The horror! The horror!

[amateur51]

As well as the films already mentioned, my favourite is 'Dead of Night' - an old Ealing film (score by Auric) with the famous hearse-driver scene ('room for one more inside, sir') and the crying boy ghost at the birthday party which refers to the case recently retold in The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. And of course Michael Redgrave as the ventriloquist, and the haunted mirror with the wrong reflection...

A marvellous film, I agree Roslynmuse

[Serial_Apologist]

As a child I greatly enjoyed 'The Lord Halifax Ghost Book' and, re-reading it recently, curiosity led me to Google some of the settings, real places that still exist. Some chilling miniatures there. M R James is the master though, if anything his stories get creepier with the familiarity of repetition.

Some old BBC adaptations of M R James are now available on DVD, including Michael Hordern in Oh Whistle and I'll Come To You (Jonathan Miller directing). One of the creepiest TV adaptations I have ever seen was of Dickens' The Signalman, probably around 1978.

As well as the films already mentioned, my favourite is 'Dead of Night' - an old Ealing film (score by Auric) with the famous hearse-driver scene ('room for one more inside, sir') and the crying boy ghost at the birthday party which refers to the case recently retold in The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. And of course Michael Redgrave as the ventriloquist, and the haunted mirror with the wrong reflection...

I have long been trying without success to trace a British b&w film I have memories of seeing at a cinema as a small boy - must have been early 50s - which had scenes in a haunted barge moored off the Chelsea embankment, near to where we lived. I was too young back then to pick up on the plot, but I do remember being especially struck by the ghost's slow fading away, leaving behind just his pipe smoke.

I still have my hardback copy of Lord Halifax's Ghost Book, given to me by my grandmother, btw.

[aeolium]

Perhaps irrationally I have tended to consider the horror story as a separate category from the ghost story - or is it more of a Venn diagram with a central overlap? There are certainly horror stories that are not ghost stories, such as Frankenstein, and ghost stories which are not horror stories, such as most of Dickens' ghost stories and Wilde's The Canterville Ghost. Some of M R James' Ghost Stories have no ghosts but plenty of horror, such as Casting the Runes. I never think of Dracula (or Nosferatu) as a ghost story though I suppose technically it is.

[I think we did have a thread on ghost stories, perhaps on the old boards]

[handsomefortune]

having watched the doc, i'd say gatiss made a pretty thorough job of redeeming the genre's image: in the films he chose to discuss, occasional speculations as to the relevance of each film in retrospect, while also noting contemporary sensibilities. (imv thankfully.....as female roles certainly are conspicuous.... as predictable 'fodder' in this particular genre, as well as other more 'respectable' ones).

imo what was a real pleasure were the extraordinary film locations, and gatiss's obvious excitement about interviewing the directors themselves. since they are getting on in years, i suspect he's triumphant to have got to them in time and on film. i found the doc so gripping that when it finished i even yearned for another: either more depth about european films already touched on. or even a similarly comprehensive round up of US horror, carefully selected of course, and complete with retrospective assertions about the collective fears of a given era. for instance, i'd love to hear gatiss discuss a personal favourite called 'carnival of souls' early 60s, US, which seems to hold its fascination and durability incredibly well, all considered. gatiss might also be excellent on failed, and b movies in the horror genre too.

gatiss's objective seemed to be to invite the viewer to indulge their ideas as to sub plots, what the horror plot might also be about, other than more obvious themes. he wrapped up the documentary brilliantly, i thought, with his take on contemporary film, speculations as to what anxieties might lie behind future horror films: old people mutilated and strung up by children! (presumably a plot based on adult guilt about greed and neglect....verses youthful naive revenge)?

i found the bit where gatiss visited a horror museum amusing, he seemed to revert temporarily from the smart presenter always in the blue suit to 'the league of gents'! he could easily have looked at one of the museum screens and seen pauline staring back! however, last time i saw gatiss presenting horror, he did so from deepest los angeles, wandering the streets with a shoal of zomby hobbyists, and visiting sterile, bright, spacious studios where prop makers gushed, hyping their gore to the max. if there's a genre which ideally requires 'the dark, and mysterious', it's this one...so i'm pleased he's put that straight in this very comprehensive round up of european film over the decades. the story of one european country 'passing the baton' to the next was mesmerizing, effortlessly told as presented.

thanks for flagging this up aeolium, predictably mr handsomefortune was totally captivated. though tbh my own heart sank when i looked at how long the programme was going to be! i was (predictably) apprehensive as to what the content might be. (i only looked away from the iplayer once tbh...the rest of the doc was riveting, and for all the best reasons). gatiss's point, in discussion with a horror director, about 'remaining outside' of horror was certainly welcome, though very rarely expressed by 'horror experts', considered counter productive!

i do think it a shame the beeb apparently can't afford to commission a horror (or sub genre)? series featuring gatiss's own acting skills. he might well make a convincingly scarey ghost of show business and tv, addicted to 'the elixir of life' and at the dawn of a new century. only this morning, i see an x factor judge has apparently had putty inserted in his face .... which tbh echoed the literal 'face lift' in a film discussed in the doc....... it's definitely reassuring to see that gatiss is positively teaming with potential about film. he probably isn't short of material which accurately reflects contemporary anxieties, he is just currently short of funding unfortunately, in order to realise his own ideas on film. meanwhile, this doc suffices and more than adequately.

