Woman in black.

[OrmIrian]

I don't much care for horror films as a rule. But I wouldn't have said the novel was a 'horror' storry just a simple ghost story. Went to see it on Saturday and was v disappointed. No need for all the extra bits added to the story. No need for all the scary effects. It's scary enough with everything simply suggested.

But maybe it was never going to work as a film without the added ghoulishness. Shame really. Less is definitely more.

Interested to read your opinion!
I really want to see this but as a complete and utter wuss, i'm not sure that this would be wise!

I am more shocked at the certificate. It is a 12a and there is no WAY I would let an under 12 see it. I am slack of slackest of mummies, and (within reason), allow my 13 year old to watch 15's (if me and DH have vetted first).
There is, however no way she is going to see this.

I agree susanne. Some of DS1's friends were there (dragged by there gfs I think) but they were a bit freaked out and they're 15. I could not imagine DD who is 12 or DS2 who is 8 watching it.

Yes Daniel Radcliffe was on Radio 2 other day, stressing that he really didn't think it was suitable for children at all.

Went to see this last night and thought it was good as a film in its own right. Shame that they didn't stick to the original plot. I'm also surprised at it being a 12A which means that anyone under that can go as long as an adult is there!

I've just seen it and screamed like a girl.
It definately should not be a 12A!

crapola, kids film. dp and i agreed it was like a dr who episode, shame really.

audience squealed like kids thought it too, more of a comedy

I do agree, I too was disappointed.

I was saying on another thread that the play and book were far more frightening in their psychological subtlety. Even the old tv/film version was better, and I didn't rate that much at the time.

This one was too reliant on camera tricks for the scares, with addition of blood, action and all the other (unnecessary) extras and effects, but do think it might have been a quiet, shorter, sort of film for mainstream cinema otherwise.

And shocked at Mr Daily's wife, the villagers, that ending!

Is it likely that when it's released on DVD they'll release the uncut 15 version?

I enjoyed it, but so much of the book was changed (random villager behaving very oddly with scant explanation, all these children being locked up etc) and the film relyed on some teenage pleasing horror make up (children with loks of black eyeshadow to prove they were dead, the screaming woman in black) to me, it would hhave ben creepier to not see the woman in black close up, or her face, and have her as a truly menacing unknown figure in the background. Think they've spoiled what was a good opportunity for a really pyschologically creepy film...

The ending was bit odd.. I know the book ends in death, but in the film it was a bit vague, had the woman in black done it to be evil and notforgive, or done it to reunite a bereaved family?

agree joyce, the screaming woman was quite funny

the only scary part was the toys

Yes, the screaming annoyed me because from what I remember in the book(read it ages ago but it's sat on the bookshelf and I'm going to start it again this weekend) what really scared me was that the woman in black was like a malevolent, yet controlled prescence..

Yet in the film this shrieking implied she was out of control or out of her mind, then the true menace of her being truly in control of her actions and her decisions was lost, so she seems to have just turned into a bog standard (no pun intended!) character... yet her actions (causing the deaths, as a mother) could have, along with her remaining mysterious, cold, controlled made it possible for her to be a truly evil and frightening character that you can't undertsnad, sympathise with or recognise, and that's the sort of character you would be checking under your bed for, days after seeing the film! So much potential lost...

I haven't read the book before and I thought that it was really good. It made a change from the blood and gore fests that are usually advertised as scary but are just sickening. I was on the edge of my seat and yes I screamed like a girl!! I wouldn't like my son who is 11yrs to see it too scary

I enjoyed it. I love the book; it's so well written and the film wasn't as good but it did make me jump. I think that the screaming women in black made me scream; I'm sure that's why they included it. The ending wasn't as dark as in the book but then as a mother I do find the original ending quite hard to stomach.