The Stone Tape (1972) (TV)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Peter Sasdy

Writer:

Nigel Kneale (writer)

Release Date:

25 December 1972 (UK)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror

Plot:

A research team from an electronics company move into an old Victorian house to start work on finding a new recording medium...

Plot Keywords:

Science Versus Supernatural | Supernatural

Cast

Michael Bryant	...	Peter Brock
Jane Asher	...	Jill Greeley
Iain Cuthbertson	...	Roy Collinson
Michael Bates	...	Eddie Holmes
Reginald Marsh	...	Crawshaw
Tom Chadbon	...	Hargrave
John Forgeham	...	Maudsley
Philip Trewinnard	...	Stewart Jessop
James Cosmo	...	Cliff Dow
Neil Wilson	...	Sergeant Paterson
Christopher Banks	...	Vicar
Michael Graham Cox	...	Alan
Hilda Fenemore	...	Bar helper
Peggy Marshall	...	Bar lady

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:PG (video rating)

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Near the end of the film, as Jill climbs the staircase and holds the railing, you can see how the supposedly stone wall stretches where it's attached to the railing.

Quotes:

Peter Brock: [on analyzing a ghost by electronic means] Let's say it's a mass of data... waiting for a correct interpretation.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 100 Greatest Scary Moments (2003) (TV)

It's all in the stone...

"The Stone Tape" is a real oddity - how can a sci-fi/fantasy drama of this high standard go unnoticed for so long.

Transmitted at Christmas in 1972 and repeated the following year, nothing has been seen of this classic piece of TV until earlier this year when the BFI released it on both video and DVD.

Written by Quatermass scribe Nigel Kneale and directed by TV/film veteran Peter Sasdy, "The Stone Tape" is an example of all the elements working together to produce a masterpiece.

In brief, the story concerns a group of scientists staying in a converted manor house to carry out research into a new recording medium to replace magnetic tape. One of the analysts, Jill Greely, has visions of a ghost in the one room of the house the workmen refused to renovate. The rest of the team then set about surveying this ghost and come to the conclusion that it is the stone of the room which has captured the image of the woman and the presence of certain receptive people, namely Jill, has triggered its playback, hence stone tape.

This is a well written and well directed piece of fantasy drama mixing the right amount of moody lighting and music with Peter Bryant and Jane Asher's kitchen sink romance to create something instantly believable as well as disturbing.

TV favourites such as Iain Cuthbertson and Tom Chadbon are present to make up the numbers in the impressive supporting cast.

A spooky masterpiece - go and buy the video or if your budget will allow, the DVD for Nigel Kneale's interesting and revealing commentary.