THE STEALER OF SOULS

Subtitled as an “audio suspense comedy,” The Stealer of Souls is more of a series of goofy comedy sketches that happen to center around a spirit-robbing entity with an abnormally intense aversion to grape Jell-O. There are a few chuckles to be had as Professor Burt Southworth and his dreamy-eyed assistant try to track down The Stealer, but most of the jokes are outdated and, even in their time, were not all that funny. It seems the cast’s intention was to poke good-natured fun at radio mysteries. Unfortunately, their satire tends to blow over into overacting and too much self-awareness. This is not to say that The Stealer of Souls isn’t a good romp. It is. If you’re just in it for silly, stupid fun, this audio’s a good choice. R.A.P. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 98]