Entertainment

'Goosebumps' Cast Plays Our Emoji Game — VIDEO

by Anna Klassen

For children growing up in the '90s, Goosebumps novels were a main source of our collective literary diets. Though I was never able to turn past the first few pages of any given R.L. Stine novel without diving under my covers in terror, the books were a beloved source of spooky enjoyment for many. And now, 2015 is offering up a nostalgic Goosebumps movie starring Jack Black. Though the movie is PG-rated family fun, it draws directly from the children's books that left a lasting impression on a generation of scary book lovers.

The film centers around teenage Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette), moving to a new town with nothing to do. Things look up when he meets his cute next door neighbor Hannah (Odeya Rush), but Hannah's dad just happens to be the one and only R.L. Stine, a an overprotective recluse. When Zach and his friend Champ (Ryan Lee) go snooping around in Stine's old manuscripts, every book they open unleashes a plethora of fictional monsters into the world — literally.

I sat down with Jack Black, along with Dyan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Ryan Lee, and the film's antagonist — Slappy the ventriloquist's dummy — to play a Goosebumps inspired game. With titles of Goosebumps novels written on flashcards, the stars tried to translate the infamous titles.

Spoiler alert: 18-year-old Dylan Minnette is very good at this game. Jack Black? Not so much. (Though his guesses will make you laugh out loud).

Goosebumps is in theaters Friday, Oct. 18.

Images: Anna Klassen