Day 10: Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

      Ah, the 70's and 80's. What a time to be a kid. Several made for TV horror films were being produced. Some of them are great. Some others not so much. Kid's could just stay up and look to the ol' tube for a healthy dosage of horror. 1973's Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is one such entry into the made for TV horror realm.

    

     Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark follows Sally and her husband as they move into the old mansion of her late grandmother. As they renovate the home, Sally discovers a dark room that her grandfather used as a study. The lights do not work and the fireplace is sealed off. Their handyman, Harris refuses to remove the seal on the fireplace. Sally, overtaken by curiosity, removes the seal herself and in turn releases several small creatures into her new home.

     The score and atmosphere of this 70's horror are actually chilling. It's easy to see how any kid growing up at the time could turn on ABC and have nightmares for weeks. Even the creature designs (Kinda silly by adult standards) would most likely have ruined a few nights of sleep for me as a child. 

     Don't mistake this as a child's horror film though! Many of the themes are pretty adult oriented. Feelings of neglect and marital problems are abound as Sally and her husband Alex proceed throughout the film. Alex focuses too much on his job and not enough on Sally, causing her to feel unloved. Things don't get much better after the creatures show up either. Alex looks like a complete asshole as he argues with Sally and Harris over the existence of the goblins.

     While it's not perfect, Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is probably the best made for TV horror film I have seen. The acting is solid and all the characters are interesting enough to hold your attention throughout. There are a couple moments that are a bit ridiculous but there always seem to be when horror deals with tiny creatures. This is a film that's a ton of fun for adults and possibly a great introduction to horror for your kids.

Body Count:2
Side Note: Sally looks so much like a little boy. I thought she was a boy on the cover of the box for the longest time.