Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

This is one of those little films that lends itself to legendary status, because it is almost impossible to see nowadays. With a great deal of effort and patience, one can find a copy....but it sure isn't easy. So many of us remember seeing it when it aired...I was all but six or seven and remembered only these gnome-like creatures. Recently I was able to see it again....and started to remember a lot more of it. The film is pretty atmospheric as it chronicles the slow then fast menacing of Sally Farnham by pint-sized demons with conical shaped heads. Sally and her husband recently moved into this large house and forsaking the advice of carpenter William Demarest, Sally opens a fireplace which had been sealed over twenty-five years ago. These creatures lived in the fireplace and now they want Sally...to join them. Kim Darby does a good job playing Sally as she slowly descends into madness...as well as other destinations. Forget all the talk about it being only good for a television movie...this is a good movie period. It has loads of atmosphere and suspense, albeit a bit shallow in the area of plot.

Seen when I was very young, this "made for TV" movie became the vehicle which drove all my fears. These fears, once irrational, were validated one unforgettable night. Up until that night, during bedtime, it was only instinct when I asked my mom to leave the hall light on. After seeing this movie, I had an image, and the creepiest music to plead with her to never turn it off again! This movie plays right into those dark corners of legend. Why we don't just reach under the bed without looking first. Why, as we lay awake, closet doors need to be constantly observed. I was eight years old, and truly ripe for the scare of my life!

The movie begins with a cats meow and haunting music. The score of this movie is absolutely penetrating and perfect. This is not an overstatement. I can think of very few I would call it's equal. This music accompanies Sally (Kim Darby from True Grit) as she unwittingly, and unknowingly, sets free demons from a bricked up fireplace. They set about, slipping through the dark corners (and there's plenty of them), searching to get Sally's soul. Sally is isolated and alone. As frightening events start to mount up, and with no support from her workaholic husband, Sally begins to doubt her sanity.

Darby has a quiet demeanor that lends itself to her rising panic. When the creatures do finally appear, they seem to have come straight from a casting call from hell. Their visual might be primitive by modern standards, but for a 70's TV movie budget, extremely effective. They creep and crawl through the shadows. For this youngster, the ending is absolutely unforgettable. I am far from alone in the opinion that "Dark" made quite an impact for its time.

I am now 40. Don't like to have ANY lights on when I sleep. Can watch this film, or any other horror flick without strategically placing a body part to obscure the view. However, a few slight noises.....a scratch or a whisper, and my defenses still go up. The blanket is always on the ready. All because of a few film makers decided to take "TV movies" seriously. I thank them.

....I think.

This is one of those movies that is best judged by the people who saw it on its original or first rebroadcast. By today's standards, I agree with a lot of reviewers that say it is not very good. I wouldn't give it a 1, but probably no more than a 4. But I am one of the lucky people who got to see it on its original broadcast, and like so many others, it has scarred me for life.

I harbor no ill will toward new viewers who didn't get to experience the fear and trauma this movie inflicted on viewers (especially kids like me) when it was first released. I actually feel sorry for them, as they didn't get to experience one of those rare movie experiences where everything just came together perfectly.

I must have seen this movie when I was around 7 or 8 yrs old. This was the scariest movie I had ever seen. I was never afraid of the dark prior to seeing it, but afterward was a different story. When my parents put me to bed my door had to be slightly cracked open the the hallway light on. I slept with my covers over my head and I was so afraid those little creatures were going to get me. I then began telling some neighborhood kids about these little creatures and I don't think their parents were too happy with me. The parents complained to my parent saying I was "scaring their children" and they were having problems sleeping at night. Little did they realize how really scared I was and I guess I just wanted some company....oops. I've brought this movie up to many friends but no one ever seemed to know what I was talking about. But after reading a bunch of these reviews I am relieved to find out that I wasn't the only one scared out of their wits! To this day I really don't care for scary movies, perhaps that is a effect from seeing this movie, who knows? I am happy to report that I no longer am scared of sleeping in the dark :)

I saw this when I was 8 years old, and whenever someone asks me what the scariest movie I've ever seen is, I tell them about this one, but nobody seems to know what I'm talking about! I'm so glad to see that I'm not the only one who saw it and was creeped out! Another movie from those days that had the same effect was "Trilogy of Terror," when Karen Black gets a Zuni fetish doll in the mail and it comes to life and chases her around her apartment---both these movies had a profound effect on how I looked at staircases and other places where little creepy things could be hiding. I'm looking forward to the remake.