Monday 23 January 2012

22/01/12 The Stone Tape (1972)

Essentially a haunted house tale, but its description as a 'filmed play' is pretty fair as it is very stage-like, frequently to the point of naffness.

Progressive in some ways (the use and belief in technology over superstition), but embarassingly dated in many others (pretty much everything else: the actual tech used, the fucking terrible acting, the plethora of un-ironic moustaches, the clothes and, worse of all, the one female character is frequently talked to in a 'There, there. You're just a woman' kinda way).

What is brilliant is the appearance of the company boss near the end who's a cross between Swiss Tony and Peter Wyngarde (Google them, you spastic) and the computer seen near the end which is, seriously, a washing machine with a perspex box on top!

This has the flippin' ubiquitous James Cosmo looking about 15, Jane Asher looking about 52 (even though she was in her mid-twenties), a staircase that looks just like one from Resident Evil 4 and lots of people claiming it's fucking amazing, according to Wikipedia. It's not. 'Whistle And I'll Come To You' or the previously reviewed 'The Signalman' are both greatly superior entries to the now dead Ghost Story At Christmas series from vintage Brit TV archives. The end is agreeably prickly though.

Typing this whilst drunk, so I care even less than usual what any cunt from the 'net might think, but if you need further info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stone_Tape

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069316/



And there's the full film if you fancy a peek.

Cheers.

                                                                     Perkin.

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