Why the R2 "Ghostwatch" is my most anticipated release of the year.... (Merged)

[DVD Connoisseur]

On the 31st October 1992, the BBC screened Ghostwatch. To quote from the blurb on the forthcoming DVD release:

So convincing was this "live" telecast from a haunted house in North London that, according to the press at least in the days following transmission, it caused a wave of panic among the British viewing public similar to that following Orson Welles' radio broadcast of 'The War of the Worlds' in the 1930s. The viewers aired their anger and distress on Points of View, Biteback, on the radio and in the press, and in thousands of personal letters and phone calls to the BBC. A decade on, and with the cat out of the bag, this remarkable piece of television drama retains its power to shock.

Quite simply, this drama makes Blair Witch look like an everyday stroll in the park. No matter how many times you watch Ghostwatch, there's always something new to be spotted. An apparition that you missed on the last viewing will now cause sleepless nights. The less said about the content of this drama the better, it's best appreciated without knowing too much. This programme caused absolute chaos on Halloween and frightened millions of viewers in a way they never expected.

It's my No.1 most eagerly awaited release, and one that I'm surprised has seen the light of day after all these years. Nth generation VHS tapes of Ghostwatch have been going for over £100 in recent years at shows / car boot sales due to its infamous reputation and the BBC's vow that this show would never be screened ever again.

For those with R2 / PAL playback facilities, purchase this drama and watch it on a cold winter's night in the dark. You'll be sleeping with the light on that night....

Here's a link to BlackStar's site:

http://www.blackstar.co.uk/video/item/7000000075104


;)

[Fart Lighter]

i'm with you on this. I was fortunate enough to tape it when it was on originally, and have spend the subsequent years running off endless copies for people. This has become something of a TV legend.

[betterdan]

What was so disturbing about it? I've never seen it.

[Bish]

When it was aired many people myself included thought it was a genuine documentary. I can't remember if they mentioned that it was a work of fiction at the beginning as I missed the first few seconds of it.

I fell for it myself - very scary. I’ve never seen it since it was shown so I’m looking forward to this one.

[WJB]

I totally agree about this being my most anticipated DVD of the year. I've only ever seen it when it was originally broadcast, but I remember how we all got toally freaked out by it.

There are some great clips of it at http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/ilove/tv/ghostwatch including the bit where Parky gets possessed!! And there's loads of information about the show at http://www.ghostwatch.info


Where's Pipes?!?!?!?

[KillerCannabis]

Damn, I hope this gets a proper R1 release sometime, it sounds like it has major potential.

[DVD Connoisseur]

Originally posted by betterdan
What was so disturbing about it? I've never seen it.

The programme was disturbing because even though it was introduced as a drama, Ghostwatch looked like a live broadcast from a haunted house / TV studio with well known (in the UK) presenters. Many people (including myself) thought it was real. My battered VHS copy which I made when it was shown has been played many times and Ghostwatch is still an effective chiller. In the UK, it has a cult following among horror fans. I can't think of anything that's been shown as a drama or a movie that's been more frightening.

Simply superb. Even when you've seen the show several times, you'll still be attempting to spot all of the apparition's (known as Pipes) many appearances.

Great to see that Ghostwatch is known and liked on the boards. I knew you guys had good taste!:p

[Reverenddave]

I just received this from AmazonUK. It was probably the best $20 I've spent on Horror movies all year. Definitely recommended to anyone with a DVD Player that can handle Region 2/PAL.

