Books ‘Darkness Falls’ – Revisiting the Tooth Fairy Horror Movie and Its Novelization “Darkness Falls wasn’t much different from any old-fashioned town on the Atlantic Ocean from Nantucket to Key West. Except for one thing. ” That one thing, of course, is Matilda Dixon, better known as the Tooth Fairy. Most horror fans likely recognize this in-your-mouth ghost from her 2003 big-screen vehicle, but what they might not realize is, the movie was accompanied by a novelization. The first of two media tie-ins — the other being a single-issue comic from Dark Horse — was published by PocketBooks shortly before the movie was released in theaters. And, like in many cases, much of what ended up on the cutting room floor can be found in the novelization. Darkness Falls While novelizations tend to be different from their cinematic counterparts, Keith R. A. DeCandido ’s literary adaptation of Darkness Falls stays largely true to the movie. In fact, this book uses a more intact version of James Vanderbilt and John Fasano ’s original screenplay, which was based on Joe Harris ’ story and short film Tooth Fairy . Director Jonathan Liebesman and those others behind the camera of Darkness Falls made the right call about certain changes. However, the over-editing also had its drawbacks, including the unfortunate downsizing of the movie’s antagonist. Author DeCandido had the luxury of expanding on events that led to Darkness Falls’ curse. Meanwhile, the movie condenses Dixon’s origin into a two-minute prologue doubling as an exposition dump. As one might guess, this reduction in Dixon’s life story entailed changes both big and small. According to the movie’s visual preface, Dixon was an older woman with no husband to speak of, whereas the novelization depicts her as a younger widow shortly before her death. Several years before her public execution in 1841 — after her being wrongly accused of murdering two children — Matilda’s husband, Sonny, died in a fishing accident. His passing, needless to say, had a profound effect on a woman whose sole wish was to have children of her own. Matilda lost a lot more than just a husband in the novelization. With Sonny’s passing, Matilda essentially lost her chance at motherhood; Captain Dixon clearly was not ready to have a family prior to his death, seeing as he wanted “just a few more trips at sea” before settling down. So, motherless and widowed, Matilda did the next best thing in Sonny’s absence: she coveted other people’s kids. Her envy, while indeed odd, was nothing harmful. In exchange for one’s last baby tooth, Matilda offered a homemade treat — gold coins in the movie — to anyone willing to travel to her home by the local lighthouse. Sadly, the townsfolk of Darkness Falls took this gesture in bad faith and acted on their preexisting prejudice toward the Dixon widow. After reading the novelization, the suggestion that Darkness Falls is a supernatural twist on the psycho-biddy (or hagsploitation) subgenre is not so baseless. Matilda Dixon does not fulfill the precise criteria for an average psycho-biddy; she better meets the age requirement in the movie, yet it is the novelization that establishes her as a beautiful woman whose mental health steadily declined as she grew older, lonelier and more ostracized. The important catalyst of waning glamor is lacking in Darkness Falls , only because Matilda’s deteriorated sense of self and postmortem rampage are not tied to her appearance. And after being treated as such in life, the Tooth Fairy became a real monster in death. Matilda is not the only character in Darkness Falls whose backstory was diminished in the movie’s final cut. In the novelization, the inevitable hero, Kyle Walsh, starts out as a troubled preteen who does little to endear himself to readers. This thornier take on young Kyle mocks his peers’ class presentations — perhaps deservedly so because every kid was churning out the same whitewashed report on Darkness Falls and the Tooth Fairy legend — before stabbing his bully in the back with a protractor. The movie went in a different direction than expected during rewrites and reshoots, so there was no longer a need to establish Kyle as an antisocial youth. In what became the movie’s remarkably effective opener — and, overall, its best set-piece — DeCandido is initially vague about who really killed Kyle’s mother in the novelization. This is on account of earlier plans to conceal the existence of the Tooth Fairy until later on, and having the audience believe Kyle (played by the late Chaney Kley ) was killing everyone. As hard as it is to imagine Darkness Falls as anything but a barefaced movie about a vengeful phantom, this rug-pull would not have felt out of