Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

[Shyria Dracnoir]

This is not a promise anyone will be able to keep after watching this movie. Honestly one of the few films in recent years to have honestly scared the bejeezus out of me. The plot and characters are fairly cliche in places (dad refuses to believe anything unnatural is going on until the last minute, daughter refuses to accept the stepmother until (the stepmother lets herself get taken by the homunculi to save her, but the scares themselves are executed very, very well. The homunculi prove that monsters don't need to be huge in order to be frightening. Seriously, these little fuckers are terrifying:
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc230/Shyria_Dracnoir/44692000001_424702571001_DBAOTD-Tsr1-720.jpg
Lovely. Now picture about a hundred or so of these little bastards swarming in your vents and stalking your children. I definitely suggest seeing this if you need a scare that isn't Final Destination 5.

[Kerensky287]

I definitely suggest seeing this if you need a scare that isn't Final Destination 5.

...Wait, the Final Destination series is supposed to be scary? The fuck?

I thought they were comedy films, or at least parodies.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Fair enough. I suppose the only real terror left there is that they're still milking that cash cow.

[DarkDrgon]

We can't disagree more on this. I went in there expecting a decent movie, and was severely disappointed. it felt like the whole movie was building up to a payoff that never happens, the monkeys/gnomes don't come off as threatening when you realize That they are so fragile a child can crush one no sweat

pretty much the only scene in the movie that met my expectations was the bathroom scene.

the biggest problem with it, though, was the fact that they break their own rules way too much. maybe it was the cinematography, but i felt the gnomes were in the light way too often. also, no realized that the problem could easily be solved with any amount of fire.

[Magus]

Hmm, is this as good as say, The Descent? I think that was the last horror movie I saw with actually half-way decent "monsters" that was legitimately trying to be a scary horror movie...

[Shyria Dracnoir]

True, a child could kill one fairly easily. The problem is that you almost never get one alone. Sally had an advantage at the end because the rest of the swarm was distracted by taking down Kim. By the time that was finished, it was already dawn and they had to hide.

I will admit there were a few plot holes that bugged me, such as no one bringing up the homunculii that got crushed in the bookshelf during the library scene. Sure, it might have been mangled beyond recognition as a fairy, but it would have vindicated a physical source of Sally's fears instead of it being all in her head, even if that source was interpreted as say, a bad rat problem.

Hmm, is this as good as say, The Descent? I think that was the last horror movie I saw with actually half-way decent "monsters" that was legitimately trying to be a scary horror movie...

I can't really judge that, since I haven't seen The Descent myself.

[DarkDrgon]

Yeah, but there is no point at all in the movie where the people try to fight back. Its understandable with Sally, she's a kid and scared out of her mind, but Kim, the father, and the Gardener should have at least taken 5 or 6 down just from walking around.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Why do you think fairies normally only target kids? They know the adults would fuck them up in a fair fight. And even then they probably would have gotten the Gardener for good if they had a few more minutes, if he didn't up and die in the hospital offscreen. Anyways, it wouldn't make sense for Kim or the father to up and decide to torch the place; as far as they know Sally's overreacting to something in her own head and they've sunk a good chunk of their time and finances into fixing the house. Sealing up the basement grate and foreclosing on the house at the end would have been hard enough; burning it all down could have meant Tim gets put away for arson and Sally ends up god knows where.

[DarkDrgon]

I wasn't saying burn the house down, but making a torch or something. candles were able to keep those things away, i wonder what fire would do to them.

I still think the final scene would have been better if we had been able to see where the gnomes lived/hid

[Shyria Dracnoir]

I think the opposite is scarier; we never learn what those things are doing down under the house. Especially what they have to do to start turning Kim into one of their own once they have her.

Maybe it'll be cleared up in the book, maybe not.