Th
e reason I used "commentary" versus a "review" in the title of this piece is because I have yet to view the 2010 remake of "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark"(1973) but I will say this much about the new film - I dont care how scary folks claim it is, in it's own unique way, the trailers alone from this film have actually helped me deal with the heebie-jeebies the original film gave me as a child growing up in the early 1970's. Perhaps heebie-jeebies is an understatement because let me tell you, as a made-for-tv movie or not, the original "Dont Be Afraid of the Dark" scared the living shit outta my sisters and I so very much because it indeed was scary the way a horror film should be scary. I'm one of the biggest horror-film afficiandoes on this planet and yet I'm not ashamed to admit that "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" petrified my siblings and I to no avail.
If anyone out there were to watch the 1973 version of this film right this moment and get back to me on it, even in spite of the last 38 years of extremely vast special effects improvements and developments within the film industry, I can truthfully say to each and every one of you that no horror film out there has literally scared me silly as much as that one single film! The thing that sets it apart from all other horror films is that it not only was ABC television's 1st made-for-tv horror film, but because it's success has nothing to do with the blood-n-guts-fest that most horror films of the last 30 years or so have been. As a matter of fact, it has no gore whatsoever - but rather due to the eerie, goose-bump-causing, fist-clenching shivers that the film delivers.
In fact, 
about a month ago when I first stumbled upon the trailers for the 2010 remake of the film I kept saying to myself "Damn, I MUST write about this film and warn everyone about how extremely frightening the original one was!!" but then I hesitated because it brought back alotta nightmarish memories from my childhood. I know, it's amazing, of all the other types of films out there that have impacted my life the 1973 version of "Dont Be Afraid of the Dark" may be the film that has impacted my life the most because my sisters and I had nightmares over it for at least a good 6 months or so afterwards. Now I know alotta you are probaly thinking "Well hell, you all were children, that's understandable" but trust me, regardless of what age you are, horror films were meant to frighten the living bejesus outta people and that's exactly what this one does.
I remember that several years after the film was made it seemed to totally disappear from the American film market as well as the cable re-run treadmills of the 1980's and beyond. In fact, I think the last time I saw it being broadcast on tv was sometime back in 1984 while I was home for college for the summer; and, when my parent's asked my sisters and I if we were gonna watch it that night, we all emphatically shook our heads "No!!" Of course, my parents busted-a-gut laughing at us but we knew better.
Now I could go into the plotlines of both the 1973 and 2010 versions of this film but since I havent seen the new one and since I dont know how many of my readers out there have or havent even seen the 1973 version, I really dont wanna ruin it for anyone. Then again, perhaps some introspections on the original version will help give those out there who havent seen it before an extra one-up on the initial comprehension of the remake.
I
n a nutshell...a woman and her husband move into her grandmother's house which has a history of strange events, unexplained noises and stuff like that taking place in it...the unexplainable stuff is caused by these tiny, midget-like demons who somehow were locked into the furnace or boiler-room of the house...the woman, Sally (played by Kim Darby) accidentally opens the locked door of the boiler, the demons come out later at night while she and her husband are asleep and thus begins all the spooky events which lead up to the climax/end of the movie, where Sally ends up being abducted by the demons and "joining them." A few other points to keep in mind - 1st, her husband NEVER believes her, he even gets her into counseling and the shrink drugs her up which in turn makes her totally vulnerable to the little demons; 2nd, the demons are TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS towards ANY light whatsoever, it actually hocks the living hell outta them; 3rd and finally, the demons always talk in whispers and are constantly saying "Sally! Sally! Sally!! Come join us, please come join us and set us free!"
As a matter of fact, that latter part is one of the reasons why that film especially scared the living shit outta my sisters and I. Throughout our remaining childhood years, whenever any of us got pissed off at each other, we'd whisper through our heating vents (our rooms were right next door to each other during those years) "Sally! Sally! Sally! Join us!! We're coming to get you!!" Oh I'll never forget those hot summer nights after we first saw that film, how we all use to curl up under our bed covers, regardless of how hot-n-humid it was - we were just beside ourselves with fear!
