The Darkening (1995)

User Rating:

3.0/10   

Director:

William Mesa

Writers:

John G. Jones (writer)
Victoria Parker (writer)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Cast

Jeff Rector	...	Scott Griffin
George Saunders	...	Justin Reid (as George Phillip Saunders)
Rebecca Kyler Downs	...	Rebecca Lacey
Red Montgomery	...	Katherine
Brian Carlton	...	Richard Locke
Lyndis Durwin	...	Maggie Stewart
Tom Gumper	...	Mr. Gregory
Betty Bernt	...	Mrs. Gregory
Eric Abrahamson	...	Guest at Dinner Party (as Eric Abrahamson)
David Culp	...	Guest at Dinner Party
Penny A. Mesa	...	Guest at Dinner Party (as Penny Mesa)
Cynthia Hatfield	...	Guest at Dinner Party
Nick Davis	...	Guest at Dinner Party
Christina Wegler	...	Elizabeth
Arthur Mesa	...	Jamie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Riky Ash	...	Communications officer

Directed by
William Mesa

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John G. Jones		writer
Victoria Parker		writer

Produced by
Michael Collins	....	executive producer
Joshua Culp	....	associate producer
Nick Davis	....	associate producer
John G. Jones	....	executive producer
Victoria Parker	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Robert Dolin

Cinematography by
William Mesa
David Stump

Film Editing by
Jaime Fowler
John Travers

Art Direction by
Victoria Boswell

Makeup Department
Cynthia Hatfield	....	makeup artist
Krista Heske	....	assistant makeup artist
Cynthia Leadman	....	hair stylist

Production Management
James Reid	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nick Davis	....	first assistant director
Richard Kilroy	....	second unit director
Penny A. Mesa	....	second assistant director (as Penny Mesa)
David Prior	....	first assistant director: second unit (as David Britten Prior)

Art Department
John Coats	....	storyboard artist (as John Coates)
Georgia Miles	....	assistant set dresser
Christina Wegler	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Susan Arrieta	....	post-production sound coordinator
John 'Pee Wee' Carter	....	sound effects editor
John 'Pee Wee' Carter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Smith Craig	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cameron Hamza	....	sound mixer
Tom Kam	....	projectionist: sound post-production
Deanie Kepner	....	foley artist
William Komar	....	foley mixer
William Komar	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bruce Murphy	....	dialogue editor
Walter Spencer	....	dialogue editor
Christopher M. Taylor	....	boom operator (as Christopher Taylor)

Special Effects by
Cory Gertak	....	special effects makeup
John C. Hartigan	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Mark Corzine	....	optical composite
Tim Everitt	....	additional visual effects
Dave Gregory	....	optical supervision
William Mesa	....	visual effects director
Mesrop Abrahamian	....	dust removal (restoration) (uncredited)
Steven J. Brooks	....	dust removal (restoration) (uncredited)
John Coats	....	dust removal (restoration) (uncredited)
Bonnie Dombrowski	....	dust removal (restoration) (uncredited)
Shauna M. Hirdler	....	dust removal (restoration) (uncredited)
John P. Mesa	....	dust removal (restoration) (uncredited)
Dan Novy	....	dust removal (restoration) (uncredited)

Stunts
Riky Ash	....	stunts
Marc Cass	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric Abrahamson	....	best boy grip (as Eric Abrahamsson)
Kevin M. Beach	....	best boy grip
Steve Bisharat	....	chief lighting technician
Christopher Briles	....	second assistant camera
Mike Carter	....	best boy electric
Chris Dawson	....	first assistant camera
Carl Eldorado	....	still photographer
Mike Ewalt	....	best boy electric
Larry Glover	....	best boy electric
Eric Hossner	....	animation camera operator
David Johnson	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Matt Kirksey	....	grip: second unit
David Laufle	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Dave Lockwood	....	gaffer: second unit
David Mead	....	gaffer: second unit
John P. Mesa	....	director of photography: second unit
Tiffany Weston	....	second assistant camera
David Winner	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carolyn Lancey	....	wardrober

Editorial Department
Carla Eldorado	....	post-production coordinator
Helen Hand	....	assistant film editor
Lincoln Kupchak	....	additional editor
Box Lee	....	second assistant film editor
Jim Moss	....	negative cutter
Shanagan Pinson	....	second assistant film editor
Boyd Steer	....	negative cutter
Michelle Vogler	....	first assistant film editor
Jay Wiechman	....	negative cutter
Nick Zacharia	....	color timer

Other crew
Shauna Babbs	....	script supervisor
William Bookston	....	production assistant
Eric Brenizer	....	production assistant
Carla Eldorado	....	assistant to producer
Michael Ewalt	....	production assistant
Dirk Foster	....	production assistant
Beverley Hartigan	....	ultimate effects assistant
Ronald Jackson	....	unit publicist
Larry Larson	....	ultimate effects assistant
Judd Lillejord	....	production assistant
Melissa Limmer	....	title typography
Thomas Ordorff	....	ultimate effects assistant
Casey Parker	....	production assistant
Susan Parker	....	assistant to producer
Susan Parker	....	location manager
James Takishita	....	production assistant
Kimberly Weeks	....	script supervisor: second unit

Production Companies

• Encounter Productions
• Inner Sky International
• Vicarious Inc.

Distributors

• Lions Gate Studios (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainline Releasing

Special Effects

• Cinemotion Pictures Incorporated
• Title House
• Ultimate Effects

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• Mobile Mouthful  catering

Also Known As:

Dark Encounters
The Black Gate (USA) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for demonic images and some sensuality.

Runtime:

USA:80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Company:

Encounter Productions

It's linear, boring and uninteresting. Average.

The acting is mostly horrible. The lead is decent, though. The effects and editing are bad. The story is silly, with devil worshipers trying to "open the gate" to Hell and all that. The good guy is a psychic with knowledge of the occult and comes to fix the problem.

So, if you look at it differently, there is a problem with a door and they call in the mystical locksmith. With a lot of mambo jumbo that none of us, non technical people, would understand, he fixes the door and everybody goes back happy.

Am I joking? Not really. This movie is just as interesting as watching the locksmith fixing your front door and therefore I will stop here.