MovieChat Forums > Beasts (1976) Discussion > favourite episode?

favourite episode?

posted 11 years ago by vertigothic70
11 replies | jump to latest

Mine is Baby.
Very atmospheric, especially the bit where she's just running through the woods, looking for her cat. For the way they made that kind of simple thing look in the 70s alone, I love that old stuff. Also that creature in the rocking chair, while cheap, looked pretty creepy.

Second is During Barty's Party. The introductory scene with the abandoned car looked great, and I was genuinely disturbed by the noises the damned rats made. I'd be scared out of my wits! It was a wonderful idea, too, to enhance a 'locked room horror' by bringing in the cruelly cheerful radio voice. And best was the ending, not having to see the actual rats, but just the look of horror on the couple's faces.

The other episodes suffered from some problems, I think. The Dummy was rather ridiculous, too psychological, yet too banal. What Big Eyes... sorry, Patrick Magee, that was a bit much. Also the ending was very unsatisfactory. Buddy Boy had an interesting premise, and I liked how the story played out. But the girl... she sounded like she was tripping most of the time, and I found that decidedly off-putting. On the other hand, I was initially annoyed by Pauline Quirke's character in Special Offer, but that turned into a positive advantage as the episode went on. That also notably was the only one in which the disaster actually struck someone who deserved it.

Dolphin Girl and the pregnant wife in Baby hadn't done anything to anyone, but they suffered, while the latter's selfish, stupid townie husband or the obnoxious, wife-stealing actor in The Dummy went unpunished. Seems hardly fair!

I haven't seen anything by Nigel Kneale I haven't liked yet. The best thing about Beasts, especially the two outstanding episodes, is the attention that he paid to the interaction of the characters. The real horror often lurks in the cold carelessness or cruelty with which people treat others, their partners, relatives, colleagues - yes, and animals. Stating the obvious, I know, but especially in comparison to plenty of more recent horror films, good writing of that kind holds up very well. (Obviously, it helps if you like that 70s look.)

[–] combatreview 11 years ago

Have to say, I don't always love Nigel Kneale's writing, but I ALWAYS appreciate the fact that he took the trouble to write drama first and fantasy/horror/science fiction second. The characters, the interpersonal drama, always come first with him - and it does make a rather large amount of telefantasy look trivial and silly when directly compared to his discipline and literary ability.

[–] zombielord-1 10 years ago

Probably Special Offer at the moment, but that may change when I watch the set again.

I miss the red spoiler tags.

[–] combatreview 10 years ago

Personally, During Barty's Party - though I'm almost as fond of Baby and Buddy Boy. I watched the Werewolf one late at night and the climax had me seriously spooked, though.

[–] psychocosmic-1 8 years ago

What an interesting series! Love the Brits as they sure knew how to deal with TV dramatics. I am a horror film collector from Sweden born 1963, and has followed what ever creepiness that was shown on TV, and later in the theatres. Now for my 53d birthday, I have now ordered Beasts from Amazon. I stumbled over it on youtube after finding the British Dead Of Night series from 1972.

Whats so special with Nigel Kneale is that his stories are so damned original in theme plus the mood. Just take Buddyboy, for instance! A ghost dolphin suffering in a way too small tank in a small gloomy place, influencing the other exploited dolphins to commit suicide. Just that, is so damned brilliant and heartfelt. Also its a surprise to find sexy Marianne Morris (from Larraz´s Vampyres 1974)with her heavy tits in there. The rest of that story is really imaginative that after seeing it it stays for weeks. Along with the greatest episodes Baby (supercreepy babylooking animalfreak mummy hidden in the walls of a house) and During Barty´s Party (watching a couples fear!) you have a six unique stories well acted and crafted available on dvd at last! I thought I would die with knowing I would not be able to purchase it, and then I googled on it and it was there, ready to be ordered on Amazon! My birthday is safe now!

My order:
Baby
During Barty´s Party
Buddyboy
SpecialOffer
The Dummy
WhatBigEyes

Happy viewing, folks!

[–] combatreview 8 years ago

This being the case, the next question has to be - have you seen The Stone Tape?

Another Nigel Kneale ghost story, this time feature-length, and with Jane Asher (from Masque of the Red Death). I don't love it as much as his other stuff, but it's Kneale so the writing is calm, measured, and conscientious with proper attention paid to character and theme.