[Roslynmuse]

handsomefortune - 'Carnival of Souls', yes, another very good film - I remember being struck by a sequence early on in the film when the 'new souls' can't hear any of the natural sounds around them, and the final (?) scene whish always reminded me of the horrific climax of Ravel's La Valse!

Thanks for the summary of the programme - hope to catch it while I can!

S_A - your barge ghost sounds a chilling film! Wish I could help identify it.

[aeolium]

There is a showing of Guillermo del Toro's film The Devil's Backbone on BBC4 Sunday 9.55pm. Like his more famous film Pan's Labyrinth, this is set around the period of the Spanish civil war.

[amateur51]

There is a showing of Guillermo del Toro's film The Devil's Backbone on BBC4 Sunday 9.55pm. Like his more famous film Pan's Labyrinth, this is set around the period of the Spanish civil war.

Many thanks for this alert, aeolium

[Nick Armstrong]

Many thanks for this alert, aeolium

Not seen it, ammy? Terrific stuff! Fill a glass of something strong, take the phone off the hook, turn down the lights...

[Mr Pee]

Three relatively modern horror/fantasy films that I would recommend:

Pan’s Labyrinth

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/

The Orphanage

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0464141/

Let The Right One In

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/

I agree entirely- re-watched Let The Right One In a few days ago, and it is one of those films that stays with me. It's not just the performances of the two child actors which I think are outstanding, but the cinematography and direction. And the open ending- what happens to Oskar in the future? Where is the train taking them?

Pan's Labrynth is a modern horror masterpiece, and the Devil's Backbone and The Orphanage are not far behind.

I found Mark Gatiss an excellent guide, as he was in his earlier series, and he is also wonderful as Mycroft Holmes in the BBC's excellent "Sherlock". But I still remember him as Pauline (and others) in The League of Gentlemen!!

[handsomefortune]

mr pee, this is pauline of the roysten vasey job centre. best friend of 'micky love' and notoriously obsessed with biros. played by steve pemberton http://www.timewarp.org.uk/lab/stevepemberton.jpg

whereas gatiss played micky, (and other bit parts) in the series.

[Serial_Apologist]

mr pee, this is pauline of the roysten vasey job centre. best friend of 'micky love' and notoriously obsessed with biros. played by steve pemberton http://www.timewarp.org.uk/lab/stevepemberton.jpg

whereas gatiss played micky, (and other bit parts) in the series.

Something not quoi zackly, as they say in sunny Devon, about that link, handsome!

[handsomefortune]

struck by a sequence early on in the film when the 'new souls' can't hear any of the natural sounds around them, and the final (?) scene which always reminded me of the horrific climax of Ravel's La Valse!

exactly, subtle isn't it! it heightens our sense of the isolation experienced by the heroin. not deafness exactly but the soundtrack's a bit sort of muffled, under water sounding throughout. just occasional bits of normality and every day sounds, hint that things are 'normal', (temporary) 'proof' that it's all just the heroin's imagination and possible madness.

though the waltz scotches that assumption completely.

the sound track makes perfect sense in view of the beginning and ending of the film, which viewers probably all forget ...for the duration in between.

(the whole film's on utube), but meantime here's the final scene, the 'horrific waltz'!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIr-Sgy2aNE&feature=relmfu

from gatiss's doc, les diablique from 1955 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_7s6...eature=related

it's 'completo'.... in italian... (best invite jean round to do the translations)?

and lastly, 'the daughters of darkness' (complete and in english) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2wRdlAVut0

[handsomefortune]

Something not quoi zackly,

isn't the link working?

or is it that you find pemberton's 'actorly' studio portrait not quoi zackly?

[Serial_Apologist]

isn't the link working?

or is it that you find pemberton's 'actorly' studio portrait not quoi zackly?

Just comes up "Timewarp - 4711 - (403 Forbidden)" on the Rocky Horror Show homepage, or some link from it, handsome.

[handsomefortune]

odd that! thanks for letting me know

howzat? any better of 'pauline' played by actor steve pemberton:

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://i2.listal.com/image/1636421/600full-steve-pemberton.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.listal.com/viewimage/1636421&h=390&w=280&sz=18&tbnid=WrLVHf2cSaI6kM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=74&zoom=1&usg=__Qy9R_UxPCkY3DB28SfV09ZaAT4w=&docid=H3UWusvLD9DM1M&sa=X&ei=xgmUUP6pL8mq0AW_loHICQ&ved=0CEAQ9QEwBA&dur=4011