Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 68: Interview with David and Eli from You Scared of This?

Happy Halloween, everyone! In this episode of Casual Chats, Patricia interviews David Dycus and Eli Philips from You Scared of This?, a weekly podcast dedicated to reviewing every single episode of the 1991 Nickelodeon anthology series Are You Afraid of the Dark? They discuss about their earliest memories of Nickelodeon, why they decided to watch every episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, what they think of the show when looking back on it, and what would like to see in a reboot?

Old School Lane Presents: What Nickelodeon Means to Kevin

Continuing celebrating Nickelodeon's 35th anniversary is a personal video on what the network meant to Kevin. What does Nickelodeon mean to you? Post it in the comments below and let us know. Enjoy!

Old School Lane's Top 10 Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes

Let's conclude our discussion of this classic anthology series with our favorite episodes. Now keep in mind, this is our opinion of what made these episodes impact us in a special way. If your favorite episodes are different from ours, that's perfectly fine. Whether it frightened us or thrilled us to the bone, let's count down our top 10 Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes. We're going to not spoil too much on these episodes since we want you to see them for yourself. Let's begin with Kevin's top 10.

10. The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors

In this episode, a brother and sister see some new neighbors moving in to their house. They don't think much about them at first since they seem like nice people. But then, they suspect that the new neighbors are vampires. They don't show themselves during the day, when they went to their basement, they find bottles of blood in the freezer, and the boy sleeping in a coffin waking up with fangs in his mouth. That scared the crap out of me when I was a kid.



You would think that it would be a cliche episode of the new neighbors not being vampires and that it was their imagination or that they were vampires. Well, this is Are You Afraid of the Dark? and they throw you a twist ending that I did not expect coming.



9. The Tale of the Midnight Madness

What I truly love about this episode is the screening of the classic 1922 horror movie Nosferatu. At the time, it was very rare for kids to be associated with a movie like this. For Nickelodeon shows, they wouldn't reference Nosferatu again until one of the episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants. In this episode, a broken down movie theater is on the verge of shutting down, but then Dr. Vink comes in and brings in Nosferatu in exchange of controlling the theater the way he wants it. But then the movie starts to take life on its own as the monster leaves the theater and haunts everyone.




I love the scene when one of the employees at the theater jumps in the movie and stops the monster. Such a great episode.



8. The Tale of the Dead Man's Float

What is more scarier when going out swimming that drowning, one of the most common fears ever! A nerdy science kid wants to ask a girl to be her science partner. She says yes and says to meet her at the school swimming pool to do their studies. The problem is: he can't swim and had a traumatic drowning experience. They find out that there's some mysterious forces going on when they get pushed into the water and almost drown. I really like this episode because it has a common fear such as drowning portrayed in a way that really scared me as a kid.

7. The Tale of the Crimson Clown

In this episode, a rotten kid spends all his money on a toy clown instead of buying his mother a birthday gift like he was suppose to. He becomes so selfish about what his needs are that he goes against what's right and does what he desires. But then he figures out that the clown is evil and terrorizes the kid. I'm not afraid of clowns, but when I saw this episode, it freaked me out! It reminds me of the movie Poltergeist in which there's an sweet innocent toy clown that turns out to be evil in the end. It's a really nice homage. 




6. The Tale of the Phantom Cab

The very first Are You Afraid of the Dark? episode is definitely one of my favorites. It's about two brothers who hate each other's guts who get lost in the woods. In order to get back home, they need to work together solving riddles or else they'll be stuck in the woods forever. When a mysterious cab comes along, the stakes get even higher.



5. The Tale of Apartment 214

In this episode, a girl and her mom move in to a small apartment. There's a lonely woman who lives in Apartment 214 whom the girl have a special connection with. When the woman tells her to visit her on a special day, the girl promises to do so. She forgets the promise only to find her missing and the apartment empty. It's a very good episode that teaches you what happens when you break a promise and the consequences that happen when you do.

