Underplayed Gems

The Ash-tree (1975)

The Ash-tree poster
Original title
The Ash Tree
Directed by
Lawrence Gordon Clark
Genre
mystery, horror, tv movie
Country
United Kingdom
Runtime
32 min
Rating
6.3 of 10 from 20 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

An 18th-century aristocrat inherits his uncle's estate and is troubled by nightmares about a 17th-century ancestor involved in a witch trial. Strange noises from an ash tree outside his window suggest a connection to the past.

atmosphericslow-burneeriemelancholicunsettlingvisually lushhauntingthoughtful

What happens

The Ash Tree is a short film which is part of the British supernatural anthology series A Ghost Story for Christmas. Written by David Rudkin, produced by Rosemary Hill, and directed by the series' creator, Lawrence Gordon Clark, it is based on the ghost story "The Ash-tree" by M. R. James, first published in the collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904), and first aired on BBC1 on 23 December 1975. It stars Edward Petherbridge in the dual role of Sir Richard, an 18th-century aristocrat who inherits the estate of his late uncle, and of Sir Matthew, his 17th century ancestor whose role in the witch trial of Ann Mothersole (Barbara Ewing) haunts Sir Richard via nighttime visions. Sir Richard is also disturbed by strange noises coming from an ash tree outside his bedroom window, which is revealed to have a connection with these events. Since airing it has received a mixed response from critics in comparison with the other James adaptations produced in the series' original run, with even Clark regarding it as a disappointment. It was the last James adaptation produced as part of the series' original run, and the last one to air until A View from a Hill (2005). (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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