acting different: she attacks her best friend, Sabrina (Kathryn Short), frightens children and vandalize
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
s the neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
. After scaring Chuck and Steve, she buries the head. While at Sabrina's house, Carly Beth is shocked to find she is unable to remove the mask as it seems to have become part of her skin. She goes back to the mask shop to find the owner waiting for her. The shop owner tells Carly Beth that the mask is a real living face and the only way to remove it is with a "symbol of love." Carly Beth begins to cry out and scream in horror, awakening the other masks who begin to pursue her. Chased by the other masks, she runs to the cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
and digs up the mould her mother gave her and uses it to deter the other masks and remove the mask from her face. She returns home to her mother, tossing the mask near the door. Carly Beth is horrified to see Noah wearing the mask upon his return.
Production
The Haunted Mask was produced in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
by Protocol Entertainment
Protocol Entertainment
Protocol Entertainment is a Canadian television production company, originally founded in 1993. It is based in Toronto, Ontario.- Films and series :* Code Name: Eternity* Dinner Along the Amazon* Goosebumps* Mama's Boy* Metropia...
in association with Scholastic Productions. It first aired on October 27, 1995 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on the Fox Network, and one day later in Canada on the YTV network as the series premiere of the Goosebumps TV series
Goosebumps (TV series)
Goosebumps is a Canadian children's horror anthology television series based on R. L. Stine's Goosebumps books.-Networks:...
. José Rivera
José Rivera (playwright)
José Rivera is a playwright and the first Puerto Rican screenwriter to be nominated for an Oscar.-Early years:Rivera was born in the Santurce section of San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1955. He was raised in Arecibo where he lived until 1959. Rivera's family migrated from Puerto Rico when he was 4 years...
wrote the TV special, while Timothy Bond served as director.
Reception
Chicago TribuneChicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
reporter Scott Blakey described it as a "a cautionary tale that will thrill viewers 10 and older." The Austin American-Statesman
Austin American-Statesman
The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is an award-winning publication owned by Cox Enterprises. The Newspaper places focus on issues affecting Austin and the Central Texas region....
described it as "a live-action dramatization that's scary enough to give kids the creeps but probably not scary enough to give them nightmares." The video was rated four out of five stars in the DVD & Video Guide 2005. In a positive review from Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, they stated The Haunted Mask has "lots of 'gotcha' scares and giggles".
VHS release
The Haunted Mask was released on VHS on March 1996 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
. It contained a sneak peek of the Goosebumps television adaption of A Night at Terror Tower. This video was very popular, ranking 4th in video sales a few weeks after its release and 75th in sales for the year 1996, more than any other Goosebumps video for that year.