4. The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner

Holy crap! This is definitely one of the scariest episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark? and also one of my absolute favorites. It's about a comic book fan and an artist buying the first issue of a comic book called The Ghastly Grinner. It's about a scary clown who turns people into laughing, giggling zombies under his control similar to the Joker. When their comic book gets wet in the rain, they dry it with the microwave only causing the Ghastly Grinner to pop out of the comic book. This is one of the most iconic characters in Are You Afraid of the Dark? and everyone who saw this clown got scared shitless. It's awesome!



3. The Tale of the Dark Music

When I first saw this episode as a kid, it scared me so much that I still remember it after 20 years later. It's still engraved in my mind. It's about a boy, his mom, and his bratty sister moving in to their uncle's old house. They realize that there's something evil lurking in on their basement whenever he goes down there. There's one scene that still scares me to this day. The scene where his sister is dragged into the basement door screaming while the door shuts. If that didn't scare you as a kid, then I don't know what will.



2. The Tale of the Dream Girl

Out of all the episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, to me, this is the saddest one. It's about a regular guy and his sister who work at a bowling alley. The boy finds a ring on his locker and puts in on, but gets stuck on his finger. All of a sudden, a cute girl appears in his dreams and in real life. He tries to find out about her, only to realize that she's a ghost of a teenage girl who died in a car accident with her boyfriend. I don't want to spoil the ending, but the ending is indeed shocking.



1. The Tale of Laughing in the Dark



The second episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? is my absolute favorite because of one iconic character: Zeebo the Clown! He scared the uttermost crap out of me when I was a kid. It's about a cocky kid who's giving a dare by his friends to go inside the haunted house alone and steal Zeebo's nose. He accepts and goes in. Bad decision! The only way to get the nose is to distract him with a funny joke. If he doesn't, he'll be stuck in the haunted house forever!



That concludes my favorite Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes. Now it's time for Patricia's favorite.

10. The Tale of the Pinball Wizard

In the first season finale, Gary tells the story of a teenage boy obsessed with video games. His favorite games to play are pinball machines. He works at a store that repairs items and his boss brings in a new pinball machine. He's eager to play the game, but his boss tells him not to. When he disobeys his boss' orders, he ends up in the game playing for his life to win his freedom. If he loses, then it's game over and he's stuck in the game forever. Being a gamer myself, I thought that this was a really neat idea, but done in a way that's frightening.



9. The Tale of Apartment 214



Kevin pretty much said it in a nutshell about this episode, so moving on.

8. The Tale of the Room for Rent

In this episode, Sam tells the story of a new tenant moving in a room for rent. The family doesn't suspect anything until they find out that the tenant is a little bit mysterious and not who he seems. He's actually a ghost of a WWII pilot haunting the grandfather of the family who owns the house. Why is he haunting him? Watch the episode and find out.



7. The Tale of the Chameleons

Betty Ann tells the story about two best friends who wander into a pet store. When they reach a tank that contains a chameleon, one of the girls gets bitten by one and starts acting strange. It turns out that the chameleon is a shape shifter wanting to take the girl's identity as her own. This episode stars Tia and Tamera Mowry from Sister Sister and it's nice seeing them play in a role that's a bit more serious. The ending is truly something I did not expect.



6. The Tale of Badge

In the 5th season finale, Gary tells the story about a girl who's celebrating her 16th birthday only to discover a family secret from her grandmother. She's a witch and she must use her powers to take down an evil demon named Badge. The girl is skeptical at first, being afraid of use her powers in front of Badge. But she stands up for herself, takes courage, and takes down Badge once and for all.



5. The Tale of Cutter's Treasure

Season 4 begins with a two-part episode that is really thrilling and exciting. Gary and Frank tell the story about two brothers wandering in Sardo's Magic Mansion and find a mysterious treasure box. They wish to take a look into it, but Sardo refuses because inside contains an evil pirate ghost named Jonas Cutter. The boys, of course, disobey Sardo and open the box releasing Cutter's ghost. There's more at stake besides releasing Cutter's ghost for the main characters. He kidnaps one of the brothers and they find out that they have a certain connection involving Cutter's past. This is the only episode in which you see Are You Afraid of the Dark? recurring characters Sardo and Dr. Vink together. It's truly a very special one that you have to see.



4. The Tale of the Dream Girl

Kevin did a great job saying good things about this episode. Moving on.

