Don't Look Under the Bed

Last updated
Don't Look Under the Bed
Dont Look Under the Bed tv film.jpg
Promotional advertisement
Written byMark Edward Edens
Directed by Kenneth Johnson
Starring Erin Chambers
Eric "Ty" Hodges II
Robin Riker
Steve Valentine
Jake Sakson
Stephen Tobolowsky
Theme music composer Daniel Licht
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producer Don Schain
CinematographyRichard M. Rawlings
EditorDavid Strohmaier
Running time92 minutes
Production companyDavid Lancaster & Jeff Morton Productions
Original release
Network Disney Channel
ReleaseOctober 9, 1999 (1999-10-09)

Don't Look Under the Bed is a made-for-TV fantasy horror film directed by Kenneth Johnson. It was released on October 9, 1999, as a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM).

Contents

Plot

Frances Bacon McCausland (Erin Chambers), an intelligent and level-headed girl, is starting high school a year early. Strange things have been going on in her town of Middleberg: dogs appearing on people's roofs, alarm clocks going off hours early, eggs all over a teacher's car, gelatin in the school swimming pool, and the letter "B" spray-painted all over town. The Bs also appear on the school lockers—except for Frances', which has a B on the inside. These pranks seem to point to Frances, who does not understand what is happening or why. An older boy named Larry Houdini (Eric "Ty" Hodges II) offers to help Frances, telling her that he is an imaginary friend, which is proven true as children are the only other people who can see him. Larry tells Frances that she is being framed by the Boogeyman. Frances has a difficult time believing this.

The Boogeyman causes a blackout, foreshadowed by the Bs he spray-painted; however, the McCausland home is unaffected, with all its Christmas lights remaining on. Frances then loses her friendship with her best friend Joanne, makes a fool out of herself trying to convince others that Larry exists, and causes her family to question her sanity. At her wits end, Frances checks out The Boogey Book from the library for Larry, who decides to build a temptrifuge detailed in the book which will age the Boogeyman into a harmless old geezer. Frances later learns Larry was her brother Darwin's imaginary friend, who still cares about him, but Frances convinced Darwin to grow up and stop believing in him. Larry also cooks up Boogey Goo to use as bait and finds it delicious, which scares Frances. She looks for Boogeyman origins in the book, learning that a Boogeyman is created when the creator of an imaginary friend stops believing too soon.

Having accidentally stepped in Boogey Goo, Darwin attracts the Boogeyman and gets kidnapped while sitting in Frances' room. Frances and Larry follow him to the Boogeyworld dimension, which exists underneath Frances' bed. During the skirmish, Larry turns into a Boogeyman due to Darwin's lack of belief in him, while the other Boogeyman drags Darwin towards a cliff. However, Frances convinces Darwin to believe in Larry again, reverting him to normal. After using the temptrifuge on the Boogeyman, Frances realizes it is her old imaginary friend, Zoe. Frances stopped believing in her when Darwin fell ill, deciding it was time to grow up. Frances proves she still cares about Zoe, holding her hand and causing her to revert to normal. Frances and Darwin return to the real world, where her parents reveal the same antics that occurred in Middleburg are occurring in another city. Larry reveals that "the guy in his head" just ordered him to go take care of the other Boogeyman; Zoe offers to assist as she was rather inexperienced as a Boogeyman and was thus easy to fight.

Frances is distraught as it was not easy for her to believe in them again. Before Larry and Zoe leave, Larry tells Frances its alright showing her that childhood was great, but so is adulthood if she keeps a sense of wonder. He then turns on the Christmas lights outside, allowing him and Zoe to leave. That night, Darwin is scared and is sent to Frances by Larry; she allows him to sleep with her. Larry and Zoe watch this with smiles.

Cast

Production

Filming took place in Utah, in 1999. [1] The Boogeyman's world consisted of a set that was custom-built in Salt Lake City, and scenes set at Frances' school were shot at Ogden High School in Ogden, Utah. [2]

The Boogeyman was originally scarier in early concept drawings. According to the film's director, Kenneth Johnson, the character "was really dark and [had] quills sticking out. It was nightmarish. I said, 'Why don't we take him more Victorian and let's have his dialogue be limerick-like and make it a little bit lighter." [3] Eric "Ty" Hodges II, a black actor, portrayed Larry, who was not written as a black character in the script. According to Johnson, Disney was concerned about "having a black boy kiss a white girl" at the film's ending, stating, "They asked me to do it a couple of different ways, including not really at all. I fought for it." Disney ultimately allowed the kiss scene to stay in the film, and Johnson said the scene "is exactly the way I had always intended to do it." [3] In the film's original script, the ending involved Frances and Larry using the tetra-fuse to get rid of the Boogeyman, but Johnson stated that the ending was changed so Frances would defeat the Boogeyman herself. [3]

Release and reception

Don't Look Under the Bed premiered on Disney Channel on October 9, 1999. [2] [4] It was the second DCOM to receive a TV-PG rating, due to its scary scenes. [3] According to Johnson, "There were a number of meetings where we'd talked about the tone and what [Disney] wanted it to be — scary but not too scary. That's the bar we kept trying to find. Everybody thought we had hit it until they started getting derogatory mail after it aired." [3] Due to complaints from parents who found the film to be too scary for young children, Disney Channel ceased annual rebroadcasts of it during the month of October after 2006. [5] It is now available for streaming on Disney+.

