"Is this your last one? This is a special one; it means you're not a baby anymore."
Now I ask you, if you knew you lived in a town that was haunted by a 150 year old evil, would you want to live there.
I know I wouldn't, but then again no one listens to urban legends especially since the phantasm only goes after
children and usually they were smart enough never to peek.
"It can't be dark."
Twelve years earlier a young Kyle (Joshua Anderson) has lost his last baby tooth and has gone to sleep but
stories he has heard keep him awake under the covers. He shudders under the covers when he hears a rustling sound; he
wants to look but fights the urge. When he thinks it is finally safe he peeks and in a real cool scene we see he has
made an error. kyle's screaming brings in his mother who consoles him, only to be killed while the young boy hides
terrified in a well lit bathroom. When the police finally arrive young Kyle is arrested for slaughtering his own
mother. He spends 9 years of his youth in institutions and later in foster homes taking medications and staying in
the light all the time. The horror is still with him so now 12 years older he lives in Las vegas working in a casino
where it is always well lit.
"Did Michael lose a tooth?"
Caitlin (Emma Caulfield), the ex-girlfriend of the young Kyle is still living in Darkness Falls with you young
brother, Michael (Lee Cormie) who has been hospitalized for trauma. Michael can not sleep for more tham a few
minutes at a time. You quessed it, poor Michael is a victim of the ghostly spectre of evil. of course the adults do
not believe his wild stories and just want to put him to sleep with medication but he fights it. caitlin makes sure
that the lights stay on while he sleeps. In desperation Caitlin places a call to Kyle Walsh (Chaney Kley) for
help.
"Keep running you freak; I'll find you."
Kyle Walsh is not interested in returning and wants to stay as far away as possible from Darkness Falls. Hey, the
poor guy knows he could get killed so can you blame him? Still, when he hears that Michael is in trouble he makes a
stupid move and goes to Caitlin's side. Hopefully by know you've figured out that this is going to be story about
the one who got away. That's right she knows he's back and no matter what or who she has to go through, the phantasm
will get Kyle.
"I hope you got a good lawyer."
DARKNESS FALLS quickly becomes a a killing spree. The police, of course, arrest Kyle accusing him of all the
killings. Caitlin in the meantime is trying to cope with his brother's problem as well as helping Klye. The doctor's
tell her that Michael suffers from night terrors even though he tries to kill himself. Now they want to test him
further and then put him in a dark sensory deprivation tank.
"She's gonna get me."
Even though the body count climbs quickly in this movie, I have to say that it is not a slasher movie. The terror
really creeps you out in this film even though people die by the bushelful. The director Jonathan Liebesman
has made sure the film is photographed well in the more traditional style of horrors film rather than in the mUsic
video style of so many horror films today. He seems to have a good grasp on what creeps people out and how to build
tension. His shadow work is excellent, right down to the terrifying shadows in the windows. Liebesman moves the story
along at a neck breaking speed and things happen quickly to the sacrifice of character development. This lack of
development leaves us not really caring about the characters that die.
"If you put me in the dark she'll ge tme."
Stan Winston's spirit of Matilda Dixon is well designed and can be quite terrifying especially in the shadows. She
floats around in her tattered robes and mask until she strikes and when she does, she does so with great speed. She
swoops in on her victims and flies away with them so fast that they do not stand a chance. The finale in the
lighthouse, especially uses the character quite effectively. Good as it is, the phantom does not chill you to the bone
as say, the apparition in THE RING did, but still it is chilling.
"We're all going to die."
The film was originally to be titled TOOTH FAIRY but it was a good move to change the title as it may have
given parents the wrong idea as the type of movie this is. In case you haven't figured it out by now, DARKNESS
FALLS is not a film to recommend to young or impressionable children. I can just see all those poor children
out there, terrified that the Tooth Fairy was out to get them.
"The police are dead."
"All of them?."
"Pretty much."
DARKNESS FALLS is worth seeing; especially if you are a fan of horror movies. It may not seem worth the money
only because of it's short length. It clocks in at only 80 minutes but it is a fast paced 80 minutes. Nice thing
about this kind of film is you can hold on to your date and she won't feel that you're just trying to cop a cheap
feel. Yes this is a a popcorn movie that is best seen at a drive-in theatre because it will definitely feel creepier
out of doors, in the dark, in the night. Boo!!! Got ya!
"Just remember, don't peek."
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