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Product Description
The second offering in the BBC's 'A Ghost Story for Christmas' series. Paxton (Peter Vaughan) is an archaeologist whose curiosity is aroused by the tale of three crowns buried on the Norfolk coast which, so the story goes, protect England against invasion. When he finds the last of these crowns, he also unwittingly wakes the spectre of their now-dead guardian, who comes after the archaeologist seeking revenge.
Product Description
Made in 1972 as part of BBC TV's much-loved 'A Ghost Story for Christmas' series, this eerie, atmospheric 50 minute production of M.R. James' story, builds to a terrifying climax.
It tells that tale of three fabled crowns buried on the Norfolk coast which according to legend, protect England from invasion. When an amateur archeologist, (Peter Vaughan - Straw Dogs; Zulu Dawn; The Remains of the Day) goes treasure hunting for the last remaining crown he digs up more than he bargained for !.
The dvd also includes a reading of the original story by Sir Michael Hordern.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
What's more scary? A slavering monster in outer space or the disquieting notion that you may not be alone in a dark room? I'd go for the latter any day, and that's the power of plays such as this one where atmosphere triumphs over gloss and CGI.
A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS has a simple plot, but it's the encroaching isolation and emptiness of the setting that make it so effective. It's the still morning mists which may conceal more than you see, and the hints of something just beyond your perceptions that make it "scary".
The "ghost" of this story makes several appearances, all of them being chilling in a way that's difficult to explain. From a simple, indistinct figure watching you from a distance to a stark white face peering at you from the woods at night, all place you ill-at-ease and make you long for the warmth of something tangible & familiar. The ultimate appearance in a blacked-out bedroom made my stomach dip - There's no technical trickery of sudden "BOO" editing - It's the awful dread of sharing this terror with the main character and realising how, as children, we've all seen a "bogeyman" in the shadows of our own homes.
The cast are excellent - We never think Peter Vaugn's likeable amateur archeologist deserves his fate, and the finalé (which I won't share) seems logical yet unjust. These people could be us. We may do the same as them and reap a similar "haunting", and that's what brings the fear closer to home.
I wish more of the MR JAMES plays had been released, as there's really nothing like them on television now. This DVD also has an atmospheric reading of the original story and is equally worth your time.
A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS has a simple plot, but it's the encroaching isolation and emptiness of the setting that make it so effective. It's the still morning mists which may conceal more than you see, and the hints of something just beyond your perceptions that make it "scary".
The "ghost" of this story makes several appearances, all of them being chilling in a way that's difficult to explain. From a simple, indistinct figure watching you from a distance to a stark white face peering at you from the woods at night, all place you ill-at-ease and make you long for the warmth of something tangible & familiar. The ultimate appearance in a blacked-out bedroom made my stomach dip - There's no technical trickery of sudden "BOO" editing - It's the awful dread of sharing this terror with the main character and realising how, as children, we've all seen a "bogeyman" in the shadows of our own homes.
The cast are excellent - We never think Peter Vaugn's likeable amateur archeologist deserves his fate, and the finalé (which I won't share) seems logical yet unjust. These people could be us. We may do the same as them and reap a similar "haunting", and that's what brings the fear closer to home.
I wish more of the MR JAMES plays had been released, as there's really nothing like them on television now. This DVD also has an atmospheric reading of the original story and is equally worth your time.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By S. Hapgood
VINE™ VOICE
Format:VHS Tape
Adapted from an M R James short story "A Warning To The Curious" is an incredibly atmospheric short film (50 minutes long in total) set on the Norfolk coast. Peter Vaughan is a Cockney amateur archaelogist, who comes to Norfolk determined to find the only surviving crown from ancient times. Naturally when he gets to the small fishing village of Seaburg the locals are distinctly unenthusiastic about his presence there. There is something almost like the stark surrealism of "The Wicker Man" about the village scenes.
He finds the grave of a local man, an eccentric, who died several years before, who it is now believed is the evil spirit guarding the final resting-place of the crown. Undaunted by this Vaughan takes his shovel and goes into the woods to dig it up. From then on he finds himself being followed by a strange figure in black, who appears and disappears in the most unexpected fashion.
