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Ghost Stories for Christmas Volume 2
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - British Film Institute Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (17th December 2023). |
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The Film
 "Ghost Stories for Christmas: Volume 2" (1974-1978) The oral telling of ghost stories at Christmastime is a tradition that can be traced back hundreds of years in England. But it was during the industrial age, particularly the Victorian era in which printed books spread the stories further and without oral discrepancies from storyteller to storyteller, that certain stories remained staples of the fireplace. Charles Dickens' supernatural fantasy "A Christmas Carol" became a cultural phenomenon that even reached across the Atlantic. In the age of television, “A Ghost Story for Christmas” was broadcast annually for BBC One from 1971 and ending its run in 1978. The series would consist of standalone stories with differing performers for each episode, with most being adaptations of classic tales and some being original works. The BFI had issued the episodes on DVD in multiple volumes in the 2000s, and in 2022 they issued the series for the first time on Blu-ray with “Ghost Stories for Christmas: Volume 1”, which included the first three works plus one pre-series episode. Volume 2 collects the remaining five works of the 1970s series, which includes some gems as well as some divisive ones. * "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" (1974) * "The Ash Tree" (1975) * "The Signalman" (1976) * "Stigma" (1977) * "The Ice House" (1978) "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" (1974) Reverend Justin Somerton (played by Michael Bryant) and his assistant and protégé Peter (played by Paul Lavers) travel to a monastery, where there is supposedly gold that is hidden away. After researching about the disgraced clergyman that hid the treasure on its grounds, Somerton leads the way through various clues to uncover the gold, but there is evil attached to the greed… Originally published in 1904 in M.R. James' “Ghost Stories of an Antiquary” the adaptation of the short story of “The Treasure of Abbot Thomas” has quite a startling opening in comparison to the book. The film starts with a séance conducted by mediums Mr. and Mrs. Tyson (played by Frank Mills and Sheila Dunn), only to uncovered as being fraudulent by Somerton. He may be a man of the church, but he is a man of reason and research, and uncovers the scam to prove the absence of spirits. The banter between Somerton and Peter are of well educated yet open minded men, and their conversations are similar to that of Holmes and Watson, with the audience being guided by Peter’s eyes. In essence, “The Treasure of Abbot Thomas” does feel like a detective story if not for the creepy and well shot opening sequence. But once Somerton is led down into the catacombs of the monastery, everything that he has stood for and stood against comes crashing down in an ambiguous fashion. It’s never made clear what he encounters or what happens, but it’s clear that he is no longer the strong and level headed Reverend he once was. Director Lawrence Gordon Clark does a fine job with the direction in this adaptation, shooting on location at the Wells Cathedral in Somerset, England with both the beauty of its setting and the darkness surrounding it. Clark stated that it was at first difficult to secure the location for filming, as the Wells Cathedral previously had its grounds used for filming Pier Paolo Pasolini’s controversial adaptation of “The Canterbury Tales” in 1972 and they were worried about any future productions being shot on location there. One portion that does fall a bit flat is the scene of Somerton under the monastery, as the edited montage of shots do not fully convey what he encounters. As the production had a tight budget and was not anywhere near what a feature film would have, there was little that could have been done, but it didn’t feel like it had the necessary scare to push it over the edge. Even with its flaws, “The Treasure of Abbot Thomas” still has great atmosphere and performances from the leads for a good entry in the series. The film was first broadcast on December 23rd, 1974. “The Ash Tree” (1975) Sir Richard (played by Edward Petherbridge) inherits the estate of Castringham Hall from his recently deceased uncle. During his time in his new home, he starts to come across some eerie visions, from dead animals on the grounds to nightmares of his great-uncle Sir Matthew (also played by Edward Petherbridge) and the torture and execution of supposed witch Anne Mothersole (played by Barbara Ewing). “The Ash Tree” was the sixth and final adaptation of an M.R. James story by Lawrence Gordon Clark for “A Ghost Story for Christmas” and was also taken from the 1904 collection “Ghost Stories of an Antiquary”. Shifting to a much darker tone on witchcraft, curses, and revenge, it also is the first (and not only) episode of the series to feature topless female nudity. With that said, there is a sexual implication in the film version, though in a darker and more disturbing sense. Clark wonderfully creates a dark atmosphere with the rural setting and the darkness, and is an intense mystery that easily grips viewers with its tone. The structure does jump with its non-linear timeline, and rather than having a major scare in the climax, the ending with the mysterious creature might be the most disturbing of all. Petherbridge does an excellent job in the dual roles of Richard and Matthew, though it may have proved to be a better choice to have two different performers to avoid initial confusion, even if they are distant relatives. The story, which was adapted by