Or: A nostalgic nightmare. Ray Bradbury's story of a boy's dream of evil in early 20th century America is quite well realised in this rare film from Jack Clayton, whose previous movie had been The Great Gatsby in 1974. Although somewhat slow at times, this is a work of much imagination that at least deserves a minor place in the hall of fame of film fantastique. To music that surely owes something to A Night on the Bare Mountain, a carnival and freak show rolls into a small American town. Two small boys soon sniff out the supernatural behind the razzmatazz as Mr Dark and his cohorts grant the dearest wishes of those who come at a heavy price. The fact that the film leaves a lot to the imagination adds to its shivery air of mystery. And Britain's Jonathan Pryce is a formidable Mr Dark indeed.

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