3. The Tale of the Vampire Town

As time went on, I outgrew Are You Afraid of the Dark? and had stopped watching it after Season 6. Not only were the stories not as scary as the previous seasons, but all the characters that I came to know and love were all gone. The new members didn't feel the same. Years later, I saw this episode and I had wished that I continued on with the show.

Quinn tells the story about a teenage boy who's obsessed with vampires and goes into a town that is known for having a vampire buried in their catacombs. When he wanders into the catacombs, the hotel owner and a mortician accuse the teenage boy of being a vampire and chase after him. He tries to prove to them that he's not, but they don't believe him. Along the story, he unknowingly releases the real vampire from his coffin. This story ends in a very ironic way that is unbelievable. It's like if Bram Stoker and O. Henry wrote this story together. Check it out.

2. The Tale of the Silver Sight

This 3 part episode is the only one on the list that's from the 7th and final season. It's different from any Are You Afraid of the Dark? episode since the story is not told from one of the members, it's actually happening. Gary returns in this episode interacting with the new members of the Midnight Society. Gary and Tucker's grandfather dies of a heart attack and left Gary one final note in his will and testament. It tells of an object known as the Silver Sight and that it needs to be found and destroyed. The way to find the Silver Sight is to visit the original members of the Midnight Society, collect a piece of a broken record, and figure out the clues to where the Silver Sight is hidden. The gang also find out that one of the original members is a traitor looking for the Silver Sight himself.

In my opinion, they should have ended it in this episode. It's a really intense, thrilling, and captivating episode that makes you wonder what's going to happen next. 

1. The Tale of the Dangerous Soup

This episode is filled to the brim with the one thing that scares us the most...our own fears. It perfectly captures everything on what Are You Afraid of the Dark? symbolizes and represents. In the 3rd season finale, Frank tells the story about a teenage boy working at a restaurant where the chef is cooking the most delicious soup in the world. That chef is none other than Dr. Vink. 5 minutes into this episode, you know you're getting into something that's going to be scary and strange. The main theme in this episode is fear and learning how to face it otherwise you'll be conquered by it. 

In almost every Are You Afraid of the Dark? episode, a main character goes through a frightening experience facing it on their own otherwise they'll be doomed. But this episode is the most realistic of all. It's our fear. The one thing that frightens even the strongest person. Maybe you're not afraid of ghosts, monsters, witches, zombies, aliens, or demons, but you know you're afraid of something. This episode uses fear to its best advantage and that's why it's #1 in my book. Oh, and about the ending. You'll really be terrified if you were in that position, that's for sure.

What are some of your favorite Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes? Post it in the comments and let us know. Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon. Thanks for reading.

-Patricia and Kevin

Old School Lane's Nickelodeon Tribute: Interview with D.J. MacHale

Who better to get to make this discussion of Are You Afraid of the Dark? even more special than the creator himself, D.J. MacHale. His work on television and literature is astonishing to behold. From TV show work writing, producing, or directing shows like Tower of Terror, Criss Cross, Flight 29 Down, and Seasonal Differences to writing the now acclaimed fantasy book series Pendragon, Morpheus Road, and Monster Princess. 

Kevin and I had the chance to interview D.J. MacHale, so I hope you enjoy.

Patricia- What are your favorite cartoons?

D.J.- Bugs Bunny.  No question.  

Patricia- What made you create Are You Afraid of the Dark?

D.J.- I love telling stories...especially spooky stories.

Kevin- Are you or were you a fan of Tales from the Crypt comic book and TV show?

D.J.- I watched it but I wasn’t what you’d call a fan.  I did read the “Creepy” and “Eerie” comic books when I was a kid though.

Patricia- What inspiration did you get to creating Are You Afraid of the Dark?

D.J.- Dark? was very much an homage to one of the greatest shows of all time: The Twilight Zone.  Also, I read thousands of supernatural stories...long and short...when I was young.

Patricia- What was your favorite Are You Afraid of the Dark episode?

D.J.- The Tale of the Midnight Madness.  We were firing on all cylinders with that one.

Patricia- Who was your favorite Midnight Society character?

D.J.- Hard to say because they were all so different.  But Gary was the ringleader and the most like me so I guess I’d say...Gary.

