Omnibus (TV Series) Whistle and I'll Come to You (1968) User Reviews

A minor classic

[hou-3 · 8/10 · 11 June 2017]

This was the first in a series of BBC adaptations of M.R. James's famous ghost stories, and was directed by Jonathan Miller for the equally famous Omnibus productions. It was followed by a sequence that were made more or less on an annual basis through the 1970s, and the BFI has issued them all in a very attractive box set.

Miller, and Michael Hordern as his lead actor, did a great job and this film still grips the viewer. It holds its own as a ghost story and the recreation of a Norfolk hotel and its staff and guests is impressive. Jonathan Miller discusses the film in a short interview though he has disappointingly little to say about it. Unfortunately the same quality evaded the later films, most of which were directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark. He produced much more workmanlike versions lacking the original camera shots and telling atmosphere that Miller achieved in 1968. But some are better than others and Clark did work with some good actors. Of the last entry in the 1970s run, The Ice House, directed by Derek Lister, the less said the better. The same applies to the misguided attempt to make a new version of 'Oh whistle' in 2010.

Some downright bone chilling scenes in this M.R. James adaptation.

[capkronos · 8/10 · 4 May 2008]

I couldn't approach this with quite the level of enthusiasm as some of the others here after just one watch. I decided to watch it a second time and then I began to pick up on more, and thus began to appreciate it more. It may be too slowly paced and subtle for some tastes, but I think the majority of horror fans will find it a rewarding 42-minute view, if only for three very creepy sequences, the desolate locations and Dick Bush's gorgeous, haunting black-and-white photography. It opens with brief voice over narration that gives us a little history on source author James as well as an overview of his story, which is said to have been written as a warning about the dangers of "intellectual pride." Professor Parkins (Michael Hordern) is looking for some peace and solitude, so he goes to stay a spell at a quaint little hotel that's close to the ocean. During a trip to the beach he wanders into a small ancient graveyard, finds an old whistle and brings it back to his room. He cleans it and notices an inscription that promises that whoever blows it will be paid a visit... by someone. Being an academic and realist, and thus a supernatural skeptic, Parkins decides to blow the horn despite the warning and ends up getting more than he bargained for.

The first 15 or so minutes are spent with Hordern wandering around the hotel and incoherently mumbling, babbling and groaning to both himself and the staff. On my first watch I found this incredibly irritating and had no clue what the point of it was. Now I realize it was to illustrate his inability to relate to or socialize with "normal" everyday people. To become immersed in academia and intellectual pursuits is often to alienate yourself from the rest of society. After awhile you just can't relate and simple things like basic interaction or making simple casual conversation during a small dinner become awkward and difficult. Though these scenes do have some purpose, I have to admit I felt they were a bit overlong to the point of trying one's patience at times.

However, when it comes to striking and chilling imagery, this one hits a home run on many occasions, which is impressive for a film with such a short run time. As the professor starts to leave the beach after obtaining the whistle, a silhouetted figure stands solemnly behind him as the sun is setting and the waves are crashing. The lack of a music score or a reactionary sound cue makes it even more chilling. There's also a brilliantly set-up nightmare sequence which make excellent use of clipped dialogue and manages to make a piece of cloth horrifying. And then there's the finale, which I won't go into, but it's also pretty darn creepy. The beach locations are excellent, partially because they're not cluttered. Aside from a few poles in the sand and some tall wavering grass blowing in the wind, it's a beautiful yet blank pallet that makes certain images (the mysterious figure, a tombstone) stand out in a striking and ominous way.

Fans of such films as THE INNOCENTS (1961) and A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS (1972) should enjoy what this brings to the table.

Spoilers follow ...

