Creepy Clown episode

Reviewing Laughing in the Dark

Narrator: Betty-Ann     

Summary: Josh, a 13-year-old punk, and his friend Weegie (Yes, that’s his name.), along with Weegie’s younger sister Kathy are at Playland amusement park, the Canadian equivalent to King’s Dominion or Six Flaggs, when they come across the haunted spook house, “Laughing in the Dark”. Josh thinks it’s silly to be scared of the spook house, because it’s supposed to be spooky, though even he is unnerved by the carnival barker, Dr. Vink’s evil twin brother. Weegie does some research and finds out that back in the twenties, one of the Playland’s clown’s Zeebo decided he “needed” the company payroll more than the others. The dumbass gets caught and chased into the spook house. Zeebo liked cigars and place caught on fire taking the clown with it. Weegie gets fed up with Josh talking about how he wouldn’t be scared, so he dares Josh to go into the spook house.  Josh says not only will he go through The Laughing in Dark spook house, but he would steal nose of the dummy of Zeebo that comes at the end.  Weegie promises to wear the nose for a week at school. Though, Josh is successful at getting the nose, Zeebo is not pleased to lose his sense of smell.  He starts to terrorize Josh sending him messages to “Give it Back”, and Josh is forced to admit he is scared and that he must do as the clown has asked. 

My Thoughts: This is a classic Are You Afraid of the Dark episode with a classic monster that many kids grew up afraid of. It could be that the face is hidden by garish makeup, maybe it is the crazy persona they give off, or maybe it’s the fact serial killers have taken on clown personas either, but clowns are truly evil.  The acting from the kids is mediocre with the exception of the one adult actor in the episode, Aaron Tager.  He was actually the model for Zeebo.  I don’t know if “dummy” at the end of the Laughing in the Dark spook house is a real dummy or possibly Aaron Tager himself, but the makeup design for the clown was amazing. 

 I also, found the subtle use of old-fashioned effects were perfect. The episode relies on creating an atmosphere rather than making you jump. It relies on the audience not seeing Zeebo, with the exception of the dummy.  We only see smoke from the cigar, the silhouette of Zeebo’s feet behind the door, and a balloon.  Subtle has a more powerful and lasting impression than the jump scares that a lot of horrors rely on.