The Stalls of Barchester

A Ghost Story for Christmas: 1

Lawrence Gordon Clarke takes the helm and my, does he steer the ship beautifully.

The limitations of TV can wring out extraordinary results (something seen with Song of Summer.) This is a paragon of such restrictive means. Clark’s camera is beautifully intimate in this: each static frame a miniature tableau of gothic atmosphere; small instances of a room captured by candlelight, bordered in darkness; the locked-off effect of each scene, our players moving in and out, drifting between shrouded viewpoints. It’s extraordinarily gorgeous at times, Clark knew what he was doing. The scares are thin, but when they do come, (the scene at the top of the stairs, pre-event) they are chillingly obscured by the darkness, amping up the fright. 

I realise this is deemed one of the lesser stories but the central hook worked for me and I always love dips into folk horror, however brief they may be in this.

A Ghost Story for Christmas: 1

Lawrence Gordon Clarke takes the helm and my, does he steer the ship beautifully.

The limitations of TV can wring out extraordinary results (something seen with Song of Summer.) This is a paragon of such restrictive means. Clark’s camera is beautifully intimate in this: each static frame a miniature tableau of gothic atmosphere; small instances of a room captured by candlelight, bordered in darkness; the locked-off effect of each scene, our players moving in and out, drifting between shrouded viewpoints. It’s extraordinarily gorgeous at times, Clark knew what he was doing. The scares are thin, but when they do come, (the scene at the top of the stairs, pre-event) they are chillingly obscured by the darkness, amping up the fright. 

I realise this is deemed one of the lesser stories but the central hook worked for me and I always love dips into folk horror, however brief they may be in this.

A great little ghost story. I forgot how good Robert Hardy is, he starred in so many things I saw growing up, including the Sherlock Holmes TV series, Frankenstein, Midsommer Murders, Inspector Morse, All Creatures Great and Small. And Clive Swift! Known mostly for being Hyacinth Bucket's long-suffering husband Richard. They both play their parts really well here. It's a slow build as a man is driven mad by the spirits of his own guilt, but a great old fashioned spooky short movie.

A great little ghost story. I forgot how good Robert Hardy is, he starred in so many things I saw growing up, including the Sherlock Holmes TV series, Frankenstein, Midsommer Murders, Inspector Morse, All Creatures Great and Small. And Clive Swift! Known mostly for being Hyacinth Bucket's long-suffering husband Richard. They both play their parts really well here. It's a slow build as a man is driven mad by the spirits of his own guilt, but a great old fashioned spooky short movie.