Â
 In Greentown, Illinois, October is a brisk month punctuated by the arrival of traveling lightening rod sales and carnivals. One by one, assorted townsfolk are granted wishes on the midway of Dark's Pandemonium Carnival; for example, the ugly schoolmarm wants her beauty restored, the dual-amputee barkeep wants his limbs back so he can relive the glory days of short-lived football stardom, and the virginal barber wants to get with some ladies. Preteen pals Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade quickly discover the dark side to this freaky Make-A-Wish-Into-A-Nightmare-Foundation, and find themselves being hunted by the carnival's sinister proprietor Mr. Dark (
JONATHAN PRYCE). Will's over-the-hill father (
JASON ROBARDS) teams up with the boys to bring the calliope crashing to the ground.
INDELIBLE SCENE(S):
- Jim & Will's shared spider nightmare
- PAM GRIER as the saucy soothsayer with the glowing eyes
- The creepy ginger-haired kid who breaks the window with a rock
- The meltdown of merry-go-round time machine
- Mr. Dark's "Have You Seen These Boys?" hand-inked jobs
Â
 Â
Related
I think I may have heard that Dave Davies was supposed to play Dark but i might be wrong.The Weirdest thing was finding out the same kid from Tobe Hooper's Funhouse who stabs his sister in the shower with a clown mask and a fake knife is the same kid (Shawn Carson) in this one.
I remember that this movie took certain scenes to the brink. Something really scary about Dark walking straight up to the Robbard's 'dad' character and asking where his child is, for the direct purpose of ill-will.  It happens in a bar, with witnesses. You get the feeling only the devil himself would be able to do that.