Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2012)

 ●  English ● 1 hr 39 mins

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In Rhode Island, interior designers Alex and his girlfriend Kim welcome Alex's nine year daughter, Sally, who was sent by her mother to live with them. The couple brings Sally to the manor of the painter Emerson Blackwood, who had disappeared with his son many years ago, and Alex has invested all his money in the mansion expecting to be promoted in his business with the restoration of the house. Sally rejects Kim and feels lonely in the mansion and while walking on the real estate, she finds that the manor has a hidden basement. Alex's employee William Harris, who is a descendant of Blackwood, warns Sally to never go to the basement but the girl overhears voices in the ash pit calling her. However Sally brings a wrench and removes the bolts of the ash pit cover. Soon, Sally discovers the owners of the voices. However, Alex and Kim believe that it is only her imagination.
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Did you know? Appropriately set in Providence, RI as that was the home of H.P. Lovecraft who wrote the story "The Rats in the Walls" which apparently inspired this film. Though the short story was set in England not Rhode Island. Read More
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Actress
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Direction

Director

Production

Executive Producer

Writers

Camera and Electrical

Director of Photography

Music

Music Director

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Sound Designer

Casting

Casting Director
Film Type:
Feature
Language:
English
Colour Info:
Color
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital, DTS
Frame Rate:
24 fps
Aspect Ratio:
1.85:1 (Flat)
Stereoscopy:
No
Movie Connection(s):
Dubbed into: Apradhi Kaun (Hindi)
Goofs:
Continuity
At the dinner party, Sally's leggings are plain. When she's pushing the library shelves, a close-up of her feet shows striped leggings.

Continuity
During the ending scenes when the family is fighting the "faeries" its supposedly night time during a thunderstorm, in the middle of the woods but there is clearly light shining through the stain glass window, along with other windows in the house.

Continuity
When Harris pulls Sally through the toadstool ring, their feet are clearly shown stomping the mushrooms, yet in the next shot, the ring is intact behind them.

Continuity
The Polaroid camera used to scare off the monsters has a flash strip on top of it with 10 single use bulbs in it. Sally shoots off 2-3 dozen flashes on a device that is only capable of 10. The direction and location of the used, cloudy flashes changes from shot to shot as well.

Continuity
Near the end of the movie, when Sally is being dragged by the faeries the slide track can be seen under Sally's head.

Crew/Equipment Visible
Near the end of the movie (1.27:30-1.27:32) the slide track can be seen under Sally's head.

Errors in Geography
While stuck in traffic, a construction worker is seen holding a circular stop sign, which is used by construction crews in Australia. US Construction crews are required to use octagon shaped stop signs.

Factual Mistake
The movie often offers close-ups of the BMW's "Rhode Island" license plate, but the numbers are red, like Massachusetts license plates. For over 15 years Rhode Island licenses plates have had blue lettering with a blue background featuring a wave graphic.
Trivia:
The passenger on the plane behind Sally is producer Guillermo del Toro.

The runes carved into the stone over the furnace that the creatures live down spells out "Be Afraid" in Elder Futhark.

Appropriately set in Providence, RI as that was the home of H.P. Lovecraft who wrote the story "The Rats in the Walls" which apparently inspired this film. Though the short story was set in England not Rhode Island.

In the original Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973), Sally was Alex's wife, not daughter, while in this version a woman named Kim is his wife. In the original Sally, Alex's wife, was played by an actress named Kim - Kim Darby.

There are two early hints of the fairy connection. When Sally finds the secret garden, she walks through a circle of mushrooms- - a fairy ring. Also, the housekeeper's name is Mrs. Underhill. Underhill is one of the names of where fairy folk come from.