Glen Baisley's anthology film The Tenement (review here) details the origin of the Black Rose Killer. It's the story of Ethan Fernier, a diehard horror film fan and flower arranger, who's determined to prove to the world that he's a serial killer for the ages. Although Fear of the Dark was filmed before The Tenement, it's a direct continuation of the Black Rose Killer saga.

The film opens in 1981, when a series of seemingly random murders terrorize a small town. Detectives are on the prowl, desperately searching for leads. The only commonality is the long-stemmed black rose found near each of the lifeless corpses.

On a stormy August night young Alice Walker awakens to find the Black Rose Killer in her home. He's wielding an axe, and with it he's chopping her parents into pieces. Startled, she tries to run away. The killer gives chase, and in her desperate retreat she stumbles, falling down the stairs. The murderer ceremoniously places a rose on Alice's unconscious body, raising his axe to prepare for the fatal blow. At that moment, neighborhood watch unexpectedly arrives at the home. They manage to break down the door and successfully chase the killer off.

Fast forward nearly 20 years later. For most, the Black Rose Killer is nothing but a somber memory. However, for Alice Walker (Rosemary Gore) the fear has never subsided. Suffering from horrific reoccurring nightmares, her life has been completely disrupted. She lives in constant fear that the killer will return, to finish the one job he left incomplete. Believing she has a telepathic link to the killer, Alice has been consumed by paranoia.

As the 20th anniversary of the Walker slaying nears, the town is once again the victim of a string of killings. Alice sees these events unfold in her dreams. She awakens aware of the specifics of each murder, even before the police know that a crime has been committed. Alice can feel the Black Rose Killer looming over her, getting ever closer. Desperate to figure out the killer's identity, she begins to doubt the motives of her best friend Karen (Vanessa Edwards), her shrink Dr. Fisher (Herb Smithline), and even her boyfriend Michael (Mike Lane). Trusting no one, Alice is left alone to confront a living nightmare.

Fear of the Dark is the story Alice Walker's desperate quest for inner peace, just as it's the story of Glen Baisley's dream to be a filmmaker. As a first time writer and director, this film is live fire trial and error process. It's a chronicle of the natural progression of developing one's distinctive style of storytelling. At its best Fear of the Dark combines quick cut, almost subliminal, imagery with smart dialogue and effectively paced action. When this film works it's a tense and thoroughly engaging affair, marked with visions of brutal violence and an authentically depraved tone.

On the other hand there are times when it just doesn't click, as several sequences within the 110 minute running time feel a bit redundant. The film often meanders from the pace to follow tangents that are wholly unfocused, effectively stifling much of the hard earned tension. If some of these segments were trimmed, or removed altogether, the tighter pacing would more effectively enforce the urgent tone of the film.

Yet it's the depth of Alice Walker's conflict and the strength of Rosemary Gore's portrayal that get us through the lulls. This is a complex role, far beyond the typical slasher scream queen. Alice is a woman not only in conflict with the killer, but with herself. Years of living in fear have taken their toll and Alice has trouble discerning reality from delusion. Rosemary Gore's performance, while a bit inconsistent overall, is at times riveting as she instantaneously changes gears from strong to helpless, or innocent to possessed. We witness a woman's fall into the grips of fear and during these scenes it feels all too realistic.

It's these sequences that display the distinctive edge that made the Tenement such a surprisingly good film. Fear of the Dark stands as a largely successful debut for Glen Baisley, and it offers plenty of reason to look forward to the upcoming Sins of the Father, the stated conclusion of the Black Rose Killer saga.

Fear of the Dark is currently available through the Light and Dark Productions website (http://www.lightanddark.net) in both DVD and VHS format. The DVD's picture quality is about what you'd expect from a low budget movie, shot on a fairly cheap digital camera. Extras include a trailer, music video, and a short pseudo-documentary that chronicles the joys and difficulties of shooting a director's first film.