When Good Ghouls Go Bad

In Footloose, Kevin Bacon moved to a small town where dancing was prohibited. In this ghoulish made-for-TV movie based on a story by Goosebumps scribe R.L. Stine, requisite teenage misfit Danny Walker moves to a small town where it is forbidden to even mention the word "Halloween." Christopher Lloyd stars as "Uncle Fred," who dies in a freak pumpkin accident while trying to liberate the superstitious townspeople, and then rises from the dead to lead the charge against an army of ghouls. Stine's mordant humor scares up a few good laughs (at one point, when zombie Fred's hand is severed by a car's electric window, he turns to the horrified townspeople and inquires, "Anyone else want a piece of me?"). Marred only by some broadly played stereotypical characters, "Ghouls" is more good than bad, but with its haunting makeup and special effects, it might creep out younger viewers. Preteens and teens not ready for R-rated scares, on the other hand, should find this to be a treat. Recommended, overall. (K. Lee Benson)