Kevin- How did you feel about Zeebo the Clown?

D.J.- I’m terrified of clowns.  No joke.  Ever since a “clown incident” when I was very little.  As I called it in that episode, it’s known as Bozophobia. 

Patricia- How did you go pitching Are You Afraid of the Dark to Nickelodeon?

D.J.- They didn’t want it at first because they thought parents would go crazy if we tried to scare little kids.  So they turned it down at first.  But a great guy was hired there afterward, found the three-page pitch in a file, pulled it out and said:  “Why aren’t we doing this show???”  If not for him, the show would not have been made.

Patricia- Do you still keep in contact with any of the cast members?

D.J.- Not face to face but many of us have found each other through Facebook.  Not just the cast, but the crew as well.  We call ourselves “Darkies”.

Kevin- What was a typical day of shooting?

D.J.- Making that show was grueling.  Long, long days.  And often we had to shoot into the night because it was Are You Afraid of the DARK?”  Sometimes we’d get to work at 6pm and finish at 6am.  When you shoot scary scenes, it takes a long time because you need lots of shots to be able to build tension.  So it wouldn’t  be weird to be working 14 hour days.  Then of course for me I’d have to go home and work on scripts or look at edits of the show or meet with composers...it was challenging.  But I loved it.

Patricia- What was that white stuff that they threw on the fire?

D.J.- Non-Dairy creamer.  That stuff is petroleum based...and burns.  But we also added a little pyrotechnic charge for some oomph.

Patricia- Who were your influences in writing your books?

D.J.- I always write about real life...even if I’m writing fantasy adventure.  I look around and write about stuff that I know, though I build it up to fantastical proportions.  It’s fun.

Patricia- How did you come up with the idea of the Pendragon books?

D.J.- I actually had lots of ideas for different stories and couldn’t decide which one to write.  So I decided to write them all...and tie them together with the story about Bobby vs. Saint Dane.  That’s why I then pitched it as a book series because it was too long for a movie and too big and expensive for a TV show.

Patricia- In the Pendragon books, each of the characters go through a series of adventures and has an aesthetic feel of friendship and making the right decisions. How did you go when creating each obstacle for each character that can relate to the readers?

D.J.- Again, it’s about real life.  People are faced with decisions all the time, and the right decision isn’t always obvious.  Also, often times there IS no right decision.  So I tried to create as many moral/ethical/difficult challenges that would make the characters (and the readers) really have to think about what the right way to go would be.

Patricia- Movies based on books for teenagers and young adults are becoming quite the rage ever since Twilight and The Hunger Games. Will we see a movie adaptation of Pendragon?

D.J.- They’ve been quite the rage for about a hundred years now!  I’ve been having trouble setting up Pendragon because I think the story is just too big and expensive to get a studio to want to take a chance on.

Patricia- Now that your last book in the Morpheus Road trilogy has been released, what will be your next projects?

D.J.- I’m writing a science-fiction thriller.  First draft already complete.  I’ll reveal more info about it as it gets closer to reality.

Kevin- What were your favorite shows as a kid?

D.J.- Yikes.  Too many to name...and it depends on what age you’re talking about.

Kevin- Do you feel that Are You Afraid of the Dark should get a proper DVD release?

D.J.- Absolutely!  Most of the episodes from seasons 1-5 are available on DVD but through a Canadian company and they are very expensive.  I wish Nickelodeon would do a proper U.S. release.

Kevin- What is your favorite Nickelodeon show?

D.J.- Ren & Stimpy.

Kevin- What is your favorite movie?

D.J.- The Guns of Navarone.

Patricia- What advice would you give to someone who wants to pitch an idea for a TV network?

D.J.- First get a job writing on somebody else’s TV show.   You won’t sell a show of your own until you’ve proven you can do it for somebody else.

Kevin- Are you a huge fan of the horror genre?

D.J.- No.  I don’t like the gory violence.  I think it’s too easy.  The scares come from the fear of seeing something disgusting.  But I DO love ghost stories.  Whole different ballgame.

Kevin- What episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark scared you the most?

