Afraid of the Dark (1991)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Mark Peploe

Writers:

Mark Peploe (written by) &
Frederick Seidel (written by)

Release Date:

22 January 1992 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

You can't escape what you can't see.

Plot:

A little boy, obsessed with blindness and violence, slowly gets trapped in his own delusions.

Plot Keywords:

Claustrophobic | Murder Investigation | Suspicion | Mother Son Relationship | Child's Point Of View

Cast

James Fox	...	Frank
Fanny Ardant	...	Miriam
Paul McGann	...	Tony Dalton
Clare Holman	...	Rose
Robert Stephens	...	Dan Burns
Susan Wooldridge	...	Lucy Trent
David Thewlis	...	Locksmith / Tom Miller
Ben Keyworth	...	Lucas
Catriona MacColl	...	Blind Woman
Hilary Mason	...	Basement Woman
Sheila Burrell	...	Meg
Star Acri	...	1st Girl at Wedding
Niven Boyd	...	Ice-Cream Man
Tiffany Bryant	...	Tess
Frances Cuka	...	Mrs. Dalton
Gérard Dimiglio	...	Wedding Guest
Laurence Harrington	...	Neighbor
Struan Rodger	...	Window Cleaner
Oona Howard	...	Little Girl
Rosalind Knight	...	Edith
Jeremy Flynn	...	Jim Gilbert
Daniel André Pageon	...	Wedding Guest
Colleen Passard	...	Nurse With Knitting
Lola Peploe	...	2nd Girl at Wedding
Jean Serret	...	Bob
Ed Stobart	...	Police Driver
Gwyneth Strong	...	Blind Mother with Baby
Cassie Stuart	...	Woman Neighbor
Frederick Treves	...	Eye Surgeon

Directed by
Mark Peploe

Writing credits
Mark Peploe		(written by) &
Frederick Seidel		(written by)

Produced by
Simon Bosanquet	....	producer
Jean Nachbaur	....	executive producer
Laurie Parker	....	executive producer
Sylvaine Sainderichin	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Richard Hartley
Jason Osborn

Cinematography by
Bruno de Keyzer

Film Editing by
Scott Thomas

Casting by
Lucy Boulting
Caitlin Rhodes

Production Design by
Caroline Amies

Art Direction by
Stephen Scott

Costume Design by
Louise Stjernsward

Makeup Department
Joan Carpenter	....	key hair stylist
Sallie Evans	....	makeup artist
Tommie Manderson	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Mary Richards	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jonathan Benson	....	first assistant director
Anthony Ford	....	third assistant director
Melvin Lind	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Barry Arnold	....	dressing props
Alan Ashby	....	chargehand plasterer
Les Benson	....	chargehand dressing props
Robert Betts	....	chargehand painter
Alan Chesters	....	construction manager
Charles Cottrell	....	painter
Ciaran Donnelly	....	carpenter
Martin Duffy	....	carpenter
Peter Duffy	....	carpenter (as Peter Duffey)
Dave Everall	....	chargehand rigger
Jim Foran	....	supervising carpenter
Ken Hawkey	....	stand-by construction crew
Steve Hedinger	....	signwriter
John Hersey	....	painter
Michael Hersey	....	painter
Charlie Hobbs	....	construction crew machinist
Ken Jackson	....	plasterer
David John Kelly	....	carpenter
Dominic Masters	....	assistant art director
Maxie McDonald	....	property master
John Mister	....	plasterer
Brian Mitchell	....	stand-by construction crew
Sophia Müller	....	art department assistant
Con Murphy	....	stand-by construction crew
Andrew Palmer	....	dressing props (as Andy Palmer)
John Palmer	....	chargehand stand-by props
Jill Quertier	....	production buyer
Eric Strange	....	stand-by props
Brian Webb	....	chargehand stagehand
Michael Webb	....	stagehand
Tommy Westbrook	....	stand-by construction crew

Sound Department
Mark Auguste	....	supervising sound editor
Jeremy Child	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Cridlin	....	boom operator
Richard Fettes	....	dialogue editor
Bob Gavin	....	footsteps editor
Tony Jackson	....	sound recordist
Dominic Lester	....	assistant sound mixer
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound mixer
Karen Roberts	....	sound trainee
Shirley Shaw	....	adr editor

Special Effects by
John Markwell	....	special effects supervisor

Stunts
Martin Grace	....	stunt coordinator
Kevin Hudson	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Broome	....	grip
Neil Carr	....	rigger
Jack Collins	....	gaffer
Steve Foster	....	best boy
Graham Holley	....	electrician
Gary Hutchings	....	grip: second unit
John Jordan	....	focus puller: second unit
Simon Mein	....	still photographer
Jean-Hugues Oppel	....	focus puller
Dominique Pinto	....	camera operator
Nigel Seal	....	clapper loader: second unit
Terry Townsend	....	electrician
Colin Vinton	....	best boy
Nikki Williams	....	clapper loader
Peter Wing	....	electrician
Angus Hudson	....	focus puller: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Renee Heimers	....	wardrobe assistant
Patrick Wheatley	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Rona Buchanan	....	second assistant editor
Jeremy Gibbs	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Phil Chapman	....	music engineer
Andrew Glen	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Mike Beaven	....	unit driver
Jed Bray	....	unit driver
Chopper Catchpole	....	driver: facility vehicle
John Cornelius	....	driver: facility vehicle
Dave Croucher	....	driver: facility vehicle
Mark Davies	....	unit driver
Peter Godfrey	....	driver: facility vehicle
Nick Heather	....	driver: facility vehicle
Danny Hill	....	driver: facility vehicle
Dave Jones	....	driver: facility vehicle
John Squires	....	driver: facility vehicle
Warren Stickley	....	driver: facility vehicle
Robert Topper	....	driver: facility vehicle
Terry Woods	....	driver: facility vehicle
Terry Woods	....	driver: facility vehicle (as Terry Woods Junior)
Ian Young	....	driver: facility vehicle
Mark Davies	....	unit driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Kate Barton	....	unit publicist
Belinda Chapman	....	animal handler
Diane Christian	....	cashier
Nick Daubeny	....	location manager
Dennis Davidson	....	publicist
Patsy de Lord	....	production coordinator
Val Farmer	....	assistant accountant
Susie Harmsworth	....	production office runner
Martin Lee	....	assistant location manager
Jennifer Patrick	....	dialogue coach
Sue Richards	....	assistant to director
Sue Richards	....	assistant to producer
Julie Robinson	....	script supervisor
Michele Tandy	....	production accountant
Ron Watkins	....	location aide
Trevor Wright	....	floor runner

Production Companies

• Les Films Ariane
• Telescope Films
• Ciné Cinq

Distributors

• Rank Film Organization (1991) (UK) (theatrical) (sales)
• Les Films Ariane (1992) (France) (theatrical)
• Telescope Films (1992) (France) (theatrical)
• Fine Line Features (1992) (USA) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1993) (USA) (laserdisc)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• New Line Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Sovereign Pictures (1992) (UK) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Blowup  stills processing
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

Double vue (France)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

France | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M | France:-12 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Les Films Ariane

Movie Connections:

References Ghost Busters (1984)

I think it's about how this child uses fantasy and imagination to help him deal with his fear of impending blindness.

The boy cannot see the external world very well, so he has developed an enhanced internal vision, or imagination (first third of film plus other brief scenes). He is terrified of going blind because blindness makes one vulnerable to all sorts of dangers (hence the title). So he uses his fantasy world to empower himself. I think that's the point of this film. For example, there is no actual person who slashes blind people. This is one of his imagined threats. And he figures out a way to defend himself.