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Directed
by Troy Nixey
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Guillermo Del Toro has worked for many years to get this movie made because when he was a kid the original TV movie scared him silly. So Del Toro has not only written the screenplay with Matthew Robbins but he produced this with Mark Johnson. An architect Alex Hurst (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Katie Holmes) move into a Gothic mansion. While restoring the lavish estate Alex's young daughter Sally (Bailee Madison) begins hearing raspy whisperings coming from the basement. At first this communication seems friendly. This draws the young girl down to find out the source, but after she opens the door to their confinement, she discovers that an army of beady-eyed, sharp clawed creatures are out to get her. Sally tries warning her parents and any other adult but no one listens to her. Will they before it's too late... DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK is an lush visual movie with startling color palette by Production Designer Roger Ford, first-rate cinematography from DP Oliver Stapleton and a beautifully dark music score by Marco Beltrami (SCREAM) & Buck Sanders. This Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition and 5.1 DTS-HD sound so the transfer matches the movies technical qualities. This is one of the those movies where the kid seems to know more than the adults. What's good about this is that it kind of sparks the audience to talk out loud to the screen trying to warn the characters the dangers about to strike. DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK is made with obvious passion and that's reflected on the screen. The FX are pretty strong with the little monsters inducing the creeps. They seem so small and defeatable but you'll be surprised how they avoid being caught with mouse-like agility. Bailee Madison is a good little actress that seems like a kid (because she is a kid) but uses common sense and natural logic to face these little denizens of the dark. Katie Holmes is someone you'll find endearing and will care about her outcome. Guy Pearce is oblivious to the situation both his ladies are in and you almost don't care what ultimately happens to him. That's not his fault as an actor but rather how this character was written so you have to say he did his job. Sony has put together a brief but effective supplement package which includes a Three-Part Making-Of Documentary. The Story has Guillermo Del Toro and Troy Nixey speak how they responded to this script and what they did to make the movie work, Blackwood's Mansion is where Production Designer Roger Ford talks about his impressive work doing a make-over for the exterior structure seen in the film and the massive sets built in Melbourne, Australia. Then there's The Creatures where the visual FX team members discuss how they designed and executed the little critters seen in the movie. Plus there is a Conceptual Art Gallery that shows off the designs of the creatures and sets. All good stuff. DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK is a very well made movie that has it's heart and soul in the right place. I don't know if this remake carries the same impact that the original TV movie had because that first impression can never be duplicated. I do think that most of you would enjoy this film and if you never saw the original be prepared to get the willies after viewing this.
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