Clark with David Rudkin looks at guilt and the supernatural very effectively, and they were able to bring the short story to brilliant life here. It’s easily one of the stronger efforts in the series. The episode was broadcast on December 23rd, 1975. “The Signalman” (1976) A friendly traveler (played by Bernard Lloyd) meets a nervous train signalman (played Denholm Elliott) who is stationed near a tunnel. The signalman discusses his life and work, which includes his regrets and the dullness of his daily life, as well as eerie sounds that he can hear and his fears of a crash within the tunnel. Are these thoughts just paranoia or a premonition? “The Signalman” was the first “A Ghost Story for Christmas” to not be an adaptation of an M.R. James story. This was an adaptation of the Charles Dickens story of the same name. Dickens may have written the penultimate Christmas ghost story with “A Christmas Carol”, and also the lesser known Christmas ghost story “The Haunted Man”, but “The Signalman” was far darker and deeper in nature, as Dicken’s own trauma of surviving a deadly train derailment was the inspiration. The Staplehurst rail crash of 1961 killed ten people and injured forty, and Dickens never recovered from the trauma of the accident. He died exactly five years to the day of the accident, on June 9th, 1870. Due to the low budget nature of the film’s production, it was impossible to recreate a derailment for the climax, though the production puts the paranoia and uncertain atmosphere to brilliant life. The two unnamed characters and their conversations are key to the story as well as the flashes of visuals of the tragic premonition. Lloyd and Elliott are excellent together here, both able to capture the mystery and the uncertainty of each. Director Lawrence Gordon Clark again does an excellent job with the material, which was adapted by Andrew Davies and shot on location at the end of 1976, mere weeks before its broadcast in foggy and chilly weather. The episode was broadcast on December 22nd, 1976. “Stigma” (1977) Katherine (played by Kate Binchy), her husband Peter (played by Peter Bowles) and their daughter Verity (played by Maxine Gordon) have just moved to a countryside home, in which the property is still being renovated. When workers try to remove a large stone, they find skeletal remains buried underneath it. It is from thereon that Katherine starts to bleed uncontrollably, and the nightmare begins… Directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark, this was the first time in the series that the story was not an adaptation of an existing work. Instead, this was an original story written by screen and teleplay writer Clive Exton. In addition, this was the first to not be a period piece but instead taking place in modern times. Traded for the dark and dreary atmosphere was bright daylight, making this episode look and feel drastically different from what came before. While this story also deals with an ancient curse, the issue comes from the fact that the characters are far undeserving of the curse. Katherine has done nothing wrong and there doesn’t seem to be any reason as to why she is the only one that starts to uncontrollably bleed. It plays closer to the body horror genre more than the previous episodes in the series, but without lines to connect the dots. While the paranoid nature of Katherine comes clear through the performance, “Stigma” feels empty as a whole and feels like the start of a story that is incomplete. It also happens to be the second episode in the series to feature topless nudity, though obviously not in a sexual nature due to the happenings. Another issue is the blood effects not being particularly convincing, with the color being too pink and not having enough thickness to the liquid. There should have been more explored such as flashbacks to the skeleton’s origin and if Katherine was able to channel them, but the short runtime keeps any background to a minimum. It is one of the more disappointing entries in the series, and a divisive one with some praising the new direction it was taking. The episode was broadcast after Christmas, on December 29th, 1977. “The Ice House” (1978) Paul (played by John Stride) is relaxing at a countryside spa which is run by siblings Clovis (played by Geoffrey Burridge) and Jessica (played by Elizabeth Romilly) who are very friendly and polite to their guests, especially Paul. During his time there, he discovers some unusual potent flowers near the spa’s ice house which holds a cryptic secret… "The Ice House" was the second work in the series to be an original story, written by John Bowen. It was also the first to be directed by someone other than Clark, with Derek Lister in the director's seat. For another twist, this was the first in the series not to feature a ghost at all, which oddly plays against the title of the series. It proves to be a controversial episode, and unfortunately it was the final one until a reboot in the 2000s. It's clearly a divisive one as it plays against the rules and what was set before, though it probably would have gotten a better reception if it wasn't part of the series. The episode feels might have a closer connection to a vampire tale or "The Wicker Man" (1973), with the story of an ordinary man that suddenly finds himself in a place that is not what it seems. It is never indicated that the siblings that run the spa are vampires, though it could be interpreted as so. In addition, there are hints to an incestuous relationship, but there is nothing concrete to prove it. There is more mystery and unanswered questions on "The Ice House" than there are answers and that will leave some viewers cold. What it does get right is the shift in atmosphere with the beautiful bright setting of the relaxing spa and the nightmarish visions that are seen in other portions. The episode was broadcast on December 25th, 1977. As stated, with Volume 2, this concludes the original 1970s run for the "A Ghost Story for Christmas" series. The series was rebooted in 2005 in which so far eight episodes have aired on BBC, with the next being scheduled for Christmas Eve 2023. The BFI's Blu-ray of Volume 1 included one episode of the reboot series, and this volume includes two reboot episodes as extras. Note this is a region B Blu-ray set