[parry_na · 8/10 · 20 January 2017]

As part of the BBC's 'Omnibus' strand, this 'television movie' had an introductive voice-over from the man who adapted the story, Jonathan Miller. Beginning with two unsmiling maids making up a pair of beds in a hotel somewhere on the East Coast, all filmed in crisp black and white. Then we are introduced to the terrific Michael Hordern playing Professor Parkin, a scholarly isolationist making his way toward the building. He is confronted with the mighty Proprietor (the excellent George Woodbridge, veteran of many early Hammer horrors). Stilted and awkward their opening pleasantries are, the Proprietor's words become mangled and incomprehensible when pointing out the amenities. Oddness is immediately confirmed from these two, lending the proceedings a disjointed quality all of their own often exemplified by Parkin's separation from the other guests, who are all otherwise gracious enough. Parkin's world acknowledges them, but is content to remain apart.

During his 'trudge' across the windswept beaches, Parkin happens across a whistle made of bone obscured by sand. He is intrigued, keeps it, and begins to feel the presence of 'another.'

Hordern is excellent throughout, his private irritation at the stubborn haddock on his fork, or the sand that clings to the whistle as he tries to examine it, convey a man completely relaxed and comfortable with his complete lack of social interaction. His brief conversations are interesting because he could quite easily be eulogising with himself rather than with whomever he is sharing a scene. His terror is equally private, which allows us the possibility that it exists in his mind alone. And yet, when we are allowed glimpses of it, it is fittingly obscure and well-realised and quite unnerving.

Parkin's strangled, guttural half-cries at the climactic moments are successfully reminiscent of the noises we sometimes make when emerging from a nightmare. His terror is palpable and disturbing.

Television that's as perfect as it gets

[Jonathan-9 · 10/10 · 30 November 1998]

One of a spate of M.R.James adaptations that the BBC shot from the late 'sixties to the early 'eighties. All of them were memorable but this is comfortably the best. Michael Hordern is the hapless academic who goes to the coast for a short holiday and accidentally awakens something unnatural while pottering around in the remains of a Templar preceptory.

This isn't a story about a monster, though, but rather something that stays at the edge of perception. The supernatural events are alternated with the mundane day to day life at the boarding house where Hordern is staying. Everything seems commonplace but he -- and the viewer -- are troubled by the feeling that there are some things that should be left well alone. Finally, his nightmares become concrete and... Well, see the TV adaptation if you get the chance or read the short story upon which it is based (in which form it has the addendum of "my lad" on the title).

I'm not in the habit of handing out scores of ten with abandon but I can't think of anyway that this could have been improved. Unlike some of the other adaptations, Miller resists the urge to gild the lily, staying close to the original storyline and the production is all the stronger for it. James would certainly have approved. I just wish the BBC had the courage and imagination to make things like it now.

At Long Last

[1sadbastard · 1 August 2002]

Amazed to discover this has been released by the BFI, - for a rather hefty £20. I've been intrigued by this, not least by the comments on IMDb. I thought this was quite different from the story by M.R.James, Jonathan Miller characterising the Professor as the typical, socially inadequate, bumbling Academic, someone who has obviously spent too much time alone in his Ivory Tower. He really is quite funny at times (the breakfast scenes in particular I found very amusing) - and quite annoying. Make no mistake, this is first and foremost a character study and Michael Hordern is quite brilliant as Professor Parkins. The story or supernatural element is very low key, so much so that we are left with the distinct impression that it could all have taken place in the Professors' increasingly distracted mind. That said, the rustling of the sheets is still creepy. The location is excellent and suitably chilly, the lack of music accentuating the visuals. The ending was perhaps too abrupt for my liking but effective nonetheless and it is certainly worth seeking out for Hordern's performance alone. There are some excellent sleeve notes by Kim Newman, too.

Hilarious

[sonofajoiner · 6/10 · 17 June 2004]

This is one of the most disappointing M.R James adaptations I have seen and yet its held in such high regard by so many. Michael Hordern is fantastic (as ever) and he had me in hysterics as the eccentric, muttering, professor in this film. I dont imagine that this was intentional on the part of Jonathan Miller but hysterical laughter is the only emotional response that this film managed to elicit from me. Miller attempts to do what numerous other film makers have done with the old "are ghosts all in the mind" theme but not only does he give away the answer early on in the film he also manages to suck practically all the atmosphere and dread from the story. I will concede that it does have one or two uneasy moments, but I long for somebody, anybody to remake this as a 'proper' ghost story to do James' fantastic tale justice. But hey, if you you find bits of torn up material chasing you along a beach incredibley slowly terrifying, who am I to argue?