Now that I am an adult and much wiser, would I ever watch the original version of "Dont Be Afraid of the Dark" again? I must admit my interest in doing so has greatly increased because in a way the inner child within me wants to view the film again so that I can finally put to rest any remaining tenets of those old childhood fears for once and for all. From the trailers for the new 2010 version itself I not only immediately noticed the distinct differences between the two films, but most notably how the director, Guillermo del Toro, specifically redesigned the "monsters" in the new film, creating creatures that I admit are TOTALLY different from those portrayed in the original film, therefore helping me in diminishing a great deal of the fear factor for myself. In other words, without even seeing the new film in its entirety, the trailers themselves have already aided me in coming to terms with any psychological residue the original film left on me.
For me, the combination of altering of the physical appearance of the demons or "monsters," as well as the fact that I have "grown up" a lot in the last 38 years, has spearheaded the heart of those childhood fears. Since being that frightened little boy in western Ohio all those years ago, I've evolved into someone who automatically despises anyone (or anything), be it real or imaginary, that would even think of harming one single hair on any child's head. I guess I'm sort of a natural predator towards anyone/anything that has the intention of harming children; and, in the 2010 version of "Dont Be Afraid of the Dark" those demons/monsters arent anywhat like the scary, spooky-looking ones that scared me shitless in the 1973 version. In this new film, they are these hideous-looking motherfuckers who think they automatically have the right to abduct/harm any child that comes near them, which rather than setting off those old childhood fears of mine for me, they actually set off my adrenalin-rush/defense mechanism button. In a never-never-land sorta way they literally transform me from that terrified little kid who tugged on his Mom's arm asking if he could pretty pretty please sleep on the floor on her side of the bedroom to a full-grown adult who would literally chase after those little demons till each and every one of them was physically torn apart by my very own hands, i.e., if it were a real-life scenario versus an intense horror film.
In other words, you know how we all have heard over the years that films can actually be theraputic for a person? Well, the remake of "Dont Be Afraid of the Dark" has been just that for me and again, I have yet to see the film in its entirety yet it's already helped me a great deal with the demons of the past (no pun intended!).
Yet another keypoint from the 1973 version of "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is something that literally angered me about the film all those years ago and actually still does when I think about it. This could apply not just to the plotline of the film itself but in other various scenarioes that do take place in our lives in general - the issue of trust. Rather than believe his wife, who truly has no ulterior motive in lying to her husband about the entire matter - he simply refuses to believe her when she tells him about her experiences. The guy is so busy with his career and naturally since she's a housewife he automatically thinks her mind is playing tricks on her, that she is bored and needs to get outta the house more often. In other words, the age old idiom that if it's not happening to the husband, but only to the wife, then it's really not real. Pardon me, but I've always thought that that is sucha major loada crap.
That particular angle of the film is especially ironic because towards the end of the film it's only when he tries to rescue his wife and actually sees one of the little demons that he realizes she was indeed telling him the truth all along. Doesnt get anymore ironic than that, ya know? His huge indescrepancy towards his wife, his lack of having faith in her, is really what causes her to be taken away by the demons. He gets extremely emotional and upset, naturally, and that is fine-n-dandy, but still, it is really his own fault. Whether watching a horror film or going about your daily life, I think when anyone you know seriously tells you "Uhm, Sparky? You're not gonna believe this, BUT...." people should listen to them, give them the benefit of the doubt (even if you instantly think the individual is complete mistaken), investigate the situation and THEN IF there is any reason to think that the person doesnt have both oars-in-the-water, then suggest they seek professional help. I know it may even sound silly to some folks out there that I make that suggestion based on a mere film, but it's still applicable because again, after viewing the original version of the film, I'm fairly certain that you too will exclaim "Omg, why isnt he believing her?!?!?!"
As reluctant as I was at first in writing about "Dont Be Afraid of the Dark"(1973) I'm glad that I did because it's really helped me in dispelling any inner child residual fears I had left over from watching the film all those years ago. If you're someone who loves horror films as much as I do, I highly recommend you to not only see the 2010 version of the film but try to watch the original 1973 version too because I do think it'd be worth your while. As for me, I do plan on going to see the 2010 version as soon as I get the chance to but if not, there's always renting it on dvd or getting it from Netflix. Either way, I'll be certain to keep a close watch over my heating vent covers outta the corner of my eye, just to be on the safe side...and as always, thank you for reading.
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