I do believe in fairies! (Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, 2010)

Don’t be afraid of exploring hybrid genres either, they don’t bite…….Well, sometimes they do.

Not being believed is an effective horror trope because it is a terrifying position to be in. However, it does hit a bit too close to home at the moment with victims of abuse finally speaking out. These women have more courage than any horror movie final girl.

In light of this, it has been a pleasure to discover ‘Don’t Be Afraid of the dark’ (2010, directed by Troy Nixey)- a movie which shows us that we can take people seriously, even if their stories seem unbelievable. It’s been a while since I’ve fallen in love with a movie enough to watch it over and over again like I have been over the last few weeks.

Sally is a young girl arriving at an old mansion her father is renovating. She feels lonely and confused over her parents’ divorce. Her presence awakens evil fairy-like creatures who have an appetite for children’s teeth and bones. I knew I was down for a film about evil tooth fairies as soon as the opening scene involved a chisel and hammer tooth extraction. 

Sally’s relationship with her father’s new girlfriend (Kim) goes refreshingly against the ‘evil step mother’ archetype. From the beginning Kim is supportive of Sally and cares for her despite being thrown into a motherhood she isn’t quite ready for. This female comradery was great to see play out; instead of the two female characters being pitted against each other like in so many other films. It’s an important and positive representation of female relationships that needs to be in more films.

The movie surprised me by having a good amount of realism and depth to the characters.  Then Child actor Bailee Madison (look for her all grown up in the upcoming sequel the ‘the strangers’) put on a fantastic performance, largely helped by the script which gave the character of Sally genuine reactions and statements a child her age would make. Her words were never forced or overly childlike. Guy Pearce’s father character takes on a minor role despite his big, Hollywood name. This film is foremost about Sally and Kim. It is occasionally refreshing to see male characters take a backseat, used mainly as a plot device.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is absolutely stunning to watch. The sprawling house is a setting with just enough space and ornateness to be beautiful yet entirely cold and isolating for the Characters, especially Sally. The woods near the house look amazing and it really helps pull you into the story. This film successfully whisks you away into a neo-gothic fairy tale. The score for this film perfectly matches this and is a nostalgic reminder of big fantasy films. 

Filmed in Victoria, Australia (50/50 chance it's either a winery or kangaroo hostel)

Now, I guess I should mention this film is a remake, but I for one think Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins did wonders with the source material. I’ve watched some of the 1973 tv movie but it just wasn’t interesting enough to keep going with.  The main switch between the two films is that Sally is an adult in the old version instead of a child. I thought the change was a stroke of genius and really amped up the agency in the story

I loved the creature design too, they were creepy and rat-like. While they were CGI, it didn’t take away from the film. Which just goes to show that CGI is often not the problem- a weak film under this type of effects is what makes CGI a bad thing most of the time. I think the director is so be congratulated on bringing Del Toro’s screenplay to life so well. Del Toro had a big hand in this movie as he was also producer, it’s great to see that it matches his other cinematic masterpieces. You’re either a fan of Guillermo del Toro or you’re a fan of Guillermo del Toro; the man has made a name for himself by bringing fantasy to adults and helping us relive the sense of wonder we had when we were young.

I’m giving 'Don’t be afraid of the Dark' a  9/10.

Splatter never sounded so good (Suspiria,1977 and Berberian Sound Studio, 2012)

Argento you glad I finally embraced Italian horror? 

Confession: I have only just watched 'Suspiria' for the first time a few days ago. Although my childhood-self did have a terrifying relationship with the VHS cover at the video shop horror section. I’m sure this is a common experience with most horror fans as where else did you get the taste for the macabre if not Civic Video.

'Suspiria' (1977, directed by Dario Argento) was a hard movie for me to form an opinion on. When I started writing about it I found myself complaining for whole paragraphs about the English dubbing. I won’t go into it but I will say it ultimately ruined the immersion for me.

The plot of Suspiria as it is fairly well known by everyone who is a fan genre films; Susy starts at an international dance academy and discovers that beneath the prestigious image the school is harbouring some serious black magic. It’s a classic story but if I could say anything about the way the plot is delivered is that all the action and narrative seemed to be rushed through in the last half hour. Personally, I would have liked to see Susy’s suspicions and discoveries play out sooner and more evenly throughout the film, it would have been a great chance for some gaslighting and psychological torture of your main character.

There are good things about the movie. Its use of architecture for example is up there with Kubrick’s The Shining. The schools many rooms and hallways were actually breathtaking and It was as if the setting itself was an ominous and sinister character within the film. The use of colour in Suspiria- specifically red- is simply pure genius.As a companion piece I watched ‘Berberian Sound Studio’ (2012, directed by Peter Strickland) which, although it turned out not to be so much horror as a tight rope-tense drama, it certainly fits within our Giallo theme. 

Sound Engineer, Gilderoy is hired by an Italian horror director. His expertise in using various fruits and vegetables to create lifelike sound effects for violence and gore is needed in the film which is obviously meant to parallel ‘Suspiria’.

Also on the team are the voice actors dubbing their script over the film, which was a method used for many Italian horror classics. During his work he clashes with producers and the language barrier proves too isolating as Gilderoy discovers the horrors of what humans will do to each other in the name of their art. 

Toby Jones is fantastic in the lead role, he is an actor who never fails to give a genuine and impressive performance. All the supporting actors are also superb (with some especially strong female characters) and pulled off the gripping dynamic of isolation and manipulation.

The film takes on a surreal quality as it progresses and becomes brilliant in a way I can only compare to a David Lynch masterpiece. If you like your films to be less linear more experimental then it is for you. 'Berberian Sound Studio' is unique in the way that it’s plot and themes are directly reflected in the way it is filmed and more specifically how sound is used.

I really stress that you need to watch this film with full subtitles as it is in English and Italian and you need to understand what is being said without the other characters knowing. It becomes a complete mind-fuck as you are watching a film about creating sound effects while taking notice of the other sound effects in the narrative of the film. If you are wanting a lesson on becoming aware of the use of sound in film then this is the film to watch. Also, anything that pokes fun at the camp of 70s Giallo horror and the practice of dubbing is just icing on the cake.

In the end, while Suspiria is a much-loved classic I’m going to stick to my opinion that while some things are done right, overall the film is a bit of a mess. I’m perfectly happy for you to disagree vehemently with me as I give ‘Suspiria’ a 5/10.

‘Berberian Sound Studio’ is an exercise in expanding your understanding of film. I loved it and am giving it an 8/10.