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There is a great tradition of ghost stories on Christmas Eve on British television, and although you have to appreciate the limited budget and outdated special effects, these made-for-TV movies have moments of genuine terror.  There are two versions of M.R. James' classic ghost story Oh, Whistle and I'll Come To You, My Lad; one from 1968 with Michael Hordern, and one from 2010 with John Hurt. Both are excellent, the 68 version is more true to the original story, where as the 2010 version takes a few liberties of its own. There is something extremely chilling about the distant presence following the protagonist at twilight on a forgotten English beach. Who is this who comes?  The Woman In Black will be seeing a remake starring Daniel Radcliffe this year, but the one from 1982 could have only been an inspiration for the creators of movies like The Others. Once again nothing owns more than distant malevolent presences moving inexorably closer to the protagonist against the setting of a desolate rural place.  Based on the Dickensian short story, The Signalman (1976) is another classic. The atmosphere is oppressive, the train tunnel with its singular red light still haunts me to this day.
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May 1, 2011 22:57
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 04:40 |
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echoplex posted:You are my hero. I'm going to track down The Signalman because I loving LOVE Vintage British Train Horror, which is a genre not exactly overpopulated in ANY medium, except lovely ghost story books which seem like high art when you're 14. Yeah, I saw it when I was about 7, and the scene where he calls out "hello below!" still sends shivers up my spine. If you're into that kind of spooky British TV horror, check out the stuff Nigel Kneale wrote in the 70's like "Beasts" (a collection of short tales) and "The Stone Tape". You can't really go wrong with abstracted, ancient evil. There's a guy on YouTube who has a collection of videos going through some of the best horror movies around the world. The best part is that he sets it to this amazing 70's horror soundtrack music by guys like Legowelt, and gives it the right kind of atmosphere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9M8_bFGt8s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buaRWL1G_Eo I can't recommend the second video's series enough, I think there's about 7 parts, he covers underrated horror from all over the world, or deals with particular subjects like ESP, time travel, or witchcraft. Check out his channel for one of the best internet horror troves ever.
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May 3, 2011 14:54
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penismightier posted:I love these. Is there any reason you didn't mention A Warning to the Curious? I think it's my favorite. I haven't seen it but I'll check it out. I freakin' love M.R. James, and I'm glad they revived "A Ghost Story for Christmas".
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May 3, 2011 19:32
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Kolchak posted:
Agreed, truly chilling. The whole scene captivates me, it's the fact that it's contrary to the typical ghost scare, where the protagonist is in some dark, claustrophobic place; in this scene the woman approaches through a wide expanse of marshland set against a featureless, yawning sky. It's agoraphobic, and ostensibly Kidd has every which way to run- so why do we feel that he can't escape? I'm quite excited to see how they handle the remake.
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May 7, 2011 12:46
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Ahhh poo poo, goons, I forgot about Tarkovsky!! fire up your blunts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfowVslQBQk quote:Near a gray and unnamed city is the Zone, an alien place guarded by barbed wire and soldiers. Over his wife's numerous objections, a man rises in the dead of night: he's a stalker, one of a handful who have the mental gifts (and who risk imprisonment) to lead people into the Zone to the Room, a place where one's secret hopes come true. That night, he takes two people into the Zone: a popular writer who is burned out, cynical, and questioning his genius; and a quiet scientist more concerned about his knapsack than the journey. In the deserted Zone, the approach to the Room must be indirect. As they draw near, the rules seem to change and the stalker faces a crisis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsSCu6Dqg9Y quote:The Solaris mission has established a base on a planet that appears to host some kind of intelligence, but the details are hazy and very secret. After the mysterious demise of one of the three scientists on the base, the main character is sent out to replace him. He finds the station run-down and the two remaining scientists cold and secretive. When he also encounters his wife who has been dead for seven years, he begins to appreciate the baffling nature of the alien intelligence.
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May 9, 2011 00:22
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Asterie posted:
That film just devolves into nihilistic torture porn and doesn't belong here.
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Jun 19, 2012 23:22
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mysterious frankie posted:Yeah, I've been meaning to see The Stone Tapes too, but couldn't find it streaming anywhere. Looks like you can buy it in a three pack with A Warning For the Curious and Year Of the Sex Olympics (???) on Amazon for under $30 US. If you could switch out Sex Olympics for, say, Whistle and I'll Come to You, that would be an awesome block of creepy movies. The BFI are going to release all of the Ghost Story At Christmas BBC productions on DVD: http://www.britmovie.co.uk/forums/latest-dvd-releases/112149-bbc-ghost-stories-christmas-bfi-dvd-release.html
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Aug 22, 2012 18:39
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 04:40 |
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That film is basically about having gay desires
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Nov 9, 2013 15:31
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