Another childhood memory identified (contains spoilers)

[trouserpress · 10/10 · 6 August 2004]

Eighteen years ago, when I was ten, I watched a short black and white film that my mum had recorded from the TV. It chilled me and my friends at the time, and the image of a frightened man in a room, and being chased down a beach, has stayed with me ever since. I've often wondered what it was, and then recently Channel 4 showed the 100 most scary moments, and there it was. And now I've finally got hold of the DVD, and it scared me all over again. The professor's nightmares are especially chilling. The sparing use of sound, the misty black and white, the use of close-ups, all these combine to make what could be quite ridiculous into something quite unsettling. The final scene in particular is horrible. I think it touches on fears we have all had at night of strange sounds in the dark, and the unmistakable feeling of a presence in the room. The way Michael Horden portrays these fears is brilliant. I love the way he is reduced from a philosophising academic to a terrified, murmuring, inarticulate shell of a man. He doesn't run around screaming like so many ghost story films tend towards. He is simply afraid and rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend the supernatural goings on right in front of him.

I challenge anyone to watch this short film and not feel afraid, and uncomfortable.

OMNIBUS: WHISTLE AND I'LL COME TO YOU (Jonathan Miller, 1968) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 23 January 2010]

I first heard of this TV adaptation of an M. R. James ghost story when it was issued on R2 DVD by the British Film Institute; contemporary reviews had played it up as a masterpiece and, where it not for the exceedingly short 42-minute running time, I would probably have gone out and purchased it like I did with a handful of other similar BFI discs of old BBC TV shows. Now that I did manage to catch up with it on another format (along with nine others of its ilk that I will also go through for this ongoing Halloween Challenge), I am truly thankful that I exercised atypical restraint back then and hesitated! The thing is that for the great majority of its duration, the film plays almost like a British variation on MR. HULOT'S HOLIDAY (1953) – more than anything remotely resembling a horror film – with the snooty Tatiesque protagonist, constantly mumbling incoherently to himself, of a vacationing Professor (an admittedly tour-de-force performance by Michael Hordern in what is virtually a one-man show) wandering aimlessly on the sandy beach nearby or striking up the most philosophical discussions at dinner-time with a clearly less scholarly guest. Finding an ancient inscribed flute on the dunes one day and puffing on it nonchalantly, he takes to expecting its owner to come visit him at night…which he verily does in a truly remarkable climactic sequence (admirably shot in slow-motion for maximum effect) that surely earned this frustrating but interesting exhibit whatever claims to greatness it ever possessed!

Frightening in more ways than one

[m-look · 10/10 · 23 December 2009]

The most disturbing aspect of this wonderful film is that, forty years on, the chances of seeing a production as ethereal or one that demands so much from the viewer on 'mainstream' television, as this was in May 1968, is nil.

In 1968, works by Harold Pinter, Dennis Potter and remarkable one-offs like this were commonplace on British television, but now we all live in a Michael Jackson/Madonna/computer-generated imagery theme park. Jolly good!

Alas, the BBC of the 21st Century, the 'Brave New World', would be frightened out of their wits (more than the Professor) to attempt anything as uncompromising as 'Whistle And I'll Come To You'.

After all.......nothing happens. And where's the dire soundtrack, where are the darting camera tricks, the clawing sentimentality and, anyway, might it not offend somebody?

Try 'pitching' this to someone at Broadcasting House in 2009 and see where it gets you.

Sad, isn't it.

Curate's egg worth unscrambling

[bryan-413 · 7/10 · 5 December 2009]

I agree with a mix of comments from reviews so far: Hordern brilliant, whole thing atmospheric and well-shot, but the ending felt rushed and not at all as scary as the lead-up. The most chilling part of the short story on which this is based is the phrase "a face of crumpled linen" (James put the last two words in italics, which I can't do here) but the film makes no effort to replicate this detail.