[slinker]

Yeah i just picked this up the other day because a bunch of us watched it in our `mad teen` years on some raging acid tabs, our girlfriends were shitting themselves and i can just remember lots of chaos and freaky goings on although i did realise that it wasnt real fairly early on...the actual case that this was based on is from my home town( The Enfield Poltergeist), so im very interested in anything to do with it. To be quite honest now i have watched it again after all these years its definately lost its edge some of the acting leaves alot to be desired, but i respect it for what it managed to do `scare the bejesus outta people!`......now if ya wanna hear something REAL scary take a listen to this audio sample, its from the original case which involved a young girl being posessed by a poltergeist...this was from an interview which was taped whilst the ghost was using her body as a vessel for speech...make ya own mind up about it, all you sceptics out there! bear in mind that the girl was only 12 at the time:eek1: Interview with a SPOOK! (http://www.bbc.co.uk/so/weird/believe/audio_enfieldvice.htm)

[CJ]

Another vote here from me too. This is one of the few viewing experiences I have ever had that actually managed to totally freak me out. I caught it live and I sat rigid throughout. To say it disturbed me is an understatement!

Will definitely be getting this DVD!!

[Fart Lighter]

hey, don't forget that THE SIGNALMAN, CHOCKY, CHILDREN OF THE STONES, and A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS also came out recently. More quality UK spooky TV to get.

[CJ]

Aren't those in the same BFI series as Ghostwatch?

[Fart Lighter]

some are, along with THE STONE TAPE and WHISTLE AND I'LL COME TO YOU. The others are released by Second Sight, who also put out TRIPODS.

[Mr.Vengance]

Those clips definitly didn't convince me that I need to pick this title up. Kinda cheesy. Maybe it's the kind of thing that one has to have grown up with. I'm still slightly interested though.

[onebyone]

I ordered this based on this thread and I am so glad I did. I watched it last night and it was really good. I had my doubts when it first started but damn, that was top quality horror. Thanks for the recommendation. :glasses:

[agentc]

Finally remembered to get this one. It brings back alot of memories of when it was first broadcast, me and my friends couldn't work out if it was real or fake, mainly due to how amateurish it was made(in a good way). It was made even more creepy by using real presenters & unknown actors(as stated above) also it looked like a live show. A great pre Blair Witch type drama & essential cult viewing.

[DVD Connoisseur]

Great to see this drama's a hit on the boards. I haven't actually purchased the DVD yet but it's certainly a "must have" title, IMHO.

I still become freaked out when I think about this quality piece of British television. :nervous:

[bigdaddyhorse]

Ya'll got me thinking about ordering it, esp. since it doesn't sound like I've seen it before. Have to look into it a bit further.

[DVD Connoisseur]

Originally posted by bigdaddyhorse
Ya'll got me thinking about ordering it, esp. since it doesn't sound like I've seen it before. Have to look into it a bit further.

Given the amount of complaints generated in the UK, there's no way a US channel would even think of showing this drama. The show was on television once in the UK and then "banned" from any future screenings. Trust me, it's definitely not family entertainment.

The DVD followed years of campaigning and was perhaps a way of stopping the expensive boots that were circulating at movie fairs, the internet, etc.

[dvdasia62]

I just watched this DVD last weekend and I was very impressed. Very effective and spooky little film. :)

[sinister]

I remember when it was originally on TV but didn't see it at the time. Picked up the DVD recently but wasn't that impressed... it has a few nice moments but overall it's too unconvincing these days.

Anyone interested in trading the DVD for another horror disc can PM me. It's region 2/PAL format. (I hope it's OK to mention this here and not in the trade section BTW).

[DVD Connoisseur]

One of the great things about Ghostwatch is trying to spot all the appearances of Pipes. Many repeat viewings are required to guarantee all sightings of this chilling character....

This site may enhance your future viewing pleasure with its "Where's Pipes?" section:

http://www.ghostwatch.info/


:nervous:

[Ash28M]

I just watched Ghostwatch tonight on Scream TV and I would have to say overall i was quite impressed. It was cheesy at times and really wasn't that believable but it still managed to give me the willies anyway which I am still trying to figure out how it managed to do that. It's definitely is no BWP but I would recommend everyone to check it out.

[Luna]

This sounds really good... one of these days I'd like to get my hands on a copy.

