Guillermo del Toro's "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark"

Guillermo del Toro is the only reason why I would pay $10 for a movie ticket to watch Hellboy 1 and 2. Growing up, I've always been fascinated with strange, horrific-looking creatures, creatures that are not necessarily monsters, but unforgettable images that burn into your mind, the type of creatures that you don't want to meet in a dark alley, even if they are good (or appear to be). Growing up, I remember my fascination with Lord of Illusions, Hellraiser and all of Jim Henson's creatures in Labyrinth. That same fascination came back when I watched del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth - to this day, I cannot get the image of Pan or the Pale Man out of my head.

So news is slowly coming in that Guillermo del Toro is producing and co-writing an updated version of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, a 1973 TV movie. A young girl is sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own. If the plot sounds familiar, I don't blame you - my first thought was, "Wait, this sounds like The Orphanage, we just need to substitute scary dead children with creatures." But it's still too early to tell - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is scheduled for a 2011 release and the latest news is Guy Pearce has signed on to the movie, joining Katie Holmes. If you know me, you'll know I cannot stand Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce is a hit & miss for me. Holmes drives me nuts (bad nuts) with her I'm-a-lost-puppy-please-take-home look and marrying Tom Cruise or being best buddies with Victoria Beckham has in no way helped her image, nor her soon-to-air Judy Garland dance routine on So You Think You Can Dance. So I'm keeping an open mind and hope that del Toro will not disappoint!

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark will be the first feature for director Troy Nixey. Check out the trailer for his short Latchkey's Lament, which blends CGI animation and live action. It's too little to go by, the keys are slightly too cartoon-ish for my taste but I don't hate anything about it. Completely random, but am I the only one who thinks it's weird to have a trailer for a short film, considering that I've seen trailers that are as long as some short films?

Watch the short film Mama to get a taste of del Toro. Mama is a short Spanish film by Andy Muschietti, who del Toro is mentoring to produce a feature-length version of the same film. Seriously, it's the scariest 3-minutes of my life. I dare you not to jump in your seat. Watch Mama.