The Stalls of Barchester

A cleric goes a step too far to satisfy his career ambitions and finds himself the target of a ghostly revenge.

The story is framed by a scholarly investigation after the event, which some reviewers feel detracts from the immediacy of the story, and I think the problem is that the narrator has no connection with the plot. Otherwise the story is well told, with the protagonist forbiddingly aloof and the spookiness delivered subtly in shadowy sets with intimate little sound effects. Also a nice strand of humour runs through the early scenes, as the dogged old archdeacon clings to his position.

One flaw in the story is the loose end of the collaborator in the fatal deed - once the blackmail note was produced it had to become part of the plot, but was just left dangling.

Fun to see this. A Warning to the Curious and Lost Hearts were the masterpieces of the series. This entry is dour and a little plodding but has a palpable tension and dread. It boasts a memorable shock a good five years before DePalma's Carrie, although my memory of it was a little different. It will still make you jump and your blood run cold. 'Stalls' was the series finding its feet. The structure, with two lots of voice-overs is somewhat awkward and unwieldy. The academic inquiry is dry and your attention may wander, forcing you to backtrack. It is the antecedent of The Treasure Of Abbott Thomas, which was similarly scholarly, although not ruinously. It is M R James approach and you can take it or leave it.

The second M.R. James adaptation I have set up for this Halloween marathon emerges a marked improvement on the cerebral and rather uneventful WHISTLE AND I'LL COME TO YOU (1968). The horror is still subtly deployed throughout, but it creates the right kind of frisson and a distinct aura of unease (thanks largely to the remote wintry locale, also incorporating the obligatory vast mansion) for this intrinsically low-key and character-driven piece. The setting is a school run by the Church – and, apparently, James had himself toyed with the idea of taking the cloth (and would actually become a teacher, among whose pupils was a certain Christopher Lee!); it involves jealousy and machinations among the staff, particularly when the current Dean 'refuses' to relinquish his position to the ambitious Robert Hardy (later of Hammer's DEMONS OF THE MIND [1972]). After he resorts to murder to obtain his wish, however, he begins to be haunted by the old man – via whispering disembodied voices and manifestations as either a black cat or a caped figure bearing a ghoulish hand with creepy talons! The predictable (but still effective) ironic climax, then, sees Hardy expiring in the exact same fashion as the fate he had planned for his doddering predecessor.

I am an enormous fan of the BBC's Ghost Stories For Christmas but this is by far my favourite. It manages to pull off the seemingly impossible feet of being both very scary and also very amusing. Personally I love the antiquarian setting of this and most other M R James stories because it makes the following supernatural happenings all the more unexpected coming as they do into a world that deals with fact. The Stalls of Barchester has a wonderfully light touch as can be seen in how it illustrates the continued survival of the aged Archdeacon (much to his ambitious subordinate's chagrin) by the decreasing number of guests at his birthday drinks. The reason why this short film remains so scary is because right up until the last moment it's 'ghosts' come only in the form of noises and the odd movement out of the corner of the eye and have thus not aged at all. I cannot really do justice to the beauty of this programme's photography and production design and I urge everyone to see it and then write to the BBC and demand it's release on DVD.

This short 'ghost story' film still delights and intrigues me even after several viewings over the years. Wonderful creation of atmosphere,from the dark interior of the archdeacons house to the misty cathedral grounds.I agree that some may find it a little 'plodding'but this is not a slasher/effects movie and I think the build up of the macabre moments and outcome are to be savored and maybe the 'ghost stories' series strong point. I also enjoyed the subtle moments of humor in this story. All in all a very enjoyable winters afternoon or evening viewing.

Roy