Reading this thread reminded me of a TV show that was broadcast on CBS in 1994, called "Without Warning". It had a local NYC newsreader in it (Ernie Anastos) and was basically about how three meteors hit in the U.S., France and China and included eyewitness accounts. I have the original broadcast of it on tape still. :D

[b0nkers]

i firtst watched this when it was aired on bbc and it scared the shit outta me.

i got hold of the dvd last year expecting to be scared yet again. i was bored senseless when i watched it. Not scary at all and was kinda stupid and funny

big let down after all these years

[chrishicks]

anyone know where I can can this for a decent price? it seems like it goes for well over $30.00US.

[Ash28M]

anyone know where I can can this for a decent price? it seems like it goes for well over $30.00US.

Try Ebay. I think i paid about $22.00US + shipping when i won my auction.

[sinister]

I've still got the one i mentioned above , if you've got anything to trade for it. :)

[Damage]

Just finished watching Ghostwatch on Scream Television. I saw it earlier this year and got hooked into watching it again. Anyone see this? Originally broadcast on the BBC back in 1992, it upset many viewers and was blamed for the suicide of a 17 year old boy in what was called the first case of TV-induced post traumatic stress. It was never again broadcast on the BBC but I hear it's coming out on DVD in the UK. The whole thing was scripted but nevertheless, people got freaked out.

More info on the show can be found here (http://www.forteantimes.com/articles/166_ghostwatch.shtml), here (http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/ghostwatch.html), and here (http://www.dvdmaniacs.net/Reviews/E-H/ghostwatch.html). Here's hoping a Region 1 DVD release comes my way.

[allmessedup]

Saw a boot of it a few years back...really good late night creepy viewing. Unfortunately I made the mistake of loaning it to someone and never saw it again.

What I remember liking about it is that it all seems like such harmless fun at first which makes it all the more frightening as it goes on.

[saveyourservant]

My girlfriend and I watched it for Halloween. It definitely has its moments and i found myself getting chills in places where you wouldn't expect to.

However, they never should have had the 'phenomena' extend into the TV studio. That part as the climax is supremely silly. I recommend it, but it definitely has it's flaws. I was a little disappointed. I do agree, however, that I need to watch it a few more times because I'm sure I missed a lot.

[shape22]

I finally caught this after hearing about it for a long time. It's definitely worth seeking out. Mockumentaries typically bore me to tears. But this one is presented with a lot more style and wit than similar recent films like Paranormal Activity (which I despise).

As others have mentioned, the irreverent tone of the opening act really sets the stage effectively and enhances the illusion of reality. And the decision to focus on a mother and her children instead of the usual unlikeable 20-somethings made me much more interested in the story.

If you haven't seen it check it out.

[ReelFear]

I like to watch this one on Halloween night because you can watch it in real time! Ghost Watch is creepy and well done.

[Demoni]

This is out of print and seller are selling this at forbidden prices... for me at least.

Has this been available in another country, in another edition?

[shape22]

There's a used one for sale at Amazon for $14.99. And Ioffer is selling dupes at reasonable prices. If you're interested in the original release I'd grab the used copy at Amazon. The few copies for sale at Ebay are going for much, much more.

[shape22]

Somebody already grabbed that $14.99 copy. Did you get it Demoni?

[Demoni]

There's a used one for sale at Amazon for $14.99. And Ioffer is selling dupes at reasonable prices. If you're interested in the original release I'd grab the used copy at Amazon. The few copies for sale at Ebay are going for much, much more.

Somebody already grabbed that $14.99 copy. Did you get it Demoni?

Yes, thank you.

I saw that but buying from the US Amazon is expensive for me as I live in Europe.

[DVD Connoisseur]

Whoa! Great resurrection of this classic thread!:)

After posting about this title all those years ago, I only picked up a copy myself around a year ago! Watched it last Halloween....still delivers the goods but the impact was lessened by my familiarity with the content.