The film does, however, contain one chilling element that isn't in the short story, and which no one here seems to have picked up on. In the conversation with the colonel at breakfast, the colonel asks the professor if he believes in ghosts, meaning the personality's survival of death. The professor muses on the meaning of "survival", saying that one can't mean survival of death in the same way that one might survive a car crash. He says words to the effect of: "one couldn't say, as with a car crash, 'He survived death but was badly injured by it'." Isn't this about the most terrifying explanation for the thing that comes to haunt him? But nothing more was made of it, and since no one else seems to have picked up on it I wonder if it was the screenwriter really intended.

grunt!

[mr.slut · 1/10 · 20 July 2004]

-Spoilers ahead- Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe I was not in the

mood. Maybe it was too warm today. I was bored to pieces by this

even at 42 minutes way too long "short subject". After the movie

was finished I read the liner notes on the cover and checked twice

if I really got the same film. Hummm. The plot was the same, but

there was absolutely no tension to speak of. Probably nice if you

know the original short story on which the film was based upon,

but as a cinematic experience it's overly blunt. The motives of

sexually repressed behaviour resulting in dementia where not at

all presented here. Nor is a blanket on strings something to be

frightened of for a second. Gimme CARNIVAL OF SOULS any day...

masterful and truly unsettling ghost story

[Prof-Hieronymos-Grost · 10/10 · 24 March 2009]

Professor Parkins (Michael Hordern) is a bookish intellectual academic, who craves solitude, he books in to a remote hotel by the English coast, frequented by holidaying golfers. He isn't very interested in the hotel staff or the other guests and barely recognizes they are there, due to his very deep thinking processes. He flat out and rather rudely rejects an offer to play a round of golf from a breakfast guest, instead mumbling that he has better plans. These plans involve a good brisk walk, a stroll on the beach and a visit to the local cemetery, stopping only to partake of a jolly old packed lunch. Parkins is at home uncovering the long abandoned graveyard, removing the moss and reading the names of centuries old locals, he stops every so often to sit in the nearby sand dunes, eating a sandwich and generally looking about and taking in the sights, all the time seemingly enjoying his inaudible conservations with himself. On one of these trips, he finds an old artefact covered in mud and sand, he brings it back to his room and after cleaning it, finds that it is a whistle with a Latin inscription on it, which translates as "Whom is this that is coming" to which Parkins flippantly replies, "let's blow it and see" Almost immediately Parkins becomes aware of unsettling noises amidst the sudden wind that blows outside. He dismisses them at settles down to sleep for the night.

The following morning over breakfast he gets into a discussion on the existence of ghosts with the same cordial guest he has spoken to before. Parkins revels in upping the ante by intellectualising the conversation and the argument, sitting back in his chair he is arrogant and impressed with his own adept skill at debunking the conventions of the supernatural.

Back on the beach, he spots a solitary stationary figure, he repeatedly looks back in the figures direction and its lack of movement seems to startle Parkins, who scurries back to the hotel. His sleep is now becoming unsettled and sporadic, as strange noises and rustlings waken him every so often. As well as this he is having terrifying dreams of being chased, that haunt his every sleeping moment. As an academic he struggles to come to terms with these unexplainable irregularities.

This is another fine M.R.James adaptation of his 1904 work Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad, this time adapted by all round talent Jonathan Miller. Miller's introduction tells us that this is a ghost story but that it is primarily a moral tale, a warning against intellectualism, that tells us, those who crave solitude can miss out on seeing the whole picture and do so at their own peril. This is very much reflected in this haunting tale. Parkins is very much wrapped up in his work and his own head, that his committal to science and fact, blinds him to the dangers he is in, with devastating consequences. Ghost stories tend to work best in black and white and Miller wisely chooses monochrome to present his work. In tone, it is very reminiscent of other genre classics like The Innocents, I even detected some Chiaroscuro visuals that would not look out of place in a Lang film. Miller's main device is to keep the dialogue to a minimum, this has a very unsettling effect on the viewer, as during these pauses, we scan Parkin's very still bedroom for a visual image to add to the horrifying noises we hear, as such the terrors are in our head, as we await a chilling moment, that may or may not be revealed. Like most of James's works, the film is notable for it slow pace and attention to detail, there are no lazy jump scares here, so when the spectral figure does eventually appear, the simplicity of its execution is quite terrifying and I can honestly say it did make my hair stand on end, I haven't been this unsettled in quite some time.

