Whistle, And I'll Come To You (1968)

4 / 5 Mar '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Jonathan Miller
Written by: M.R. James, Jonathan Miller
Actors include: Michael Hordern, Ambrose Coghill, George Woodbridge
Genre: Horror
Length: 42 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Considering this has one of the most irritating characters on earth in it (Professor Parkins), it's surprisingly refreshing. It's based upon an old ghost story from M.R. James and it's supposedly his darkest (according to our narrator). I actually came across it on some list of the scariest moments in film and television and well I can kinda see why it made their list. Professor Parkins is a stuffy smug irritating fellow who mumbles to himself and only believes what is in his books. The subject of ghosts comes up in a conversation and he explained that he cannot believe in that sort of thing the way one would believe in say Australia. Professor Parkins loves his walks around the seaside and one day he stumbles upon an old whistle that he blows. From there everything he knows is turned on it's head as he meets something he never expected. It's a short story coming in at under 45 minutes and it's an effective one, it's just a shame we have to put up with that irritating fools mumbling for much of the film. Still definitely worth it, beautiful cinematography (the shots on the seaside are lovely) and a good story.

Availability:  On DVD

A Warning To The Curious (1972)

4.5 / 5 Dec 09
Tagline:  N/A
Directed by: Lawrence Gordon Clark, M.R. James
Written by: Lawrence Gordon Clark
Actors includes: Peter Vaughan, Clive Swift, Julian Herrington
Genre: Drama, Horror, Short
Length: 50 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I had no idea how much The Woman in Black borrowed from this, but it certainly did. It's part of the series of UK short films that aired yearly in the "Ghost Story For Christmas" grouping. It's just 50 minutes long but it's really clever somewhat frightening and very much to the point. It's about three crowns, the legend goes that as long as one isn't disturbed that all will be fine. Over time, two have been destroyed by various natural disaster issues and only one remained. There was a family in charge of guarding this buried crown but as soon as this hobby archaeologist discovers that the whole family is dead he digs up the treasure. Im not going to tell you what happens from there on but it's effective, great acting, exciting and well it teaches a good lesson. I'll definitely watch more in this series as this was a load of fun though I should mention it's not related to Christmas in any way aside from that being the title of the series.

Availability:  On DVD