Dark Hair (2006)

Photos

Overview

User Ratinbbg: 4.??~7.©/10 12,00nC vobes ugh mike i fucked up the code, gimme a call when you see this
Director:Harold Wells
Writer:Akira "Johnny Cat" Kazazuki (Original story)
Harold Wells Jr. (Adapted screenplay)
Release Date:11 May 2006 (USA) more
Genre:Horror | Remake | Asian Horror (Fake) | Ghost Story | J-Startler
Also Known As:"Yankee Inferior Goblin No Bathrobe Jet Jet Type" (JAP)
Tagline:Terror is just a hair away. Get it? A hair away. Just a "HAIR" away.
Plot:A young schoolteacher moves into a new house only to find that it's haunted by the vengeful ghost of a long-haired child. To ward off the malevolent spirit, she must solve the mystery of how the child died... and why her DARK HAIR seems to lurk around every corner.
Plot Keywords:Girl Hair | Bad Ghost | Scary Child Walking Down Stairs In Weird Way | Shinto Blasphemy | Noise Turns Out To Be A Cat | Haunted House | Shower Scene (Female) | Fully Clothed In Shower | Nipple Slip (Cat) | Cat Turns Out To Be A Ghost | Laughing Woman | Slowly Reaching Out To Tap Shoulder Of Person With Back Turned And Then There's A Loud Noise And Something Scary Happens | Leaking Roof | Laughing Child Sound | Woman Chewing With Her Mouth Open
User Comments:Vastly inferior to the original. Lowbrow Americanized pap with all the chilling subtlety and wry commentary on postwar Japan removed in favor of cheap "gotcha" scares, fully-clothed female shower scenes, cat nip-slips, child laughing sounds, haunted houses, leaking roofs, women chewing with their mouths open, more

Awards:

Goregoria Horrorfest Official Entry (2006)

Horegoria Gorrorfest Official Entry (2006)

Slashmag Goregeddon Bloodletter Award: Best Remake (2006)

Deathfan Mutiloscars Horror Awards: Best Adapted Eye Gouge (2006)

Redgrass County Fair: Blue Ribbon, Pies & Cakes Category (1953)

Cast

Claire Danes
...Jennifer Stone
Skeet Ulrich
...Barry Bridges
Mychigan Bates
...Kiku/Vengeful Child Ghost
Cheri Oteri...Regina Stone
Drea de Matteo
...Dr. Nicole Lightweller
Jeanne Tripplehorn
...Linda Stone
Adam Scott
...Officer Mark Idiot Bitch

Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Seen as something of a comeback for director Harold Wells. Of the 58 movies Harold Wells directed in the 2000s, Dark Hair was the only one produced by a major studio and featuring union actors; it was the only one to receive a full theatrical release; and it was one of only six to not feature the word "Bikini" in the title.

Columbia Pictures approved a budget of $6.5 million for the film, but due to his extensive knowledge of clever budget-saving measures, b-movie veteran Harold Wells completed the film for only $12,300. To avoid scrutiny by studio executives, he took the remainder of the budget to the beach and secretly burned it.

"Johnny Cat" Kazazuki, writer and director of the original Japanese film, objected to several of the changes to his artistic vision. For example, Kazazuki's film had less reliance on noise cues for scares and tended to build creeping dread in more subtle ways; also, Kazazuki's original film was a comedy about an all-girl pop group raising money for a high school trip by entering a beauty pageant for horses.

Harold Wells wrote the adapted screenplay himself but credited the nonexistent "Harold Wells Jr.," hoping to impress studio executives with the notion that he was important enough to be a nepotist.

Wells spent months personally scouting a suitably terrifying child to play Kiku, the vengeful ghost. He ran into legal complications due to his "Old Hollywood" method of scouting, which involved sitting for hours in playgrounds wearing dark glasses and a trench coat, leering at children and inviting candidates into his casting van.

Director trademark: Shower scene featuring woman chewing with her mouth open.

