FEAR OF THE DARK
PLOT-A woman who saw her parents murdered when she was a child is faced with the possibility that the killer has returned 20 years later to finish the job.
VIOLENCE-Lots of blood is spilled, and there are some extremely graphic killings (including a disembowelment sequence).
SEX/NUDITY-One simulated sex scene involving a completely nude woman.
WHY I WATCHED IT-I'd seen and enjoyed filmmaker Glen Baisley's latest flick THE TENEMENT, and was intrigued to discover that FEAR OF THE DARK, despite being made years prior, was actually its sequel! Thankfully I was getting to see the story "in order", because I'm the kind of guy that gets easily confused.
THE DOPE-Unlike THE TENEMENT, FEAR OF THE DARK is one complete story that follows a steadily more intense series of occurances in the life of one woman. The writing, editing and music are all first rate (particularly for a shot-on-video feature), but what really makes the film stand out is the performance of lead actor Rosemary Gore (an appropriate name given that this flick has a lot of gory moments). She carries a lot on her shoulders, because the entire film relies on whether or not we the audience believe that this woman really experienced this awful thing as a child, and is slowly coming apart at the seams. She transforms herself several times throughout the movie as the events worsen, and sometimes I wasn't sure if I was looking at the same woman from the beginning of the movie. That, to me, is the mark of someone who really knows what they're doing.
THE TENEMENT showed us the origin of the "Black Rose Killer", and FEAR OF THE DARK continues the story and keeps the scares coming. Glenn Baisley clearly put a huge amount of time and effort into making a seriously good horror film, something that I would be afraid to even attempt. Given that audiences are very quick to laugh at a serious movie if it doesn't come across the right way, Baisley entered dangerous territory with this movie. However, the complex and interesting story, combined with Rosemary Gore's standout performance, kept me in the moment and never took me out. My hat goes off to the filmmakers here...a job well done indeed.
MEMORABLE SCENES-The ending caught me by surprise and is the kind of twist that ultimately leaves an impression. For the end sequence, Rosemary Gore exhibits some Debbie Rochon-caliber acting chops, which brought a smile to my face.
NOTES-Visit the Light And Dark website to find out how you can purchase this flick.
(May 2004)
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