"What you're about to see is the first of the four works I produced for television" "They are also my very first short films." "All of them are completely different, directed by different people, yet pervaded with a common atmosphere of fear, anguish, unease." "They' re crime stories, but they're new and different." "As for "The Door into Darkness", people ask me what that means." "It means a lot of things, primarily the unknown, that which scares us because it is unfamiliar." "But not only." "I believe everyone, at least once, has walked into a room alone and had the door suddenly slam shut by itself, found that it is pitch black, searched for the light switch and not been able to find it, tried to open the" "door and failed, felt like they'd be trapped there, alone, in the dark, forever." "Well, some of the characters in our stories have fallen into similar situations..." "Damn' it." "It's really broken down." "Now what do I do?" "I'm sorry, my car is broken down." "Mind giving me a lift to the station?" "What a gorgeous baby." "How old is it?" " Seven months." "Going to the seaside?" " Yeah, we got a house near the shore, a quiet place." "A little too isolated." " Come on, don't be a child!" "What are you scared of?" "He is right." "I live in the country, and I can assure you nothing ever happens." "Yeah?" "See?" " Maybe you're right." "Just don't think about it." "You'll have a great time, you'll see." "Oh, this is it." "You can leave me here." "THE NEIGHBOUR" "Alberto!" "The bathrobe." "Step on the gas!" "Come on!" "That's enough." "There's nothing more we can do." "It's turning on itself." " Are you sure?" "All sanded up like that..." " You want me to give you a hand?" "No, it's in too deep." "It just had to be on the first night." " Does it change anything?" "No, it's just that I'm afraid he'll catch cold." " Oh, it's only a few feet." "And we have blankets in the trunk." "Turn off the radio." "Take the blankets." "Do you really need that?" " No, but Frankenstein's on tonight." "Did you change the batteries?" " Yeah, but you can just plug it in." "The suitcases?" "We'll come back later." " Okay." "Can you take him?" " Yeah." "What's he doing?" " He's sleeping like an angel." "Takes after me." "Let's go." "Our new house is waiting." "We'll get a gardener for this weed." "What is it?" "I thought..." "I heard a scream..." "Must have been a bird." "From here, it really does look like Dracula's castle." " And we're his snack." "But we need bats." " Oh, they'll be there." " They create atmosphere, huh?" "Here we are." "These are the windows to our flat." " Just two?" "No, they go all around." "Who lives upstairs?" " The agency said it was a couple." "What do you think?" " A little cutoff." "And it needs some fixing up." "But it's our first house." "Shouldn't be too fussy." "What matters is that it's us, and our child." "Right." "And at that price, it was the only one available." "It'll bring us good luck, you'll see." " And the phone?" "There's no line yet, but they said they'd install it as soon as possible." "Besides, we'll be going into town every day." "There's the door." "Where do the stairs lead?" " To the other flat, our neighbors." "I prefer ours." "And that name-card?" " The old tenants." "There." "You can't see a thing." "You're right." "There's no light." " How?" "Guess it's just the seventh day." "Rest." " No, seriously, why is there no light?" "I guess the old tenants must have skipped out on a few bills, and they cut it off." "What do we do?" " We'll leave the door ajar." "And I'll go see about it in town tomorrow." "Never mind:" "let's save it!" "Boy, were they slobs." "Look how they left the house." "This needs some serious cleaning." "Oh, it'll all look different tomorrow." "Can't wait to see it with the furniture." " That's right." "When's Paolo coming with the truck?" "Tomorrow morning at seven." "Afterwards the company needs it." "We should go to bed early." " Yeah." "But we could do something about the light." "I think I have a candle in my suitcase." "Coming with?" " And him?" " Let him sleep." "He's safe here." "It makes light!" "Turn it down, it'll wake him." " He sleeps with all that ruckus we