Fear(s) of the Dark (2007)

Several scary black-and-white animated segments in different styles appeal to our fear(s) of the dark.

Directors:

Blutch, Charles Burns

Writers:

Blutch, Charles Burns

Stars:

Aure Atika, Guillaume Depardieu, Nicole Garcia

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Gil Alma	...	(voice)
Aure Atika	...	Laura (voice)
François Creton	...	The teacher (voice)
Guillaume Depardieu	...	Eric (voice)
Sarah-Laure Estragnat	...	(voice)
Nicolas Feroumont	...	(voice)
Nicole Garcia	...	Narrator (voice)
Arthur H.	...	Narrator (voice)
Christian Hecq	...	The doctor / The samurai (voice)
Christian Hincker	...	(voice)
Lino Hincker	...	(voice)
Melaura Honnay	...	(voice)
Amélie Lerma	...	(voice)
Florence Maury	...	(voice)
Adriana Piasek-Wanski	...	(voice)

Storyline

Different black-and-white animation techniques tell several scary stories. There's a story of a teenage boy who meets the wrong girl. Another tale deals with a small community where people disappear and are never seen again. Then there's the narrative of a little Japanese girl who suffers from horrible nightmares followed by a tale where a man doesn't get the rest he hoped for in an old not-so-abandoned house. These stories are connected by the story about a man with a devilish smile and four enormous dogs from hell and by a woman's monologue about her fears.

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Plot Keywords:

girl | fear | dog | nightmare | ghost | 

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Taglines:

Don't come alone! (UK)

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Genres:

Animation | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

13 February 2008 (France)

Also Known As:

Fear(s) of the Dark

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,103, 26 October 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$77,876, 21 December 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Prima Linea Productions,Cofinova 3,La Parti Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

black and white and shades of grey

Peur(s) du Noir is essentially 5 short black and white animations interspersed by segments of a woman droning on about her fears, illustrated with interesting animated black and white shapes (I should note, I watched the film in French, and as my French is not perfect, I did not catch everything she said, but got the general impression that she was your typical anxious overachieving yuppie).

The five shorts all used different animation techniques, but were overall pleasingly creepy. There was a cruel aristocrat and his dogs, an Italian village ravaged by a mysterious beast, a budding scientist and his insect specimens, a Japanese girl bullied by classmates/ghosts, and a refugee from a snowstorm shacked up in a Victorian house. This final short was, I thought, the most effective. It was done in pure black and white, and the only light shed in the house (with wonderfully Goreyesque wallpaper) came from a candle the traveller carried with him in his explorations. This allowed for some great reveal moments, and additionally built up the tension extremely well.

Overall, a must see for fans of art-house animation. If it comes to a cinema near you, take the opportunity to see it, because I suspect it will be difficult to find on DVD.