The scenary in this is quite simply breathtaking, with the gorgeous broad isolated beaches of North Norfolk made good use of. A lot of the mounting tension is also helped by effective use of music. If you want an effective ghost story for the dark winter nights you won't go far wrong with this.
31 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By Darren Ross
Format:DVD
An excellent film! For once this is a BBC adaptation that respects the original text, sticks pretty much to James's story, and is all the better for it. The landscape is brilliantly used, the acting is nicely understated and the mood of the film is pitched just right.
Most importantly, the director has made a genuine attempt to sustain our fear and suspense over the full course of the story (and succeeds). Too many of the BBC adaptations of M R James have inserted pointless social commentary or inexplicably meddled with scenes, thus lessening the fear, but not here. Lawrence Gordon Clark has kept the aim of scaring an audience firmly before him and has made what is arguably the best ever ghost story on film. The simplicity of the mechanisms used to frighten us are almost laughably simple but their fiendish effectiveness puts more expensive special effects to shame. Aside from Psycho, I cannot name one film that genuinely scared me, but I watched A Warning to the Curious with the lights off and it gave me the absolute heebie-jeebies. This is a masterpiece in simple, subtle direction.
Most importantly, the director has made a genuine attempt to sustain our fear and suspense over the full course of the story (and succeeds). Too many of the BBC adaptations of M R James have inserted pointless social commentary or inexplicably meddled with scenes, thus lessening the fear, but not here. Lawrence Gordon Clark has kept the aim of scaring an audience firmly before him and has made what is arguably the best ever ghost story on film. The simplicity of the mechanisms used to frighten us are almost laughably simple but their fiendish effectiveness puts more expensive special effects to shame. Aside from Psycho, I cannot name one film that genuinely scared me, but I watched A Warning to the Curious with the lights off and it gave me the absolute heebie-jeebies. This is a masterpiece in simple, subtle direction.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
i aint seen none of em. i want to. 3 stars is based on cost. for a...
im so tempted i keep com,ing back to these ghost stories based on reviews. tv was at its peak in 70,s thats true that.
Published 4 months ago by tango
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
In my opinion, stands the test of time. Really well adapted and written and excellently performed. Well worth the money.
Published 5 months ago by Wumpty
3.0 out of 5 stars
A frightening story but which suffers from poor 1970s BBC production...
While this is a scary horror film in its own right, with a disturbing atmosphere, I consider it to be one of the less successful adaptations of the MR James ghost story classics. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Dedonno Jason Enzo
5.0 out of 5 stars
a warning to the curious
I remember seeing this on tv at xmas decades ago. Then later watching it with my daughter many years later when she was in her teens. We both agreed that it is extremely spooky. Read more
Published 15 months ago by paultheotherone
5.0 out of 5 stars
ghost stories
If you enjoy good old fashioned ghost stories, then this dvd is for you. i watched these shows back in the seventies, when a younging, and found them spooky. Read more
Published 16 months ago by tinkertracy
5.0 out of 5 stars
staple Christmas fare
For me, Christmas just would not be Christmas without a viewing (or several) of this classic tale. It is a fairly simple supernatural tale based on the short story of the same... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mr. S. J. Meredith
5.0 out of 5 stars
No diggin' 'ere!
One of the best known of the BBC's M. R. James adaptations, this film brilliantly uses the Norfolk settings so beloved by the great author himself. Read more
Published 21 months ago by downkiddie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Creepy UK horror the best
As the title says. Great stuff. I love this tv movie...love it, still has great understated creepy effect. Even after 40 years, its horror effect is still strong.
Published on 16 Sep 2010 by Terence Tan Co
5.0 out of 5 stars
Haunting and haunted
Saw this film on the tele in 1972 and was entranced. I remember the columnist Alan Brien describing it as a film both 'haunting & haunted'. Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2009 by Kerouac fan
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Beautifully Crafted Ghost Story
All the BBC `Ghost Films' seem to be photographed by John McGlashan, and a fine job he does of this M.R. James chiller. Read more
Published on 11 Aug 2008 by Peter H. Mussell
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