A few follow-up bits of info:Ghost Stories
Classic adaptions from the BBC
A View From a Hill / Number 13
The fifth and final volume of films from the BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas series will be released by the BFI on 29 October. The release of A View From a Hill and Number 13 brings this much anticipated collection to a total of a dozen films across five volumes, which will also be released together in a 5-disc DVD box set, Ghost Stories for Christmas, on the same date.
These two relatively recent adaptions of classic MR James stories perfectly complement the vintage films on the previous volumes. They were broadcast as part of a BBC revival of the much loved seasonal A Ghost Story for Christmas series during the last five years.
A View From a Hill (Luke Watson, 2005)
When young museum curator Fanshawe is sent to catalogue a debt-laden squire’s archaeological collection, he uses a pair of homemade binoculars borrowed from his genial host to survey local ‘Gallows Hill’. The glasses seem to give him a strange new ability and, ignoring all warnings about their necromantic creator, Fanshawe carries out his historical researches. But the bloody past of the area is best left undisturbed. Adapted from a short tale by MR James, the master of the English ghost story, A View From a Hill remains faithful in spirit to its literary creator, with an excellent lead performance from Mark Letheren as the uptight, doomed Fanshawe.
Number 13 (Pier Wilkie, 2006)
Dissatisfied with his hotel room, Professor Anderson (played by Greg Wise) demands to be moved to number 12 where he can work undisturbed. But, infuriated by the ghoulish noises made nightly by his neighbour, he is soon driven to investigate the diabolical secrets of the old hotel and its mysteriously vanishing room 13. MR James’ spooky tale was shot in the grounds and library of Winchester Cathedral, lending a rich period atmosphere to this terrifying adaptation.
Special features
• Ghost Stories for Christmas with Christopher Lee – ‘Number 13’ by MR James (2000): Ronald Frame’s adaptation is brought to life by horror maestro Christopher Lee
• Illustrated booklet with newly commissioned essays by Jonathan Rigby and Simon McCallum
Product details
RRP: £19.99 / cat. no. BFIBVD963 / Cert 12
UK / 2005 + 2006 / colour / English language / 39 mins + 40 mins / DVD9 / Original aspect ratio 1.78:1 (16x9 anamorphic) / Dolby Digital mono audio (320kbps)
1. The absence of the Christopher Lee version of The Ash Tree is not an accident - apparently there were unspecified third-party rights complications. Which is why it wasn't included in the Australian box set either.
2. The discs in the box set will include hard-of-hearing subtitles, but will otherwise be identical to the individually-released discs.
3. The box set will contain a single booklet, which will contain most, but not all, of the content of the individual booklets. It's probably a safe bet that you'll get all of the pieces on individual films, but some of the overarching essays apparently had to be dropped for reasons of space.