The Turn Of The Screw

[dem bones]

one thing that's come out of this weeks tv adaptations of The Day Of The Triffids and tonight's The Turn Of The Screw - it's made me realise that it's way too long since i read either of the books. wasn't in any fit state to appreciate ...Triffids (i was *ahem* rooting for the plants) but will make an effort with Sandy Welch's "bold re-imagining" of Turn Of The Screw. From the review in today's Mirror, it seems the action has been updated to the 'twenties for some reason, but the Trailer looks promising.

[andydecker]

Interesting, a new adaption of The Turn Of The Screw.

Have you ever seen the one with Julian Sands and Patsy Kensit? Also a "modernisation", and one of those movies where the term "godawful" was invented for I have to confess I have a soft spot for Sands after watching him in the great Warlock, but he really made some embarrasingly bad movies.

[Craig Herbertson]

Dec 30, 2009 11:33:34 GMT dem bones said:

(i was *ahem* rooting for the plants).

Vault philosophy In a single sentence.

Someone observed that the day of the triffids' appeal was in its neat removal of those disturbing working classes. A bit like 'The good life' with more boisterous vegetables.

[The Lurker In The Shadows]

So, did anyone watch this? I did, and wish I'd done something interesting instead.

It was nice to look at, had some good performances - the kids were very good, I thought - but totally failed on the scare front or on capturing any of the subtlety of the book. Were there ghosts, or was it all in the governess's mind? Well, apparently there were ghosts, ones who spoke in growly voices badly dubbed over the voices of the kids.

Even though I'm no great fan of "The Innocents", as Deborah Kerr's performance makes my teeth itch, I'll take it over this rubbish any day.

Here's hoping this year the BBC will go back to the team that brought us "Crooked House" for something entertainingly scary.

[dem bones]

i quite enjoyed it, actually, it just wasn't scary and as far as any "bold re-imagining" goes, it was mainly the framing device. i'm not sure why it was set in the 'twenties. Some of it was silly in a very Hammer House Of Horror kind of way and possibly the ideal tv spot would be Sunday afternoon. i thought the main players (Michelle Dockery, Sue Johnston, with Eva Sayer and Josef Lindsay as the kids) did well, and the spooky effects - with a few glaring exceptions - weren't too overbearing, which makes a pleasant change. As to the ghosts, Katie Lightfoot was very watchable, live and dead, but Edward MacLiam's Quint was less successful, not his fault - i don't think they'd thought his part through enough, and, yes, the "growly voice" coming from the kids mouth was just cringe-inducing, likewise one really annoying, unnecessary shot at the end as Ann is shut in the police van and the cop's face momentarily becomes the evil Quint's. Yeah, for anyone expecting subtlety stick to the novel!