Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework (1997) Poster

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5/10
Kiddie horror done on the cheap
CabbageCustard31 December 2019
Kiddie horror? Well, if there is such a movie genre this movie would be a good example. We watched this with the kids for family movie night. I can't say I was very impressed, although the youngest of the kids were riveted to the screen. The older ones got bored halfway through and out came the iPads. I know how they felt. This movie boasts some pretty lame acting, even from well known actors like Shelley Duvall and especially from Margot Kidder. John Neville's turn as the mysterious shopkeeper was a treat though. The special effects were pretty rudimentary and the animatronics or puppetry or whatever it was that brought the doll to 'life' were very amateurish. I suppose these days they would use CGI, although I don't think this movie would have warranted the trouble or expense. To top it off, the movie becomes quite mawkish in the last 15 minutes, as it moves towards its quite predictable ending.

I'd like to be able to recommend this film but I really can't. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. It's too silly for tweens and older and while younger kids may be engrossed, I'm not too sure that they should be introduced to voodoo, dark magic and questionable behavior standards (e.g. the doll states that it is empowered by the main character's HATE for his teacher) at their age as a form of entertainment.
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3/10
Mindless kid's film
Leofwine_draca2 December 2022
A silly kid's film, low budget and made in the style of those churned out by Full Moon Entertainment. They even have a creepy puppet that resembles the ones found in the PUPPET MASTER franchise. This one was made in Canada but I assumed it was Eastern Europe. The kid from EVERWOOD plays a lad having trouble with a sadistic teacher until he finds a voodoo doll which comes in handy. At that point it all just falls apart with a jumbled mass of plot ingredients that never come together. Some camaraderie between the kids, but that's about it. Shelly Duvall gives a kooky turn as the teacher and Margot Kidder and John Neville cameo. The opening randomly copies TALES TO THE CRYPT and then some.
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7/10
Not Bad. ;)
vfkuser20 April 2012
Haha I first rented this at Blockbuster when I was very young, and it scared the crap out of me. There is just something about the Grim Reaper at the start, and what the voodoo doll does that creeped me out. However, I for some reason rented it several times. It has both comedy and horror(tame of course, but still pretty dark for a kids movie). I recently rented it on Netflix (for a stroll down memory lane) and watched it for the first time in about, 7-10 years? Still pretty good, a few cheesy parts of course, but decent at that. Has an interesting enough plot to keep you going, and the doll is just creepy as hel*! Ha. It centers around a middle school kid and his friend that hates his teacher(who didn't at that age?) The kid and his friend go to an old artifact shop and find a doll that the kid thinks resembles his teacher. He buys it, and slowly through the movie it looks more and more like his teacher, and whatever happens to it happens to the teacher. What starts off as playful and interesting turns into a horrific experience for the kid, so he seeks out the help of his friend and the friend's older sister to help destroy the doll. A good movie to watch when you've got nothing else to do.
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8/10
Great!!!!!! Stupid looking cover though!
TOMNEL10 December 2005
stars: Shelly Duvall and Margot Kidder.

This is so good. It's a kids horror movie about a doll that a kid buys that bears a small resemblance to his teacher. Soon it starts looking more and more like her, and when the doll falls, the teacher falls, like voodoo. The doll is really funny and the doll and teacher are played and voiced by Shelly Duvall. It seems like they were trying to imitate Tales from the Crypt, because it starts off in a school. The bell rings and the kids go to their classes and a bandaged up Grim Reaper comes down the halls in to a strange room and tells the tale. This was so cool, and even the ending was fresh. I highly recommend it! my rating-B plus. 87 mins. PG for some blood and mild language.
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10/10
best movie ever made
matt_348127 January 2001
This is the best movie ever made!!!!!!!! The doll is hilarious when she says anything from, "Ouch!" to "Traitor!" to "eeeeeeeek shoulda used a ladder!!!" to "when you lie you pay." Geneva is also a great touch with her librarian Sol. They are both like hippies and say things like "snatch your soul and take control" to "nighttime-in graveyards!" to "whats up little brother!" to "that's cool" and "the place near waaater" and do things like scurry over to $14.95 jewelry or rolling over their eyes saying "real trouble." The doll smashes forks and plays cards. She has little legs that walk and says, "Ohhhh." The little sister named Annabel says things like, "don't you ever knock" "where's my milk?!?" and "oh what it walked." If you ever see this movie buy it. My friend and I are even buying the versions that are in spanish. This movie has changed my life forever. It is so funny and on a scale out of ten it is about a 157,943,474,917,323,865,345,999.99 I love this movie sooooooo much. vote for it and give it a ten!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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