place. In that current horror climate, ridiculous plot twists were not unusual. Having Kyle be the red herring, only to then reveal a ghost was the culprit all along, however, might not have gone over too well with viewers somehow anticipating an entirely different kind of movie. Nevertheless, the regrettable lack of suspense could be attributed to this change in game plan. Liebesman shot Darkness Falls “without a firmly set design for the Tooth Fairy in place.” The movie’s spectral villain experienced several makeovers over the course of production before eventually settling on Stan Winston Studio’s proposal. The final look of Matilda, one resembling a woman with severe burns all over her body, is unlike the previous design that was immortalized by McFarlane Toys. The novelization’s portrayal of the Tooth Fairy is closer in line with the Winston model, although the writing submits Matilda’s image as more grotesque and putrid. DeCandido wrote of Matilda’s traumatized visage: “There were burns all over her face, half her lips weren’t even there anymore, her nose was withered, and her forehead was a crackling mass of red flesh.” While Matilda’s unmasked movie mug is not quite as ghastly-looking as the novelization’s description, the unveiling during the last act is not only a horrific sight to behold, it is a testament to practical effects in horror. Darkness Falls is not fondly remembered, even as horror audiences look back more kindly at the genre’s erratic yet experimental 2000s period. And the chances of this movie receiving an outpouring of positive reappraisal seems unlikely. All the initial criticisms remain spot on: the undercooked script, the paper-thin characters, and a shortage of scares. Pushing past that, however, there is still the chance for some meager fun in this insubstantial but attractive ghost story. Foolish studio meddling ultimately ruined Darkness Falls ’ chances to be as thoroughly creepy as its opening sequence. Surely seeing too much of the Tooth Fairy on screen made her less intimidating. Maybe even goofy. The novelization’s prequel parts, on the other hand, give Matilda more weight as a sympathetic villain. Anyone who thought she was squandered in a mediocre movie is encouraged to seek out the novelization. If not that, at least the standalone comic that details the same tragic history of Matilda Dixon. Books ‘PHICTION: Tales from the World of Phantasm’ – Don Coscarelli Celebrates 45 Years of ‘Phantasm’ with New Book [Exclusive] This year marks the 45th anniversary of Don Coscarelli’s horror classic , and Coscarelli has joined forces with Phantasm Dark Delicacies for new book . The book is described as “a new limited collector print edition of original stories written by Don Coscarelli, the creator of the PHICTION: Tales from the World of Phantasm Phantasm films.” PHICTION explores characters and stories from the Phantasm universe, and it also includes an introduction by best-selling author Joe R. Lansdale ( Bubba Ho-Tep ), BD has learned. Bloody Disgusting has also exclusively learned that Dark Delicacies will host a celebratory 45th anniversary event complete with a book signing and star Reggie Bannister in-person! In a once in-a-lifetime opportunity, the Phantasm 2 ‘Cuda musclecar will be on-site at Dark Delicacies and fans can take a photo riding shotgun WITH Reggie! Additionally, the original “Spacegate Poles” from Coscarelli’s personal prop collection will also be available for photos with fans. The book will be released on the 45th Anniversary of the 1979 film with a celebration event and signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA on Saturday, March 23rd at 2PM . In 1979, filmmaker Don Coscarelli ( Bubba Ho-tep, The Beastmaster ) wrote and directed what became one of the seminal sci-fi/horror films of that era, Phantasm . The film was a worldwide theatrical success and spawned four acclaimed sequels. For the first time in the history of horror cinema, a celebrated filmmaker of a cult-classic horror film series has continued the adventure by swapping mediums and personally authoring a series of fictional works exploring in detail the characters he originally created. Coscarelli has now returned to the world of Phantasm to tell more tales of these inspiring phantasmic heroes. In association with gifted artist Aaron Lea (GHOST, Rob Zombie), Molotov Press now presents a rare and limited edition of this new book, fittingly entitled PHICTION . Edgar Award Winner and bestselling author Joe R. Lansdale writes about Phiction in his introduction: “I already knew Don had writing chops, primarily from his adaptation of my story, Bubba Ho-Tep , into an outstanding film, and from having read his memoir ( True