Hordern a fine stage and screen actor, is excellent as the forgetful and withdrawn professor, his constant conversations with himself and his inaudible indecipherable mumblings, can become a little irritating, but they are perfectly suited to the character, in any case proper audible and probably irrelevant dialogue might just have distracted from the great doom laden atmosphere that slowly builds. As Ghost stories go this is superb, mumblings aside, its damn near perfect.

Uneven but influential BBC ghost story adaption

[Red-Barracuda · 7/10 · 6 June 2022]

BBC adaption of the M. R. James ghost story, which inspired the 'Ghost Story for Christmas' annual TV adaptions. This one is about an eccentric professor who goes to an off-season coastal hotel; he finds an old whistle in a decrepit graveyard and ghostly interventions follow. This is quite atmospheric, with the black and white photography adding to the ominous vibe. It's a ghost story so we're here for the spooky stuff and it has to be said that there are a couple of quality sequences in that regard, in particular a vision on a beach being pretty effective. On the downside, despite Michael Hordern being a great actor, in this one he is playing a pretty annoying character and he gets on your nerves somewhat after a bit.

Horribly bad stuff

[burrobaggy · 1/10 · 22 December 2004]

I'd heard about how good this was for years. It even got a no-extras DVD release at full price over here because it's got such a good rep. When it finally got repeated on BBC Four last night, I actually stayed in to watch it (with digital TV you can't tape stuff while you're out: you have to have the channel you're taping on, which I guess is why it hasn't taken off).

I should have gone out instead.

It's terrible. Not just dated, tho I doubt this was ever much cop. No, it's both boring and laughable. There's 20 minutes of mumbling like a bad Erik Sykes silent movie before the plot starts, and then it's just Michael Hordern having trouble sleeping because he has dreams of being chased by a tea towel on the beach. Then - horror of horrors - the tea towel turns up in HIS BEDROOM! I've not read any of M.R. James' stories, tho one of them was the basis for the excellent Night of the Demon, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. But the makers of this pretentious arty overlong piece of nothing deserve no mercy. This really is just junk.

Truly Classic Old School Horror Expertly Realised

[Muldwych · 9/10 · 22 December 2009]

A university professor, arrogantly believing he holds all the answers to life, the universe and everything, faces the ultimate horror during a vacation at a quiet coastal village in Norfolk when he encounters something beyond all rational explanation.

'Oh Whistle And I'll Come To You, My Lad' was my introduction to the world of M.R James through the medium of this wonderful t.v adaptation. It encapsulates perfectly the James mode of storytelling, and through the excellent directorship of Jonathan Miller, expertly brings to life the chilling short story written decades earlier.

Miller seems to grasp the author's approach to drama effortlessly. James belongs to the old school of literary macabre, where, like Lovecraft, the horror derives from what is unseen save for a few tantalising details. Much of the drama is down to the buildup of suspense and atmosphere and the audience is largely left to draw their own conclusions in the theatre of the mind. This is precisely what we get in the teleplay, shot on location in Norfolk, where the scenery and incidental sounds do much of the work. This is especially important given that the lead character, self-assured and largely solitary, does not engage in a great deal of dialogue. The less-is-more approach is wonderfully effective: much of the tension comes from nightmarish dreamscapes and strange objects tantalisingly kept in the distance, and the lack of continuing verbal commentary allows for wonder and suspense to build to great effect. And indeed the true horror is psychological: that which cannot be qualified, a true terror to one who thinks they have reality fully understood. The monochromatic nature of the film lends to the bleak and cold surroundings of the Norfolk coastline, although as viewers were to find in the BBC's next James adaptation, 'A Warning To The Curious', full colour is by no means more comforting.

