Teaser for ‘Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark’ Terrifies
by Britt Hayes
I was reminded by a friend on Twitter today that I should be grateful that I’m not so desensitized that things like this new teaser for Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark don’t scare me. And it does scare me. A lot. Co-written by Guillermo Del Toro and Matthew Robbins, directed by Troy Nixey, and produced by Nick Nunziata of CHUD.com, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a remake of the made-for-TV film from the 70′s. The original film was a campy, poorly-executed movie with not much to be afraid of (in that sense, it sort of lived up to its name), but the tiny creatures that populated the dark were very memorable, and a little spooky.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark stars Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, and Alan Dale. While I can’t speak for the talents of young Bailee Madison, that’s a pretty fantastic line-up. Official synopsis:
Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison), a lonely, withdrawn child, has just arrived in Rhode Island to live with her father Alex (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) at the 19th-century mansion they are restoring. While exploring the sprawling estate, the young girl discovers a hidden basement, undisturbed since the strange disappearance of the mansion’s builder a century ago.
When Sally unwittingly lets loose a race of ancient, dark-dwelling creatures who conspire to drag her down into the mysterious house’s bottomless depths, she must convince Alex and Kim that it’s not a fantasy—before the evil lurking in the dark consumes them all.
The early word from Comic Con on the teaser below was overwhelmingly positive, but I still wondered if any of that had to do with Del Toro’s name being attached. The official teaser has been unleashed upon the internet, courtesy of IGN. At this very moment, I am sitting in my living room in the dark, with only the light of my laptop. I can’t recall the last time I saw a teaser for a horror film that actually scared me; mostly they impress me with an interesting story and captivating images, but Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark has managed to genuinely terrify me with a 30 second tease. If the rest of the film contains the tension and atmosphere created in that 30 seconds, I may not sleep for a week.
The film releases January 21, 2011, and that date can’t get here soon enough. We’ll keep you posted with additional information as it’s revealed.
