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Special Features
The Story
Blackwood's Mansion
The Creatures
Blackwood's Mansion
The Creatures
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Fondly remembered for scaring the Tab out of impressionable viewers, 1973's television movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark stands today as a minor classic of irrational dream-logic horror, with an ending that goes straight for the worst-case scenario. Despite (or perhaps because of) its wonky effects, minimalist character development, and snicker-worthy Freudisms, it knows how to linger into the wee small hours. Cowriter-producer Guillermo del Toro's mash note of a remake is a superior movie in virtually all aspects, really, yet it somehow fails to ping the same whimpering neurons. Director Troy Nixey's film follows the same basic blueprint as the source material--a fractured family (Guy Pearce, Katie Holmes, and Bailee Madison) moves into a dark old house, only to be tormented by a gaggle of tiny chatterbox demons--but with a much greater emphasis on the mythology and back story of the creatures. Del Toro has long proclaimed his love for the original movie, and it's rather fascinating to see the filmmaker attempt to shoehorn his own trademark obsessions (grim fairy-tale origins, spooky little girls, odd Lovecraftian angles, etc.) into the existing material. Still, such Gothic curlicues, however nifty, ultimately end up diluting the solid-state nightmare fuel of the premise. Aside from a few solid shocks and a strong performance by Holmes, this heartfelt redo is unlikely to have the same lasting effect on audiences as the much cruder original. Instead of focusing on the hows and whys, that one just wanted to freak the viewer out. --Andrew Wright
Product Description
Sally, a young girl, moves to Rhode Island to live with her father and his new girlfriend in the 19th-century mansion they are restoring. While exploring the house, Sally starts to hear voices coming from creatures in the basement whose hidden agenda is to claim her as one of their own.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
67 of 80 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
As I start my review for "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" I must confess one thing: I'm not a fan of supernatural horror movies. While I admire haunted house films like "Poltergeist", I've always found this sub-genre of horror to be painfully dull and its characters to be agonizingly stupid ("The Amityville Horror", I'm looking at you). They usually have the same formula: a stupid, yuppie couple (occasionally with children) buy a house, move in, hear strange noises, and bad things happen. Rinse and repeat. So, going into "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", my expectations were pretty low. After reading some not so positive reviews online, they sank even further. So is "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" worth screaming for? Well..more on that in a bit.
The film begins with a gruesome prologue shows the home's deranged first owner, Emerson Blackwood, luring his maid into the dungeon-like basement and performing medieval dentistry on the terrified young woman. As he carries out the atrocity, he explains to the young maid that they, the goblin-like creatures known as Homunculi, have taken his son and will only give him back with teeth. As the young woman screams, whispering can be heard all around the room from the sealed up fireplace. Blackwood makes his way over to the fireplace and offers the teeth in exchange for the return of his son, only to be told his offering wasn't acceptable and he is pulled into the fireplace. The basement is sealed and forgotten over the generations.
The movie then opens with a young girl, Sally Hirst (Bailee Madison), moving into Blackwood Manor, the Gothic mansion being restored by her architect father Alex (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes), an interior decorator. Her father is renovating the house they live in, in hopes of having it on the front page of a known magazine. Due to the fact that her mother recently abandoned her, Sally has become a distant child with emotional vulnerability. Although Kim tries to befriend her, Sally alienates herself from her.
One day, Sally hears voices calling her name and follows them -- finding a hidden basement with a fireplace that has been bolted shut. She is drawn toward the fireplace, as she can hear voices that beg her to open it, promising friendship. One day she sneaks into the basement to open the fireplace, but her father stops her before she can get the door completely open. The Homunculi escape, however, and begin to torment Sally at night telling her to turn the lights out.
As the days progress, Kim finds one of her dresses shredded. Shortly afterward, a teddy bear that Kim gave to Sally is found destroyed underneath her bed after she yelled for her Dad having been scared by the creatures. Sally claims that someone (or something) else is to blame for these things, but her father does not believe her and is preoccupied with renovating the house. Kim, however, begins to believe her claims, as strange incidents occur more frequently. But is it too late?
