Whistle and I'll Come to You!

Bellycaster

If you like creepy old TV then this should be right up your alley. I'd never seen this until very recently, a 1968 TV Adaptation of an M.R James Ghost Story. Great acting from Michael Horden and quite amusing dialogue. It's quite extraordinary how creepiness can be achieved with such simple props and the clever use of sound.

xSkarloey

This is great. See if you can track down the other MR James adaptations from, the 70s too under the general title of "A Ghost Story for Christmas". 

My favourite of these is "A Warning to the Curious", which I think edges all of them for the best acting and general creepiness. 

Did you see any of the more recent BBC4 adaptations of MR James's stories? I didn't like these so much. 

At any rate, you can't beat the original MR James ghost stories. He's the best British ghost story writer to date IMO. 

Deadman

I've got a warning to the curious on DVD. It's great. Gonna watch whistle and I'll come to you later, I love old ghost stories like this.

Bellycaster

I'll do that @Skarloey thanks

I've only seen short clips of the version with John Hurt, but it didn't seem to have the same effectiveness as this does. I'll want to see "A warning to the Curious".

xSkarloey

Bellycaster said:

I'll do that @Skarloey thanks

I've only seen short clips of the version with John Hurt, but it didn't seem to have the same effectiveness as this does. I'll want to see "A warning to the Curious".

I'd forgotten the one they did with John Hurt. That was total crap IMO! They made a mess of Number 13 as well. The main problem is in the modern ones was they added stuff to the original story which wasn't as scary or didn't make as much sense and took away stuff that kept things clear and conveyed outright fear. 

The Warning to the Curious worked so well I think because of a top-notch cast, trusting in James's plot and the one change they did make (from James's day to the 1930s Depression era) actually added richness to the story. 

Forgot to mention that they did some TV readings about 15 years ago with Christopher Lee in the MR James role. Those worked pretty well and some are on Youtube. 

But as I say, although there are some great adaptations out there, James's stories always win out for me. 

chillidoggy

Anyone remember the original Twilight Zone? That used to put the shits up me.

Bellycaster

@Skarloey

I have to admit to not being familiar with M.R James before I watched this, but I'd like to see more adaptations of his and those TV Readings with Christopher Lee sound interesting.

I get little time to read, I mean really absorb myself in a book. Maybe next time I go on Hols I might do some reading.

Just looking at youtube, there seems to be some Audiobooks on there.

@chillidoggy

Twilight Zone was fantastic, got the DVD sets of those. Living Doll, Night Call and The Masks among some of the creepiest.

xSkarloey

Wel the great thing about MR James is that everything he wrote was short stories, so you don't need to devote a load of time to them. I've always thought of them as winter reading (just my personal preference) but I could well imagine being on the beach wherever in the middle of Summer and his work making me feel like I was in a sinister, rural backwater though... 

Wordsworth Classics do his collect stories for £2. 

Bellycaster

Cheers @Skarloey

I usually go on hols to Cornwall or Devon, so there are some dramatic landscapes that would suit the mood of the books. I would struggle to get into the mood of the book on a Mexican Beach as well, haha.

Thanks for the tips on the books and I may buy the DVD of "A Warning to the Curious", just got a taster of a few scenes on Youtube, looks great, can;t find a free version online.

Peter Vaughan, now there's a blast from the past. "Alwright Groutie" ;-)

xSkarloey

Lost Hearts as well. Forgot to mention that.

Now THAT one is the most shocking of all I think for outright terror, both as a story and as a TV adaptation.

boogieman

What's the one where there's a clue in a church stained glass window to something lost? Pretty sure it was a MR James story. It turns out to be a demon bricked up in a well. I remember watching it one Xmas when I was a kid, it scared the bejesus out of me for ages after.

xSkarloey

@boogieman I think it might be Canon Albaric's Scrapbook. 

While since I've read it though. Will have to check. 

Classic story either way. 

Paul_C

you can read the whole story, plus many more, here - http://www.fulltextarchive.com/page/Ghost-Stories-of-an-Antiquary1/#p17

boogieman

@Paul_C. Cheers for that. The one I was talking about turns out to be The Treasure of Abbott Thomas. Must see if I can find it on Youtube to find out how much of a wuss I was. >:D<

Philly_Q

Good to see a thread about this.  Both the original stories and the TV adaptations are wonderful. 

racefaceec90

Skarloey said:

Lost Hearts as well. Forgot to mention that.

Now THAT one is the most shocking of all I think for outright terror, both as a story and as a TV adaptation.

i remember watching that years ago,not expecting much tbh,but it was quite eerie tbh (and i am a horror film fan).