Horror Fans: Is DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK (1973) on DVD?

Okay, I remember this GREAT movie I used to see
all the time on TV as a kid. Thought it was the
scariest movie I ever saw.

I can't remember the name, but I'll describe it
to you.

A couple buys a new house. The wife soon finds
out that there are creatures that live beneath
the floorboards and in the cellar.

She soon discovers the creatures are sensitive to
light and don't come out unless its dark. She lights
the house up with flashlights and candles to keep
herself safe. However, the creatures cut the power
lines to the house.

In the end, she gets dragged down the stairs and
eventually "joins" them.

I believe this film was made in the 70s, and it
probably was a made-for-TV film. I think the
starring actress' first name was Kim.

Anyone familiar with horror films should know
what this is -- I just have totally forgotten the
title.

Anyhow, is it available on DVD?

I answered my own question.

Went to IMDB.COM and did some fiddling
around.

Finally came up with....

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

It was a 1973 TV film starring Kim Darby.

Doesn't look like it is on DVD.

Hey I loved this film as a kid too

My brother and I still imitate the creatures when they are calling for Kim Darby:

"Sally...Sally..."

Hi Ron.
Yeah i remember this film too. Quite scary, Shame about the ending. She really put up a fight.
mike.

Isn't Carl Betz in this as well, playing Kim Darby's husband? And the little boy is the one from the old Family Affair sitcom on CBS.

If I recall, there's a scene where Betz is looking at a film or a videotape of one of the front windows of his house. He sees a couple of red dots, "demon eyes." Pretty effective scene.

One of my family's favorites. I would love to be able to give a dvd of this to my sister someday. This movie scares the hell out of her

Jack.
The husband is played by "Jim Hutton".
mike.

Jack Briggs wrote (post #5):



No. The late Jim Hutton, father of Timothy, played the husband.



There was no "little boy" in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, as far as I can remember. Darby and Hutton played the Farnhams, a young couple with no children yet. The "little boy" you're thinking of is Johnnie Whitaker ("Be damned!") and the tv-movie you probably have in mind is Something Evil (CBS Entertainment, 1972), directed by none other than your favorite movie director of all time: Mr. Steven Spielberg.


The father there was played by Darren McGavin, who sort of looks like Carl Betz.

As far as that scene, which I, too, vaguely remember, is concerned, there is a reference to it in comments by "Gary" at the movie's imdb.com page, dated: June 10, 2000:


The creepiest aspect of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is not the appearance of the demons, but how they sound as they talk past each other---with a cacophony of whispers---, and only Sally (Darby) can hear them tell what they're going to do to her.

It was, if I recall correctly, a Lorimar film, which means it should be owned now by Warner Bros.

I think all of you will find this interesting....

Miramax already has a remake of this film going
into production. You can read more about it here:

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808403782

This should most likely bolster the chances for
the original to be released to DVD.

Sounds like it could be especially cool with a good 5.1 mix.

Seems like lots of decent horror films in the pipeline.

Ron,

their are moments of incredible coincidence that don't happen very often in life and I just experienced one of them right now!
When I saw your topic header, this is the first film I thought of since I saw it as a kid too and it scared the shit out of me, and like you, I coudn't remember the title until this thread. Imagine my shock when I read your post to see this was the very same film I was thinking of!

Of all the horror films out their you could have been talking about, what are the odds!?

I also remember very well how they sounded and looked, they had little brown shrunken heads with prune faces, and the one scene I remember most was her in the shower with the curtain drawn and the creatures walking around on the floor of the bathroom!

I'd love to have this one on dvd, i'm also intriguied by the remake possibilities as well.

Rex: Excellent work! And that's exactly the made-for-TV film I remembered, down to a T. JB

There were so many horror- and suspense-themed TV movies made in the 1970s that are deserving of a DVD release. Some were better than others, but all of them had a certain charm and, I suspect, have cult followings.

A few examples:

THE LEGEND OF LIZZIE BORDEN
BAD RONALD
THE INITIATION OF SARAH
SOMETHING EVIL
SUMMER OF FEAR
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

How cool if a company like Anchor Bay could license several of them and release them as "Horror TV Classics" or under some such umbrella title.

CN

Nice list Claude

Another TV movie that scared the crap out of me was Fear No Evil with Louis Jordan, which was about a haunted antique mirror.

The scariest TV movie I ever saw was the pilot film for Night Gallery, actually just the first episode with Roddy McDowall and the haunted painting.

Summer Of Fear from 1978 (aka Stranger In Our House) is avaliable on Region 1 DVD. Summer Of Fear was released on DVD in Feb 2003.

There was an eerie 1971 made-for-TV movie about witchcraft, starring William Shatner. What was it called?

Also, there was an adaptation of Zenna Henderson's science-fiction series about "The People" that was kind of effective.

The early '70s was a fertile period for decent made-for-TV films, wasn't it?

