Mr Crocket

Mr. Crocket is a fun, bloody ride that blends dark children's TV vibes with satisfyingly campy horror. The deaths are sick and funny, the puppets are demented, and the cartoon sequences are genuinely creepy. A lot of effort has gone into recreating the 90s aesthetic through the sets and wardrobe, so it's definitely worth a watch if you're looking for 90s horror nostalgia.

Elvis Nolasco is undeniably the star of the show as Mr. Crocket, the unsettling kids' TV host who blurs the line between saccharine sweetness and killer monstrosity.

Unfortunately, after a very creatively bloody opening that hooks you in, the story does start to lose some steam. The pacing becomes uneven, and the plot feels a bit clunky and disjointed at times. As a movie adapted from a short, you can tell that the adaption from its intended runtime to 90 minutes wasn't the smoothest transition. Still, it manages to hang on and keeps things interesting enough to pull you through.

If you're into dark kids' TV, practical gore, or VHS horror, Mr. Crocket is certainly worth a watch. It's not without its flaws, but you can tell that the makers poured a lot of passion into making this - at no point does it feel phoned in. It's the kind of movie that's best enjoyed on a Friday night when you're in the mood for something fun and a little twisted.

Discount Freddy wants to be your friend to the end!

Continuing into Ahhctober 2024 we have Mr. Crocket, a very bland supernatural TV host who only wishes to protect kids from their bad parents. Too bad he only has a fraction of charisma Richard Pryor had. (Yes, he reminded me of the late, great Pryor.)

This is another movie that's trying to cash-in on nostalgia. Yesterday, for Ahhctober 2024, I watched Deer Camp '86 that obviously took place in the mid-80s but barely put any effort into that illusion. This one, a decade later in 1993 and the only thing tying it to that year was VCRs.

I didn't mind this supernatural horror. It's campy and, at times, pretty gory. Plus, SOME of the jump scares, even when I forecasted their arrival, were effective. And it's harmless/leave your brain at the door, horror fun. The unfortunate thing was, again, Mr. Crocket's a pretty mid villain.

Anyone can see the Freddy influences and everyone can see Robert Englund's a bucket-full more effective than Elvis Nolasco playing the title character here. Additionally, I sincerely doubt the kids these ages would've been so enthralled in this Blues Clues/Pee Wee's Playhouse downgrade.

Still, overall, it's inoffensive fun. Watch for some good gore and bad parents getting their due.

***

Final Thoughts: I kept thinking Five Nights at Freddy's even though it's only a slight carbon copy. I can see the influences, but it's not even at FNAF-levels.

Can't believe some of the bad reviews this movie is getting!

Having grown up in the 90s, I remember the torture of having to watch Barney on repeat as the TV served as a babysitter for my younger sibling, so the premise hits me in the childood.

Mr. Crocket is a psychotic supernatural Mr. Rodgers with a nightmarish dash of PeeWee's playhouse for his realm.

Solid story and practical effects makes for spooky fun reminiscent of a good old school episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark, or a tamer version of Tales from the Hood

Only complaint I have is it's hard to imagine the mom wanting her son Major back as he's a complete and utter ****

A Nightmare On Elm Street meets The Ring - except Freddy is a children's show host and the deadly cassette tape is the host's old school public access TV children's show.

There were choices made that prevented Mr. Crocket from being a near-perfect horror romp, but it's still entertaining as hell and has what it takes to become a cheesy annual Halloween staple! It's a hodgepodge of over-the-top horror campiness and gore, emotional family drama, derivative investigation sequences, and a fun yet legitimately menacing villain.

Elvis Nolasco as the titular character 110% knew the assignment and helped create an iconic horror villain! So much so, I feel like the movie would have suffered without Nolasco's self-aware performance. He fully embodies the genuinely innocent children's show host, even in the most frightening scenarios (except for a few moments when it made sense to break away).

Another thing that made this movie worthwhile was its use of practical gore, sets, and puppetry. It made the decades-old children show feel tangible and nostalgic, and really elevated the campy scenes of violence and doom. When digital FX is used, it's cheesy and feels out of place. I could only imagine how amazing it would've been if they instead used analog video manipulation and distorting; this approach would've fit with in the world of the movie and it would've made those scenes much, much scarier.

"Mr. Crocket" is a 2024 Hulu horror film that offers a nostalgic nod to the iconic 90s TV series, Goosebumps. Fans of the original show will appreciate the familiar tone and atmosphere, as well as the chilling premise of a demonic children's show host.

The film follows a mother, played by Jerrika Hinton, as she embarks on a terrifying journey to rescue her son from the clutches of "Mr. Crocket", a sinister TV personality who has been kidnapping children. The performances are solid, with Hinton delivering a convincing portrayal of a desperate mother. Ayden Gavin shines as her son, capturing the fear and vulnerability of a child trapped in a dangerous situation.

While the film's plot may be somewhat predictable, it's the atmosphere and execution that make it enjoyable. The visual effects are impressive, creating a believable and unsettling world. The score is also effective, adding to the suspense and tension.

Overall, "Mr. Crocket" is a promising horror film that shows a lot of potential. While it may not be a groundbreaking masterpiece, it's a fun and frightening watch that will satisfy fans of the genre.