#don'tbeafraidofthedark

[poetrythreesixfive]

Sceadu-genga

Late is when I prowl,

moving with the dark,

listening to the owls

until I hear the lark.

Moon is on my left

shadow on my right,

of fear I am bereft

staying out of sight.

Others fear to tread,

hiding in the light—

I am with the dead,

I am with the night.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

I don’t want to say that Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a disappointment. It's a well made horror film. I must admit, however, that I expected more.

8-year-old Sally (Bailee Madison) moves into the big house her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes) are renovating. Inside, she hears whispers coming from tiny critters who are after her.

I don’t really have much to criticize about Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. The only thing would be that I wish the film had focussed more on Sally and given us the whole story from her point of view. I also think the monsters are revealed a bit too early. It's minor stuff but they affect the overall movie. It has some really frightening passages and some really tense sequences, but they’re mostly during the beginning of the film when you don’t know much about the monsters, and during the end when all hell breaks loose. The middle sags.

As I say this, I'm reminded of everything that works. Sally is a solid protagonist. She's vulnerable, even when against the tiny adversaries. Her being young and naive makes for some particularly tense moments during the first act. You know she's in a horror movie. She doesn’t. You like her and Bailee Madison is a good actress. This film earns its little-girl-in-peril sequences.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark could have easily been one of those movies where you like the little girl, she’s put into peril and stays in danger because the adults around her are idiots. It’s not the case here. Yeah her dad was a bit of a jerk at times, but I really sympathized with his girlfriend, Kim. There are some good moments of bonding between the two that make their relationship convincing. It makes all the difference in the world when the real danger came into play and the little creeps starting popping up. Speaking of monsters, these are some good ones. They’re small so they can creep around unseen, there’s an army of them so they do pose a threat to everyone. They sure are creepy with their tiny, glowing eyes and affinity for sharp objects.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark would have been just an average horror movie, but several elements are top-notch and they elevate it. One element noteworthy aspect is the art direction and set design. The film is almost entirely set in this beautiful house under renovation. It's spectacular while remaining just the right amount of creepy and mysterious. While I have to admit that I was a little let down by Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, it’s mostly because the beginning was so good it raised my expectations higher than they should've been. It’s a great little horror movie that’s creepy and effective, and it's rated PG-13, which is -in this case- a bonus. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is that much more accessible to those who will be affected by it. (On Blu-ray, October 20, 2014)

[lorinrosales]

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - Film Review

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (Rated R)

By Lori Rosales / Friday, September 16, 2011

  Do you remember when you were six years old and woke up in your bed, alone, in the dark?  The unsettling silence and fact that there was no light, other than the pale moon creeping through your window, allowed your imagination to run wild.  Don’t let your feet hang over the edge, you would tell yourself, something could grab you.  Get under the blanket, that’s your only protection! 

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, a film directed by Troy Nixey and written by Guillermo del Torro is so terrifying it reverts you back to your childhood fears of the monster that is lurking in the dark corners of your room.  It begins with the opening shot of a very dark, miserable looking mansion.  We meet the first victim, a young housekeeper, tidying-up the library.  She hears a mysterious noise and, of course, investigates.  The noise came from the basement; she has been lured in there by the master of the house, Emerson Blackwood, who sacrifices her life and her teeth to the creatures that hide in the dark, unused furnace.  We soon discover that Blackwood has offered the life of the innocent girl to get his son back in return.  But the creatures are unfair and lie.  They are hungry for teeth and lives.  Unfortunately, for Blackwood, his efforts have become useless and he will never see his son or light of day again.

Time moves on and many years later the audience meets Sally (Bailee Madison), a10-year-old girl who is being forced to live with her father (Guy Pierce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes).  They have bought the Blackwood mansion and are renovating it.  Personally, at 10-years-old, in a daunting house that I was being forced to live in, I would not care how angry at my father I was, or how much I did not like his girlfriend; I would have stuck to them like glue because it would only take one glance at that house to know it must be haunted.  But, unlike me, brave and determined Sally wanders around the mansion alone, looking for the creatures who tell her they are her friends and want to play.  But, Sally is smart too; it does not take her a long time to figure out that these things are not her friends.

The movie moves along nicely with all the right elements to make you jump in your seat.  A shower scene is included to remind you of how vulnerable you truly are in there; in case you have not seen Psycho lately.  Tension is built throughout the entire movie and lingers even when it has finished.  Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a modern horror film that works without any cheap thrills or 3D technology.  However, the beginning of the film should include a disclaimer that you might need to sleep with a nightlight for at least the next two nights.