MovieChat Forums > Ghostwatch (1992) Discussion > i cant beleive it caused SO MUCH controv...

i cant beleive it caused SO MUCH controversy


Ghostwatch is creepy but considering the films that were coming out theatrically at the time , Candyman, ALien 3, Hellraiser 3 were a lot more shocking and had a heavy creepy atmosphere, was it just because people felt conned?








you must do what you think I right of coarse

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It wasn't compared to such films of the time because some believed that this was real (on the night)...and approached Ghostwatch as a documentary, or at least a televised event (such as Children in Need or Comic Relief). They didn't see beyond the famous faces (such as Parkinson, Smith and Greene), and didn't realise that these household names were actually acting. They were trusted names of their time, well-known television presenters, and so some believed that they were actually fronting an honest, real-life event.

Despite several clues that this was actually a BBC drama... 😶

It then caused controversy because people believed that it actually happened...live on air, and some of the audience included vulnerable individuals and children. Some really believed that the Early family were haunted, that Sarah Greene had been killed on air, and that some demonic dimension was about to unleash itself into their homes...

Think H. G. Wells. This was the War of the Worlds of the 90's... 😮

ELPHABA: Eleka Nahmen Nahmen Ah Tum Ah Tum Eleka Nahmen.

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Hellraiser 3? More shocking and heavy creepy atmosphere? Haha Must have been that CD chucking cenobite.

I collect dead pigeons then I press them between the pages of a book.

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It's not a film though - people knew what they were in for when they watched those horror movies but ghostwatch was a bbc drama that many people thought was a live broadcast, it had very familiar, inoffensive bbc presenters, the viewers were just not prepared for the horror aspects and some didn't realise it was all scripted.

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You're a young poster right? Times have changed. In 1992 people were talking about the radio version of War Of the Worlds the same you are talking about Ghostwatch. In 92 they didn't even have mobile phones.

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I remember when this was first broadcast, and I also remember the reaction afterwards. It's a shame that these closed minded people felt the need to kick up a fuss at the time as nothing as innovative as this has been broadcast since.

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