I’ve written here about a good handful of old fashioned ghost stories. Among my favorites are The Orphanage, The Changeling, The Awakening, Burnt Offerings, Stir of Echoes, The Others, The Haunting (63), The Eye (original), A Tale of Two Sisters, The Sixth Sense, Poltergeist, Insidious and many more. The latest, and perhaps the one that will bring ghost stories back to the forefront of horror, is Hammer’s The Woman in Black.
Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is a young lawyer who is struggling in life after losing his wife. He is sent on a job that may greatly improve his standing in his law office. He is sent to settle the estate of an eccentric woman who lived literally in the middle of nowhere outside of a quaint but mysterious English village. The residents of the village act suspiciously around Kipps and seem to not want him up at the old manor. But the longer Kipps spends at the old house, the more he learns about a vengeful ghost that resides there, a woman dressed all in black. The secrets the house holds may prove to be more than Kipps bargained for.
It is just such a fantastic thing that Hammer is producing films again. Since their triumphant return, they have put out Wake Wood (great throwback to Brit horror), The Resident (a little typical but fun), Let Me In (Amazing remake of an amazing Swedish film), and now they have The Woman in Black, which was a bonafide hit taking in over $120 million in worldwide box office on an estimated $17 million budget. The real treat though is that it is a really great film. Daniel Radcliffe was very smart taking a role like this after the Harry Potter films ended. The Woman in Black is a return to the classic style of ghost story telling. It is drenched in atmosphere, a very creepy old English manor, creepy weather outside the old house and lots of scenes of Kipps alone in the house investigating the mystery of it all. The production design is spectacular, Radcliffe is engaging and proves he is much more than Harry Potter, and the scares are genuinely scary. This is a shining example of a ghost story done right.
The BluRay from Alliance is absolutely lush and gorgeous. As you would expect from gothic horror, much of the film takes place in dark shadows with only candlelight, but the transfer handles it beautifully. Blacks are inky and solid, detail never wavers and colors are bold and natural. This is just a pristine hi def presentation. Classic ghost story, solid performances all around, especially from Radcliffe, and a striking transfer make this a must own. Highly recommended.