Headlining the cast is the legendary Michael Hordern, a good deal older than the Professor Parkins of the text, which unfortunately loses the idea of arrogance in one so young, but Hordern is such perfect casting and fits the character so well that you can forgive the change. The other principal lead of the Colonel, played with great understatement by Ambrose Coghill, also finds his part reduced in the teleplay, although his chief role as the person who suggests to Perkins that the realm of knowledge may be greater than he thinks, is crucially intact. Indeed, I may just be nitpicking - Miller's assured hand preserves the essentials of the storyline and ensures that things move at a consistent pace, realising the ambiguous supernatural elements with skill to a satisfying conclusion.

Any fan of classic horror would be doing themselves a disservice to pass on this marvellous visual retelling of one of M.R James's most celebrated ghost stories. Inevitably, it will be remade someday, but I will be very surprised if anyone can top Jonathan Miller's wonderful monochrome masterpiece.

Bizarre but watchable

[gnb · 9 September 2002]

"Whistle and I'll Come to You" is a real oddity.

This video was released by the BFI as part of its new Archive TV series along with "The Stone Tape". While "The Stone Tape" is instantly accessible sci-fi drama this is a different story altogether.

Written by M.R. James, "Whistle" tells the rather sad story of a bachelor lecturer who enjoys a holiday by the sea. While out on his travels, the man comes across an old wooden whistle which he proceeds to blow. From this point forward his nights are restless, his dreams full of weird visions of something chasing him.

This paranormal drama is well directed by Johnathan Miller on wonderfully grainy 16mm film. Indeed the stock is so scratchy as to render the sheet, chasing the professor along the beach, almost unrecognisable.

Michael Horden's wonderfully understated performance complements the stark, dreary beach scenes very well. Horden, playing here an introverted bachelor with no capacity for conversation, is a revelation, particularly in the chilling final scene which cleverly mixes slow-mo film with distorted sound effects.

"Whistle" certainly takes a while to get used to. In this day and age, a film with such a slow pace would never get released and it's more or less over before it's started, but give it a shot and watch and re-watch to appreciate this mysterious gem.

Understated, Important, and a Bit of a Letdown

[lmcontaldi · 6/10 · 22 October 2019]

Browsing the review, you would imagine that there is more to the Omnibus rendition of M.R. James' most famous short story. Perhaps these expectations colored my opinion, but even still the black and white horror film was remarkably understated.

Michael Hordern offers a stately performance of the calculating, realist professor and really pulls together the character of Professor Parkins. And while he reads as an amazing character, the soft-spoken mumbling and jittering about doesn't make for a tremendously engaging watch.

Cinematically, the camera shakes and warps giving an almost surreal feeling from the very start. Without diving into spoilers, there is a pretty stark contrast between the aimless peace of most of the runtime and in-your-face horror around the middle.

The climax (or what should have been the climax) feels incredibly tame -- not by today's standards, but the scares from earlier within the work. And while that was a let down, I think this is a watch for anyone interested in classics (of both horror, literature, or film) and looking to stock up for an October movie marathon.

The quintessential version of the classic ghost story

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 17 September 2011]

M.R.James's ghost story is a justified classic, with a memorable story and characters and a resolutely chilling atmosphere that sticks with you even on multiple readings. This is the quintessential version of this wonderful story, not only maintaining the chilling atmosphere but also the story's ambiguity, and it is far superior over the hugely disappointing(both as an adaptation and on its own merits) 2010 version despite John Hurt. Here, the production values are great, with good locations and settings and the photography has a thankfully cinematic feel to it rather than feeling stage-bound. I loved the silences and the sparse dialogue that further enhanced the atmosphere already there, and the narrative is as coherent as ever. Michael Hordern is truly excellent here too. Overall, wonderful and a must for any other fans of the story. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Whistle and I'll Come to You

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 27 December 2021]

Adapted and directed by polymath Jonathan Miller

Professor Parkins (Michael Hordern) is a stuffy, elderly Cambridge Professor taking a short break by the coast.