You might also appreciate the rather taut mood of this British kid's show from the mid-80s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuXy58qTLcM

It's only 25 minutes long, but very unsettling... it's from a writer called Alan Garner...

[–] psychocosmic-1 8 years ago

Thanks, combatreview!

Yes, I copied Stonetapes from a friend in the early 2000s. My circle of friends and I kept ordering unusual shows and films from US and UK. That one is also great. Another favorite Brit creeper, but not Kneale, iss Whisper and I Come To You. Incredible! Its such a rewarding experience to watch British horror in the midst of all American stuff that is around. Sweden could have, but apart from a few exceptions, Swede filmmaking and TV has been in the grip of Socio Neo Realism style shunning the supernatural. The atmospheric series by Leif Krantz, Kullamannen(Hillman, 1967), Kråkguldet (Crow´s Gold 1968) and Stora Skälvan (The Big Chill 1972) are shows involving youngsters and their fears, although available on dvd, I dont think they exist with Engl subtitles, which is a pity, because they are great, much in the familiar way of those Brit shows.

I also have the Quatermass films and "Q and the Pit", the TV show.

I will definitely look up that TV show! Thanks!!!

Oh, by the way. It didnt go well finding that show you gave me the link to. Can you please just tell me what its called, that would do it?

Aaah. Did you mean: Spooker 7 The Keeper ?

[–] combatreview 8 years ago

>>>Yes, I copied Stonetapes from a friend in the early 2000s.

Way ahead of me, then!

>>>My circle of friends and I kept ordering unusual shows and films from US and UK. That one is also great.

Glad to hear it. A lot of this older stuff doesn't do well with modern tastes, but I love it, and I always appreciate it when I find there are people with the imagination and broad minds to appreciate the gold that you can find in old TV.

Did you know that The Stone Tape was recently updated for radio? It was adapted by Peter Strickland, who directed 'Berberian Sound Studios'. It was broadcast last Halloween in a double bill with a radio adaptation of The Ring. Pretty sure you can find the radio version of The Stone Tape on youtube...

>>> Another favorite Brit creeper, but not Kneale, iss Whisper and I Come To You. Incredible!

Oh definitely - it was remade a few years back in a version with John Hurt. It's inferior, of course, but it does have some worthwhile strengths including the direction and John Hurt (naturally).

I imagine if you know this one then you've come across the other BBC Christmas Ghost Stories, like The Signalman, The Treasure of Abbot Thomas, A Warning To The Curious?

Howabout 'Schalken The Painter'? A disturbing combination of Arts Documentary and Horror story from the BBC in the later 1970s..?

>>>Its such a rewarding experience to watch British horror in the midst of all American stuff that is around

I'm British myself, so perhaps you'd expect me to agree - but even the British try to make 'American' horror these days. I love the 'old school' of British TV particularly, because it tended to place writing and atmosphere well above more obvious scares.

>>>Swede filmmaking and TV has been in the grip of Socio Neo Realism style shunning the supernatural.

Ah... terrible shame. Funny, considering the way British go gaga for Scandinavian crime dramas these days... it's the dark, gothic tone to it that we seem to love.

>>>The atmospheric series by Leif Krantz, Kullamannen(Hillman, 1967), Kråkguldet (Crow´s Gold 1968) and Stora Skälvan (The Big Chill 1972) are shows involving youngsters and their fears, although available on dvd, I dont think they exist with Engl subtitles

Nonetheless, thank you, I shall certainly bear these recommendations in mind.

>>>I also have the Quatermass films and "Q and the Pit", the TV show.

There was a DVD release a few years back that included the 'complete' BBC Quatermass - that is, the surviving two episodes of the original series, the complete Quatermass II, and of course '...and the Pit'. That may be of interest if you particularly want to see the TV version of QII, which of course does have a more expanded plotline than the film (and a British Professor Quatermass)...

>>Aaah. Did you mean: Spooker 7 The Keeper ?

Yes. It's actually episode 7 of a show called Dramarama: Spooky. Dramarama was a kid's drama anthology from the 80s, which often had scary or unsettling stories, but it began with the 'Spooky' series of 7 episodes. The Keeper is usually thought to be the most unsettling and atmospheric of them. Dramarama: Spooky has been released on DVD, so I doubt it'll be on Youtube forever...

