Woman in Black

[cavscott]

Saw The Woman in Black last night. Creepy and fun throughout. Lots of scares, jumps and nervous laughter from the audience.

Daniel Radcliffe got some getting used  to in the role but soon forgot about that.

Plus had dreams about the Woman in Black herself last night - surely a good sign for a scary film.

What have others thought of it?

[Cate Gardner]

I'm going to hold off watching it until I've read the book. 

[M J Francis]

I really enjoyed it. Disturbing and creepy. And the Woman in Black makes for a scarier foe than Voldemort (the film version of him, anyhow) for Harry, I mean Daniel.

I did think the final shot of the film was a bit too self-conscious for the story. It reminded me of Eddie Murphy acknowledging the camera in Trading Places.

[Ray]

Not seen it yet but loved the play (seen it three times and it works every time) - hoping I'll like the film just as much.

[Wayne Mook]

It's not like the book, tv or radio version. Still not seen the the play.

For a start he's not due to get married, in the film he's a widower.

In all I enjoyed it. Some nice creepy moments.

Wayne.

[CarolineC]

I've only seen the play - not sure whether to watch the film as I fear it won't be as good. The play is incredible. Very scary indeed. The audience got quite jumpy. I actually got that spine-tingling feeling at one point during the play. Just not sure how it would translate to the screen. 

[Ray]

One time when I saw the play there was this wonderful moment as the guy approached the door when a voice in the audience whimpered 'please don't'.    It was a great moment of tension.

[TimJ]

The book is one of my favourites - one of the scariest books I've ever read.  I didn't particularily enjoy the play but that might've been because I was so uncomfortable in my seat.  I enjoyed the film on some levels but it thought it relied too much on jump scares, the ghostly children didn't work, and I hated the ending.  Radcliffe didn't do a bad job so long as he didn't have to say anything.  I kind of wish they'd just stuck to the original story rather than trying to 'adapt' it to the screen.  It really felt to me like the scriptwriter's ego got in the way, and she sort of wanted to make it her story rather than Susan Hill's.  The old BBC version was much scarier and had a much more sinister feel I thought (especially when the Woman in Black decends on the poor guy when he's lying in bed!).

This version wasn't the type of horror that keeps you up at night.  I pretty much forgot about it as soon as I left the cinema.  It disappointed me in the same way as 'The Awakening' in that it was good up to a point, and then they introduced a twist that makes you roll your eyes.  Sometimes it'd be good if they just felt that they could tell a story in a straightforward way and not have some kind of 'Sixth Sense' type twist ending.

[SAWatts]

If it doesn't keep you up all night I might brave it - I scare way too easily!

[davidjb]

I enjoyed it and would recommend it. Take a pillow to hide behind though

[M J Francis]

I watched it a second time, and I have to say it gave me the same chills it did the first time. Very good ghost story.

[David A. Riley]

Watched the film version of The Woman in Black for the first time this weekend. Perhaps I shouldn't have recently seen the 1989 TV version scripted by Nigel Kneale in 1989, because that's still the best version for me and the film did not compare all that well to it for me. There are quite a number of differences between the two and I believe that possibly the film version is nearer the original novel. Certainly, Susan Hill is happy with it, though she wasn't quite so pleased with Nigel Kneale's version from what I've heard. Even so, that's the one that still strikes me as the more powerful, effective piece of drama. Which is not to say I didn't enjoy the film. That has a tremendous cast and the sets could hardly be bettered, though it did seem to rely too much on shock effects - the cinematic version of someone shouting "Boo!" in your ear too often, and I didn't think enough was made of the ghostly fatal carriage accident re-enacted on the causeway, but it was sincerely made and had some genuine chills.

Of the recent Hammer Films I would place it third to Let Me In and Wake Wood and as a ghost story The Awakening, scripted by Stephen Volk, was much, much better.

[Phil Lunt]

... The Awakening, scripted by Stephen Volk...

... and Nick Murphy, who I worked with for 6 weeks earlier in the year. I'm not a name-dropper, lol

(seen it three times and it works every time)

I've seen the play three times, too. Loved it each time, even when I saw it at the Lowry in Salford. T'other two times I saw it at the Fortune Theatre in London which is the perfect setting.

[David A. Riley]

Missed catching the play at The Lowry - which is a theatre I love - but I did see it in London. The seats in the very old theatre there, though, were so cramped it did detract from my full enjoyment!   

[Horrorwriter66]

When oh when are they going to release the 1989 version, by Nigel Kneale, on dvd or blu ray?