Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

A scary, suspenseful remake of the classic 1973 haunted-house made-for-TV movie, filmmaker Troy Nixey's Don't Be Afraid of the Dark finds 9-year-old Sally (Bailee Madison) reluctantly leaving her neglectful divorcée mom behind in Los Angeles, moving into crumbling Blackwood Manor in Rhode Island with her ambitious architect dad, Alex (Guy Pearce), and his new girlfriend, interior decorator Kim (Katie Holmes). The pair hope that Architectural Digest will reward their renovations with a cover story. But the house is “unsafe for a child,” warns the grizzled groundskeeper (Jack Thompson); and petulant, precocious Sally whimpers, “I don't like it here.” Of course, no one heeds the warnings, so Sally—spurred on by rasping whispers that beckon her to the boarded-up lower level—discovers an army of tiny, beady-eyed, snarling beasties. Naturally, no one believes her…until Kim investigates the gothic mansion's macabre past. Produced by Guillermo del Toro, this atmospherically menacing remake is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a three-part “making-of” featurette including “The Story,” “Blackwood's Mansion,” and “The Creatures” (21 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a conceptual art gallery, the BD-Live function, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a solid remake.] (S. Granger)