Video
The BFI presents the episodes in the broadcast 1.33:1 aspect ratio in 1080i50 AVC MPEG-4. The original 16mm camera negatives held in the BBC Archive were scanned and restored at 2K resolution. As they were filmed and broadcast in the 25fps framerate on BBC, they are presented here in the original framerate. The remastered transfers look excellent, with wonderful solid black levels, vibrant colors, and a clean filmic appearance. Damage marks have been completely removed while film grain has been kept intact, There are little if anything to fault with any of the transfers of these 1970s productions here, and obviously look significantly better than their original broadcasts at the time. The episodes are divided as follows on the discs: DISC ONE * "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" (1974) (36:50) * "The Ash Tree" (1975) (31:50) DISC TWO * "The Signalman" (1976) (38:11) * "Stigma" (1977) (31:47) DISC THREE * "The Ice House" (1978) (34:12)
Audio
English LPCM 2.0 mono The five main episodes are presented with their original mono audio uncompressed. The audio tracks have been remastered from the original 16mm magnetic tracks. The remastered audio tracks sound excellent, with the restoration removing any damage such as hiss and pops for clean and clear sounding audio for each production. There is excellent balance with the dialogue, music and effects, and are very pleasing to the ears throughout. There aren't particular scenes that give the speakers a solid workout, though the authentic nature is well presented here. A solid job on the audio restoration. There are optional English HoH subtitles for all episodes in a white font. They are easy to read and without errors.
Extras
DISC ONE Audio commentary on "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" by writer and TV historian Simon Farquhar This new commentary by Simon Farquhar has a lot of great information about the production, from the actors biographies and filmographies, about the music used, the content created at the BBC at the time, the use of the cathedral space, the creative shots, as well as some criticisms on its imperfections. in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles Audio commentary on "The Ash Tree" by writer and TV historian Jon Dear, incorporating material from author and editor Johnny Mains Johnny Mains was originally slated to record a commentary for the episode, but due to illness the commentary was done by Jon Dear, who was given Mains' notes for the recording. He discusses about the episode's first broadcast, the original short story, about ash trees and their mythology, information on the cast and crew, as well as some of the weaknesses with the adaptation. in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles Introductions by Lawrence Gordon Clark (with Play All) (18:43) - "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" (10:38) - "The Ash Tree" (8:05) These two interviews from 2012 with Clark have him recall about the making of the two episodes. For "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas"< he talks about the characters, the location choices, and memories of the cast and crew. For "The Ash Tree", he discusses about his six year old son at the time, about the characters, and about the tree itself. Note these were previously available on BFI’s “Ghost Stories: Volume 3” DVD release. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 1.33:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles "Spectres, Spirits and Haunted Treasure: Adapting MR James" video essay by Nic Wassell (16:30) This new video essay by Nic Wassell is an excellent overview of the 1970s James penned episodes (as well as its pre-series original), with the inspiration from James' stories, the differences between the original stories and their adaptations, and more. in 1080i50 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles DISC TWO Audio commentary on "The Signalman" by TV historian Jon Dear and actor and writer Mark Gatiss This new commentary has Dear and Gatiss discussing the series' first non-James story, the setting of the story being changed from the Victorian era to turn of the century, the incredibly short production schedule, the performances and themes, their memories of watching the episode for the first time and more. in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles Audio commentary on "Stigma" by Kim Newman and Sean Hogan This new commentary has Newman and Hogan discussing the divisive episode, with the differences it had from previous entries, the body horror aspect, the appreciation that can be found from the experimental work, information on the actors and more. in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles Introductions by Lawrence Gordon Clark (with Play All) (19:26) - "The Signalman" (10:41) - "Stigma" (8:44) These 2012 introduction from Clark again have him discussing these two productions in hindsight. For "The Signalman" he recalls Denham having to use cheat cards for recalling the dialogue due to the extremely short time he had for preparation, and more on the production. For "Stigma" he discusses about offers for other work he received at the time, becoming a freelance director after leaving the BBC, and having very little time or choices for casting and more. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 1.33:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles DISC THREE Audio commentary on "The Ice House" by Kim Newman and Sean Hogan This new commentary has Newman and Hogan again commenting on the final and most divisive episode. They discuss about the actors, Bowen's script, the unconventional story, the long misunderstood and underappreciated aspect of the episode, and more. in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles "A View From a Hill" (2005) (39:01) Dr. Fanshawe (played by Mark Letheren) is invited to the home of Squire Richards (played by Pip Torrens) to value his collection of antiques. Fanshawe realizes that his binoculars were damaged during the trip and requests to borrow a pair from Richards. But these are no ordinary lenses, as they show to the eyes a different period in time... "A View From a Hill" was the first episode in a reboot of "A Ghost Story for Christmas" in 2005. Going back to its roots, it was an adaptation of an M.R. James story. Directed by Luke Watson and adapted by writer Peter Harness, the story is shifted from the Victorian era to postwar England, yet it still works with the plot, with delves into the mysteries of the supernatural. It certainly feels more modern in the direction, editing, and look, though it does a fairly effective job with bringing the century old tale to new life. It was first broadcast on December 23rd, 2005. The production was shot digitally in standard definition, so the transfer here is presented in standard definition. Colors look fairly good, though it does have its limitations when viewed on modern monitors, with jagged edges and lacking clarity, but still on a watchable side. Audio is presented here in stereo as it was originally broadcast, and uses stereo separation when necessary. in 576i AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English LPCM 2.0 stereo with optional English HoH subtitles "Number 13" (2006) (40:12) Professor Anderson (played by Greg Wise) checks into a hotel in an English cathedral town and choses room number 12 as it has a desk where he could work. Hotelman Mr. Gunton (played by David Burke) unusually insists Anderson to pay for his room in advance, saying that there have been patrons that disappeared before paying their bill the past. When he discovers that there is no room number 13 next to his room, his stay at the hotel becomes an eerie experience... "Number 13" was the second episode in the revival of "A Ghost Story for Christmas" and was again an adaptation of an M.R. James short story of the supernatural. Director Peter Wilke's production does quite a good job with the very limited locations and delivering a creepiness with the short, with great performances as well. The episode was first broadcast on December 22nd, 2006. This was the first production to be shot in digital HD, and it looks very good throughout, with a sharp image, great colors, and a good stereo audio track without any faults to speak of. in 1080i50 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English LPCM 2.0 stereo with optional English HoH subtitles "Ghost Stories for Christmas with Christopher Lee - Number 13" (2000) (29:20) Produced by BBC Scotland and broadcast on December 29th, 2000, this was the third of four episodes produced that featured the legendary Christopher Lee as an antiquary surrounded by students as he tells them tales of the supernatural, all being tales by M.R. James. Here is his telling of "Number 13", which is entirely narrated by Lee that relies on the listeners' imaginations, as well as having visual cuts to the story he is telling. It may be more chilling than the above episode thanks to Lee's warm yet intimidating voice and his cadence that grips the audience. The episodes were shot in standard definition, and is presented here as so. Note this was previously available on BFI’s “Ghost Stories: Volume 5” DVD release. in 576i AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English LPCM 2.0 stereo with optional English HoH subtitles Booklet A 32 page booklet is included with the first pressing. Included are essays on each of the 1970s productions. "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" is by cinema curator Alex Davidson. "The Ash Tree" is by BFI television consultant Dick Fiddy. "The Signalman" is by Simon Farquhar. "Stigma" is by Helen Wheatley, associate professor in film and television studies at the University of Warwick. "The Ice House" is by Alex Davidson. Each of the essays have great information about each production, their backgrounds, and more which can sometimes include a few spoilers. There are also cast & crew listings, special features information, notes on the transfers, acknowledgements, and stills. The BFI previously released the episodes in five volumes on DVD, covering "episode zero" plus the eight 1970s episodes, plus the first two revival episodes. These were all collected in a "Definitive Collection" 5-disc set. The Blu-ay Volume 2 set carries over all the relevant DVD extras and adds great new commentary tracks for further appreciation plus a great new video essay that covers the 1970s M.R. James penned episodes. Definitely a wonderful upgrade with nothing missing from the previous DVD sets.
Overall
"Ghost Stories for Christmas: Volume 1" is a great conclusion in the HD upgrades for the 1970s series with the second batch of episodes being remastered and collected in this set. With excellent restorations and having a wealth of informative vintage and new extras, this may have some divisive episodes but is still an excellent collection and one of the best television Blu-ray release of the year with high marks to the BFI.
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