Casting The Runes

Average customer rating:

Look Elsewhere If You Want To Be Scared

Applaud Network dvd

Return of a 70s Thriller

A classic 70's M R James ghost story dvd

Fab YTV release of a forgotten classic

Casting The Runes
Starring: Edward Petherbridge , Jan Francis , and Iain Cuthbertson
Manufacturer: Network
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

A Warning To The Curious (BBC Ghost Story For Christmas) [1972]

From Beyond The Grave [1973]

Night Of The Eagle [1962]

The Signalman (BBC Ghost Story For Christmas) [1976]

The Complete Ghost Stories of M.R. James (Volume One): 1

ASIN: B000TP4FT8
Release Date: 2007-08-27

Customer Reviews:

Look Elsewhere If You Want To Be Scared.......2007-12-29

I have racked my brains to come up with words to fit this DVD. I can only come up with one word - dire! There is no tension, no suspense, no atmosphere, no terror, the acting is extremely wooden and the interior sets look like an am dram production. At no time does the "heroine" appear to be truly upset, terrified and frantic about the situation she finds herself in.

I know it was made in the 1970's by Yorkshire Television so some allowance must be made for the passing of years. However, this is not an excuse for turning a tale of terror into something you could show a five year old. I only enjoyed the scenes in the snow because it is such a rarity nowadays to see snow in the South East of England.

Take my advice, do not waste your money. If you want to see Casting The Runes at its very best, then get Night Of The Demon starring Dana Andrews. It is the same story but told how it should be told. In fact it is a movie classic. Filmed in black and white, full of atmosphere, full of suspense as to whether the hero can save himself before time runs out. The villain, Carswell in this version is very sinister indeed and the runes are cast to a man, Dana Andrews and not a woman. It is edge of your seat stuff. A superb production.

I knew how the story ended and to be honest I was so bored with waiting for any excitement or tension to commence that I turned it off before the end. There is no way I could or would recommend this t.v. production to anyone.

Like I said above, do yourself a real favour and purchase Night Of The Demon instead.

Applaud Network dvd.......2007-10-30

Whilst not reaching the heights of his BBC James adaptations, Lawrence Gordon Clark's late 70s ITV excursion is a very worthy piece of unnerving tv. Cuthbertson plays the Aleister Crowley inspired figure in this contemporary take on James' tale. The cheesy, "Tales Of The Unexected" like ending notwithstanding, this Nigel Kneale-like offering is a must for fans of the superb BBC MR James adaptations.

Also included is a made for schools adaptation. This short, low budget film was apparently made solely to demonstrate how music is used to accompany drama on tv (or film) & was aired on a schools music programme. Introduced by a young, floppy haired professor of music, whose musings on the nature of music for televised drama would be hard for an intelligent adult to grasp, let alone a school child, this generally unexceptional adaptation of an MR James story has a climax that, considering its purpose (music education!), the audience it was intended for (school children!) & time of broadcast (morning/early afternoon!), is brilliantly & terrifyingly done, a real surprise!...in fact, in terms of "MR James-ness", it's superior to "Casting the Runes".

Strangely, the figure on the dvd cover is reminiscent of the "Salem's Lot" vampire figure...there is one moment in "Mr Humphreys..." that is amazingly similar to a moment in "Salem's Lot".

Network dvd do a great service for fans of archive tv, buy this release & support their work.

Return of a 70s Thriller.......2007-10-21

This film has been unavailable for years and it's a pleasure to see it available again. (Very) loosely based in MR James' short story it was made in the '70s and so you have to be prepared for rather garish clothes and the then fashionable cynicism in the script. The lead character, played by Jan Francis conveys a real sense of fear, in opposition to Ian Cuthbertsons' rather florid Karswell. The main problem is poor special effects, which are a bit reminiscent of Doctor Who from the same time period! The effects aren't at the 'sheet on a fishing line' level of Millers' ''Oh Whistle'' production, but it doesn't help the plot. Those who have read MR James original story, or seen Lawrence Gordon Clarkes' earlier MR James adaptations might be a bit disappointed, but this production does build a genuine sense of menace. The ending has been altered and isn't altogether convincing, but this DVD is still well worth seeing. Also, the extras are very good, although Mr Humpreys and his inheritance is too short and ironically, the theme music is too intrusive.

A classic 70's M R James ghost story dvd.......2007-09-12

M R James classic ghost story Casting The Runes was made in the late 1970's by Yorkshire television. The story has a 70's feel about it and some of the changes from location to studio look rather obvious but that just adds to the charm. This is a pritty scary programme for its time (helped by the earie music score) and has an excellent cast including Jan Francis (Howards Way), David Calder (Star Cops) and Edward Petherbridge (Strong Poison). I won't ruin the polt for you by giving a detailed synopsis but if your a fan of M R James you know what a treat you have in store. Casting The Runes is very similar to the BBC Ghost Story For Christmas adaptions which were also made in the 70's and also adapted several M R James stories (when are we going to get more of them released on dvd).

Also included in the dvd are two further M R James programmes. First up is Mr Humphreys And His Inheritance which was shown in 1976 as part of the ITV schools programme on music in drama. This is a real bonus as it is a very rare piece of tv history and again has some jumpy bits in it. Finally we are treated to A Pleasant Terror which is a facinating biopic on the life of M R James presented by Bill Wallis. A Pleasent Terror has been edited as some of the clips are copyrighted material (I seem to remember that alot of the clips were from the various Ghost Story For Christmas adaptions).

So once again Network have pulled out all the stops and released another piece of tv heaven at a very reasonable price too. The prints may be a little grainy in places but for their age look pritty good. If, like me, you love the old 70's ghost stories what were made for tv then this dvd is for you

Fab YTV release of a forgotten classic.......2007-07-31

I have had this on nth generation VHS for years, and, despite a somewhat obvious ending, this is a real classic. Filmed in the winter of 1978 by Yorkshire TV (and therefore presumably in the Yorkshire region), it stars a gorgeous Jan Francis and post-Budgie Iain Cuthberson, and eerie music (de rigeur at that time period). Only a short item, this is a steal at the price and will probably be best enjoyed during winter months with a cheeky glass of red wine.

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