UK, France, USA (“An Anglo-French Co-Production”), 1991
91m, 35mm film
Technicolor
Dolby Stereo, English
A British/French/American borderline horror film directed by Mark Peploe.
Plot Summary
11-year-old Lucas is the son of a police officer, Frank, and a blind mother, Miriam. Lucas becomes increasingly concerned for the safety of his mother’s friend, Rose, also blind, who he believes will be the next victim of a serial killer stalking the sightless residents of West London. He also comes to suspect local photographer Tony Dalton of perpetrating the crimes, as well as the locksmith and window cleaner. Lucas attacks Tony, blinding him with a knitting needle – then his daydreams are interrupted and it’s back to reality. In this world, it is Lucas who is slowly losing his sight; Tony is an affable young man marrying Lucas’s half-sister Rose; his father is a florist, not a policeman; and his mother is heavily pregnant with their second child. Lucas is clearly a very unwell young man who abducts his new-born baby sister and runs off to the woods with her, planning to blind her with a knitting needle…
Credits
Crew
Directed by: Mark Peploe
© 1991 Telescope Films, Les Films Ariane, Cine Cinq, New Line
Telescope Films – Les Films Ariane present a Telescope Films – Les Films Ariane and Cine Cinq co-production in association with Sovereign Pictures
Executive Producers: Jean Nachbaur, Sylvaine Sainderichin, Laura Parker
Produced by: Simon Bosanquet
Screenplay by: Mark Peploe and Frederick Seidel
Director of Photography: Bruno De Keyzer
Editor: Scott Thomas
Music: Richard Hartley
Sound Mixer: Robin O’Donoghue
Costume Designer: Louise Stjernsward
Make-Up Supervisor: Tommie Manderson
Chief Hairdresser: Joan Carpenter
Special Effects Supervisor: John Markwell
Production Designer: Caroline Amies
Cast
James Fox (Frank)
Fanny Ardant (Miriam)
Paul McGann (Tony)
Clare Holman (Rose)
Robert Stephens (Dan Burns)
Susan Woolridge (Lucy Trent)
David Thewlis (locksmith/Tom Miller)
Struan Rodger (window cleaner)
Rosalind Knight (Edith)
Jeremy Flynn (Jim Gilbert)
Ben Keyworth as Lucas
Niven Boyd (ice-cream man)
Frederick Treves (eye surgeon)
Sheila Burrell (Meg)
Hilary Mason (basement woman)
Frances Cuka (Mrs Dalton)
Laurence Harrington (neighbour)
Cassie Stuart (woman neighbour)
Jean Serret (Bob)
Gwyneth Strong (blind mother with baby)
Catriona MacColl (blind woman/wedding friend)
Alternative Titles
Angst vor der Dunkelheit – Germany
Double vue – France
Occhi nel buio – Italy
Pimeän pelko – Finland
Solo en la oscuridad – Spain
References
Periodicals
- Cinema 27 February 1992 – review (by Philipp Berens)
- The Dark Side October 1992 pp.31-32 – review
- Film Francais 27 December 1991 p.18 – review
- The Hollywood Reporter 25 September 1990 p.67 – credits
- The Hollywood Reporter 24 July 1992 pp.14, 16 – review
- In Camera Winter 1990/1991 p.5 – credits, note
- Interview August 1992 p.25 – interview
- Positif February 1992 pp.41-42 – review
- Première February 1992 p.26 – review (by Monique Neubourg)
- Premiere August 1992 pp.47, 49 – review
- Screen International 8 September 1990 p.23 – credits
- Sight & Sound April 1992 pp.42-43 – credits, review
- Sight & Sound October 1992 p.66 – note
- Studio January 1992 p.23 – review (by Jean-Pierre Lavoignat)
- Variety 25 November 1991 pp.40-41 – credits, review
Books
- The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror (2nd edition) pp.468-469 – credits, review
- Elliott’s Guide to Home Entertainment (4th Edition) p.9 – credits, review
- English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby p.284
- The Films of the Nineties: A Complete, Qualitative Filmography of Over 3000 Feature-Length English Language Films, Theatrical and Video-Only, Released Between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 1999 by Robert A. Nowlan and Gwendolyn L. Nowlan p.6
- Horror and Science Fiction Films IV by Donald C. Willis p.5 – credits
- Psychotronic Video Guide p.7 – credits, review
- Serial Killer Cinema: An Analytical Filmography by Robert Cettl pp.34-35 – credits, syopsis, review