I stumbled across a mint copy (I think it was from Play.Com) at a reasonable price after what seemed liked ages of scouring the usual sites.

[fattyjoe37]

Just watched this for the first time last night. It was decent, but not as scary or believable as its been built up as. The ending was especially silly and makes me wonder if the people who thought it was real turned it off before the very fake finale. I'd compare it to Alien Abduction: Incident at Lake County, another mockumentary that people online say is "the scariest thing they've ever seen" but is really just a great idea with only decent execution. As I was reading about the film online I did discover that a new DVD has come out in the UK. It doesn't have the commentary or featurette that the old disc had, but it goes for much cheaper than that OOP version. So fans who never got a copy should seek that out.

[Franco]

Which brand is likely to release this movie in the USA?

[Demoni]

Just to let you know that "101 Films" reissue this title in the UK.
It´s very cheap.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghostwatch-DVD-Michael-Parkinson/dp/B005OJCPZU/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1330026753&sr=1-1

And this release contains the original broadcast intro the was missing from the first release.

Mine just arrived.

[shape22]

$10.84 delivered to the U.S. I grabbed a copy. Thanks Demoni!

[Demoni]

$10.84 delivered to the U.S. I grabbed a copy. Thanks Demoni!

My pleasure.

[Anaestheus]

I read about this recently on some list of best horror of TV or some such nonsense. The list was crap (it included things like "Lost") so I'm not going to bother digging that up for reference. But, it intrigued me enough to hunt down a torrent of the show.

And, damn, is it fantastic. Yes, there are some things that I could be nitpicky about. A couple of the "specialists" interviewed are a bit weak either in terms of writing or acting and a few of the sound effects in the climax are recognizably from stock libraries. But, everything else about this is stellar. It really feels like it is a live broadcast, including all sorts of weird pacing and awkward moments in the first half, but still managed to build up a really impressive atmosphere as callers start to fill in the back story. And, once the scares start to pile up, it does a great job of making it all feel very real.

It's very apparent that Blair Witch used this for inspiration and according to wikipedia, they have stated as much. But, Ghostwatch does a much better job with the same techniques. For one, they actually do a really good job of setting up why the cameras are there and then playing with the limitations of the cameras and cameramen, so you don't have any of those moments like in BWP where you wonder why the hell they are still filming. Add to that the fact that many of the celebrities are actually TV personalities playing themselves and you can see how people could have been seriously freaked out when this aired.

While I hate to condone piracy, I highly recommend seeking this thing out. It is one of the best unknown gems I have found in a long long time.

[Ash28M]

I read about this recently on some list of best horror of TV or some such nonsense. The list was crap (it included things like "Lost") so I'm not going to bother digging that up for reference. But, it intrigued me enough to hunt down a torrent of the show.

And, damn, is it fantastic. Yes, there are some things that I could be nitpicky about. A couple of the "specialists" interviewed are a bit weak either in terms of writing or acting and a few of the sound effects in the climax are recognizably from stock libraries. But, everything else about this is stellar. It really feels like it is a live broadcast, including all sorts of weird pacing and awkward moments in the first half, but still managed to build up a really impressive atmosphere as callers start to fill in the back story. And, once the scares start to pile up, it does a great job of making it all feel very real.

It's very apparent that Blair Witch used this for inspiration and according to wikipedia, they have stated as much. But, Ghostwatch does a much better job with the same techniques. For one, they actually do a really good job of setting up why the cameras are there and then playing with the limitations of the cameras and cameramen, so you don't have any of those moments like in BWP where you wonder why the hell they are still filming. Add to that the fact that many of the celebrities are actually TV personalities playing themselves and you can see how people could have been seriously freaked out when this aired.

While I hate to condone piracy, I highly recommend seeking this thing out. It is one of the best unknown gems I have found in a long long time.

While I agree that Ghostwatch is good and very effective in spots. I just don't think it was nearly as effective as Blair Witch.