Fall Into Darkness

FALL INTO DARKNESS is one of those dull TV movies that they seemed to constantly churn out during the 1990s. This one has the distinction of being based on a novel by author Christopher Pike, although the cover of my DVD bizarrely proclaims it to be a true story. The story is just ridiculous enough for it to possibly be true.

The main cast are a group of annoying teenagers who are joined by a newcomer, THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR's Tatyana M. Ali, who spurns the advances of one of the members. When the guy later kills himself, his vengeful sister decides to bring Ali's character down by faking her own death through a convoluted plot and blaming Ali for the crime.

The story is as silly as it sounds, and there are further twists (including an extra villain) which stretch the viewer's credulity even further. The film as a whole is badly directed and one sequence in which a character falls from a cliff top is laughably awful. With so many cliff-climbing sequences you'd think this would at least look good but it looks like what it is, cheap. Tatyana M. Ali is okay as the lead, as is Jonathan Brandis (from the SEAQUEST DSV show), but the rest of the cast - particularly Charlotte Ross - are very poor.

Apart from the fact that this film is shockingly bad in every possible respect, what's with the whole 'True Story' thing?

I bought this film for my girlfriend as part of a box set called 'The Hollywood True Stories Box Set'. The DVD itself is titled "Fall Into Darkness: A True Story". I'm sorry but there is no way that this pile of rubbish is true. It also states on the back of the DVD box that it is based on a novel, even further contradicting the 'True Story' strap-line.

Anyway, even if it didn't claim to be a true story, it is still one of the most unbelievable films I have ever seen. The directors attempts at twists and turns are either predictable or just plain stupid.

This is the kind of made-for-TV film that you would end up watching on a cable channel as a last alternative to suicide. It's rubbish, don't watch it.

I really liked this movie and was impressed with Jonathan's wonderful acting in the film. It was a good thriller that was almost as good as the book. I enjoyed watching Tatyana play the lead character in the film. She did well. I would recommend this film for anyone looking to enjoy a good thriller, with lots of twists and turns.At first I was under the impression that Ann actually pulled off her little scheme and was sitting on an island somewhere catching the rays. Who was really behind the whole plot was what was really surprising. I was so entertained by this refreshing suspense drama that is better then even a lot of big screen features. I am glad that this book was turned in to a movie, and I hope for more like it in the future.

I just saw the movie not long ago and thought it was a pretty good adaptation. The actors cast for the characters fit the impressions I got from the book pretty well and they did a good job of keeping the plot the same for the most part. All in all, again, it was a pretty good adaptation. However, I'd have to recommend that anyone liking the movie read the book by Christopher Pike. He's one of the best "teen/young adult" writers out there and does a great job at writing books about teens but not solely meant for teen readers. In comparing the movie to the book, the book (like the vast majority of books made into movies) is undeniably better simply because it can be more in-depth. For those not interested in the book however, Fall Into Darkness definitely gets a high-end rating as far as TV movies go.

I just finished watching this TV-movie on Lifetime but I remember that it aired on NBC in November of 1996. I must say great movie! Maybe it should have been called Fall Into Secrets And Schemes instead of Fall Into Darkness hey it doesn't matter! A great story that had plenty of twist and changes that kept me entertained for the entire time, and it's rarely that a TV-movie does that. A group of youths or college kids lead by the beautiful but crude Charlotte Ross plan a scheme to destroy Tatyana Ali after Charlotte's brother dies. We later find out in the end many surprises to who lead the group. The best part of this film is Tatyana Ali she is going to be another beauty. Oh Mamma that scene of Tatyana wearing a purple bra it proves how she's grown and matured beautifully from her days on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". Tatyana defeats her troubles in this movie and just to say this is a nice TV-movie to watch for enjoyment and see two cute and very lovely women Tatyana Ali and don't forget Charlotte Ross.