Indie ), but now I can confirm he can not only write screenplays, he can write fiction. These stories are all tight and as unique as his films. It would be nice if Don wrote more fiction.” PHICTION comprises six stories set in the expansive Phantasm world that have never been told before: · In Life and Death in the ‘Nam, we explore the origin story of our favorite ice cream vendor hero Reggie and his first encounter with the supernatural forces of evil in the jungles of the Vietnam war. It’s a two-fisted tale of a young man enduring the horrors of war and at the same time facing down the horrors of the unknown. · In Behind the Mortuary Door, we learn the secrets of the embalming trade from one of the most memorable characters from the original film. · In He Was Home Alone, we revisit the young boy Tim, prior to the events from Phantasm III , and how, using only his wits and guile, he survives against unspeakable horrors. · In Tobe, we follow the trail of one of Phantasm ’s forgotten characters as he witnesses the key events of that film from an entirely different perspective. · In The Rocky Road, we track the events of one of the Phantasm saga’s fan-favorite characters, the nunchuck-wielding Rocky as she’s mustered out of the armed services and travels the backroads of the rural South in the early 90’s. In a desperate search to find her family she encounters love, vengeance and horror, frequently reacting in the only way she knows how, with her fists and her feet. · And finally in Escape From New York, we join another Phantasm fan-favorite character, the diminutive Chunk from Phantasm Ravager as he attempts to flee his home in the big city from the horror of an oncoming apocalypse. Along the way he bonds with some unexpected allies on a thrilling quest for survival. Here’s everything you need to know about the different editions… Dark Delicacies – Phantasm “Tall Man Negative” Slipcase Edition Features a die-cut slipcase wrapped in “Morningside Marble” premium anti-scratch matte finish. Case hardcover binding of the book inside is covered in premium black fabric with foil stamped text and red painted edges. Each book is offered with matte UV full color dust jacket and features a ribbon marker. This is a limited edition of 250 copies and each will be autographed by author Don Coscarelli and illustrator Aaron Lea. This edition also includes a rare, unique and priceless premium – a 3-frame outtake clip of original 35mm camera negative, as filmed on the set of the 1979 film Phantasm and featuring the legendary Angus Scrimm, with each book. Exclusively available at Dark Delicacies for pre-orders now as both an on-line purchase and for an in-person signing taking place Saturday, March 23rd at 2PM. The complete collectable package will include: – PHICTION: Tales from the World of Phantasm personally autographed by Phantasm creator Don Coscarelli – One-of-a-kind – Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) negative frames! These include outtake frames of original 35mm camera negative, actually filmed on the set of Phantasm during production. (Frames are offered as collector keepsake only and no copyright, likeness or duplication rights are included in purchase.) – Phantasm 1 (1979) Mini Poster For in-store event purchasers, Coscarelli and artist Aaron Lea (subject to availability) will personally autograph their books. Coscarelli will also autograph the mini-poster. Online purchasers will receive autographed book and poster as well. This package can be pre-ordered now at www.DarkDel.com Additional Premium: “PHAN” PHOTO OP – ride shotgun with star Reggie Bannister inside original Phantasm Cuda musclecar!! An exclusive add-on for purchasers of the PHICTION package: Take your own photo, seated inside the 1971 Plymouth musclecar from Phantasm II with star and ice cream-vending hero Reggie Bannister in-person (subject to availability.) Bannister will be at the wheel for this Photo Op and “phans” will have the opportunity to sit shotgun seated inside for a photo with your personal camera. (A photographer will take the photo with your camera.) A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for die-hard phans! Travel Through Phantasm’s Dimensional Fork! Additional premium, the original chrome Phantasm “Spacegate Poles” from Don Coscarelli’s personal collection will be there in-person for purchasers of the Photo Op package to take a photo with. The above two additional premium Photo Ops can be pre-ordered now at www.DarkDel.com. Only a limited number of reservations are available, so be sure to order now while you can. More event surprises will be announced soon, we’ve been told. Stay tuned.
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