Oh, one last one, a little bit of fun really. As a kid in the 70s/80s, Public Safety Information Films could be wonderful little slices of horror for us kids. I always loved the one about a kid flying a kite near a pylon and getting electrocuted... but a really famous one is 'Dark And Lonely Water' - ninety seconds of disturbing images warning about the perils of drowning, and featuring the scary voice of Donald Pleasance. It's on youtube a few times if you search for it...

[–] psychocosmic-1 8 years ago

Hi! Long reply! I love long posts!
1.
>>>Yes, I copied Stonetapes from a friend in the early 2000s.
Way ahead of me, then!

***We started ordering way back in the 90s actually. There was a big thing with US mailorder companies selling new or just copied videotapes of shows and features.

2.
Glad to hear it. A lot of this older stuff doesn't do well with modern tastes, but I love it, and I always appreciate it when I find there are people with the imagination and broad minds to appreciate the gold that you can find in old TV.
**You should know by now that I was raised in the 60s and early 70s (born 63) and it was an unique period where European countries made films together, trash, exploitation and horror. Spain was one of the leading horrorproducers, can you imagine? In Sweden something fantastic happened. The classic Hammer films was released in the theatres, but Thanks to a new filmboss on TV, we were for the first time with our 2 only channels, exposed to the classic 50s Sci Fi films during spring 1972, and in the summer the classic Universal horrorfilms from 1930s. All of Swede population was gathered around our TVs watching this. It created a modern mythology in our consciousness. At the same time as we in school talked and acted out these "podpeople","Thing frozen in the ice" and "timetravels" they released horror comicbooks in droves. I went crazy, started to spend all my weekly salary on those mags. On top of that, a pocketbook series with classic sci fi and horror stories(from Lovecraft&Hodgson via Matheson&Finney&Aldiss to contemporary 70s authors), and AURORA modelkit monsters and..you see? A whole generation of brainwatched horror fans was created! But I also watched TV dramas, Engl and Swedish, and learned about acting and "realism" which was really good. So I am very proud and grateful for being exposed to this, along with all great music within those films/TVshows and rockbands.

Did you know that The Stone Tape was recently updated for radio? It was adapted by Peter Strickland, who directed 'Berberian Sound Studios'. It was broadcast last Halloween in a double bill with a radio adaptation of The Ring. Pretty sure you can find the radio version of The Stone Tape on youtube...
***It must be really creepy only hearing this show. Very effective!

3.
>>> Another favorite Brit creeper, but not Kneale, iss Whisper and I Come To You. Incredible!

Oh definitely - it was remade a few years back in a version with John Hurt. It's inferior, of course, but it does have some worthwhile strengths including the direction and John Hurt (naturally).
***I actually dont bother to watch remakes anymore. I know beforehand that they never match the originals. But I do like Hurt though.
4.
I imagine if you know this one then you've come across the other BBC Christmas Ghost Stories, like The Signalman, The Treasure of Abbot Thomas, A Warning To The Curious?
******Yes, yes but "warning to the curious" no. There are so many things available on youtube.
5.
Howabout 'Schalken The Painter'? A disturbing combination of Arts Documentary and Horror story from the BBC in the later 1970s..?
********Never heard of. Like NightGallery? Will check it out!

>>>Its such a rewarding experience to watch British horror in the midst of all American stuff that is around
6.
I'm British myself, so perhaps you'd expect me to agree - but even the British try to make 'American' horror these days. I love the 'old school' of British TV particularly, because it tended to place writing and atmosphere well above more obvious scares.
*********I didnt doubt a minute that you were British!Haha! But also, both Brit and US shows share during in those days, the main characters as very likeable, in fact its impossible not to be fond of the characters, there is a warmth in them that makes the threat in these shows and films so effective.
7.
>>>Swede filmmaking and TV has been in the grip of Socio Neo Realism style shunning the supernatural.
Ah... terrible shame. Funny, considering the way British go gaga for Scandinavian crime dramas these days... it's the dark, gothic tone to it that we seem to love.
******Yeeah! Dark..and COLD! I hate Swedish films because I dislike the characters. Bleeauughhgh!!