D.J.- Well...none.  Because I made them!  It’s hard to get scared when you know what’s coming.

Kevin- Did you go on the set on any of the episodes?

D.J.- Of course!  I directed a few dozen and I supervised the making of the rest.  I was what was called the “Show Runner” which means I was responsible for every creative aspect of the show...from scripts to casting to hiring crew to locations to art direction/costumes/make-up to editing to music...  So if you liked the show you can thank me.  If you don’t like it...you can blame me.

Kevin- How do you feel about Nickelodeon now than it was before?

D.J.- I don’t know much about the animation stuff, but with the live action I feel that it’s gotten too one-note.  So  many of the shows look alike.  There isn’t enough variety.  And I can’t tell the difference between Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel.  I call it Disnelodeon.  It didn’t used to be like that. 

Patricia- What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a writer?

D.J.- Learn about everything that you can and then write about it.

Patricia- That's all the questions. Thank you so much, D.J. Take care.

D.J.- You are very welcome.

For more information about D.J. MacHale and his books, you can check out the website http://djmachalebooks.com/. You can also follow him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorD.J.MacHale or on Twitter @DJMacHale. 

Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon. Take care.

-Patricia and Kevin

Old School Lane Nickelodeon Tribute: Interview with Ross Hull

When it came to finding people who acted and worked on , it was the biggest thrill to find out that we had gotten the opportunity to interview the leader of Midnight Society himself, Gary. 

The actor who played Gary, Ross Hull, was on other TV roles before doing Are You Afraid of the Dark? He begun his acting career in the 1987 movie Nowhere to Hide starring Amy Madigan, Michael Ironside, John Colicos, Maury Chaykin, and Clark Johnson.

He had appeared in other TV roles after Are You Afraid of the Dark? such as Student Bodies, Ready or Not, Mutant X, and Stargate: Atlantis.

Today, he's a meteorologist for CTV Southwestern Ontario. 

Kevin and I had the chance to interview Ross, so I hope you enjoy.

Patricia- What were your favorite shows growing up?

Ross- My favorite shows growing up were Family Ties and The Cosby Show.

Patricia- Who were your influences?

Ross- Family Ties was one of my first real introductions to the sitcom genre and I really looked up to Michael J. Fox and how he made it look so seamless.

Kevin- Did your parents support you when you wanted to go into acting?

Ross- Yes, my parents were always very supportive of any decision I made in terms of my acting career.  My mom got me started when I was a kid but I always had an out to leave the business if I chose to.

Kevin- What was the audition process like for Nowhere to Hide?

Ross- To be honest, it was so long ago I don't remember.  

Patricia- Do you have any fond memories on the set?

Ross- I remember soaking everything in because it was one of my first experiences on a set.  Amy Madigan and Maury Chaykin were two of the big actors on that movie and I remember studying them intently.

Patricia- What was the audition process like for Student Bodies?

Ross- As is usually the case, I don't think I read for the role I was finally cast in.  There were three auditions I believe and its one of those things where you think you have a good feeling after an audition but you never really know until you get the call.

Patricia- Many people called Student Bodies a Saved by the Bell ripoff. Do you agree?

Ross- Yes and No.  I think that shows like Saved By the Bell certainly created the mold for shows like Student Bodies but I think that Student Bodies became something different.  I think we delved into some content that Saved By the Bell wasn't able to tackle.  

Kevin- What was the audition process for Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Ross- I actually auditioned for the pilot first and played David.  Then D.J. was kind enough to have me read for Gary when the series was a go. 

Kevin- What was your favorite Midnight Society story?

Ross- I don't really have a favorite story.  I really liked the stories when Gary actually got to leave the campfire and join the action within the story.

Patricia- Were you close with any of the cast members?

Ross- Yes, I developed close friendships with everyone I worked with.  I have kept in touch with some more than others.  Daniel DeSanto and Raine Pare-Coull are two that I've kept in contact with regularly.

Patricia- What was it like working for D.J. MacHale?

Ross- D.J. was a huge influence on me. When I first did the pilot I was really shy - I had confidence in my acting abilities but D.J. made me feel comfortable enough to be able to deliver on the set. I think we really connected in the sense that I was able to take direction well from him.  If not for working with D.J. and the experience of Are You Afraid of the Dark I don't think I would have had the success I did later on.  

