The Stone Tape (1972) Limited Edition (blu-ray review).
Nigel Kneale wrote ‘The Stone Tape’, which debuted as a BBC TV show in 1972. I’m not sure how I overlooked this one, unless I was completely occupied with school exams.
A research team, under the leadership of Peter Brock (actor Michael Bryant), resides in an old Victorian house under the care of Roy Collinson (actor Iain Cuthbertson). Roy Collinson (actor Iain Cuthbertson) informs them that although the basement is much older, it still requires clearing out to test a new recording medium. When left alone, Jill Greenley (actress Jane Asher), a computer expert and sensitive, sees a ghost. After conducting some research and discovering that an exorcism had been performed there, but it didn’t work, they change their task to hunt it down. Sending Jill home, Brock hears the ghost in the basement and decides to go after it scientifically and gather data. As he gathers his team for the event, they all experience the ghost’s presence. Jill actually sees the ghost again. During the test recording, the screams went unrecorded.
Eventually, Brock discovers that the ghost and scream from the deadly events have been recorded in the stone, hence the reference to the stone tape in the film’s title. As we observe their scientific approach, Brock’s obsession intensifies. It doesn’t really work out, and Brock’s boss at Ryan Electronics orders them to stop because he wants to hand the basement to Crawshaw (actor Reginald Marsh) to work on his electronic washing machine. While the equipment is being dismantled, Jill collapses upon hearing a distinct sound.
From here on, there is a spoiler. Don’t watch alone. The film draws you in. Kneale, being a clever scriptwriter, knew how to manipulate the audience.
This film features a notable cast of supporting actors from that era. I should point out that the computer technology from 1972 was a roomful, and the programming was more questionable compared to what we have today. I mean, they didn’t have computer monitors, so program lines had to be typed in and checked by hard copy. I find it difficult to understand how they were able to perform such intricate tasks.
There’s quite an abundance of extras.
The 42-minute “Children of the Stone Tape” has only Jane Asher from the original cast and Glenis Jones from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, who contributed to its sound by screaming. The rest is a mix of fan/pros, like Mark Gatiss, who said ‘Doctor Who’ borrowed heavily from Kneale’s work. It also had an influence on the 1992 spoof of Ghostwatch.
In the 16-minute film ‘A Visionary Manxman’, historian Andy Murray explores the history of Nigel Kneale and his life on the Isle of Man. You can view some of Kneale’s manuscripts and ideas, as well as some footage from his other series, such as Quatermass.
Around 2002, Nigel Kneale, the writer, and film critic Kim Newman recorded the first audio commentary for the DVD release. It was first aired on Christmas Day following ‘Morecombe & Wise’, and then again on Halloween the following year. It’s interesting to note that Kneale coined the term ‘Stone Tape,’ a term that real ghost hunters now use. I think I would disagree that it didn’t exist before then; otherwise, you wouldn’t have haunted houses in specific rooms; it just didn’t have a name. They both stop when there is any continual significant dialogue or action. This was Kneale’s final story for the BBC, primarily due to the high cost of his productions. They discuss his other work at ATV and even in the USA, where, for TV, at the time, the Americans weren’t keen on British writers.
The second audio commentary features filmmakers Jon Dear and Sean Hogan, who are both too young to have seen the film when it first came out and are self-proclaimed Kneale nerds. Short of bootlegs, it was impossible to see ‘The Stone Tape’ until a 2002 DVD release. You got a lot of background information, not only for this story but also for other Kneale TV productions.
As a period piece, ‘The Stone Tape’ still holds its own today, and what other TV movie can you say was a scream?
GF Willmetts
November 2024
(pub: 101 Films, 2024. 1 blu-ray disk 90 minute square-screen format film. Price: £24.99 (UK) ASIN: B0DJTCB2K1)
cast: Michael Bryant, Jane Asher, Iain Cuthbertson, Michael Bates
check out website: https://101-films-store.com/products/the-stone-tape-1972-limited-edition
