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Post by Calenture on Jan 4, 2013 23:03:53 GMT
The original film with screenplay by Nigel Kneale. Is this film not available on DVD because Susan Hill doesn't like it, and if so, why? It seems to me to be a very careful adaptation of her novel. Hope this post doesn't double with an earlier post here. |
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Post by David A. Riley on Jan 5, 2013 9:18:35 GMT
I made the mistake of watching this version only a month before watching the new Hammer version and I must admit I preferred the TV version, even though the film was excellent in its own right too. There are quite a few differences, not least of all being the ending. I would suggest that the Nigel Kneale adaptation was the better written as a drama, relying less on shock effects to get over the eeriness of what the protagonist is experiencing - and the ghostly tragic coach crash comes over as far more scary and much more important to the storyline in Kneales' version.
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Post by mattofthespurs on Jan 5, 2013 10:29:59 GMT
"It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV on Christmas Eve 1989 (repeated only once by Channel 4 over Christmas 1994). Overall the TV adaptation stayed reasonably faithful to the original novel, although some of the changes angered the author Susan Hill (for example, the sex of the dog 'Spider' was changed from female to male). Arthur's name has also been changed from Kipps to Kidd. The TV version was released in the United Kingdom on VHS but only for a fairly short time. There was also a Region 1 DVD release but it is now out of print and, according to the messageboard at the site of Susan Hill, the TV rights are now owned by someone else. Apparently the rights have been purchased twice and currently reside with the U.S. studio." - source wiki.
I'm lucky enough to own this own region 1 DVD. Miles better than the Hammer version in my opinion.
The stage play is superb too. Very minimal set. IIRC it consists of a black backdrop, 3 boxes and a couple of candles.
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Post by David A. Riley on Jan 5, 2013 11:02:10 GMT
It will be interesting to see how Hammer's sequel will look when it's finally released.
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Post by jamesdoig on Jan 5, 2013 22:13:40 GMT
The original film with screenplay by Nigel Kneale. Thanks for that - funnily enough I just saw the Hammer version a couple of days ago (which I really liked), so I'm keen to compare this one. |
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Jan 10, 2013 11:34:49 GMT
Remember watching this when it first came out and being thoroughly scared, which was unusual because I was pretty hardened to terror by that point. The succubi scene on the bed was particularly brilliant at the time as it kind of went against the idea of horror being on the periphery of the senses rather directly in your face, As a side note there may be a personal reason for fearing that particular woman. Below is a picture of my grandmother taken at a famous Edinburgh cemetery. When she saw the developed photo she insisted it was portent of her death and couldn't be persuaded otherwise.  |
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Post by Dr Strange on Jan 10, 2013 12:56:06 GMT
Great photo. Is it Grayfriars Kirkyard?
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Post by dem bones on Jan 10, 2013 13:58:38 GMT
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Jan 10, 2013 15:28:31 GMT
Great photo. Is it Grayfriars Kirkyard? It is indeed - Probably late 1950's. I never met my gran but she was a Costain and, as my cousin puts it, that side of the family was a bit fey. She did die quite young and without overdramatising it, probably not long after this photo was taken. Interestingly, I never was much for taking photos but I bought a camera in the 1980's to specifically take some photos of this cemetery. I never used it again and I had no idea my gran was ever in the place as this photo came to light a month ago. No women in black in my photos though. |
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Post by Dr Strange on Jan 11, 2013 11:54:17 GMT
No women in black in my photos though. Any spectral wee dugs? |
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Post by cauldronbrewer on Jan 19, 2013 1:59:25 GMT
I made the mistake of watching this version only a month before watching the new Hammer version and I must admit I preferred the TV version, even though the film was excellent in its own right too. There are quite a few differences, not least of all being the ending. I would suggest that the Nigel Kneale adaptation was the better written as a drama, relying less on shock effects to get over the eeriness of what the protagonist is experiencing I haven't seen the TV version, but I did find the new Hammer version entertaining. I agree that the movie leaned too heavily on little tricks to try to make the viewer jump. As for the ending, I'm not sure I'm sold on it. I'd never seen Daniel Radcliffe in anything before, but I liked him in the lead. |
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Jan 19, 2013 23:55:06 GMT
Is this film not available on DVD because Susan Hill doesn't like it, and if so, why? The rights to this are, I believe, tied up with the rights to the film, which took many years to realise and was under development well before Hammer came back on the scene. So I think it's been a case of not wanting an earlier version muddying the waters when it came to getting the film off the ground - though there is, of course, the stage version, and two different radio adaptations, but these would be regarded as different media as far as the rights are concerned. It did have a vhs release in the 90s, and an American DVD release, though I don't think the DVD was out for long and has never been re-released. Hill famously dislikes the changes Kneale made in the script, and doesn't care for the TV film at all - I understand she particularly didn't like the fate of Kipps/Kidd at the end, as he is supposed to live on, trapped with grief, to mirror the Woman's grief. |
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Post by helrunar on Jun 5, 2016 13:54:22 GMT
Haven't read the book or seen the recent "Hammer" film with young Master Radcliffe, but I did finally see the 1989 movie a few years ago.
When it comes to horror I "saw it all, did it all" ages ago... but a certain scene in this film literally jolted me out of my seat.
Superb film.
H.
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