"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is over-the-top, melodramatic, and full of plot holes. But, you know what dear reader, I loved every minute of it. This is the kind of movie in which logic is thrown out the door before the opening credits even begin. It is atmospheric in a way that has been missing from most horror movies today. Those that were disappointed by the lack of Gothic overtones in the "Fright Night" remake will be in Heaven here. The sets are gorgeous and the fluid use of cinematography is inviting in a way that makes you feel at home with these gawkily little creatures. The acting here is a bit hit or miss. Guy Pearce is terrible as the father who doesn't seem to care whether his girlfriend or his daughter lives or dies. His performance is bland to the point of sleepwalking through his role. Katie Holmes, on the other hand, is a revelation. It's nice to see a strong, female role in which she is neither helpless nor a shrewd bitch. She thoroughly blew me away and has a few very touching scenes with Madison. Madison makes for a convincingly scared child but her performance is a bit hit or miss. Overall, if you are in the mood for a moody, Gothic treat, you could do far, far worse than "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark".
The film begins with a gruesome prologue shows the home's deranged first owner, Emerson Blackwood, luring his maid into the dungeon-like basement and performing medieval dentistry on the terrified young woman. As he carries out the atrocity, he explains to the young maid that they, the goblin-like creatures known as Homunculi, have taken his son and will only give him back with teeth. As the young woman screams, whispering can be heard all around the room from the sealed up fireplace. Blackwood makes his way over to the fireplace and offers the teeth in exchange for the return of his son, only to be told his offering wasn't acceptable and he is pulled into the fireplace. The basement is sealed and forgotten over the generations.
The movie then opens with a young girl, Sally Hirst (Bailee Madison), moving into Blackwood Manor, the Gothic mansion being restored by her architect father Alex (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes), an interior decorator. Her father is renovating the house they live in, in hopes of having it on the front page of a known magazine. Due to the fact that her mother recently abandoned her, Sally has become a distant child with emotional vulnerability. Although Kim tries to befriend her, Sally alienates herself from her.
One day, Sally hears voices calling her name and follows them -- finding a hidden basement with a fireplace that has been bolted shut. She is drawn toward the fireplace, as she can hear voices that beg her to open it, promising friendship. One day she sneaks into the basement to open the fireplace, but her father stops her before she can get the door completely open. The Homunculi escape, however, and begin to torment Sally at night telling her to turn the lights out.
As the days progress, Kim finds one of her dresses shredded. Shortly afterward, a teddy bear that Kim gave to Sally is found destroyed underneath her bed after she yelled for her Dad having been scared by the creatures. Sally claims that someone (or something) else is to blame for these things, but her father does not believe her and is preoccupied with renovating the house. Kim, however, begins to believe her claims, as strange incidents occur more frequently. But is it too late?
"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is over-the-top, melodramatic, and full of plot holes. But, you know what dear reader, I loved every minute of it. This is the kind of movie in which logic is thrown out the door before the opening credits even begin. It is atmospheric in a way that has been missing from most horror movies today. Those that were disappointed by the lack of Gothic overtones in the "Fright Night" remake will be in Heaven here. The sets are gorgeous and the fluid use of cinematography is inviting in a way that makes you feel at home with these gawkily little creatures. The acting here is a bit hit or miss. Guy Pearce is terrible as the father who doesn't seem to care whether his girlfriend or his daughter lives or dies. His performance is bland to the point of sleepwalking through his role. Katie Holmes, on the other hand, is a revelation. It's nice to see a strong, female role in which she is neither helpless nor a shrewd bitch. She thoroughly blew me away and has a few very touching scenes with Madison. Madison makes for a convincingly scared child but her performance is a bit hit or miss. Overall, if you are in the mood for a moody, Gothic treat, you could do far, far worse than "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark".
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
DON'T BE AFRAID OF (getting up and swinging your arms to regain circulation while you wait for scary sh_- to happen in) THE DARK
January 3, 2012
Format:DVD
A rule to live by: If you find yourself in a house that's haunted, get out of the house. But people will persist in dismissing those ominous signposts, those telltale clues. In horror pictures, children tend to be more savvy than the grown-ups, and they normally heed those twitches of primordial unease. But I guess little Sally, sullen and desolate and unbelievably unhappy, is the one exception. I think that Bailee Madison, who plays Sally, manages to construct an intriguing character. Madison isn't cutesy-ootsy in that obvious Hollywood kid actor way, and this makes her refreshing. It's not her fault the screenplay has her reacting unbelievably to what unfolds in the spooky mansion.
DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK is based on the original 1973 teleplay which starred Kim Darby, and it supposedly had a lasting impact on a young Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro co-produces and co-writes this 2011 reimagining, except that one wishes he'd directed it as well. Because while you have to credit this retelling for its moody cinematography and its creepy gothic vibe and its stab at psychological horror, you also condemn some of its choices and its lapses in logic.
How would you feel if you were a little kid and one neglectful parent passes you to the other? Sally, relocating from the warmth of Los Angeles to the depressing climate of the east coast, scorns her father's welcome, ignores his girlfriend Kim's (Katie Holmes) friendly overtures. Sally retreats into her own little world.
There are whispers of the horror lying dormant in the Blackwood manor (also called Fallen Mill), disquieting rumors surrounding the mad artist who had lived in it decades and decades ago. Today, Sally's father (Guy Pearce) intends to restore the Victorian manor with the notion of then selling it for huge profits. Guy Pearce has a thankless role, playing not only an inattentive father but also an oblivious observer who grows only more unlikable as the film progresses. I was seriously wishing unfortunate things to befall him.
You can't blame Sally for wanting to make friends. But these particular friends? Some may admire her pluck in braving the dark areas of the house, but I question her decision to cosy up to the things with the sibilant voices and who dwell, trapped, behind a furnace grate in that sealed-up basement. These skulking things don't exactly come off like cute Smurfs. When something calls out my name in a goosebumpy hiss and then goes skittering under the floorboards, I am not charmed. I am alarmed like a mother, and so check out my dust as I promptly skedaddle out of the house. (Again, if you find yourself in a house that's haunted, get out of the house.) When these creatures caress Sally's name over and over and promise to be her friend, she lets them out the grate.
The film opts for that creeping psychological horror in which the corners of your mind do all the heavy lifting, and that works to a certain extent. Your imagination, manipulated by foreshadowing and score and cinematography, conjures up all sorts of nastiness scurrying about in Fallen Mill's endless nooks and crannies. The creatures, when finally unveiled, actually live up to expectation. They are grimy and toothy and nightmarish enough. Maybe the most frightening bit in the movie has little Sally in the dark and under her sheets, tentatively canvassing for demonic interlopers. It's one of the few cheap "Boo!" moments that works.
But maybe it's just me. Because I don't find these little goblins so daunting, even if they earn scare points for their preferred consumption of children's teeth. And these tooth fairies seem more peevish than truly malignant. They'll cut up a person's wardrobe ensemble and they effectively terrorize the little girl (because Sally does eventually come to her senses). But the body count hardly rises, the payoff is slim. The Rock's take on the tooth fairy is actually more disturbing.
Sally and her father's girlfriend, Kim, become more likable, especially when they begin bonding with each other. Katie Holmes, for an actress whose part doesn't give her much to do, actually performs well; she's a sympathetic character from jump. It took me longer to empathize with young Sally (mostly because I couldn't believe the dumb moves she was pulling). But how do you not feel for a little girl being so traumatized? And, as usual, in a horror movie, no one ever listens to a child. I think we all saw that child psychologist coming from a mile away. Ultimately, DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK falls short of its ambitions, fails to deliver those dark shivers it promised. But, despite its flaws, it's worth watching for the mood evoked, for its elegant visual look, for the melancholy ending, and for Bailee Madison's performance. 3 out of 5 stars for Del Toro's reworking.
SPOILERS now and some parting thoughts:
- Maybe someday, new residents of a haunted house will listen to the sinister groundskeeper's (or maid's or governess') warnings
- Even in dark fairy tales, surely Polaroid cameras must eventually run out of flash bulbs, which is detrimental for when you want to keep nasty light-sensitive things at bay
- I, in fact, question the use of the Polaroid camera of which flash function you have to keep operating; why not, instead, a durable flashlight that shines a steady beam?
- How self-involved is the dad that he allows his small child to have the run of the place by herself?
