In the Dark

Apathetic librarian Jane (Kim Garrett) is bored with the mundanity of her day to day life. That is, until a stranger leaves her an envelope containing $50 cash and a scavenger hunt clue signed by the “Master of Games.” As Jane’s daily routine starts to reshape around the parameters of the clues and tasks, the envelopes continue, the cash amounts double, and the missions become more perverse and perilous as they progress. Jane endures desolate graveyards, isolated abandoned houses, and eventually, the violation of her apartment, workplace, and body solely for the thrill and preoccupation of playing her invisible tormentor’s sadistic game. 

Shot in gritty black & white video with a consumer Sony Digital8 handycam, In The Dark (2000) served as both the directorial debut of Chicago based writer/director Clifton Holmes as well as the first official screen adaptation of the acclaimed work of “splatterpunk” author Richard Laymon (based on his eponymous 1994 novel). After screening at a handful of festivals without acquiring viable distribution, In The Dark would sadly languish in obscurity and unavailability for nearly two decades. Astonishingly, a groundswell of interest and discourse has blossomed over the years (based solely on pirated transmissions and favorable word of mouth) leading to its reappraisal as one of the most important and revelatory early digital video features alongside The Blair Witch Project and The Celebration. A grim meditation on coercive surveillance, the illusion of autonomy, and ‘90s “survival horror” games, Saturn’s Core is proud to present the first ever fully authorized release of In The Dark on any physical media format, compiled with the collaboration of both filmmaker Clifton Holmes and the Richard Laymon estate.