make at home!" "Yeah, but turn it down anyway." "What are you doing?" " I'm taking him to a quieter room, so he can sleep peacefully." "I'll bring you the candle!" "Where is she?" "Oh, you're here." "Why weren't you answering?" " Quiet, he's sleeping." "It seems too dirty to have him sleep on the ground." "I'll take care of it." "Wait a second." "There you go." "Let's give him our blankets." "It'll be warmer." " Okay." "We'll sleep on the floor." "You can ask the people upstairs." " At this time of the night?" "They're awake." "Their light was on." " Okay, let's give it a try." "Luca, is that you?" "What is it?" " I... thought I heard something." "Must be the mice." "Tomorrow we'll organize a nice hunt." "And the blankets?" " Oh, nice guy!" "He wouldn't let me in." "Just said" ""I don't have blankets" from behind the door!" " That's impossible." "What do you wanna do?" "Strangle him?" "Is he sleeping?" " No waking him before tomorrow morning." "Hey, the movie's starting." "Coming?" "Maybe he's going for a walk or he's an insomniac." " I guess." "Still seems strange." "Hey, here is Frankenstein." "Hey, here is Frankenstein." "Scared?" "It's practically a comedy!" " I know." "It scares me anyway." "Come on!" "Look at him." "He's just an actor with make-up on." "If that scares you..." "He's taking his time dying." " They always do in the movies." "Not only in the movies." " I know." "I'll never forget this one thing I saw." "This truck, completely crushed against the wall, and the door was..." "Stop!" "Can't you keep anything to yourself?" "The movie's enough." "The castle looks like this villa." "There's even a light in one room, like upstairs." "Yeah, and the bat?" " How do you know the guy's not a vampire?" "And his wife a witch?" " Sometimes I think you have a professional sickness!" "Me?" "Come on!" " Right, that magazine you write for..." "Those are fake monsters!" " Sure." "Page three Frankenstein devouring a wolf." "Page four King-Kong chewing a skyscraper." " If you think that's normal!" "It's a kids' magazine!" "And everyone knows Frankenstein isn't real." "Buy a newspaper instead, and what'll you read?" "Your neighbor killed his wife and the world is full of wars." "That's real horror." "I know." "I'd like a better world for my son." "Geez." "Did you see that?" " She's just sharpening the knife." "Not the movie." "The stain!" " What stain?" "There, on the ceiling." "Funny, I didn't see that before." " And they told us the house wasn't damp!" "Whatever." "We'll put in an extra heater." "Look, it got bigger." "Pass me the candle." "That can't be just humidity." "It's too large." "And it wasn't there when we came in." "We should go see with the people upstairs." " But they've gone out." "There were heavy footsteps, and just one person." "The woman must be upstairs." "Why isn't she answering?" "It's open." "Should we go in?" "Well, yeah." "Look at the water." "There'll be a flood." "Is anyone in?" "Anyone there?" "I can't find the light." " Looks like we're fated to get no light this evening." "Look at all the water!" "It's coming from there." "What is it?" " Nothing, but..." " Oh, come on." "Must be coming from the bathroom." "What is it?" " I stepped on something!" "What?" " I don't know." "That's all." "What are you afraid of?" "This house gives me the creeps." "Let's hurry." "God you're impressionable." "Where did they put the switches in this house?" "He left the tap running." "Here's the light." "What is it?" "Come on!" "Come on!" "What are you doing?" "Let's try putting something under the tire." " I'll help you." "Get some stones." " Here!" "And branches." " Yes." "Let's try again." "Go!" " I'm trying!" "Tl'?" "again!" "I can't." "My hands are hurting." "Let's try to lift it!" "I'll help you!" "It's not worth it." " I beg you, Luca!" "Okay, come here." "Lift here." " Okay." "Don't hurt you." "Let's go." "I can't do it." "Where are you going?" "It's useless." " There's nothing we can do, is there?" "What do I know?" "We can walk." " Where?" "To the beach?" "And the baby?" "Then we have to stay." " Go back inside?" "What else can we do?" "The car won't start..." "We just have to pretend we don't know." "We'll