8.
>>>The atmospheric series by Leif Krantz, Kullamannen(Hillman, 1967), Kråkguldet (Crow´s Gold 1968) and Stora Skälvan (The Big Chill 1972) are shows involving youngsters and their fears, although available on dvd, I dont think they exist with Engl subtitles

Nonetheless, thank you, I shall certainly bear these recommendations in mind.
******Both of the two first ones are iconic to Swedes (and Scandinavians as well) with beautiful cinematography and (1st one) artjazz impressionist soundtrack. I really wonder why they didnt put Engl subtitles on them on the dvd releases, it s so easy!)

>>>I also have the Quatermass films and "Q and the Pit", the TV show.
9.
There was a DVD release a few years back that included the 'complete' BBC Quatermass - that is, the surviving two episodes of the original series, the complete Quatermass II, and of course '...and the Pit'. That may be of interest if you particularly want to see the TV version of QII, which of course does have a more expanded plotline than the film (and a British Professor Quatermass)... .

****I would love to see Q 2 TV. I consider Quatermass 2 one of the greatest horrorfilms of the 50s

10.
>>Aaah. Did you mean: Spooker 7 The Keeper ?

Yes. It's actually episode 7 of a show called Dramarama: Spooky. Dramarama was a kid's drama anthology from the 80s, which often had scary or unsettling stories, but it began with the 'Spooky' series of 7 episodes. The Keeper is usually thought to be the most unsettling and atmospheric of them. Dramarama: Spooky has been released on DVD, so I doubt it'll be on Youtube forever...
*************Yeah I saaw it. For kids? Haha. The fact is I started to abuse my jobtime yesterday by alone in the office watching a couple of other Britshows. One was called RidingHood something, about a library assistent virgin who completely are corrupted by a handsome man in grandma´s apartment. I kinda like when the end is open and makes you speculate. Also, and this was a great terrorshow, Thriller: A Killer In Every Corner! Wow!
11.
Oh, one last one, a little bit of fun really. As a kid in the 70s/80s, Public Safety Information Films could be wonderful little slices of horror for us kids. I always loved the one about a kid flying a kite near a pylon and getting electrocuted... but a really famous one is 'Dark And Lonely Water' - ninety seconds of disturbing images warning about the perils of drowning, and featuring the scary voice of Donald Pleasance. It's on youtube a few times if you search for it...
***********I will definitely look it up. I think I understand wahat you are describing. What a great topic! Isnt it? I gotta go now and prepare for the family comin over to visit. I hope to chat more with you in the future!

Take care! Haver a nice weekend!

[–] combatreview 8 years ago

>>We started ordering way back in the 90s actually. There was a big thing with US mailorder companies selling new or just copied videotapes of shows and features.

Something I find strange - but useful in the internet age - is that some British TV has never had a domestic video release, but does make it onto DVD elsewhere in the world. Quite often, in fact.

>>>You should know by now that I was raised in the 60s and early 70s (born 63)

I'm trailing a little more than ten years behind you - but still, I think we were both born before a certain Big Change for the way this kind of storytelling used to be.

>>>Spain was one of the leading horrorproducers, can you imagine?

Strange indeed - very few Spanish horror films made it here, probably because the Hammers and quasi-Hammers formed an impenetrable wall... though there's been a recent revival in interest in European horror - I saw 'Who Can Kill A Child' quite recently... very impressive, and it made Children of the Corn look incredibly derivative.

>>>Thanks to a new filmboss on TV, we were for the first time with our 2 only channels, exposed to the classic 50s Sci Fi films during spring 1972, and in the summer the classic Universal horrorfilms from 1930s

Now I can actually relate to this from my 1980s childhood. Although the Universal horrors were always shown late at night (when I finally saw one I was only shocked by how child-friendly they were), all of the sci-fi and monster films were shown at times when children could see them. At that time it was very much the norm for old film and TV to be shown on the BBC - so I grew up with American cartoons alongside Laurel & Hardy, silent Harold Lloyd comedies, 1930s Chapterplays of Zorro, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers... unending reruns of Jonny Weismuller as Tarzan, Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, and so on. My fondest memories are of the 'monster' season of films shown just after kids TV had finished - starting with King Kong, naturally... and the science fiction season which had things like War of the Worlds, Invaders From Mars, and so on...