Kevin- Do you think that Are You Afraid of the Dark should have a proper DVD release?

Ross- If that's what the fans want - make it so :)

Kevin- Did you ever tell ghost stories in real life?

Ross- Not really.  I was more known for creating outlandish exaggerations of events that had happened at school or with my friends. I was a dramatic kid.  I would also pretend I was a reporter and hound my family with a video camera relentlessly.

Patricia- What is the fondest memory that you had working in Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Ross- Finishing a take and hearing D.J. say: "very nice".  Also, just chilling with the other cast members in our imaginary forest.

Kevin-What is your favorite Nickelodeon show?

Ross- I didn't grow up in the U.S. so I actually didn't have access to Nickelodeon growing up.  So I guess I have to say Are you Afraid of the Dark? :)

Kevin- Were you a fan of Tales from the Crypt?

Ross- No, never watched it.

Patricia- What was the first day of shooting like on Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Ross- For me, it was like the pilot but with a different cast and a more expensive set. I wasn't as nervous because I already knew D.J. and some of the crew pretty well.  There was a level of comfort there.

Kevin- Did you like the character of Mr. Sardo?

Ross- When I read the script I though Sardo was interesting then was even more impressed when I saw the actor playing him bring him to life.

Kevin-Do you think that some of the episodes were a little too dark and scary for kids?

Ross- Not really, I think one of the real good attributes of the show was that parents could watch with their kids and still be somewhat entertained.  If things got out of hand then I think the parents could easily keep their kids from watching.  It certainly got close to the line but I don't think ever crossed it.

Kevin- Were you a fan of Goosebumps in the 90's?

Ross- No, although it provided a lot of work for some actor friends of mine back then I don't think I have ever seen an episode.

Patricia- Are you a good storyteller in real life?

Ross- I think I have some good storytelling techniques, yes.  After all what I do know as a meteorologist is very much telling a story and sometimes the weather can be scary too.

Patricia- What were some funny moments that you had on Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Ross- I remember Daniel and I getting into some trouble at times.  We would throw shrubs and branches from the set at each other...sometimes even push each other into the dirt.  It was childish I know but hey, I was playing a kid so I'll use the excuse that it helped me get into character.

Kevin- Were there any actual scary moments?

Ross- Besides the black stuff that I would find in my nose after a day's shooting in a studio replica of a forest with a fire burning all day - not really.

Kevin- Do you still have any of the scripts from the show?

Ross- Yes, I do.

Patricia- What was a typical day at the studio like for Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Ross- Hair and make-up and then hurry up and wait just like any other set.  Once we got a rhythm going we would get a lot done though.

Patricia- What was it like being in an episode of Stargate: Atlantis?

Ross- It was a good experience.  

Patricia- What made you decide to change your career from being an actor to a meteorologist?

Ross- I always had a passion for broadcasting and television news.  My passion was really launched after I worked at Canada's Weather Network.

Patricia- Were you always interested in weather or did you obtain that interest later on?

Ross- Yes, I always had an interest.  But once I was exposed to meteorologists and meteorology at The Weather Network then I wanted to know even more.

Patricia- You've traveled to a few places such as Russia , India , China , and New Zealand ? What fond memories and stories can you tell us about your travels?

Ross- I really appreciate the opportunities I've had to travel.  The biggest impact that's had is revealing the common traits many of us have despite geographical barriers and divisions.  Also, I have come to appreciate how great of a place Canada is and how proud I am to be Canadian.

Oh yeah and when I was in Russia, I was working out in the gym and one of the crew members from the project I was working on came down and told me that I was on TV.  Turns out it was Student Bodies dubbed in Russian. Who knew?

Patricia- One more question. What's today's weather forcast?

Ross- Cloud cover today and a high of 11c.  

Patricia- Thanks for taking the time to answer these, Ross. We really appreciate it. 

Ross- No problem! Thanks for watching!

For all you Ontario residents, you can catch Ross at CTV News. For more information, check out the website at http://www.ctv.ca/. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ross_Hull.

Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon. Thanks for reading.

-Patricia and Kevin