Whistle and I'll Come to You (1968 short)
Summary
A university professor on holiday to a remote village on the English coast, confident in a rational and practical universe, finds his beliefs challenged and shattered by the terrifying and inexplicable events that occur after he blows through an ancient whistle discovered on the beach, awakening horrors beyond human understanding.
Details
- Release Date: 1968
- Country/Language: UK, English
- Genres/Technical: Horror, Suspense; black-and-white, short
- Setting: Norfolk, Classic or Gaslight
- Runtime: 42 min
- Starring: Michael Hordern, Ambrose Coghill, George Woodbridge
- Director: Jonathan Miller
- Writer: M.R. James (story "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad (fiction)"), Jonathan Miller (screenplay)
- Producer/Production Co: Omnibus, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Jonathan Miller
- View Film: (link)
- IMDB Page: (link)
Ratings
MPAA Ratings
- Rated: not rated (equivalent to a TV-G or TV-PG)
A bit slow-moving and subtle by today's standards, but often described by patient viewers as one of the scariest things they've ever seen; probably not likely to be appreciated by young viewers, but nothing here seems likely to be offensive to youngsters either.
Tentacle Ratings
A rough measure of how "Lovecraftian" the work is:
- SS___ (Two Tentacles: Barely Lovecraftian; vaguely similar in tone, a faithful adaptation of a story that influenced Lovecraft's writing)
This is a fine adaptation of the sort of M.R. James tale that impressed Lovecraft: a strange, irrational ghost story with more of the cosmic and malevolently alien about it than of the traditional mournful sheeted spooks and clanking chains of vengeful Gothic shades....
Note: This rating is not intended as a measure of quality, merely of how closely related to Lovecraftian "Weird" fiction the work is.
Reviews
Review Links:
- Shaun Anderson at The Celluloid Highway (link) - "The black and white cinematography of Dick Bush only adds to the sense of haunting isolation and seclusion. A seclusion created as much by Parkins’ failures in any kind of social environment as it is the desolation of a ghostly stretch of Norfolk coast."
- James Gracey at Behind the Couch (link) - "Director Jonathan Miller perfectly captures the quietness and stillness that exists within the stories of MR James. Horrors are suggested and fleetingly glimpsed; they hover creepily on the periphery of our waking world, but the impact they have is undeniable. The film retains a bleak atmosphere, satiated with solemn dread and steadily cranks up a consistent foreboding terror…"
- Phil Hickes at Horror News Network (link) - "...Guaranteed, you'll soon be glancing nervously at the dark corners of your room. ...Successfully recreates the creeping dread of James' most famous short story... a testament to the skill of everyone involved in the classic 1968 BBC production... Many have described it as the scariest thing they have ever seen...."
Synopsis (SPOILERS)
Spoiler Section (Highlight to Read)
A university professor on holiday to a remote coastal village on the English coast, confident in a rational and practical universe, finds his beliefs challenged and shattered by the terrifying and inexplicable events that occur after he blows through an ancient whistle discovered on the beach, awakening horrors beyond human understanding.
Notes
Comments, Trivia, Dedication
- 'Omnibus' was an arts programme that usually consisted of documentary material. This is one of the comparatively rare occasions when the entire programme was devoted to a single dramatisation, although there is a brief introductory voiceover describing the career and interests of M.R. James, on whose story the production is based.
Associated Mythos Elements
- fiction: "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad (fiction)" by M.R. James
- race: Elemental
- artifact: mysterious whistle marked "Who is this who is coming?"
Keeper Notes
