THE STONE TAPE
****
Directed by Peter Sasdy.
Starring Jane Asher, Peter Brock, Iain Cuthbertson.
Horror, UK, 89 minutes, Certificate 12.
Released in the UK on Limited Edition Blu-ray on December 9th by 101 Films
There is a certain kind of pleasure to be had in watching THE STONE TAPE on high-definition optical media fifty-two years after its original Christmas day BBC broadcast. The, at the time, cutting edge technology that is employed in capturing the ghostly goings on at Taskerlands, the old Victorian mansion where Ryan Electrical Products are attempting a breakthrough in recording technology, now seems quaint, outsized and massively limited. However, Nigel Kneale’s tale of the distant past seeping malevolently into the present still manages to cast a spell, due in no small part to his expert handling of this particular theme which also ran through his other works, most notably QUATERMASS AND THE PIT.
Moving away from the science-fiction elements that made his name, Kneale combines the supernatural with the scientific in a plot that sees the electrical company discovering a supernatural presence in a large room with stone walls dating back to the Saxon era that has been blocked off since the Second World War. Computer programmer Jill, played by Jane Asher, discovers the presence after witnessing the spectral figure of a woman screaming and falling down the stairs to her apparent death. Her boss Peter, with whom she is having an affair, dismisses her experience, reducing it to little more than female stress. Upon witnessing the event himself however, Peter seizes upon the idea of the spirit being captured within the ancient stone itself like some primordial recording device. Peter’s hopes of accessing this medium for a breakthrough in sound and vision experiences leads to a bone chilling discovery that reaches further back than anyone could possibly imagine.
Even over five decades later THE STONE TAPE, like most of its authors works, still stands out as something wholly original and exciting. The ideas presented here, clearly, concisely and atmospherically, thanks to director Peter Sasdy, still capture the imagination of both long time viewers and newcomers. For those coming to this play for the first time, the racist banter and sexist attitudes of Jill’s boorish co-workers may raise an eyebrow although it is clear that Kneale’s attitude to such behaviour is fully in line with Jill’s own quiet distaste, expertly delivered by Asher. As Peter, Michael Bryant, comes across as one of Kneale’s most arrogant characters, practically shouting and barking every line of dialogue that will have you reaching for the volume control.
Fans of Kneale will no doubt be delighted with this seminal work finally making its debut on Blu-ray, especially in this deluxe edition with its booklets including excerpts of Kneale’s script work, and illuminating documentaries with the likes of collaborators such as Asher and fans Mark Gatiss and Peter Strickland offering their insights into this celebrated writer and his influential work. Shot on video this is far from a pristine high-definition presentation but this only adds to the retro and hauntological charms of its production with its small instances of ghosting and characters leaving near spectral trails as they bound across the set. All of this is nicely complimented by the packaging that will meet with the appreciation of fans of vintage science-fiction with all its tactile trimmings.
It seems that Kneale’s stock as a writer is still on the rise nearly two decades after his death. THE STONE TAPE is a prime example of why and this is an essential purchase for long time admirers and those looking for an introduction to a man whose influence can be seen and felt even more thanks in no small part to technology that captures his distinctive voice in a fashion much like he eerily wrote about here.
Iain MacLeod