He finds an old whistle at an overgrown cemetery near a local abbey. When he blows the whistle he unleashes ghostly happenings.

Based on a M R James story. Miller keeps the dialogue sparse but the atmosphere increasingly gets creepier. Miller keeps the effects simple but it is very effective.

At its heart is Parkins intellectual snobbery. His belief in the rational is severely shaken.

That is turn on its head when Parkins wakes up in the night scared, as he hears some noises and maybe see a sinister figure. He slowly unravels.

It is a short film that starts off slowly. The black and white photography is atmospheric. The performance from Hordern is spot on.

Whistle And I'll Be Too Terrified To Move....

[dolly_the_ye-ye_bird · 10/10 · 12 September 2013]

Utterly terrifying. Truly. As a horror flick fanatic from an early age, there's very little in the genre that actually scares me anymore. I mean, REALLY scares me. Most horror/thrillers just entertain me, but that heart pounding 'scared' is virtually impossible to get out of me. Enter, Whistle and I'll Come To You. The tone is set early on. A fairly desolate inn near seaside cliffs, where a lonely old academic has chosen to take a holiday. The character is a sweet old man, but not the most socialized. He's stuck in his academic world, can't seem to properly converse with others, and is very staid in his opinions that everything has a scientific basis and explanation. You can literally watch his descent into madness as he grows more and more isolated and unsure of himself and his surroundings. I love that you never really know what he summoned with that whistle he found by the grave. Was it a demon, a ghost, or just the scariest thing an old man can ever face...senility/dementia? As to the scares, this film triumphs where many horror films of today fail. It really IS terrifying. There were two scenes that I thought would cause my poor wee heart to come out of my chest! A truly frightening little tale. Perfect for a late night scare!

A fuss about nothing...

[Libretio · 2/10 · 23 December 2004]

WHISTLE AND I'LL COME TO YOU

Aspect ratio: 1.37:1

Sound format: Mono

(Black and white - Short film)

Whilst on sabbatical from his studies in a lonely seaside hotel, an ageing professor (Michael Hordern) finds an old whistle on the beach, and is later besieged by nightmares which seem to leak into his waking reality...

Not so much a ghost story as a warning against 'intellectual pride', Jonathan Miller's adaptation of M. R. James' short story has long been viewed as a classic shocker; it turns out to be nothing of the kind. Academic critics may enjoy the slow-burning narrative as Hordern's introverted professor - emotionally stunted by a lifetime spent buried amongst books - is challenged from his scientific complacency by an accumulation of supernatural details, but casual viewers will be bored stiff by the leisurely pace and apparent lack of plot (one l-o-n-g scene involves nothing more than the main character sitting on a sand dune, eating a sandwich and muttering to himself!). Hordern's performance is, of course, immaculate, and the movie benefits from 16mm origination (rather than videotape, the norm for BBC productions of its day), but it amounts to little more than a fuss about nothing. Made for TV, but screened theatrically in some venues.

An excellent adaptation of one of the greatest ghost stories of English Literature

[jason-210 · 10/10 · 10 August 2011]

I would say that this is the best screen adaption of M.R. James's best ghost story. It follows the original story tastefully avoiding the temptation to update the plot by sensationalising it or overdoing the supernatural events that take place. Nor does it suffer from the BBC dramatization syndrome of the 60s and 70s that they are essentially set-bound.

