Customer Reviews

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark [VHS]

5 star:		(93)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I remember seeing "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" on TV when I was a kid. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark was originally made for TV back in 1973. There are movies that stick with you for the rest of your life- this movie stuck with me!! It's the creepiest movie that I have ever seen. I saw it a few years ago on late night TV and it scared me just as much as it did when I was a kid!! Don't Be Afraid of the Dark starts with a young couple inheriting an old victorian style house. They don't know that the house is inhabited by three small demons that are locked in a blocked off fireplace. The caretaker, played by William Demarest(Uncle Charlie from "My Three Sons") warns Sally,played by Kim Darby, that some things are better left alone when she wants the old fireplace opened up. Sally attempts to open the fireplace thus releasing the three small demons into the house.They then want her for thier own. Strange things begin to happen around the house and Sally at first begins to question her own sanity. She sees the demons and her husband Alex, played by Jim Hutton, does not believe her. I think the scariest part of this movie is how vulnerable Sally feels. She cannot feel safe even at a dinner party (she sees one of the demons on her lap under a napkin) The demons cannot stand light and only attack in the dark. I can still hear the whispering whenever I think of this movie. Sally.....Sally......Sally.....Sally..... Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is the creepiest movie ever made. What amazes me the most is that it was made for TV!

See it for yourself....with the lights on!!

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is the one movie I have yet been able to complete. By this I mean, when I saw it at seven, I changed the channel as Sally was being dragged into the fireplace. Singularly the most haunting film of my life. If you want creepy, you've got it here. Psychologically disturbing, this "made for tv" movie is one of those that has the ability to stay in your mind for twenty years. The Lovecraftian darkness which surrounds the plot, as well as the haunting physical and vocal images will make a long lasting impression upon you. I was recently able to locate and purchase this film, and it is just as frightening at thirty as it was at seven. Leaving me anxious and jumpy in my own old house. A former Marine, I do not scare easy, but this film has Lovecraft's influence written all over it and if Lovecraft doesn't scare you at any age you haven't read enough. Find this film, buy this film and see this film.

I remember being a child in the late '70's/early '80's and being afraid to watch this on TV. I'm now 33 years old and finally got the courage. The movie is a little dated but still really creepy. I went to bed shortly after watching it and was hesitant to turn the lights out! I usually laugh at horror movies but this was very effective because of what the viewer doesn't see, rather than what he sees. It's a person's wild imagination that gets him every time. This is the theme for Sally, the main character of the film, and the viewer. I wish this quality thriller would be released on DVD. I would be the first to add it to my collection. The clincher is that it was made for TV. I've never even seen a theatrical release that was this scary.

Sally's husband thought it was mice...WRONG...

I remember "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" from the 70's (when i was a kid). I made the 'mistake' (in the not-being-able-to-sleep plus being afraid to go down in my basement) of watching it when i was around 5, and it made such an impression on me (notably, the little green gremlin-like creatures) that at the age of 40, i popped for a copy of this on DVD to relive my childhood freakout, when i saw it was available. I was not disappointed - this is a pretty good made-for-TV film, and achieves a bit of suspense as Sally tries to convince everyone that she's not crazy and is not hallucinating seeing the creatures. There are a couple of minor plot holes (which i won't get into here, at the risk of spoiling stuff from the film) but overall, if you're into 70's horror, this is a pretty good film, if a bit tame by today's standards. The creatures are pretty cool looking. This film would probably be a good candidate for a remake today, with better effects and a bit of a more macabre director's vision.

This is part of the Warner Archives series - made-to-order DVD's in DVD-R form. There are really no extras (other than plugs for other titles in the WB Archives), and the movie chapter stops are in 10 minute increments (not necessarily by scenes) but the transfer itself is actually relatively clean (couple of scratches/etc) and exceeded my expectations, as i hadn't bought any titles in the WB Archives prior to this one.

