10/29/13
Don't Go in the Lightning Bug's Lair #4 & #3: Don't Be Afraid of theDark (1973 & 2010)
Perhaps the most universal of
the "Don't" titles is the rather parental advice, Don't Be Afraid of
the Dark. At one time or another, in our childhood or a particularly vulnerable
moment of our adult lives, we have all been afraid of the thing that goes bump
in the night. No matter if we thought it was a burglar or the boogieman, it
still sends the heart racing and the stress level up to feel at the mercy of
something unexpected in the inky blackness. Perhaps that's what makes both
versions of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark so effective that they come in at
numbers four and three on the Don't Go in the Lightning Bug's Lair Halloween
countdown. The original, a made for TV film, and the remake, hewn under the
watchful eye of Guillermo Del Toro, are similar films that execute the
basic plot with near equal competence, but each delivers a unique satisfying
experience for genre film fans. So today, it's all treats and no tricks when
The Bugg turns the lights down low for a double feature of miniature terror, so
come along, don't be afraid, and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.
In the
1973 ABC television movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, Sally Farnham (Kim
Darby) and her husband Alex (Jim Hutton) inherit a Victorian mansion from
Sally's grandmother. Sally finds a bricked off fireplace very intriguing, but
she is warned by the handyman (William Demarest), in the most ominous
intonation, to leave it closed for her own safety. Naturally, she doesn't, and
soon she is hearing voices and seeing little things out of the corner of her
eye. Alex, deeply entrenched in a campaign for a promotion at work, dismisses
Sally's fears and continues to obsess about work. When Alex leaves for a
business trip, Sally tries to escape to a friend's house, but a band of
small goblin like creatures she unwittingly unleashed when she opened up the
fireplace are now intent on capturing her for some diabolical purpose. 
The
original Don't Be Afraid of the Dark scores on many levels as a slice of cult
cheese of legendary proportions. The story, a highly imaginative affair, preys
on the fear of the unseen, but the faltering point comes when the rubber
masked, minuscule monsters are shown. They're not scary. They're laughable bad,
much like the bulk of the TV version is. Kim Darby tries her best to sell
terror and succeeds, but it is hard to imagine the creatures engendering much
fear unless they were coming right out of your own wall. The film is typical
made for TV nuttiness, and it's a wonder that this drive in reject found a home
on ABC instead of American International. Director John Newland, who also
helmed the classic Star Trek episode "Errand of Mercy" along with
many other TV episodes in his career, gives some style to the proceedings
attempting to up the suspense, and he wisely keeps the goblins hidden away
until the last third of the film. 
I may
no longer be afraid of the dark, but I am afraid of having to rate these two
films. The original Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is a beloved cult classic, and
the remake, well; it didn't receive the response that I believe it should have.
On a given daBy, depending on my mood, it may change which of these films I
would rather watch and which one I like better. Today, for this list, the
remake edges out the original by half a point. That leaves us with only
two more "Don't" on the countdown, and I promise these are films you
want to hear about. So check out number two tomorrow and number one following
on Halloween day. I hope to see you back here then, and until then, like Tom
Bodet, I'll keep the lights on for ya.
Bugg Rating
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
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I liked the original film with Kim Darby but recently saw a remake that, while worth a watch for b-movie fans is okay, just really did not measure up.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen either film, but now I want to, for totally different reasons! Great reviews!
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