Miller's adaptation is filmed on location and is refreshingly cinematic in appeal. Instead of trying to follow the story's dialogue word for word, it focuses instead on conveying the mood of the story. There is no music added to accompany the drama. Silence permeates the film, heightened by the sparse dialogue and attention to sounds such as the clinking of cutlery and chairs being moved. Amidst this we hear the rambling thoughts and mutterings of the main character - Professor Parkins played by Michael Horden. All of this conspires to convey the existential loneliness of Parkins somehow trapped in a world of the infinite and undefinable symbolised by the beautiful black and white photography of a remote region of the Norfolk coast. Hordern does an excellent job of bringing the fidgety, crusty college professor character to life, and is a sheer delight to watch as he mumbles and reflects his way through the long scenes, often alone.

One of the reasons the adaptation works so well is because the original story was very visual, often describing the images appearing in the imagination of the professor. Miller has recreated these visuals exactly as I had imagined them when I first read the story as a boy. But the main reason this is so good is because all the right ingredients are there. A great story, good cast, and good direction.

No fancy special effects needed.

Anti-climactic.

[colabottle · 4/10 · 22 December 2005]

Just watched 'Whistle and I'll Come to You'. Wasn't that impressed, really. It's nowhere near as involving as the subsequent M.R James adaptations - the "A Ghost Story For Christmas" series in the early 1970s. "Lost Hearts" and "A Warning to the Curious" are much better.

Even though the duration is just over forty minutes, it was still a challenge to stay awake during this one. Hordern's acting is convincing enough, but it's really boring to watch after twenty minutes or so. The direction is over-the-top, having lots of unnecessary dissolves which are presumably supposed to provide suspense, but failed on me.

It might've been worth watching if the final scene had been genuinely gripping, but it wasn't. I thought there'd be more to come, but the credits started rolling.

The film is also introduced by unnecessary narration and doesn't do justice to James's story.

The Miller's Toll

[philkessell · 9/10 · 14 October 2005]

I have read partisan levels of division on this notorious short. I will add my view to the debate.

The 'success' of the piece, if that's what garners acclaim or opprobrium depending on your perspective, is for me in the images that linger long after the film itself finishes. Most films finish and you think, just.....nothing. Nothing stays with you - nothing comes back to you, it's just THERE. Here however, for me, odd moments return to the mind's eye and can have an unsettling effect, as if the director (shackled now to being a 'cultural' stereotype of the highest order who will polarise opinion faster than you can say Melvyn Bragg) knew that these few images were what would remain, and this only - the beach and the claustrophobic room. It's appealing to childhood fears - there's someone there at the door who will help you. There's someone there...you're OK, or are you? You're on the beach. You notice it, you feign ignorance, you know, you fear, you think it's after someone else. No, it's after you. It could be Hemingway, couldn't it?

I think this is the real essence of horror. No horror film will be bedecked with 90 minutes or so of abject terror, that's not the idea. The zeitgeist is in what stays after, weeks, months, sometimes years after, moments when you have to relieve yourself in the night, walk downstairs in the dark, conjuring up some half baked idea that there's someone/thing 'in the room' - at moments like this, which, let's face it we all have and are now trying to deny, images of Hordern on the beach, with that THING behind him, will leave you wondering if it will come closer, and, more worryingly, if it will come for YOU, my friends....

A good movie does not need gratuitous sex and violence.

[KEITH-LANCASTER · 10/10 · 10 February 2002]

I remember first hearing this on the radio 1948 and I can still recall the tricks my imagination played every night when bedtime came around. The T.V. version which I have seen a couple of times, is among my favourite "spook" films. If it is ever aired again, and I certainly hope it is, viewers should not be distracted as the portent can be misunderstood. I have always been a fan of the good supernatural films and I compiled a list of other good films of the genre. A Warning To The Curious, The Familiar, A Fatal Night,The Cat People, The Creeper, Night Comes To Soon, Horror Hotel, When Aunt Ada Came To Stay, The Hungry Glass, The Grim Reaper. You will no doubt observe that only one of the films I have listed was in colour. I think that black and white seems to create a more creepy atmosphere although the colour segment in Dorian Gray was absolutely necessary, the shock value of that scene would have been diminished without it. The Norliss Tapes and most of the Night Strangler Night Stalker series had some genuinely creepy scenes and are among my favourites.