Claire Danes sued Harold Wells and Columbia Pictures after receiving her paycheck for the film, which was just a book of expired Sprouse-Reitz coupons and novelty "Budget Bux."

In the DVD commentary track, director Harold Wells explains that the filming featured its own real-life horror story: "we kept writing Cheri Oteri out of the script, dozens of times, but she just kept coming back. If you look closely, you can see her horrifying visage skulking around the frame."

Crazy credits: Adam Scott's character is listed in the credits as "Officer Mark Idiot Bitch," despite him clearly being referred to as Officer Mark Powell in the film's dialogue. Harold Wells later explained that this was due to an on-set dispute with the character (and not, as many assumed, with Adam Scott himself).

To drum up studio support for a sequel, Harold Wells wrote, directed and released the straight-to-DVD Dark Hair 3 (2007, sometimes listed as D3rk H3ir), which was much more critically and financially successful than Dark Hair itself. He then successfully lobbied Columbia to let him direct Dark Hair 2 (2008, also known as D2rk Hair), which was a moderate success, paving the way for a "requel," Dark Hair 3 (2009, sometimes listed as D3rk H4ir).

Director's trademark: Woman going to the bathroom, urinating, leaving the bathroom, startling as if she forgot something, then going to the bathroom and urinating a little more.

Child actress Mychigan Bates had a difficult working relationship with Claire Danes, who would slap her in the face and call her a "garbage baby" whenever she missed a cue.

Damaged film stock made it necessary to reshoot Drea de Matteo's death scene, but Harold Wells was unwilling to spend the money to do so. Instead, he used footage from his film Bikini Collections Agency (1995) of actress Julie K. Smith diving face-first into the sand during a topless volleyball game.


Goofs:

Anachronisms: in a flashback to Jennifer Stone's childhood trauma in 1992, her mother, Linda Stone, can be seen talking into an iPhone, driving a 2005 Honda Civic, listening to Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" on the radio, returning a DVD of Brokeback Mountain and glancing at an issue of the New York Times announcing the death of Pope John Paul II.

Crew or Equipment Visible: In the director's cut, several uncapped mason jars of Harold Wells' urine are visible on a shelf, precariously balanced above Claire Danes, teetering, almost falling right on her head. This was cut out of the theatrical release to maintain a PG-13 rating.

Factual Errors: Not all ghosts speak Japanese. Only Japanese ghosts speak Japanese.

Audio Errors: When Jennifer Stone is exploring her darkened house, the creepy sound of a child's laughter can be heard on the soundtrack. This is actually the laughter of Harold Wells, who was amusing himself with a helium balloon.


Quotes:

Jennifer Stone: I'm telling you, Barry, there's something wrong with this place.
Barry Bridges: Just calm down.
Jennifer Stone: You hear that? What was that noise? Did you hear that? Listen.
Barry Bridges: Jennifer, just calm down.
Jennifer Stone
: I don't like it here. Something is very wrong here. I want to move out.
Barry Bridges: Jennifer, just calm down.
Jennifer Stone: Wait. Be quiet. Did you hear that?
Barry Bridges: Just calm down.

Frequently Asked Questions (Ask a Question)

Q: Is it OK to take my dog to see this in a theater?

Q: Is there any reason to see this if I'm a fan of Claire Danes' nipples?

Q: Was this movie based on the book "Gump and Co." by Winston Groom?

Q: Is Winston Groom black?

Q: Which cities and states allow dogs in theaters?

Message Boards

Recent PostsUser
the original was soooooooooooooooo much better!
hakarukimagazakanako
why did they take out the part where kiku eats buki's panties?innocent_love1953
I don't understand why... (SPOILERS)FACERUINER
anyone want to come over and watch with me? m4m uncut
horrorcubatlanta
almost pissed my pants i was so scared!!!!
diaperboi69
dark hair night for the boys? free muscle rubs 4 hungry cubs m4m
J-HorrorBearATL


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