Darkness Falls (2003)

A vengeful spirit has taken the form of the Tooth Fairy to exact vengeance on the town that lynched her 150 years earlier. Her only opposition is the only child, now grown up, who has survived her before.

Director:

Jonathan Liebesman

Writers:

Joe Harris (story), John Fasano (screenplay),

Stars:

Chaney Kley, Emma Caulfield, Lee Cormie

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chaney Kley	...	Kyle Walsh
Emma Caulfield	...	Caitlin Greene
Lee Cormie	...	Michael Greene
Grant Piro	...	Larry Fleishman
Sullivan Stapleton	...	Officer Matt Henry
Steve Mouzakis	...	Dr. Peter Murphy
Peter Curtin	...	Dr. Travis
Kestie Morassi	...	Nurse Lauren
Jenny Lovell	...	Nurse Alexandra
John Stanton	...	Captain Thomas Henry
Angus Sampson	...	Raymond 'Ray' Winchester (as Angus Murray Lincoln Sampson)
Charlotte Rees	...	Marie Winchester
Joshua Anderson	...	Young Kyle Walsh
Emily Browning	...	Young Caitlin Greene
Rebecca McCauley	...	Margaret Walsh (Kyle's Mom)

Storyline

In the 1800's there was a woman that little children would take their old teeth (ones they had recently lost) to in exchange for a gold coin. A few years later, tragedy struck her, first a fire in her house which caused her to not be able to go into any type of light, and then she was hanged. There's a story that goes around the town of Darkness Falls about her, and she's called the Tooth Fairy. The story goes that she can't go in the light, and if you wake up and see her, she'll kill you. The usual saying is "Don't Peek." Well, there is a boy named Kyle who gets a warning from his friend Caitlin to not peek. Well, he wakes up on the night when the Tooth Fairy is supposed to come and get his last tooth and sees her. It all leads to more tragedy and the movie jumps to 12 years later. Now grown up, Caitlin calls Kyle because her little brother Michael is going through the same things he did as a boy, and wants his help. Kyle goes back to Darkness Falls to face his past, and the woman in...

---

Plot Keywords:

tooth | tooth fairy | boy | light | darkness | 

---

Taglines:

Every Legend Has Its Dark Side.

---

Genres:

Horror | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for terror and horror images, and brief language

Details

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 January 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Don't Peek

Filming Locations:

Ballarat Street, Yarraville, Victoria, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$163,375 (Australia) (5 September 2003)

Gross:

$519,725 (Australia) (5 September 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Revolution Studios, Distant Corners Entertainment Group Inc., Blue Star Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min 96 min (Special Extended Blu-Ray Edition)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The sound of Matilda Dixon's wailing throughout the film is really the sound of an elderly woman's groaning in bed. The sound was both sped up in the parts where Matilda screams, and slowed down in the places where she gurgles and breathes heavily.

---

Goofs

There is a power blackout during the storm and we see all the lights go out over the town and yet, inexplicably, the elevator works in the hospital. If there was an emergency generator working in the hospital, the lights would have been on.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: It is said that over 150 years ago, in the town of Darkness Falls, Matilda Dixon was adored by all the children. Whenever they would lose a tooth they would bring it to her in exchange for a gold coin, earning her the name, the Toothfairy. But fate was not kind to Matilda. One night fire tore through her home leaving her face horribly scarred. Matilda's burned flesh was so sensitive to light she could only go out at night, always wearing a porcelain mask so no one could ever look ...

---

Crazy Credits

The Revolution Studios logo is tinted brown to tie into the Matilda Dixon backstory opening scene.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Legend of Matilda Dixon (2003)

---

Soundtracks

"Look Out Below"
Written by Brian Howes
Performed by Closure
Courtesy of TVT Records

User Reviews

Life for a tooth.

As a young boy, Kyle Walsh {Chaney Kley} claims to have seen the fearsome Tooth Fairy kill his own mother. He also claims that having seen her, she wont stop until she kills him also. Years later, and still haunted by the experience of that night, Kyle must return to Darkness Falls to aid his childhood sweetheart Caitlin Greene {Emma Caulfield} and her kid brother Michael-who seems to be at risk from the Tooth Fairy this time around. Can Kyle confront his fears and end the 150 years of terror that has blighted Darkness Falls?

Pretty much despised by the discerning horror-phile, Darkness Falls, to me at least, is a creepy, interesting and totally enjoyable thriller/ghost picture worth reappraisals. From the excellent, and chilling opening credits {where we nicely have a back story to work from}, to the final confrontation, Darkness Falls ticks most of the ghostly requisites that is asked of it. Scary demon, troubled children {night terrors should be explored more in cinema I feel}, cannon fodder bullies, cannon fodder obnoxious coppers and a constant sense of unease and dread. All of which is provided in Jonathan Liebesman's {The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning} film. It's with the sense of dread that I feel Darkness Falls deserves a better reputation. Hand on my heart I know the film isn't a scary boo jump picture, something that is unforgivable to many genre supporters, but atmosphere goes a long way to creating a good thriller/ghost picture. Darkness Falls has it in spades. It's also a film that is a nice antidote to the blood beast torture sub-genre of film's that seep out from the multi-plexes on a seemingly weekly basis.

Any expectation of an outright horror film should be quickly extinguished prior to a first time viewing, and if noise annoys and staccato editing bugs you? Well stay away. Also don't line up if one demands great acting in a budget restricted piece such as this, since both Kley & Caulfield are adequate at best. But give it a go if you understand that a preposterous plot, and preposterous set pieces are a pre-requisite for horror films of this type. I say that since I've seen many comments decrying Darkness Falls for it's unbelievable elements-only to then search their other comments to find praise for even more ludicrously plotted pieces! Or give it a go knowing it's more about the creeping stalking menace side of horror, or that it's also an action thriller as well as an uneasy story. Maybe just maybe you will enjoy it for what it is? Otherwise I guess you will be looking forward to Hostel 22 or another Jason Attacks The Eiffel Tower movie....... 7/10

RIP Chaney Kley, aged just 34.