The Howler is the 3rd episode in The Nightmare Room TV Series.
Synopsis[]
Supernaturally-obsessed Spencer, his friend Vanessa, and new kid Charlie decide to try out a gadget Spencer bought in a novelty shop, The Howler, which is supposed to contact the dead. But it's when they're not using it that they see three figures in the light it sends off, saying something unclear. They think they're kids who disappeared in an abandoned hangout construction site, "The Pit". and get a message in their cereal prompting them to go there to communicate with them. When they do, a beam of light goes toward each of them, though the only effect seems to be on Vanessa, who's suddenly is eager to try it again. She has really been trapped in the machine while her body is inhabited by one of the ghosts who wants to let her friends into Spencer's and Charlie's bodies. It isn't until they get a warning from Vanessa the next night that they realize it, but the ghost in her body lets one of the others take over Charlie. Spencer has to hurry to think of how to save himself, and the others.
Differences from the book[]
- The episode is basically In Name Only.
- In the book, Spencer was a nice kid and not a prankster.
- In the book, the male friend in the group was a boy named Scott who played pranks on Spencer.
- In the book, Spencer had an older brother named Nicky.
- In the book, Spencer bought The Howler so he could find a way to talk to the ghost of his cousin Ian, who recently died in an accident he blamed himself for. Ian is not in the episode in any form.
- In the book, The Howler did not trap or summon ghosts, it only let you talk to ghosts that were already there.
- In the book, Spencer is meeting the shop owner for the first time while in the episode it is established they already know each other.
- In the book, the ghosts are not named or fleshed out.
- The book ended with Spencer giving the device to Nicky, likely hoping he'll get into trouble with it.
Trivia[]
- The shop owner is played by Robert Engluand, best known for portraying Freddy Krueger in Nightmare on Elm Street films.