These days, it's extremely rare for mainstream TV here to show anything particularly old. I worry about kids growing up without a proper 'black and white' cultural education...

Best of all it was very common to have European serials shown here dubbed into English - all of them at least slightly weird, most famously the gorgeous fairy tale 'The Singing Ringing Tree' from East Germany. It was shown many times here, usually before Christmas, and terrified generations of kids.

>>>It created a modern mythology in our consciousness

Right, exactly. And exactly what has now been lost, I think.

>>>they released horror comicbooks in droves.

My generation missed out on those a bit - though there was a proper horror comic called SCREAM which lasted a few months when I was 10...

>>>A whole generation of brainwatched horror fans was created!

We're rarer creatures in Britain, but those of us who wanted horror had a similar experience, I think. There's even a new book about it called 'Seventies Monster Memories':

http://horrorpedia.com/2015/11/30/70s-monster-memories-book/

>>>Did you know that The Stone Tape was recently updated for radio?
>>>It must be really creepy only hearing this show. Very effective!

Yeah, if any story is suited to audio...

>>I actually dont bother to watch remakes anymore. I know beforehand that they never match the originals.

Understandable - but sometimes you get gold. Actually the remake of Whistle & I'll Come To You has a really good atmosphere and great acting... it's just that they changed the story in a stupid and obvious way that spoils it.

>>>Yes, yes but "warning to the curious" no. There are so many things available on youtube.

Aha, well... see, Whistle & I'll Come To You was very successful and inspired a 'series' of BBC ghost stories, usually for Christmas Day. It's a bit of a Christmas tradition actually - The Stone Tape was a Christmas drama.

But this series, the 'Ghost Stories For Christmas' began with more M.R. James adaptations 'The Stalls of Barchester', and then 'Warning To The Curious' - which is very nerve-jangling and creepy. Then:

Lost Hearts
The Treasure of Abbot Thomas
The Ash Tree
The Signalman (Charles Dickens instead of M.R. James now)

Then they went modern with two less successful ghost stories, 'Stigma' and 'The Ice House', and the series ended.

There was an attempt to revive it with 'Schalken The Painter' which is technically an arts programme, but also an adaptation of a J. Sheridan Le Fanu story. Very slow, but very atmospheric.

However, these ghost stories became a cult, and they were revived in 2005, for two more M.R. James adaptations, deliberately in the same style as the 1970s ones:

A View From A Hill
Number 13

Then, a little while later the remake of 'Whistle'... and then some time later another one, called The Tractate Middoth (also on Youtube). But that one, while deliberately imitating the 70s plays is also a bit quirky and has more humour to it.

I say all of this because with the exception of Schalken and Tractate, these have ALL been released in a single DVD boxed set now. Schalken's also been released on disc.

There are lots of other Christmas scary-dramas in British TV history, but when people talk about the 'Ghost Story For Christmas', it's this sequence of plays they mean.

>>I would love to see Q 2 TV

Actually... it is on Youtube, if you search for 'Quatermass II'.

>>Yeah I saaw it. For kids? Haha.

I know! It's one I didn't see as a kid, and I'm quite glad cos even though it would have been shown at 4.30 in the afternoon it would have been terrifying to me. When I finally saw it as an adult it definitely had me spooked.

>>>One was called RidingHood something, about a library assistent virgin who completely are corrupted by a handsome man in grandma´s apartment

You know, I don't think I know this one. It's not on youtube is it?

>>>and this was a great terrorshow, Thriller: A Killer In Every Corner! Wow!

Oh yes, Thriller - from the guy who created The Avengers. I've not seen much of it (slightly before my time) but I did get the DVD set in a sale, so I should really get on to that...

These one-off dramas used to be pretty normal at one time. I remember one drama and have no idea what it was killed (perhaps it was a Thriller episode) about a blind man who is menaced by a mute young man who at first just hangs around, and then starts to terrorise him.

There was also regular terror supplied on Saturday nights by 'Tales of the Unexpected'. This ran for years - many episodes were lame, but the best were really, really good.