In 2012, Complex ranked the film at number 19 on the magazine's list of the 25 best DCOMs. [4] In May 2016, Aubrey Page of Collider ranked each DCOM released up to that point, placing Don't Look Under the Bed at number 20 and writing that the film "remains in the DCOM history books for one reason: it's scary as hell." [6] That month, Entertainment Weekly ranked the film at number 27 on a list of the 30 best DCOMs. [7]

Related Research Articles

Even Stevens is an American comedy television series produced by Brookwell McNamara Entertainment that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 17, 2000, to June 2, 2003, airing a total of 65 episodes spanning three seasons. It follows the life of the Stevens, a family living in suburban Sacramento, California, mainly focusing on the clashing personalities of its two younger children, Ren and Louis.

<i>The Thirteenth Year</i> American TV movie

The Thirteenth Year is a 1999 fantasy comedy Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) directed by Duwayne Dunham and starring Chez Starbuck and Courtnee Draper. It premiered on Disney Channel on May 15, 1999.

<i>Brink!</i> American TV series or program

Brink! is a 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie that depicts the sport of aggressive inline skating. Written by Jeff Schechter and directed by Greg Beeman, the film stars Erik von Detten as Andy "Brink" Brinker, a high school inline skater who joins a group of skaters to help his financially troubled family. The plot adapts and updates the 1865 novel Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge. The film was released as the third Disney Channel Original Movie.

<i>The Proud Family Movie</i> 2005 television film directed by Bruce W. Smith

The Proud Family Movie is a 2005 American animated comedy television film based on the Disney Channel animated series, The Proud Family. It premiered on August 19, 2005 and serves as the finale to the show’s original run.

<i>Johnny Tsunami</i> TV series or program

Johnny Tsunami is a 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM). The film focuses on a young surfer from Hawaii who must adapt to new challenges when his father's job forces the family to move to Vermont. It was nominated in 2000 for the Humanitas Prize in the Children's Live-Action Category. The film was followed by a sequel, Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board, released in 2007.

<i>The Color of Friendship</i> American television film

The Color of Friendship is a 2000 television film based on actual events about the friendship between two girls; Mahree & Piper, one from the United States and the other from apartheid South Africa, who learn about tolerance and friendship. The film was directed by Kevin Hooks, based on a script by Paris Qualles, and stars Lindsey Haun and Shadia Simmons.

<i>Genius</i> (1999 film) TV series or program

Genius is a 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) directed by Rod Daniel. The film stars Trevor Morgan and Emmy Rossum, and premiered on Disney Channel on August 21, 1999. In the film, Morgan portrays a genius who enrolls in college at the age of 12 and takes on a bad boy image in an attempt to gain friends.

<i>Rip Girls</i> 2000 American TV series or program

Rip Girls is a 2000 family drama Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), directed by Joyce Chopra and starring Camilla Belle as a teenage girl named Sydney. The film's plot follows Sydney, her father and his wife, stepmom Elizabeth, who come to an island on Hawaii, where they find a closer relationship to each other while struggling with ideas of changes to the island. During her time on the island, Sydney makes new friends and learns the truth about her deceased mother. The film premiered on Disney Channel on April 22, 2000.

<i>Cow Belles</i> 2006 American film

Cow Belles is a 2006 romantic teen comedy Disney Channel Original film that stars American pop recording artists Alyson Michalka and Amanda Michalka, better known as sister duo Aly & AJ. It premiered on March 24, 2006, on the Disney Channel and was watched by over 5.8 million viewers.

<i>Can of Worms</i> (film) 1999 American TV series or program

Can of Worms is a science fiction comedy film and is part of the Disney Channel Original Movie lineup. It premiered on Disney Channel on April 10, 1999, and is based on the novel of the same name by Kathy Mackel, which was a Young Reader's Choice Nominee in 2002 and a nominee for the 2001 Rhode Island Children's Book Award. It is also the first Disney Channel Original Movie to be rated TV-PG.