I can not believe the industry has stooped this low with both DVDs and many CDs. No remastering, no officially manufactured product--and something that collectors hate most of all...a format that has a very limited lifespan. All at the inflated price of the real deal. Based on the titles this 'archives' series is releasing, the studio clearly knows people are searching for these titles, but they just want to take the cheapest route to make money off them--selling you something you could make yourself if you have an old copy on VHS and a recordable DVD player...

Even more insulting is the fact that, now that the remake has been released, WB has re-released this as a 'special edition'. A special edition DVD-R???? Really???? Yep, that's what you get. A purple disc DVD-R. Oh, you also get a commentary by a coupla hacks who had nothing to do with the original movie...

I saw this creepy movie on TV back in the 70s and it scared the hell out of me! This is a great example of how good TV horror movies used to be. It is a generally dark looking movie with very few daytime scenes. It does have lots of slow parts with people standing around doing the drama thing (which I don't really mind in 70s / 80s movies for some reason) but the creeping menace is always right around the corner. The score is deeply disturbing and is ever present which really helps maintain the eerie mood. This scary flick culminates in a nail-biting ending that is truly nightmarish! In fact I'd say that the creepier scenes in this movie do indeed have that seriously scary 'nightmare' quality that eludes lesser horror films. Check it out if you haven't already! And if you have seen it in the past check it out again! It's still creepy after all these years!

this title is available from warner brothers archive for 14.95. don't spend double the price from these sellers....as for the movie, it is fantastic. i saw it as a child and the creatures gave me nightmares for years as a child. it is a very creepy TV movie, right up there with the zuni fetish warrior doll segment of "Trilogy of Terror".

I finally obtained a much "used" copy of this movie the other day because I couldn't wait to watch it. All I've got to say is that this is one SCARY movie! I loved it!! I only wish that someone would release this on DVD, as my tape is pretty worn. Kim Darby was great as the terrified victim persued by whatever these little guys were. Demons? I couldn't believe the ending however, and it left me feeling pretty strange, much like I felt after watching the ending in "The Woman In Black". Be forewarned... this movie does NOT have a happy ending!!! I only can hope that Hollywood would go back and learn from the past! All of the CGI special effects don't necessairily make a great movie. Most of the time it tries to over compensate for a weak script! This movie however, delivers the creepiness that makes a great movie!

I finally tracked this movie down on Ebay a few months ago (I hadn't seen it since I was about 6 years old.) When it arrived, I settled down to watch it that night, and I had the same eerie feeling of deja vu I had when I watched Bob Clark's "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" for the first time in 20 years. I was shocked that I remembered so many scenes from this little TV-movie that I hadn't seen in over 20 years. This shows what an effective movie this was. Some of the more vivid (and frightening) images had somehow stayed with me since childhood. One scene in particular, in which the two little demon thingies are preparing to venture out from their dark crawlspace, whispering furtively, "Let's get her" over and over really stuck with me (and probably kept me up several nights as a child).

One reviewer was wondering whether the effects would look cheesy after so many years. Well, I'll admit, the movie does look a bit dated, but not detrimentally so. The creepy mood, atmosphere, and feelings of dread are all still intact (at least, they were for me.) In fact, a lot of the low-budget qualities work to the film's benefit -- namely, the heavy use of darkness and shadows. So, don't worry -- this is still a pretty scary little flick.

I love finding movies likes this on Ebay, movies that, 5 or 10 years ago, I had just assumed had faded out of existence and I would never see again....

I saw this movie around the tender young age of 9. It had me hiding behind a pillow. The deamons, the eerie noises they make, and the dragging into the cleanout of the fire place still has me on the edge of my seat. I'm now 40+ and STILL to this day have dreams of this movie. What a great classic, and bound to become one of yours! This is not a B movie but a class A of it's time of making around 1973. An absolute must for a horror movie lover like myself. 10 popcorn kernnels or 2 thumbs up from me.