Fear(s) of the Dark

THE FLICK
When six of the world's best (ad copy, not my personal opinion) comic and graphic novel artists get together, Fear[s] of the Dark is the result.  Fear[s] contains a half dozen stories told using a myriad of techniques with one basic trait in common: they are all in black and white.  From a schoolgirl who turns into a spider to a pack of dogs being let loose one by one to cause mayhem, none of the short films actually invokes a sense of dread or fear.  Nor are they really gory, at least in the common definition of the word "horror."  Rather, they play with the thoughts and phobias residing in the back of everyone's brain.

Without so much as a title, it is up to artist Blutch (nee Christian Hincker) to kick things off with dark pencil drawings of an old English baddie allowing a pack of ravenous dogs to attack one person after another.  Blutch's contribution runs through the entire picture, serving as a sort of segueway between films.  In the opener, a young boy is hunted down; in another, a woman finds herself succumbing to the animals.  This is arguably the strongest segment due to its real life nature.  See, this entire scenario could have happened at some point in the past just as it plays out in the unpolished pencil lines.  Shading and gradation tend to run together, yet Blutch is able to give enough of the important characters a distinguishing look which allows the picture to be distinctive.

Charles Burns is second at the plate with the most compelling segment in the film, that of a miniature human-looking bug infecting a young man's sweetheart, causing her to literally change before his eyes.  Told in stark black and white with the use of clean lines and shapes, it turns into the most affecting of the group since it can most closely be associated with real life.  It is said a person changes when they are part of a relationship.  Not as drastically as shown here, but change they do.  In this case, the transformation is nearly instantaneous.  Going from a sweet young woman to a shrew, the piece provides only the barest of characters in order to get its point across.  The audience knows what is happening, strictly because of the nature of the anthology.  That the male protagonist doesn't know is what makes it chilling.

And then there's Marie Caillou's nightmare about a new student being taken over by a spider.  This is where the film hits its zenith, a story so deeply rooted in reality that it's impossible to discount it.  Think about it: as the newest kid in class or a community, there are always fears-usually unfounded-about what is in store.  In this particular reality, though, what happens is even worse than anyone could imagine.  The animation style is rounder, more realistic than the Burns installment, using variations on black and white to tell the story.  It's still undetailed, a South Park-esque look with eyebrows moving unnaturally and robotic movements.  However, it taps into, arguably, the most common fear there is, one that everyone can identify with.  Another part of Blutch's contribution separates it into two parts. 

The other pieces, all with highlights of their own, can only serve to exemplify the failings of the film as a whole.  There is no continuity to it, nothing to move the audience seamlessly from one portion to another.  It's all fits and starts, stop and go.  Just as one story grabs a hold of our attention-such as the ending to Burns segment-it's over, to be replaced by something else.  Certainly there is something to be said for a film which leaves the viewer wanting more, but it also lacks a true payoff.  Perhaps a conventional payoff, some would say, but a payoff nonetheless.

A more pressing issue, though, is the lack of true scares.  With the DVD release being timed for Halloween and the title (Fear[s] of the Dark), it would certainly stand to reason something should terrify the audience.  It doesn't, at least not in any appreciable way.  Certain segments or shots come close-the way one of the hounds from hell attacks a dancer, for instance, is grotesque; this is more an exercise in using different art forms and stringing the results together than making a true film. 

THE LOOK
In the case of Fear[s] of the Dark, it is vitally important for the transfer to replicate deep, dark blacks and crisp, blinding whites.  The anamorphic picture does both those things-and more-throughout the film.  There is not a single instance black crush or other dilution of the hue; every corner is as vividly black as it needs to be.  And when the screen switches to complete white, it nearly blinds the viewer with its purity.  Edges are defined from start to finish while pencil lines in the appropriate segments are clearly evident.  This is a top notch transfer in every respect, perhaps even a rare reference disc.

THE SOUND
The French 5.1 audio mix (a 2.0 version is also available) provides more than enough punch to grab the audience's attention, all in a clear, balanced and separated manner.  For whatever reason, there is some distortion in the higher octaves in the second half of the film, giving the effect the audio is hitting a barrier and smashing against it instead of easily passing through.  After it returns to a more normal octave, the issue goes away.  Sound effects and dialogue never drown out one another, existing rather harmoniously, even allowing for some directionality.  Specifically, when the dogs are on one side of the screen with an intended target on the other.  English and Spanish subtitles are presented in italic yellow lettering, making them easy to see against with the white or black background.

THE STUFF
Fear[s] of the Dark comes packed in a standard black keepcase without an insert.  There are 16 chapters accessible from the main menu.  Trailers for Left Bank, The Skeptic, Home Movie and In the Loop play at start-up but are not included on the Bonus Material sub-menu.

Etienne Robial, the artistic director on the film, is the guide for Exhibition Tour of Fear[s] of the Dark (9:07).  Here, he walks us through the stages of making an animated film, explaining the various techniques used as well as other artistic minutia.  (The way light affects volume, for instance.)  A deleted sequence (0:33) showing a black blob being turned into various other shapes comes next; the film itself is littered with these moments, used as brief interludes between the main segments.

From the Drawing to the Film (24:18) is a longer, more involved version of the Robial piece, working with the various artists to show everything from initial designs to computer visualization, storyboards and voice work.  The winners of a MySpace contest (8:58) all have their films displayed on the disc.  They all show unique promise in using unconventional art forms to create films, though they may be too unique for most audiences.  A French teaser trailer (0:44) and the theatrical trailer (1:41) round out the section.