DVD REVIEW: DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK

I dug this movie's quaint charms. No nostalgia for me, as I wasn't alive when it aired and I didn't see it until a couple years ago. But I was just drawn to its weirdness. I mean, it is effectively a haunted house movie. Except the house isn't haunted; just populated by tiny demons. That right there is weird enough for me to get interested. It is definitely cheap and restricted -- like a NIGHT GALLERY adaptation of THE GATE. But I dug that too.

Oddly enough, considering this is a TV film, I showed it on the big screen as part of my Friday Night Frights show early this year and it played shockingly well as a midnight movie, which is saying something considering that we normally screen gore-soaked theatrical films.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua Miller 

I dug this movie's quaint charms. No nostalgia for me, as I wasn't alive when it aired and I didn't see it until a couple years ago. But I was just drawn to its weirdness. I mean, it is effectively a haunted house movie. Except the house isn't haunted; just populated by tiny demons. That right there is weird enough for me to get interested. It is definitely cheap and restricted -- like a NIGHT GALLERY adaptation of THE GATE. But I dug that too.

 

Oddly enough, considering this is a TV film, I showed it on the big screen as part of my Friday Night Frights show early this year and it played shockingly well as a midnight movie, which is saying something considering that we normally screen gore-soaked theatrical films.

And as a semi-regular guest of those wonderful little evening showings, I would have probably caught a few smokes during this thing.

You would have enjoyed the Vincent Price/Bill Bixby ep of NIGHT GALLERY we showed before it.

The day-for-night gaffe was not a fault of the production.  Previous broadcasts and releases of this film got the timing right.  But Warner Archive digitally restored the elements for this new DVD warts and all, including not properly adjusting those shots.

I will happily disagree with David about this film.  It's damn scary, especially when the little monsters all start droning "Saaaallly..." like some demonic a cappella group.