A Ghost Story for Christmas.

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  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,499
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    Chris1964 wrote: »
    Havent spotted an airing of "The Signalman" this year. Anyone watching it might just say its poor film quality, but its that that gives it a unique atmosphere.

    Totally agree, very atmospheric television! Compared to today's standards it does look quite poor in terms of film quality. I don't care though, I love it!
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,499
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    The Beeb also did an adaptation of a Dennis Wheatley
    story, "The Haunted Airman" in 2006. There was a
    sudden resurgence of interest in it a few years later
    because it starred Robert Pattinson, whom I believe is
    popular with the young ladies nowadays. ;)

    I'd forgotten The Haunted Airman! Was it really 2006? I didn't know it was five years ago! I'd totally forgotten Pattinson was in it too. Oh yes, he's very popular with the young ladies;), not with me though. Mind you, I'm probably a bit old to be in his 'target' audience:D:D
  • hardylanehardylane Posts: 3,092
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    Most of the 70's ghost stories were shot cheaply on fairly crap 16mm film, and have undergone reprints too.

    They need to go back to the negative and rescan in HD... ALL of them... release the lot on a nice box set.

    I DO have digital recordings of almost all of them (thanks largely to the 2005 repeat season) but still trying to find Stigma and the Ice House!

    The Haunted Airman was utter pants, sadly. View from a Hill and Number 13 MUCH better.

    I don't even talk about the Whistle remake. Some good images, but crap compared to the 1968 version.

    For EIGHT consecutive years they did a ghost story for Xmas and then just... stopped. Swines.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 426
    Forum Member
    Totally agree, very atmospheric television! Compared to today's standards it does look quite poor in terms of film quality. I don't care though, I love it!

    Yes, it looks horrible especially in HD TV but the actors, storyline and directions are so good that the viewer learns to ignore it. Another favorite is the 1970s Lost Hearts. Looks dated but very creepy. As an American, ghost stories at Christmas were a foreign concept until I happened upon the BBC versions. It's a shame they aren't continuing as the shows were a refreshing change from the overdone sentimentality of most Xmas shows.
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,499
    Forum Member
    hardylane wrote: »
    Most of the 70's ghost stories were shot cheaply on fairly crap 16mm film, and have undergone reprints too.

    They need to go back to the negative and rescan in HD... ALL of them... release the lot on a nice box set.

    I DO have digital recordings of almost all of them (thanks largely to the 2005 repeat season) but still trying to find Stigma and the Ice House!

    The Haunted Airman was utter pants, sadly. View from a Hill and Number 13 MUCH better.

    I don't even talk about the Whistle remake. Some good images, but crap compared to the 1968 version.

    For EIGHT consecutive years they did a ghost story for Xmas and then just... stopped. Swines.

    I don't remember much about The Haunted Airman, I think I was watching it and lost interest in it. Obviously didn't make much of an impression on me as I can't recall anything about it! I don't remember View From a Hill, but I recall Number 13 was very good. I really liked Crooked House though and I'd have liked BBC4 to have put it on for Christmas.

    You're really lucky you've got most of them on digital recordings! When were Stigma and The Ice House on? I've never heard of those two shows.
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,499
    Forum Member
    Yes, it looks horrible especially in HD TV but the actors, storyline and directions are so good that the viewer learns to ignore it. Another favorite is the 1970s Lost Hearts. Looks dated but very creepy. As an American, ghost stories at Christmas were a foreign concept until I happened upon the BBC versions. It's a shame they aren't continuing as the shows were a refreshing change from the overdone sentimentality of most Xmas shows.

    I love a good creepy ghost story for Christmas! I'm very disappointed this year:( I don't know Lost Hearts. What was the story about?
  • hardylanehardylane Posts: 3,092
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    I don't remember much about The Haunted Airman, I think I was watching it and lost interest in it. Obviously didn't make much of an impression on me as I can't recall anything about it! I don't remember View From a Hill, but I recall Number 13 was very good. I really liked Crooked House though and I'd have liked BBC4 to have put it on for Christmas.

    You're really lucky you've got most of them on digital recordings! When were Stigma and The Ice House on? I've never heard of those two shows.

    I got my first PVR back then and recorded them off BBC Four.

    They were the last two in 1977 and 78, and have never been shown since. (They didn't get a great reception, although by today's standards are probably fab!)

    I remember the Ice House...

