THE STONE TAPE (1972)
Label: 101 Films
Region Code: B
Rating: Cert. 12
Duration: 90 Minutes
Audio: English PCM 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080i HD Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Director: Peter Sasdy
Cast: Jane Asher, Michael Bryant, Iain Cuthbertson, Reginald Marsh, Michael Bates
I love the British tradition of broadcasting ghost stories on Christmas Day, one such telefilm was The Stone Tape (1972), which was originally broadcast by the BBC on Christmas Day 1972. It was written by Nigel Kneale (writer of Quatermass and the Pit) and directed by Hammer regular Peter Sasdy (Hands of the Ripper), combining elements of the chilling supernatural and the untapped unknown of science fiction, and it ended up being quite a smash success for the BBC.
In it a team of scientists working for written by Nigel Kneale and directed by Peter Sasdy are set-up in a newly renovated gothic mansion are at work on a project meant to discover a new recording medium that will compete with the Japanese. There's still one room in the mansion that has not yet been completed, it's been earmarked as where the bulky new computer banks will go, but it was never completed because the local work crew were afraid to enter it, satiating that it's notoriously haunted. Project manager Peter Brock (Michael Bryant, The Working Class) scoffs at the notion but genius computer programmer Jill Greeley (Jane Asher, The Masque of the Red Death) has a ghostly encounter in the room the team investigates further, and they theorize that the stone foundations exposed in the room, which date back to the Saxon era, may have absorbed psychic energies so extreme that they will play back in a ghostly way to those who have a certain psychic-sensitivity, the so-called Stone Tape Theory. Well, wouldn't you know it, the scientist think that this stone tape theory could be the new recording medium they're looking for! They end up bombarding the room with ultra-high frequencies and a battery of science stuff in an effort to find out how to trigger the ghostly playback, but soon the presence Jill felt previously seems to have been "erased", and it is then theorized that perhaps a new impression could be recorded over it, but Brock's corporate bosses have lots faith in the research an order him to cease their research into the stone tape theory.
The film ultimately ends with Jill encountering another much older recording trapped in the stone, which ends tragically, and leaves us with a frightening new recording. This was a first time watch for me, and while the techniques and effects are quite dated the ghostly sci-fi at the heart of it is still quite stirring. This is not the usual old dark house spook fest, it was contemporary for it's time, and while the science of it is purely twaddle this is the sort of stuff that I loved as a kid, it would have set my imagination fire for sure, and it still does, highly recommended. If you're a fan of stuff like the A Ghost Story for Christmas broadcast on the BBC and Ghostwatch, this eerie made-for-TV gem comes highly recommended.
Audio/Video: The Stone Tape (1972) arrives on region-B locked Blu-ray from 101 Films, presented in the original 1.33:1 broadcast aspect ratio n 1080i with the correct frame rate. This was shot on tape and not film, as such one should approach this Blu-ray with limited expectations. After 101's excellent work on another classic BBC ghost story, Ghost Watch on Blu-ray, I am happy to say that this presentation, while inherently flawed still looks solid all things considered. There's a bit of murky softness to it that I would expect, ghosting and flare artifacts that were inherent to the eras video capture. That said, colors often impress and and are well-saturated. it's not the sharpest image you would ever want to see, but it does appear true tot he video source, and the Blu-ray authoring and compression looks rock solid, so no additional artificing further detracts from the source limitation. Audio comes by way of English PCM 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles. The track is limited in it's range but does the job, dialogue sounds fine and the eerie electronic score by Desmond Briscoe and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, while often coming in hot and bit harsh, is quite atmospheric and jarring when it means to me.
101 Films offer a wonderful slate of extras, we get an archival Audio Commentary with Nigel Kneale and film critic Kim Newman, a new Audio Commentary with filmmakers Jon Dear and Sean Hogan, the 42-min ‘Children of The Stone Tape’ Documentary on the lasting legacy of The Stone Tap featuring interviews with Peter Strickland (Duke of Burgundy), Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentleman) and star Jane Asher; and the 15-min 'Out of Darkness: A Visionary Manxman’ Short film on writer Nigel Kneale featuring biographer Andy Murray.
We were only sent the 'check disc' for the purpose of the review, which is just a pre-production disc and no packaging, but the Limited Editions set also includes a Rigid Slipbox, a Script Book, a Booklet with writing on the telefilm including ‘Placememory’ by Andy Murray and ‘Weird Science: The Stone Tape at Fifty’ by John Doran, and a set of Art Cards.
Special Features:
• ‘Children of The Stone Tape’ Documentary on the lasting legacy of The Stone Tape (42 min)
• ‘Out of Darkness: A Visionary Manxman’ Short film on writer Nigel Kneale (14.48)
• Audio Commentary with filmmakers Jon Dear and Sean Hogan
• Audio Commentary with Nigel Kneale and film critic Kim Newman
• Limited edition rigid box packaging
• Set of art cards
• Script booklet
• Booklet including ‘Placememory’ by Andy Murray and ‘Weird Science: The Stone Tape at Fifty’ by
John Doran
