DB7

Dead of Night is certainly one of my personal favourites. There’s not been a revival in eerie films over here yet but they are certainly back in vogue in Hollywood, starting with contemporary films like The Sixth Sense, Stir of Echoes, What Lies Beneath, and gothic throwback The Others (Eric Sykes!) – which undoubtedly gives a nod towards Jack Clayton’s The Innocents.

What obviously made Dead of Night different was that it was an intertwining compendium of stories all revolving around Mervyn John’s vague sense of déjÃÂ* vu. Despite multiple directors and varying story tones the film hung together so well; captivating the viewer into wanting to know the conclusion to the architects recurring nightmare. The Golfing Story and Christmas Party segments were deemed the weakest, and were cut from some overseas versions. I certainly disagree with regard to the Golfing Story, both Radford and Wayne had become firm favourites of mine since making cameo appearances in Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes, and the comic relief they add is a story related from somebody trying to debunk Mervyn John’s theory. I’d agree that The Christmas Party was a weak story, it was nothing more than a basic ghost story, and when retold by a young girl the story loses a lot of it’s impact as it can be dismissed as a child’s over imagination.

The Hearse was a personal favourite as I read the story as a child, but the two real chillers containing menace were The Haunted Mirror and the Ventriloquist Dummy. The Haunted Mirror story I’ve seen time and time again in other films, often the likes of Amicus or the many Tales of the Crypt incarnations, but the Ealing version is without doubt the best. The most bloodcurdling story was probably Michael Redgrave and his dummy Hugo, without the need for visual shocks; Hugo managed to emit more threat than most horror characters do with an arsenal of weapons. The story was I’m sure the inspiration (or maybe Great Gabbo) behind the feature length Magic, with Anthony Hopkins, but the films lags and is padded out with an unnecessary love-interest.

I’m sure most will have seen it, but if you haven’t it’s certainly one I’d recommend. It’s gets a very healthy 8/10 at IMDb so I’m clearly not alone

[ 27. December 2004, 13:44: Message edited by: DB7 ]

Ponch

Yes dead of night is a brilliant film I think the scariest part is right at the end when you realise its a nightmare he cant wake up from... eek!

urz13

Totally agree - Dead Of Night certainly one of the best films ever. As soon as I see the opening scene of the car driving up the lane I get a bit of a shiver of anticipation... even though I've seen it so many times I know exactly what's about to happen. I've always been fond of the so-called portmanteau film genre of the 1940s & 50s, and I think Dead of Night has to be the best.

DB7

Same here. Last night I watched The Last Journey (1936) which was fairly entertaining for a quickie-quota; particularly as the film grew nearer the final stages and the tension rose. Rather than a supernatural film like Dead of Night it was based around an assortment of people (all with their own problems) unknowingly racing towards (supposed) tragedy. Probably more akin to Friday the Thirteenth or Train of Events.

Came as a double-feature with Ghost Camera so you even get a glimpse of a young John Mills. :)

welshpaul

You may all be interested to know that the brilliant Dead of night has just been released on DVD (Region 1 only). It is available from www.dvdboxoffice.com (based in Canada) for £14.09, or www.play.com (based in Jersey) for £14.99. Unfortunately it is a 2 films on one DVD set, the other film being the 1948 B/W "Queen of spades" set in 19th Century Russia, and I do not believe there are any extras.

Steve Crook

The one with Anton Walbrook & Edith Evans? That's a pretty good horror/drama. A good one to pair "Dead of Night" with.

Steve Crook

PaPAS

Hackett

I know that Hammer Films are usually summed up as just "HAMMER HORROR" but I was watching "FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED" 1970 on satalite t.v. the other night and was suprised how good it is. Great story and plot. Not all gore but tension and shocks. Top draw acting from Peter Cushing and best of all Freddie Jones. Even some Hammer Ham from the Master of Ham Thorley Walters and Top Timber from wooden Simon Ward. One of the things that made it a cut above the normal "FRANKENSTEIN" flick was the unusual characterization of the Doctor. Cushing casts off the usual sympathetic angle and goes straight for the throat. Playing him for the first (and only) time as a blackmailing, raping, sinister s--t of the first water. Very high production values for a Hammer budget and as it is now showing "widescreenish" on SKYBSKY indubitably worth a peep.

Dolly Bantree

I've just joined this site. I would say Dead of Night is my all time favourite British film. I first saw this as a child and never forgot it. It scared the hell out of me! I have seen it so many times since and never get tired of it. I love the idea of a group of people all holed up together and just talking, then the whole thing changes as each of them tell their own strange tale. Trying to see if the psychiatrist knows what he's about! My favourites are the haunted mirror and the ventriloquist one with Michael Redgrave and Hugo! A brilliant film, well put together, chilling stories and a superb ending that makes you think, "will he ever wake up and things will be normal, or will it just keep repeating itself". Many a modern film has been based on some of the stories told in this. ghostly

Bobj

I agree DB7, though possibly not as scary as the other key episodes The Ventriloquist's Dummy & The Haunted Mirror my favourite is The Hearse.
I've watched Dead of Night countless times but Miles Malleson (Hearse Driver) saying "Just room for one more inside" never fails to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

DB7

Peter Cushing's first line in Dr Terror's House of Horror's is "Is there room for one more inside?". A nodding wink to the film that inspired Subotsky.

The Hearse Driver segment is said to be based on a true experience (a lift crashed) in a Paris hotel.

Marky B

Dead of Night is definately one of the best horror films ever made,and the ventriloquist scene is peerless! ghostly
Ta Ta
Marky B thumbs_u

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Steve Crook

And certainly much better than the similar Magic (1978) with Tony Hopkins.

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

Clare

One of my favourites too. The ventriloquists segment does it for me. I always feel there is something quite sinister about those kind of dummies. I was interested to read recently that Peter Brough (Archie Andrews)was asked to help with the technical details of ventriloquial screen-play. He was unable to oblige due to other commitments, so Peter's father took his place.

Steve Crook

If Peter was unavailable, they should have asked Archie :)

He was a great ventriloquist on the radio. Apparently he actually used to do it properly in the studio, even though nobody was watching. Strange.

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

MrDrakesDuck

BBC7 aired some episodes of 'Educating Archie' a few months back.

"I thought I had to shoot Germans, not chew 'em"