- After the goblin attack during the dinner party, when her dad and the guests are gathered around a distraught Sally in the library den, you'd think that Sally, to show incontestible proof, would point out that one goblin she'd just crushed with the sliding book shelf. Instead she says, "I took a picture." And then I guess no one bothered to glance at the photographs scattered about the room. That or Sally just takes crummy photos
- When you're on the floor and are being swarmed by goblins that are merely inches tall, the most expedient way to extricate yourself is to GET UP
- Trussed up with the same length of rope, Kim and Sally (in that order) are being inexorably dragged towards the furnace by the goblins; Kim, instead of slicing the rope between her and the furnace (thus freeing them both), opts to cut the rope between her and Sally
DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK is based on the original 1973 teleplay which starred Kim Darby, and it supposedly had a lasting impact on a young Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro co-produces and co-writes this 2011 reimagining, except that one wishes he'd directed it as well. Because while you have to credit this retelling for its moody cinematography and its creepy gothic vibe and its stab at psychological horror, you also condemn some of its choices and its lapses in logic.
How would you feel if you were a little kid and one neglectful parent passes you to the other? Sally, relocating from the warmth of Los Angeles to the depressing climate of the east coast, scorns her father's welcome, ignores his girlfriend Kim's (Katie Holmes) friendly overtures. Sally retreats into her own little world.
There are whispers of the horror lying dormant in the Blackwood manor (also called Fallen Mill), disquieting rumors surrounding the mad artist who had lived in it decades and decades ago. Today, Sally's father (Guy Pearce) intends to restore the Victorian manor with the notion of then selling it for huge profits. Guy Pearce has a thankless role, playing not only an inattentive father but also an oblivious observer who grows only more unlikable as the film progresses. I was seriously wishing unfortunate things to befall him.
You can't blame Sally for wanting to make friends. But these particular friends? Some may admire her pluck in braving the dark areas of the house, but I question her decision to cosy up to the things with the sibilant voices and who dwell, trapped, behind a furnace grate in that sealed-up basement. These skulking things don't exactly come off like cute Smurfs. When something calls out my name in a goosebumpy hiss and then goes skittering under the floorboards, I am not charmed. I am alarmed like a mother, and so check out my dust as I promptly skedaddle out of the house. (Again, if you find yourself in a house that's haunted, get out of the house.) When these creatures caress Sally's name over and over and promise to be her friend, she lets them out the grate.
The film opts for that creeping psychological horror in which the corners of your mind do all the heavy lifting, and that works to a certain extent. Your imagination, manipulated by foreshadowing and score and cinematography, conjures up all sorts of nastiness scurrying about in Fallen Mill's endless nooks and crannies. The creatures, when finally unveiled, actually live up to expectation. They are grimy and toothy and nightmarish enough. Maybe the most frightening bit in the movie has little Sally in the dark and under her sheets, tentatively canvassing for demonic interlopers. It's one of the few cheap "Boo!" moments that works.
But maybe it's just me. Because I don't find these little goblins so daunting, even if they earn scare points for their preferred consumption of children's teeth. And these tooth fairies seem more peevish than truly malignant. They'll cut up a person's wardrobe ensemble and they effectively terrorize the little girl (because Sally does eventually come to her senses). But the body count hardly rises, the payoff is slim. The Rock's take on the tooth fairy is actually more disturbing.
Sally and her father's girlfriend, Kim, become more likable, especially when they begin bonding with each other. Katie Holmes, for an actress whose part doesn't give her much to do, actually performs well; she's a sympathetic character from jump. It took me longer to empathize with young Sally (mostly because I couldn't believe the dumb moves she was pulling). But how do you not feel for a little girl being so traumatized? And, as usual, in a horror movie, no one ever listens to a child. I think we all saw that child psychologist coming from a mile away. Ultimately, DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK falls short of its ambitions, fails to deliver those dark shivers it promised. But, despite its flaws, it's worth watching for the mood evoked, for its elegant visual look, for the melancholy ending, and for Bailee Madison's performance. 3 out of 5 stars for Del Toro's reworking.
