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The Stone Tape [1972]


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A lot of SHOUTING
Review date: 2008-03-30 Rating: 6 out of 10

Simply put this film is worth a lot although I would not spend to much money finding out what its like try for example to loan it from a friend or perhaps rent it from Amazon. The story and direction are for the most decent however some scenes and the way in witch they are executed would leave a lot of people baffled and if like me you watched in wonder as most people shouted even when it was supposed to be a tender moment. One other thing I noticed was the name of the Electronics Company RYAN, and every now and then the main character would make a reference to him in an Irish accent very funny. Must be what BA does when they talk about Ryanair! Thanks for reading and enjoy the Stone SHOUTING tape. not bad perhaps a remake would not be a bad Idea but keep it simple and eliminate the shouting during normal dialog.

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Reviews


Not at all what I remembered
Review date: 2007-11-25 Rating: 4 out of 10

Sadly this is one of those programmes that was probably best left to memory. It really scared me as a young child and so I was quite excited when it came out. Unfortunately it has dated horribly. Its not the effects mentioned by other reviewers that are the problem. Its the simply dreadful 70s acting which seems to involve increasingly frenzied shouting that completely distracts from any plot and destroys any atmosphere the production might have had. It became a real trial to get through, which is a great shame given the memories that I had of it....

Haunting, in more ways than one......
Review date: 2007-07-18 Rating: 8 out of 10

It stays with you, The Stone Tape, once you have seen it it won't let you go. The premise is very simple but also very clever: a team of scientists researching new recording mediums discover that one of the rooms in the old Victorian mansion where they are based is haunted. Gradually it occurs to them that the very stone of the walls may, in some way, hold the memory of the tragic events of the past and be playing them back over and over again. Some members of the team, and in particular the computer expert Jill (played by Jane Asher) appear to be more susceptible to the ghostly sounds and apparitions than others. As the research continues Jill appears to be edging ever closer to a complete breakdown, becoming more and more obsessed with the apparitions and believing they merely mask something far more malevolent and sinister. The rest of the team remain sceptical, but as events unfold Jill becomes increasingly convinced that she is right.

The script by Nigel Kneale is beautifully pitched, giving the key characters plenty of background and making them live as individuals: the team leader, Peter, for example (played by Michael Bryant) with his disintegrating marriage and endless infidelities; and Collinson (Iain Cuthbertson), sober, efficient and level-headed, and perhaps just a little more interested in Jill than is strictly healthy. The script also moves the story along at a good pace, leaving gentle pauses between the moments that make you jump, lulling you into that false sense of quiet ease before the next nerve-shredding jolt. Some of the acting is slightly less impressive however. Jane Asher is superb throughout, but several of the other cast members seem to be giving it all they've got at moments when subtle understatement should have been the order of the day. By pitching their performances towards the highly-strung end of the spectrum straight from the off they leave themselves nowhere to go when events at the mansion spiral out of control.

The special effects aren't bad for 1972 - indeed the fleeting glimpses of the ghost herself are genuinely creepy - and while it's quite obvious the whole story is studio-bound the sets are imaginatively realised. It's a great little programme, and watching it made me wish televison today could be so thought-provoking and challenging.

It's scary too, which is the clinching factor with any ghost story, and if you don't believe me watch it late at night with the lights out...... When the screaming starts, it will get to you.....



Adequate but poorly realised speculative fiction
Review date: 2006-06-09 Rating: 6 out of 10

I should start by saying that I am a big fan of Nigel Kneale's fiction. Ever since seeing "Quatermass and the Pit" when I was a youngster I have been captivated by two things that are the hallmarks of his work. The first is a terrific sense of atmosphere and place. His stories evoke the low-key but relentless fear that arises from dread of the unknown or uncanny, without resorting to cheap shocks. The second is his recurring theme of the scientific, rational world suddenly being confronted by irrational and uncontrollable occult or spiritual events. The tension he develops in his characters as they deal with these situations is what makes his stories interesting. He writes good dialogue and paces his stories well.

All these elements are present in "The Stone Tape", which had the potential to be a really chilling program. Unfortunately, however, I really felt it only deserves 3 stars, for the script, camerawork and sound effects.

What kills the show is the acting and direction, which vary from adequate to abysmal. This is particularly damaging as the worst acting is delivered by the lead characters. Michael Bryant, as the head of the research team, is incapable of registering any emotion other than constant ranting aggression. I had the impression that the script called for a character who was tough-as-nails, made no compromises, and could "get things done" (a typical Nigel Kneale hero). However Bryant fails to deliver such a performance, and spends most of the time simply shouting and being annoying. Either his acting range was very limited, or he was being very badly directed.

I suspect that the latter was in fact the case, as the director (Peter Sasdy) is unable to generate the atmosphere of quiet dread that is crucial for the story. There were occasions of chill and tension, but he did not have the skill to sustain and join these moments to create a sense of momentum for the story. The fear and mystery just fizzled out each time. This is a great pity as in the hands of a more skillful director who took things at a more measured pace the plot could have developed the right sense of menace and mounting horror which it clearly needed.

"The Stone Tape" is worth viewing if you are a genuine enthusiast of this genre or are keen to see everything by Nigel Kneale, but it would probably be a disappointment for most casual viewers or anyone expecting the sort of visceral horror that is more usually seen in modern productions. The best popular introduction to Kneale, and arguably his most professionally realised work, is the 1967 Hammer film (not TV) version of "Quatermass and the Pit" (AKA 5 Million Years to Earth).

Shockingly bad horror
Review date: 2006-03-29 Rating: 4 out of 10

Sheer torture. This hokum could have been condensed into forty minutes and might have been more watchable for that.

Bad sets, chronic script, hammy acting, zero suspense and awful special effects. Rent this for novelty value, certainly dont buy it! No wonder its never been on again!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Michael Bates
Iain Cuthbertson
Michael Bryant
Jane Asher
Reginald Marsh

Creators:
Michael Bryant (Primary Contributor)
Jane Asher (Primary Contributor)
Innes Lloyd (Producer)
Nigel Kneale (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Bfi Video
Manufacturer: Bfi Video
EAN: 5035670000000
Binding: VHS Tape
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2001-08-20
Number of discs: 1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Running time: 89 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1972-12-25

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