    More details here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Ghost_Story_for_Christmas
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,499
    Forum Member
    hardylane wrote: »
    I got my first PVR back then and recorded them off BBC Four.

    They were the last two in 1977 and 78, and have never been shown since. (They didn't get a great reception, although by today's standards are probably fab!)

    I remember the Ice House...

    More details here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Ghost_Story_for_Christmas

    Thanks for the link:) I seem to remember The Stalls of Barchester being repeated a few years ago. A few of them I've never heard of. I wasn't born when the first four were shown originally:D It's just a shame BBC4 couldn't have put one on every night between Christmas and New Year, including the later ones View From a Hill and Number 13.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 426
    Forum Member
    I love a good creepy ghost story for Christmas! I'm very disappointed this year:( I don't know Lost Hearts. What was the story about?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Hearts

    I don't think they'd remake the story simply because of some of the more unpleasant elements of the story. Incredible that this first aired at 11:35pm at night!
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,499
    Forum Member
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Hearts

    I don't think they'd remake the story simply because of some of the more unpleasant elements of the story. Incredible that this first aired at 11:35pm at night!

    Thanks for the info:)

    Lost Hearts sounds good! I wouldn't want a remake though, I'd rather see the original:) Probably no chance of that though:( There's so much rubbish on our tv now, we need something good to watch!
  • StrakerStraker Posts: 79,567
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    Really? The Night Land is a massive fantasy novel written in a faux-antique style. How did they adapt it for radio?

    I’m getting my Hope Hodgson’s mixed up - It was actually House on the Borderland.

    An excellent adaptation as was their version of Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness superbly read by Richard Coyle.
  • Brain DonorBrain Donor Posts: 1,685
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    Stigma

    1977's Ghost Story for Christmas.

    Good at any time of the year.
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,499
    Forum Member
    Stigma

    1977's Ghost Story for Christmas.

    Good at any time of the year.

    Good, something spooky to watch! Thanks for the link, BD:) I'll watch that later.
  • Robin DaviesRobin Davies Posts: 426
    Forum Member
    Are they finally getting a complete release at last?
    http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=11997
  • StrakerStraker Posts: 79,567
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    Are they finally getting a complete release at last?
    http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=11997


    Ooh, nice. BFI are tending to do dual DVD/blu ray editions so I’m anticipating five volumes at £11 or so.

    My ignorance of the Australian set has paid off as this will surely be the most complete release.
  • Chris65757Chris65757 Posts: 586
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    Most people interested in this stuff will know by now, but just in case:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Stories-Christmas-5-DVD-set/dp/B008JZY7YS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345112533&sr=8-1

    The most exciting dvd release for British horror enthusisasts for years.
  • CaminoCamino Posts: 13,029
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    why are they releasing three of the stories on dvd in September and then the whole lot in a boxset in October, im glad i saw this and didnt order the individual ones.
  • GabriellaGabriella Posts: 997
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    There will be a Ghost Story drama on Beeb in October with Suranne Jones, there will also be a sequel to Marchlands on ITV next yr on itv. :cool:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,679
    Forum Member
    hardylane wrote: »
    Utterly pathetic. They KNOW that this is a popular, once a year strand and still they refuse to do the right thing... what do we have instead on Christmas Eve?... a couple of crappy movies, endless editions of American Dad and a load of Doris Day rubbish. American drivel.

    Give us gothic British ghost stories, you swines!!

    Yes! I demand ghost stories for Christmas. Just been searching Digiguide in vain. Got the hump now.

    Oops, didn't realise this was an old thread. :o
  • ganderpoke66ganderpoke66 Posts: 2,128
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    With so many talented TV writers around these days [ how about it Mark Gatiss ? ] it can't be that difficult to produce a one-off homage to the classic scary gothic ghost story.
  • BigOrangeBigOrange Posts: 59,653
    Forum Member
    Stephen King's Bag of Bones is on C5 over the festive period. Aired on US TV last year. Mixed reviews for it, although the book is supposed to be good.

    Short trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnqUvUVTqwo
  • StrakerStraker Posts: 79,567
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    Dancc wrote: »
    Stephen King's Bag of Bones is on C5 over the festive period. Aired on US TV last year. Mixed reviews for it, although the book is supposed to be good.

    It’s his worst book so expect even less from the dramatisation. Read everything King did up until Bag ’O Shite and nothing since, so bad was it.

    The only good thing I have to say about the book is that I sold a signed copy for a bloody fortune after attending a reading at the South Bank.
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