Didn't this movie air as one of those afternoon movies (either on abc or nbc) that they used to show....they showed some scary movies on these afternoon programs (and no, I am not talking about the afterschool specials...lol)

Jack- I remember a scary TV movie with William Shatner called "Horror at 40,000 Feet" or something like that. Must have played on the popularity of the Airport movies & had something to do with an evil spirit on an airliner. I remember something about glueing a woman's nailclippings to the tips of a doll so the spirit would think it was a human sacrifice or something. Weird.

As for Don't be Afraid of the Dark... I remember that scary the heck out of me in the second grade. I could SWEAR I've seen it as a cheap DVD release at Best Buy.

Other great childhood TV movies from the 70s were Gargoyles and Killdozer.

Yes, we definitely need more of these old 70s TV horrors on DVD. They can join stuff already out there like 'The Night Stalker/Night Strangler' and 'Trilogy of Terror'.....the source of many a childhood nightmare. Oh how I love those films- nothing quite like getting completely scared out of your wits as a kid after one of those shockers.

I'm a member of the "this movie scared the crap out of me when I was little" club. It's even difficult to find on VHS. Would love to see it make DVD. It has quite a cult following. VHS "copies" show up at sci-fi conventions but I have heard they are pretty poor quality.

As for the remake, I always get a little nervous when I hear of a subtle classic like this being remade with today's Hollywood sensibilities (ala The Haunting). I hope they don't change the ending. I could just see them turning it around to have the couple defeat the demons in a blaze of special effects.


Warning Spoiler! Click to show

Jack Briggs wrote (post #16):

Wasn't The Night Stalker on DVD at one time?

Funny about "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark" - everyone who saw it as a kid remembers it as just about the most frightening film they ever saw (as a kid). It was only shown a few times too, and became very much sought after by collectors.

I actually found a copy on VHS (someone sent me their copy) and it's still quite a bit of fun.

Another movie that haunted just about anyone who saw it as a kid was "The Bermuda Triangle" or "Up From The Depths." It was by Bass and Rankin of "Santa Clause Comes To Town" fame (and all those other stop motion animated specials).
The Bermuda Triangle was about a mysterious woman from the sea (Connie Seleca) who, it turns out, has a giant magical sea turtle as her protector. With it's memorable score and theme song, it's incredibly surreal mood, it just stuck in anyone's head who saw it. And because this intensely moody film was only ever shown twice on North American TV, people were left later in life wondering "Just what the heck did I see as a kid that seems to have lodged so mysteriously in my memory?" There should be support groups for those who saw that movie.

BTW, yes the Night Stalker is on DVD. Best damned horror flick ever made for TV. The pacing, mood and acting are soo good that I can still watch it over and over even now.

What I really want is for some classics like the original "Tales From The Crypt" to come out on DVD (or Vault Of Horror).

Re: Horror Fans: Is this TV "classic" on DVD?

So whats the holdup with this movie being released ? You would think there would be some studio willing to release it.

Re: Horror Fans: Is this TV "classic" on DVD?

I guess they never did the remake, huh?
Shame...that could have helped get the original onto DVD.

Re: Horror Fans: Is this TV "classic" on DVD?

Rich, you are spot on about THE BERMUDA DEPTHS (which besides Connie Sellica also starred Burl Ives, Carl Weathers and Leigh McClosky). I saw it only once as a kid and it haunts me to this day! I still have many images from this telefilm etched in my memory, including the creepy and effective ending (you know what I'm talking about, I'm sure). I would like nothing better than to see this again (though it may have dated badly and a rewatching of it may tarnish its mysterious memory.)

Where's the first meeting of the support group?

SATAN'S TRIANGLE (starring Doug McCLure) was also exceedingly creepy.

Haven't seen DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK but it sounds splendid.

The 70s were indeed a golden time for made-for-TV horror.

Re: Horror Fans: Is this TV "classic" on DVD?

The dvd company thats releasing trilogy of terror on dvd next month, would be perfect for releasing dont be afraid of the dark.I can always wish cant I?

Re: Horror Fans: Is this TV "classic" on DVD?

That one popped into my head immediately when I started going through this thread. God, I miss those downbeat, 70's endings!

Re: Horror Fans: Is this TV "classic" on DVD?

okay here's a tough one, I wanna say it was bette davis, but I've searched her filmography and couldn't find it. A stuborn older woman lives in a house by a sea and she has a vase? or some heriloom that the sea wants back. the characters are trapped in the house through a hurricane and at one point the storm stops and everything goes erriely silent because now the house is in the eye of the storm. eventually she can't take it anymore and hurls the thing back into the ocean. my memory is it's in B+W but I could be wrong. It's haunted me for years.... help!

Re: Horror Fans: Is this TV "classic" on DVD?

For that matter, don't forget Leonard Nimoy's late '60s ESP romp, "Baffled". Also, "Phantom of Hollywood" with Jack Cassidy. I think that was the last film shot on the MGM backlot as they were tearing it down