sleep." "Paolo's coming tomorrow morning." " And if he comes back and notices?" "What are we gonna do?" "He can't notice." "We didn't touch anything." "Okay, then let's go back right away, the baby's alone." "Stefania!" " What is it?" "What time is it?" " You just asked me that." "The time's stopped." "Paolo will be here in a few hours." "All we have to do is wait." "If only there was a phone in this damned place." "Stay calm." "Don't panic." "Aren't you afraid of getting caught?" "Come on, don't be silly." "I do." "I'm afraid he'll come back." "And figure us out." "He must be a monster, a maniac." "Someone who doesn't look back." "Did you see what he did to his wife?" "Killed her like that, in the bathroom, just like that!" "At times I've wondered how I'd feel... if the end of my life wasn't far off, if it was imminent." "Like now..." "I'm scared, Luca." "Listen, we're safe here." "Tomorrow morning Paolo will call the police." "So slay calm." "It's still dark." "And I'm scared..." "For you, for me, for our son." "We're young." "What have we one that's so wrong?" "This house is cursed." "Calm down!" "It's just wind." "You have the lighter?" " No!" "Oh God, I left it upstairs." " Oh no!" "I'll have to go get it." " Are you nuts?" "!" "If he comes back and finds it, he'll know someone was in there." "Please Luca, I beg you, don't leave me here alone!" "It'll just be a minute." "Don't worry." "Excuse me!" "Good evening, ma'am." "What is it?" " I... can you come down a minute?" "Of course!" "Do you need something?" " I..." "I finished my matches." "Do you have one?" "For the candle." "You don't have any light?" " Yes." "My husband's gone out a minute." "The candle's gone out, and I'm afraid of the dark!" "You shouldn't be scared." "Nothing ever happens here." "Don't worry." "Besides, you can always call me." "Do you have the match?" " I'm sorry, I don't smoke." "But I have some upstairs." "How silly!" "I had them in my pocket." "Where's the candle?" " Inside." "Keep them." "You might need them again." " Thank you." "You've got quite a job here, putting everything in place." " We're in no hurry." "I envy you." "You're so young." "Me, I haven't got that much time anymore." "I didn't like the old tenants..." "They were so nosy." "But you seem like a discreet person." "Your husband?" "He's gone out." "He'll be right back." "Alright." "No, please!" "Stay here." "I..." "I'm scared to be alone." " Well, you'll have to get used to it." "Yes, but..." "What is it?" "That stain..." "I hadn't noticed it.." "It must be my place." "I must have left the water running." "Oh but it's just a little water." "It can ruin everything." "The stucco..." " Oh, it doesn't matter Really, it doesn't." "Maybe you're right..." "It doesn't matter..." "Where did you say your husband was?" "He..." "He's on the beach." "I have to go." "Oh Luca!" "How did you make it?" " I climbed down the drain-pipe..." "I'm sorry, Miss." "But there's nothing else I can do." "You forced me to do it." "Whatever made you go upstairs?" "You're a tough woman, Miss..." "But it's useless." "Now I'll bring you your wife." "You know, you're being spared a terrible pain." "In every couple, one is always destined to die before the other." "But you won't." "Hello." "The Poi's?" "The new tenants?" " Yes." "Are those their things?" " Yeah." "Are they in?" "I'm afraid not." "No one's come yet." "I talked to them last night They said they'd be here." "What can I say?" "No one's been here." "Are you sure?" " In a place like this, you notice other people showing up!" "But I saw them pack their bags and get everything ready for the baby!" "The baby?" "They have a baby?" "Yes, a few months old." " I assure you that no one's been here." "They knew we'd be coming." "Well, we can unload anyway." "Is the apartment open?" " No, unfortunately." "What do we do?" " I don't know We can't leave the stuff here." "Let's wait a little." "Okay, but if we mess up the deliveries, you argue with the boss..." "Okay, alright... we're gonna be late..." "Well?" " It seems strange." "This was what we'd agreed on." "Maybe we could..." "No, never mind." "They'll figure something out." "Bye then, sorry about this." "Bye."