An old house … a mysterious locked room … a terrifying secret. Elements that make a horror movie memorably chilling get a taut, spooky reworking in Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Kim Darby ( True Grit) and Jim Hutton (The Green Berets) star as Sally and Alex, young marrieds who inherit a crumbling mansion. Despite warnings to leave well enough alone in her new home, Sally unlocks the mysterious room, opens a bricked-up fireplace … and unleashes a horde of hideous whispering, murdering minidemons only she can see and hear. This is the original TV movie that inspired the 2010 theatrical remake starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce.

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Video Quality

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark debuted on Blu-Ray in 2019 with a 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative that is dazzling. The transfer retains the ideal amount of natural film grain, which lends itself to detailed looks at the production design and costumes. The image throughout the disc is clear of dirt and print damage, as well as unwanted digital anomalies such as compression artifacts or banding. Skin tones look natural throughout this transfer. There is quite a bit that takes place in shadowy spaces that is accompanied by deep black levels free of any crush. The low-budget nature of the production can be surmised, but the transfer represents it as was intended in a way that is quite stunning. Warner Archive did not cut any corners with this transfer as it ranks as a first-rate effort from the label.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release arrives with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that suits the story perfectly. Dialogue comes through crystal clear with no exchanges hampered by competing sonic elements. None of the sound effects or the score ever overpowers the dialogue on this release. There are not especially kinetic here, but there are environmental details that are lively in the speakers. There does not appear to be any obvious damage or age-related wear to the track. Overall, this is an excellent audio presentation that suits the material really well. Optional English SDH subtitles are available on the disc.

Special Features

Audio Commentaries: This release provides one archival commentary track and one new one. The group track is a decent listen for those who appreciate a casual atmosphere, but the newer track with Amanda Reyes is the one to listen to if you really want to gain some knowledge about this production.

- Audio Commentary #1: Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton (Dread Central), Screenwriter Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination, Day of the Dead ) and Sean Abley (Fangoria)

- Audio Commentary #2: Amanda Reyes (Made for TV Mayhem)

Final Thoughts

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a fun bit of made-for-TV horror that never gets intense enough to give you nightmares yet still supplies a decent number of chills to get you into the Halloween spirit. You will want to yell at some of the characters for the choices they make, but that is part of the fun of spooky outings. The creature effects are pulled off well even with their charmingly dated qualities. The performances get the job done even if no one performer seems to be stretching their talents. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring an exceptional A/V presentation and a couple of great commentary tracks. If you love the special vibe of a made-for-TV horror film, this will serve you well. Recommended

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.