My personal favourite is 'The Fly Paper' - again, available on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKBcM5hGDiE

Very short, but very upsetting at the end..!

>>>What a great topic! Isnt it?

I think so - I particularly love the stuff that scared me growing up. Sometimes it's better than I remember... and I generally love the older, more theatrical style of TV. Thank god for Youtube...

[–] psychocosmic-1 8 years ago

Hi!

Something I find strange - but useful in the internet age - is that some British TV has never had a domestic video release, but does make it onto DVD elsewhere in the world. Quite often, in fact.

****Yes thats strange! Strange globalisation!

>>>Spain was one of the leading horrorproducers, can you imagine?

Strange indeed - very few Spanish horror films made it here, probably because the Hammers and quasi-Hammers formed an impenetrable wall... though there's been a recent revival in interest in European horror - I saw 'Who Can Kill A Child' quite recently... very impressive, and it made Children of the Corn look incredibly derivative.

****Well yeah, Once England were no 1 in Horror you know. Until US came back in the second half of the 70s. Its incredible how much, even discounting Hammer, how many films you made. I was so surprised when I started watching a dvd with bl/w early Hammer thrillers, like Never take candy from a stranger, Stop me before I Kill. They are so damned good I couldnt get it off my head! About Spain, I guess there were mainly but a few producers of Spanish horror actually, where Joacinto Molina (aka Paul Naschy)a weightlifter, went around with a crazy script involving werewolf and vampires, in Spain, Italy and Germany. Finally he found some funders, the result was La Marca de los Hombre Lobos (Frankensteins Bloody Terror) in 1967. From then on Spain got their own Gothic Monster world, in the midst of the fascist Franco regime. They often went to Italy or France when shooting, as it was illegal to do it in Spain like porn. Suddenly, when Franco died in 1975, the horrorboom died, like over night. Really strange when you think about how popular it was everywhere. As a kid, My sister fixed me the swedish version poster that is now on my wall, of Assignment Terror, an Euro co-production involving Naschy as werewolf along with Frankenstein Monster, The Mummy and Dracula, all resurrected by aliens who wants to take over the Earth! She saw it in the theatre and I was home full of envy from her watching anything she liked.!!!

Now I can actually relate to this from my 1980s childhood. Although the Universal horrors were always shown late at night (when I finally saw one I was only shocked by how child-friendly they were), all of the sci-fi and monster films were shown at times when children could see them. At that time it was very much the norm for old film and TV to be shown on the BBC - so I grew up with American cartoons alongside Laurel & Hardy, silent Harold Lloyd comedies, 1930s Chapterplays of Zorro, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers... unending reruns of Jonny Weismuller as Tarzan, Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, and so on. My fondest memories are of the 'monster' season of films shown just after kids TV had finished - starting with King Kong, naturally... and the science fiction season which had things like War of the Worlds, Invaders From Mars, and so on...

*****Thats amazing!!! All that you mentioned was part of my childhood. Just bring in Buster Keaton and a few Samuraifilms by Kurosawa, and boy what a film education that was. Great, isnt it? Hmm, no, they never aired King Kong actually, until the 80s.

These days, it's extremely rare for mainstream TV here to show anything particularly old. I worry about kids growing up without a proper 'black and white' cultural education...

Y********Yes. Its very sad how streamlined TV is nowadays. Its like as if all old films are like "Fine Art".Has to be ordered from Amazon. My little daughter dont want to watch bl/w either. Though I showed her King Kong once.

Best of all it was very common to have European serials shown here dubbed into English - all of them at least slightly weird, most famously the gorgeous fairy tale 'The Singing Ringing Tree' from East Germany. It was shown many times here, usually before Christmas, and terrified generations of kids.
***Hmm. I have a list of all you have recommended. I just write down everything in there.

Right, exactly. And exactly what has now been lost, I think.

****Can you imagine? Way back in 2005 I think, I went to evening class in rhetoric. First in English then one in Swedish. We were allowed to write our own tiny speeches and perform them. And when the time came for the final big speech at the end of the term, I chose "The Monster Icons" haha. I tried to bring out the seriousness and actual need for monsters. What the different monsters really try to tell us. You know, their allegorical deeper meaning. Cool!

My generation missed out on those a bit - though there was a proper horror comic called SCREAM which lasted a few months when I was 10...