<i>Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior</i> 2006 television film directed by John Laing

Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior is a 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) starring Brenda Song and Shin Koyamada. The voice of Hadley Hudson is also featured. Koyamada plays a Chinese monk who visits the title character. Wendy is a Chinese-American teenager played by Song, claimed to be the reincarnation of a powerful female warrior. She is also the only person who can prevent a spirit of an ancient and evil Chinese dragon named Yan-Lo, voiced by Hudson, from destroying the world.

<i>The Even Stevens Movie</i> 2003 television film by Sean McNamara

The Even Stevens Movie is a 2003 American Disney Channel Original Movie that is based on the Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens. It premiered on June 13, 2003, serving as the series finale. The movie drew an audience of 5.1 million viewers.

Spinetinglers is a series of 30 standalone middle-grade horror novels, written by multiple authors and published under the pseudonym, M.T. Coffin. It was one of the many series of scary books for middle-grade children released in the 1990s, following in the footsteps of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps.

Eric Tyrone "Ty" Hodges II is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He is known primarily for his roles in Disney channel films and television shows, including his role as Larry Houdini in Don't Look Under the Bed and Larry Beale in Even Stevens.

<i>Jump In!</i> 2007 television film directed by Paul Hoen

Jump In! is a 2007 Disney Channel Original Movie, which premiered on January 12, 2007. It was released on Disney Channel UK on April 27, 2007. The film, starring Corbin Bleu and Keke Palmer, revolves around a young boxer, Izzy Daniels (Bleu), who trains to follow in his father's footsteps by winning the Golden Glove. When his friend, Mary (Palmer), asks him to substitute for a team member in a Double Dutch tournament, Izzy discovers his new love for the sport. At the same time, he discovers true love in Mary and he deals with the conflict between him and his father about boxing. Filming took place from June–July 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Hackett</span> UK soap opera character, created 2006

William "Will" Hackett is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Oliver Farnworth. The character first appeared on-screen on 1 September 2006 until 4 May 2007. He was noted for portraying storylines involving mental illness and stalking his girlfriend Zoe Carpenter.

<i>The Boogey Man</i> 1980 film by Ulli Lommel

The Boogey Man is a 1980 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Ulli Lommel, and starring Suzanna Love, John Carradine, and Ron James. The film's title refers to the long-held superstition of boogeymen beings, and its plot concerns two siblings who are targeted by the ghost of their mother's deceased boyfriend which has been freed from a mirror.

<i>Halloweentown</i> (film) 1998 television film by Duwayne Dunham

Halloweentown is a 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie directed by Duwayne Dunham. The first installment in Halloweentown series, it stars Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Joey Zimmerman, and Judith Hoag. It is the fourth Disney Channel Original Movie. It centers on Marnie, who learns she is a witch on her 13th Halloween and is transported to Halloweentown—a magical place where ghosts, ghouls, witches, and werewolves live apart from the human world, but she soon finds herself battling wicked warlocks, evil curses, and endless surprises.

<i>Boogeyman 3</i> 2008 American film

Boogeyman 3 is a 2008 American supernatural horror film directed by Gary Jones and starring Erin Cahill, Chuck Hittinger, and Mimi Michaels. It is the final installment of the Boogeyman film series, following Boogeyman and Boogeyman 2 and centers on a college sophomore, Sarah Morris, who tries to convince her dorm that the Boogeyman is real. Little does she know that the more she tells people of the existence of the Boogeyman, the evil supernatural force becomes stronger.

<i>Lemonade Mouth</i> (film) 2011 television film directed by Patricia Riggen

Lemonade Mouth is a 2011 American teen musical drama television film, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Mark Peter Hughes. The film was directed by Patricia Riggen and written by April Blair, and stars Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Naomi Scott, Hayley Kiyoko and Blake Michael. The film tells the story of five high school students who meet in detention and form a band to stand up for their beliefs and to overcome their individual and collective struggles.

References

  1. ↑ Vice, Jeff (July 16, 1999). "Making of feature films in Utah at all-time high". Deseret News . Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Yourgrau, Barry (October 3, 1999). "Bitten by the Occasional Acting Bug". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Highfill, Samantha (October 17, 2017). "4 things you never knew about 'Don't Look Under the Bed,' the scariest kids' TV movie ever". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Aquino, Tara; Scarano, Ross (December 6, 2012). "The 25 Best Disney Channel Original Movies". Complex . Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  5. ↑ Topel, Fred (October 16, 2018). "31 Classic Halloween TV Specials". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  6. ↑ Page, Aubrey (May 26, 2016). "Every Disney Channel Original Movie, Ranked". Collider . Archived from the original on June 9, 2016.
  7. ↑ "30 Disney Channel Original Movies, Ranked". Entertainment Weekly. May 27, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.