Rent Ghost Story (1974)

Better than I was expecting - Ghost Story review by Plastic Teaspoon

I'm a big fan of a Withnail and I chose this film mainly to see the actor Vivian MacKerrel in one of his few screen roles. MacKerrel is reputed to have been the model for the drug and alcohol riddled character Withnail.

I was expecting both McKerrel and the film to be terrible but actually it was all quite fun. Intentionally or not the film borders on parody and the interactions between the three posh chums were a delight to watch. If you are looking for a serious art film or a even genuinely scary movie you will be sorely disappointed, but as a piece of entertaining 1970s esoterica it fits the bill just fine.

The extras are interesting too and describe how the film was set in England but shot on location in India whilst the credits claim it to be shot on location in Wales.

Unnerving! - Ghost Story review by NP

Three ex-college associates meet up for a reunion. Two of them (Duller and McFayden) are deeply unpleasant, waspish bullies, and the third (Talbot) is chirpy, upbeat and, after a while, deeply irritating! Vivian MacKerrell, Murray Melvin and Larry Dann play these roles brilliantly.

The stunning location in 1920s England was mainly filmed in India, and many of the cast and crew became unwell during recording. It's directed by Stephen Weeks who also directed the Christopher Lee film ‘I, Monster (1970)’ at the age of only 22.

Marianne Faithful is very impressive as Sophie. Faithful was going through troubled times at this point in her life, which might have fuelled her performance. Leigh Lawson, Penelope Keith and Barbara Shelley are some of the more well-known names also involved.

Apart from Weeks' effective direction, which makes great use of a limited budget, former Pink Floyd collaborator Ron Geesin provides a truly unnerving soundtrack which conveys the horrific nature of events - especially during the shaving scene. You'll know when you get to it!

Don't mind if I do. - Ghost Story review by Steve

A film of such soporific aimlessness and self indulgence that it could only have been made by a stoned six former. A small cast of poshos in boating shoes, cream slacks and pretty frocks wander around a nice old house, occasionally visited by visions of a Victorian doll.

I would say it shows no signs of talent at any level, if only because it doesn't. (The director did make the distinctly ok, I Monster.) Though someone clearly has an interesting dressing up box. A cult classic for some. For others, a bewildering waste of time.