Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
S3.E5
All episodes
All
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Tale of the Dollmaker

  • Episode aired Feb 5, 1994
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 22m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
836
YOUR RATING
Maia Filar in Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990)
DramaFantasyHorror
A girl goes to visit her friend in the country, but learns she has mysteriously disappeared!A girl goes to visit her friend in the country, but learns she has mysteriously disappeared!A girl goes to visit her friend in the country, but learns she has mysteriously disappeared!
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
836
YOUR RATING
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • David Winning
    • Writers
      • D.J. MacHale(original creator)
      • David Preston
    • Stars
      • Maia Filar
      • Amanda Walsh
      • Eve Crawford
    Top credits
    • Director
      • David Winning
    • Writers
      • D.J. MacHale(original creator)
      • David Preston
    • Stars
      • Maia Filar
      • Amanda Walsh
      • Eve Crawford
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos

    Amanda Walsh in Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Maia Filar
    Maia Filar
    • Melissa
    Amanda Walsh
    Amanda Walsh
    • Susan Henderson
    Eve Crawford
    • Aunt Sally
    Sam Stone
    • Uncle Pete
    Jason Alisharan
    Jason Alisharan
    • Frank
    Ross Hull
    Ross Hull
    • Gary
    Raine Pare-Coull
    • Betty Ann
    Jodie Resther
    Jodie Resther
    • Kiki
    Daniel DeSanto
    Daniel DeSanto
    • Tucker
    JoAnna Garcia Swisher
    JoAnna Garcia Swisher
    • Sam
    • (as Joanna Garcia)
    • Director
      • David Winning
    • Writers
      • D.J. MacHale(original creator)
      • David Preston
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Amanda Walsh who portrayed Susan, later reappeared in the episode "The Tale of a Door Unlocked" as a unnamed girl called Girl aka The girl who gave Ashley a cupcake.
    • Goofs
      At around 21:00 minutes Aunt Sally calls her niece "Melinda" instead of her characters actual name "Melissa".
    • Quotes

      Uncle Pete: You didn't tell her what Marge Henderson said about the house, did you?

      Aunt Sally: Shh. She might hear you! No, of course not. Anyway, Marge was beside herself with grief; she didn't know what she was saying.

      Uncle Pete: Maybe not, but she said it pretty clearly: "It was the house that got her!"

    • Crazy credits
      Nickelodeon Stripe logo (rare) after end credits
    • Connections
      Featured in PEN15: Vendy Wiccany (2020)
    • Soundtracks
      Are You Afraid of the Dark? Theme
      Arranged and produced by Ray Fabi

    User reviews3

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Hell's Dollhouse
    This episode is another honorable mention, it's similar to the Twilight Zone tale "Little Girl Lost" but personally I think this episode is a little better because we see the protagonist engage in the other dimension.

    This story is it's basically an entrapment thriller only the place their entrapped in is another dimension which makes the situation all the trickier because in other dimensions it means certain rules are different. The suspense is hoping somehow the protagonist can learn those rules on time and use them to his or her advantage.

    I do like how in the first half of the story, it's at first a gradual build up, where it's all a mystery at first and just like the protagonist we're filled with questions like why is her neighbor's house abandoned, what happened to her friend, but the big question is why is a big door in the attic which looks like an enlarged doll house door, let alone what is the door and the dollhouses connection? All those questions really add to the suspense but most importantly the enigmatic quality as we do get some answers to some questions but not all.

    It then comes down to the dollhouse venture sequence which I really like. The set pieces are great I really like how they make everything look like enlarged pieces for a dollhouse, even like that some pieces look jumbo sized from food on the table, to even the toys in the attic. It really gives the place a surreal foreboding quality, because everything is so strange and unfamiliar, which give you that creeping feeling of disorientation.

    I also like the tale has the body horror aspect. We do see her friend Susan which is really creepy and sad as we see she is slowly turning into a doll, really like the makeup work on her, she really looked like porcelain. Though I'll admit one moment gave a slight chill but also wince in pain as we see her take her hand off; this really ratcheted up the threat level from medium to hi as we realize how serious the condition really is and that time is running out as both are slowly but surely becoming inhuman.

    Can Melissa find a way out before it's too late, you'll have to wait and find out.

    Rating: 3 and a half stars.
    helpful•5
    0
    • hellraiser7
    • May 11, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 5, 1994 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • Canada
    • Language
      • English
    • Production company
      • YTV
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      22 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    New & Upcoming Superhero Movies and Series
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Double Take: Celebrity Twins
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.