ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL “LIVE SHOWS” IN TV HISTORY MANAGES TO HORRIFY YEARS LATER!!!!
My spoiler free review for The Bloody Asylum of this genre defining moment in TV and horror history
Ghostwatch was unleashed on an unsuspecting British public during Halloween night 1992, having absolutely no clue what they were about to experience, even in their darkest nightmares.
That night the BBC gave over an entire evening to an ‘investigation into the supernatural’. Four respected presenters and a camera crew attempted to discover the truth behind “The most haunted house in Britain.”
Some viewers were left traumatised, and is not hard to see why. In 1992, with found footage as a recognised horror sub-genre still a few years off, it would have felt entirely real, especially to those tuning in after it had started; particularly with its inspired use of beloved TV presenters.
Subsequently because of the unprecedented public and media outrage it was never screened again by the BBC, with all traces of it seemingly almost wiped from British TV history, although over the years it was shown regularly in some other countries. In the intervening years VHS bootleg copies changed hands for over £50.
Finally in 2002 it came back into mainstream public awareness when it was released on DVD and VHS to mark the 10th anniversary, no doubt due to the huge success of The Blair Witch Project a few years previously . The growth of the internet saw its notoriety further grow over the years, with many re-discovering this hugely influential lost piece of TV and horror history.
I myself had never seen it before now, yet have always been aware of it, although assuming it to be a generic ghost hunting documentary ala Most Haunted, etc; not the brilliantly realised horror film it actually is.
To be perfectly honest I was very sceptical it would be as effective, knowing it was a mockumentary. Although the impact could never be the same as watching its original airing, it is still hugely effective and completely engaging; among one of the most creepy and disturbing of “found footage” horror films.
Understandably it is clear why some were traumatised, nothing like it had ever been seen before, with Cannibal Holocaust at the time being banned in the UK as a video nasty until 2001; without a doubt a huge influence on Ghostwatch.
Superbly written by Stephen Volk and brilliantly directed by Lesley Manning, inspired in part by The Enfield Haunting. Volk initially conceived it as a six part series that would have culminated in a “live broadcast.” Due to producers not feeling a series would work it was eventually decided to make it as a 90 minute special, and at his suggestion as the “live broadcast” episode.
Watching now for the most part it is noticeably an acted narrative, but surprisingly that enhances the engagement, particular standout is a superb Michael Parkinson, never once seeming as if he was acting.
All the more impressive is that although seemingly aired live it was actually pre-recorded weeks earlier, with the scenes at the house and street, featuring Sarah Greene and Craig Charles, filmed weeks before the studio scenes. The recordings were then played in the studio with Michael Parkinson and Mike Smith seamlessly interacting with them. To add more authenticity a phone number periodically appeared on screen for viewers to ring in with their supernatural experiences, to be greeted with a message saying it was all fiction but they could still tell their stories, however due to high volumes of calls (over 30,000) the message failed to play, adding even more to the realism for the callers. Just before airing, and in all the publicity in the weeks leading up to the broadcast it was subtly, yet quite clearly intimated that it was fiction; nevertheless many tuned in without that foreknowledge.
The balance of realism with dramatic works beautifully to accentuate the horror, complimented by a faultless pace from beginning to end, heightened by the fact it was all filmed on video. The purposeful slow-build leads to a superbly realised ending that stays in the mind long after it finishes.
For those that have never experienced this horror masterpiece I really cannot recommend enough one of the best mockumentary films ever made.
MR GEEKY 