Ghostwatch

1992 ""We don't want to give anybody sleepless nights.""
7.4| 1h31m| en| More Info
Released: 31 October 1992 Released
Producted By: BBC
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

For Halloween 1992, the BBC decides to broadcast an investigation into the supernatural, hosted by TV chat-show legend Michael Parkinson. Parky (assisted by Mike Smith, Sarah Greene & Craig Charles) and a camera crew attempt to discover the truth behind the most haunted house in Britain. This ground-breaking live television experiment does not go as planned, however.

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Reviews

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting
Acensbart Excellent but underrated film
Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
TheFilmGuy1 I recently watched "WNUF Halloween Special", a horror film that is obviously inspired by this film, because it is VERY similar, except for a few little details here and there. I must say that Ghostwatch does it much better. I only wish I could have been sitting in front of a TV in 1993 watching this and not knowing it was fake. It seems like it would have been very convincing back then. Ghostwatch is a film that is made in what is similar to the "found footage" style of films. It is essentially made to look like a TV special where they investigate a haunted house, and things get very crazy. It's full of many creepy and subtle spooky scenes, and it really creates that scary vibe that a lot of films are missing. What is most unique about this film is its idea of television and how it is incorporated into the haunting. It adds another layer of creepy, and perhaps even is saying something about television and how it is incorporated into peoples everyday lives and can even be a big part of them.In the end, I would say this is a must see for horror fans. It's spooky and should be seen alone for the fact that it has a place in history as a TV movie that seemed so real that it tricked thousands of people into believing it's content.
Anthony Pittore III (Shattered_Wake) I'm an American male currently in my twenties. . . therefore, when this film was originally released in 1992, I clearly wasn't someone who would've been seeing it. However, after seeing only good things about this "documentary," I decided to give it a watch. Some people said it was nightmare-inducing and truly terrifying. . . but, is it? The story is simple. . . a BBC crew is putting on a documentary regarding a regular British family being supposedly tortured by spirits in a regular British home. As the night progresses, the family and the crew become more and more involved in the secrets of the house and its past.I'm going to be honest. . . about 20ish minutes into this film, I had no interest in continuing. I'm one who loves a slow build-up, but the first 20 or so minutes of 'Ghostwatch' are just simply quite annoying. The crew and family are all irritating, most of the "experts" involved are pretty ignorant about the paranormal, and there really is nothing in the way of horror. However, once the story starts to build and things start to really kick into high gear, the film becomes a truly chilling experience. After the beginning, I did not believe there was any chance of my being scared by this film. By the end, though, I had a ball of blankets in my fist and I was peeking at the crack of my closet door waiting to see Pipes staring out at me. Keep your eyes open, look for the "little things," and you will be creeped out.Overall, 'Ghostwatch' is just another in the series of fantastic point-of-view supernatural horrors with 'The Blair Witch Project,' 'Rec,' 'Paranormal Activity,' and others that will seriously scare the wits out of you.Final Verdict: 8.5/10.-AP3-
Shawn Watson Having seen two different ghosts on separate occasions in my life, then my answer is, most definitely, yes. And no, I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't allowed to see this show back when it originally aired back in 1992, my mother and aunt were busy keeping the living room for their own drunken yacking. But I did sneak in a couple of times and saw a couple of definitive bits such as the ghost of Pipes appearing behind the curtains. I never knew it was a sham at the time but was intrigued nonetheless. Afterwards, BBC 2 screened Halloween 2 and I was more freaked out by that. But then came Sunday and the whole of Britain was buzzing about it.That particular Saturday night was probably the most iconic Halloween in a long time. The BBC even kept the show hidden away for many years afterwards because of all the controversy it stirred up. So anyone who has memories of being scared back then have not been able to see the show up until recently since the British Film Institute released a DVD. Fifteen years on, in the middle of a reality TV craze and with inattentive audiences, Ghostwatch would certainly not work in 2007. People now are just too cynical and no one really watches TV on a Saturday night now. There are many other distractions. It was the fact that so many people at Halloween parties, kids and adults alike, were fooled by this that made it so notorious. And there was hardly any advertising for Ghostwatch either and the only way people would know what was on is by checking the TV guides. Now we have the internet and almost every element of a production is scrutinized before anyone sees it.You could say that it was part of Ghostwatch's power that despite hardly any advertising and being bookended with 'this is not real' that was taken so seriously. But that would an absurd statement. It's a pretty 50/50 affair. The acting and direction is often stale and clumsy but the subliminal shots of Pipes going unnoticed by the crew make it so brilliant to watch.Set up like a Crimewatch show we have Parkinson in the studio with a Parapsychologist discussing the Pipes phenomena and other ghost stories while Sarah Greene and Craig 'No Talent Whatsoever' Charles are on location in a council estate where Pipes the ghost is making life a misery for the Early family. As you can imagine, there's a lot of hand-held camera action and quick glimpses of the ghost. I've spotted about seven but there may be more.It's rather dated and badly acted but it's still got enough in it to be interesting in these cynical times. Just try to blank out Craig Charles, why he was chosen to be in this I'll never know. I just wish that the BBC went further and push Ghostwatch to the max instead of mainly just playing it safe.
Simon I was 16 years old (maybe i should have lied about my age when it was on) and in hospital when i watched this. Yes i thought it was real. Yes i was rummaging for change for the hospital payphone to ring in. and yes i felt a pratt when it wasn't real - i blame the anasetic and medication i was on.Whoever thought this programme up, did a fantastic job. Its a one off, never can be repeated as it would be recognised instantly as a hoax. The whole story and play along is and was so convincing, the acting from even the children was brilliant and well done as it was believable im sure it had a lot of people fooled. Also, another of these couldn't be made as the supernatural TV world is flooded with the likes of Most Haunted (not knocking it, love M.H) so it couldn't be carried off as well as this was back in 92