The Haunted Mask (Goosebumps episode) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "The Haunted Mask" |
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| Goosebumps episode | |
Cover of the VHS released in 1996
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 & 2 |
| Directed by | Timothy Bond |
| Teleplay by | José Rivera |
| Presented by | R. L. Stine |
| Produced by |
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| Featured music | Jack Lenz |
| Cinematography by | Brian R. R. Hebb |
| Editing by | Robert K. Sprogis |
| Original air date |
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The Haunted Mask is the very first episode of the popular TV show Goosebumps. This episode is based on the scary book of the same name by R. L. Stine. It tells the story of Carly Beth, a shy girl who buys a spooky Halloween mask. Soon, the mask starts to become a real part of her face!
The episode first aired in the United States on October 27, 1995, on the Fox network. About 7.9 million homes watched it. In Canada, where the show was filmed, it aired one day later on the YTV network. Nearly 3 million people watched it in Canada, making it YTV's most popular episode at the time. Kathryn Long, the actress who played Carly Beth, was even nominated for a Gemini Award for her amazing performance.
Contents
Plot Summary
This episode follows Carly Beth Caldwell, a girl who often gets scared by her classmates.
Carly Beth's Halloween Trouble
Carly Beth Caldwell (played by Kathryn Long) is always being scared by two classmates, Chuck Greene and Steve Boswell. On Halloween, they play a mean trick on her. They trick her into eating a sandwich that has a worm inside! Carly Beth gets very angry and runs home. She rips the duck costume her mother made for her. She decides to find a mask that will scare Chuck and Steve back.
Carly Beth goes to a mask shop. She finds a secret back room filled with really scary masks. The store's owner (played by Colin Fox) doesn't want to sell any of these masks. But Carly Beth takes one anyway and leaves some money for him.
The Scary Mask
At home, Carly Beth puts on the mask to scare her brother, Noah (played by Cody Jones). She then has trouble taking the mask off. When it finally comes off, she and Noah notice something strange. Her voice has changed without her meaning to. Carly Beth puts the mask on again. She then takes a mold of her head that her mother made. She leaves the house to meet her best friend, Sabrina Mason.
Carly Beth starts to act very differently while wearing the mask. She frightens other children and throws candy on the ground. She even destroys Halloween decorations. After scaring Chuck and Steve, she buries the mold of her head. While at Sabrina's house, Carly Beth is shocked. She cannot remove the mask at all. It seems to have become part of her skin.
A Symbol of Love
Carly Beth goes back to the mask shop. The owner is waiting for her. He tells Carly Beth that the mask is a real face. He says the only way to remove it is with a "symbol of love." Carly Beth starts to cry out in horror. Her cries wake up the other masks in the shop. They begin to chase her!
Carly Beth runs to the cemetery, with the other masks following her. She digs up the mold her mother gave her. Carly Beth uses the mold to stop the other masks. She is then able to remove the mask from her face. She goes home to her mother and tosses the mask near the door. Carly Beth is horrified to see Noah wearing the mask when he returns home.
Airing and Popularity
"The Haunted Mask" was released on VHS on March 12, 1996. Billboard magazine said the VHS was the 75th bestselling home video of 1996. By August 1996, more than 2.5 million copies of the VHS had been sold.