SPOILERS now and some parting thoughts:
- Maybe someday, new residents of a haunted house will listen to the sinister groundskeeper's (or maid's or governess') warnings
- Even in dark fairy tales, surely Polaroid cameras must eventually run out of flash bulbs, which is detrimental for when you want to keep nasty light-sensitive things at bay
- I, in fact, question the use of the Polaroid camera of which flash function you have to keep operating; why not, instead, a durable flashlight that shines a steady beam?
- How self-involved is the dad that he allows his small child to have the run of the place by herself?
- After the goblin attack during the dinner party, when her dad and the guests are gathered around a distraught Sally in the library den, you'd think that Sally, to show incontestible proof, would point out that one goblin she'd just crushed with the sliding book shelf. Instead she says, "I took a picture." And then I guess no one bothered to glance at the photographs scattered about the room. That or Sally just takes crummy photos
- When you're on the floor and are being swarmed by goblins that are merely inches tall, the most expedient way to extricate yourself is to GET UP
- Trussed up with the same length of rope, Kim and Sally (in that order) are being inexorably dragged towards the furnace by the goblins; Kim, instead of slicing the rope between her and the furnace (thus freeing them both), opts to cut the rope between her and Sally
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
A tense but not scary movie that's more disturbing then anything. It's OK good ending. Worth watching. I say B
December 21, 2011
By Tony Heck
Format:DVD
"This place isn't safe here, especially for kids." Sally is sent by her mother to live with her father (Pearce) and his girlfriend (Holmes) in an old house that they are trying to fix up. Sally is not happy there and while she is out running around she finds a hidden door. The older grounds keeper tries to warn to stay away. When Sally unknowingly unlocks a hidden evil the house and the family is in severe danger. This movie was much better then I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting much. This has a definite "Pan's Laberynth" feel to it, and that is enough to keep you watching. I wouldn't call this a scary movie as much as a disturbing movie. There are a few little stomach jumpers in this, but most of the time you are on the edge of your seat and waiting for what you know is coming to come. While the movie is tense and keeps you watching it's nothing really amazing. The ending of the movie really makes it better because the movie has the guts to end the way it does and that really changes the way you feel about it. Overall, a very OK movie that is made better because of the ending. Worth a watch though. I give it a B.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kewl
I love this movie and it is a kewl movie for anyone who loves scary movies or horror films like me.
Published 1 day ago by Diana J. Behrens
1.0 out of 5 stars
Heard it was terrible
My roommate/sister told me it was awful. What do you expect for a modern film with Katie Homes in it.
Published 3 days ago by Mitchell Malcolm
5.0 out of 5 stars
RECOMMENDED HORROR FLICK
THIS FILM HAS AN OVERALL EXCELLENT BACK STORY WITHIN THE CURRENT STORYLINE. A GREAT CAST MEANING THE DAUGHTER AND MS. KATIE HOLMES. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Michael Koch
2.0 out of 5 stars
more silly than scary
I just didn't "buy" this story -- the goblins weren't scary
and the haunted mansion felt more like a set than an actual
house. Read more
and the haunted mansion felt more like a set than an actual
house. Read more
Published 1 month ago by sparky_magic_rainbow
5.0 out of 5 stars
great horror
Saw this movie with my family and it had them jumping. I knew it will scare them because they are afraid of the dark. Read more
Published 1 month ago by J Xtreme
4.0 out of 5 stars
SPOOKY
I don't know what I was expecting, but this was a pretty good movie. The storyline was predictable at times but then I found myself jumping a couple of times. Read more
Published 2 months ago by L. Suddeth
3.0 out of 5 stars
Common sense can be the greatest weapon!
The most irritating thing about scary movies is when, seemingly intelligent, people make the most ridiculous choices, especially when the obvious decisions are staring them in the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Norma Rae
5.0 out of 5 stars
ILHM Reviews: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Young Sally comes to live with her father in a beautiful old estate that he and his new girlfriend have been renovating to resell. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Carl Manes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good Movie
This is a very good movie and I really enjoyed it. It was everything I expected. I would definitely recommend this movie!
Published 3 months ago by hooterman
3.0 out of 5 stars
don't know about this
Never saw this one. I have no strong opinion about it. I see Katie Holmes is in it. Not good.
Published 4 months ago by Thomas S. Maddux
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