****Whats was so cool in the early 70s Sweden was that the comics derived from different ages. One big book was from 1950s E.C classics. There were Marvel monsterstories from early 60s, so was Boris Karloffs Tales of Terror, and CHOCK in bl/w was compilations of the very matured adult horror from the late 60s Eerie and Creepy (Warren).Sometimes pure poetry and full of philosofical and psychological insight. Very educational. Ive got every single 70s horror comicbook/mag apart from 6!!

We're rarer creatures in Britain, but those of us who wanted horror had a similar experience, I think. There's even a new book about it called 'Seventies Monster Memories':
http://horrorpedia.com/2015/11/30/70s-monster-memories-book/

*******That is crazy! Must check it out! You see, when I was a kid I cut out and saved all pictures and reviews of the TV films out from the mags and newspapers. So, about 8 years ago I started to write all my memories from TV and later the theatres. But mainly TV from the earliest I can remember. Then I started to arrange all pics I had and it became my book "Raised with horror". I havent checked out yet what you told me, but I only made 5 copies of this very expensive project. It would never had been released anyways in this bloody unimaginative country.

Ihave seen a bunch of the 70s trillcreeepers on youtube including the ones I ve mentioned.
But this series, the 'Ghost Stories For Christmas' began with more M.R. James adaptations 'The Stalls of Barchester', and then 'Warning To The Curious' - which is very nerve-jangling and creepy. Then:

Lost Hearts
The Treasure of Abbot Thomas
The Ash Tree
The Signalman (Charles Dickens instead of M.R. James now)

***Yes, Ive seen Signalman and abbot Thomas but not the others. It was just a month ago I discovered them. I also stumbled upon the fragmented series Dead of Night 72. A thing that was released on dvd with only 3 episodes, where I think the Exorcism and Weeping Woman was really good.

I say all of this because with the exception of Schalken and Tractate, these have ALL been released in a single DVD boxed set now. Schalken's also been released on disc.
****Wow! Great! What is that dvd collection called? Well. I started to buy stuff online and I now have to take it easy for a while for financial reasons, still waiting for Nigel Kneale´sBeast

Actually... it is on Youtube, if you search for 'Quatermass II'.
********I take note!

>>>One was called RidingHood something, about a library assistent virgin who completely are corrupted by a handsome man in grandma´s apartment

You know, I don't think I know this one. It's not on youtube is it?

****Yes. Everything I tell you is on youtube. But what was the shows name? Dont remember..

>>>and this was a great terrorshow, Thriller: A Killer In Every Corner! Wow!

Oh yes, Thriller - from the guy who created The Avengers. I've not seen much of it (slightly before my time) but I did get the DVD set in a sale, so I should really get on to that...

These one-off dramas used to be pretty normal at one time. I remember one drama and have no idea what it was killed (perhaps it was a Thriller episode) about a blind man who is menaced by a mute young man who at first just hangs around, and then starts to terrorise him.

*****Well..these are the mysteries of our blurred memories. What I wrote in my book was also these never-knew-what-the-show-was-called things. I started to sketch them up, but there are many things I cant put my fingers on. Even weird menacing Swedish TV dramas with hideous insuinations...

'Tales of the Unexpected'. This ran for years - many episodes were lame, but the best were really, really good. My personal favourite is 'The Fly Paper' - again, available on Youtube:
****Yes. Written and hosted by Roald Dahl? They showed it on TV during a couple of years actually.Even if a series seems lame, one can find real gems. I wished I just could copy from youtube all the golden ones. What a collection that could be.

*******In my collecting of horrorfilms Ive tried to get hold on episodic films as well. Like tales from the Crypt. Still want House that Dripped Blood which is pretty good. Horror fits so well for the short format, both in literature, film&TV and comics...

Thank god for Youtube...
*****Yeah! I can find myself just sitting watching TV stuff instead of movies. Its o exciting...Thanks combarreview! 😊
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I ordered that damned brick of a Memorial 70s Monster Book from Ebay! Only 6 books left they said!

[–] sillyspaghetti 8 years ago

The Dummy (actually thought the monster was quite cute!)
Special Offer
What Big Eyes
Buddy Boy
Baby
Barty's Party