GHOST STORY (1974) / DIRECTOR: STEPHEN WEEKS / SCREENPLAY: PHILIP NORMAN, ROSEMARY SUTCLIFF, STEPHEN WEEKS / STARRING: ANTHONY BATE, LARRY DANN, MARIANNE FAITHFULL, PENELOPE KEITH / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
When three college friends reunite at a spooky country mansion, the already strained friendship is pushed to its limits when strange events occur and people seemingly from another time begin to appear. Before long, the hapless Talbot (Dann) slowly finds himself becoming as crazy as the sanity-challenged inhabitants of the asylum that seems to be pushing itself into his reality.
If, like this reviewer, you were expecting John Irvin’s exemplary spooky tale featuring Fred Astaire and Alice Krige, then you’ll be somewhat disappointed. Not that Stephen Weeks’ stylistically verbose decent into madness doesn’t have its plus points, but it is more like a feature-length episode of Tales of the Unexpected than a tour-de-force in chills. Not much more than an interesting footnote in British cinematic history.
Where this release really excels is in the bonus feature department. Yes, while the added features contain an accomplished Making-Of documentary, theatrical trailer, a 2005 Commentary track featuring writer/director Stephen Weeks, and frankly odd alternate credits, the disc really serves as a kind of time capsule of director Weeks’ work.
During the Making-Of we discover that the British-based film was actually filmed in India and that following their time in the country, Weeks decided to set his next film – The Bengal Lancers – there. Sadly, due to a dodgy financier and even dodgier behaviour by a technician at Technicolor, the film fell apart after filming only 30 minutes of footage. All of it is included here, featuring some star turns by Christopher Lee and Michael York and it’s a fascinating bit of cinematic history that almost works as a short film (albeit with some major narrative holes).
Test footage for Gawain and the Green Knight is also included (shot three years before the final film was made) along with a black and white commercials reel and The Chelsea Cobbler, an almost Lynchian advert for a shoemaker in London. Then there’s no less than seven short films made by Weeks between 1965 and 1968, which evolve from amateur (Owen’s War) to experimental (Flesh) before becoming incredibly accomplished (1917).
The sheer volume of material from the filmmaker here is unparalleled, to the point where it almost feels like Ghost Story was an excuse to archive his work for posterity. Not that anyone should have a problem with that as it’s great to see the wealth of his work during the period leading up to the film, even if they ultimately eclipse the value of the featured film itself.
