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Showing posts from 2010

Merry Christmas!

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Season's Greetings, Ghostwatchers! Yes, another year has almost passed, and we are edging closer and closer to the 20th anniversary of Ghostwatch . Who knows what next year might bring? Well, National Séance 2011 , for one thing! What a great night, the last event turned out to be - thanks to everyone who participated, and roll on October! Whilst we're still hard at work on the doc, we thought it might be fun to ask what questions YOU might put to the makers/stars of Ghostwatch ? Try and think of at least one question for any of the cast/crew from the original film and leave them in the comments box below, in our forum, or on Facebook . The best entries might even be included in the final cut. Do get writing, and we look forward to hearing from you! And don't forget to check out the upcoming special live episode of Coronation Street on Thursday the 9th at 20:00 in honour of the show's 50th Anniversary. So far, during the soap's recent tram crash storyli

Can you hear this..? Are you-are you hearing..?

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Have precisely twenty-seven minutes, nine seconds to spare? Then, why not check out this fantastic Halloween Mix Tape by Galaxy Manchester's very own Andi Durrant . Featuring spooky snippets from such classics as The Ring , The Omen , Stephen King’s It , Halloween , The Exorcist , The Mummy , The Blair Witch Project , The Fog , The Twilight Zone , Dracula , Frankenstein , Ghostbusters and of course... Ghostwatch . And straight from Andi himself via Twitter : Glad you like the mixtape.. I couldn't hang a dressing gown on the back of my bedroom door my entire childhood because of Pipes!

We've created a séance... a massive séance!

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Happy Hallowe'en, Ghostwatchers! In anticipation of our 'live' National Séance 2010 event set to take place later this evening, here's a special treat courtesy of filmmaker and Behind the Curtains supporter, Gary Mancini . Back in 1992, the popular TV Times listings mag reported the then-impending arrival of Ghostwatch with this great two-page spread - featuring a rare alternate publicity still of Parky, Sarah and Smithy. What a great way to help mark the show's 18th birthday. Thanks again to Gary for sharing it with us! Don't forget to send us your photos and reports from National Séance 2010 . Cheers to everyone who has got in touch to say they'll be taking part, and we look forward to seeing how your events turn out!

Let's take our first caller...

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On Sunday Night, White Noise Paranormal Radio interviewed Stephen Volk live and asked a plethora of questions covering, among other topics, Afterlife , The Awakening and some Hallowe'en drama called, ' Ghostwatch '. For anyone who missed it, or would like to hear it again, click here to check out over an hour of audible joy...

SFX #202

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Many thanks to all our subscribers who pointed out the latest issue of SFX features a brief mention of Ghostwatch in the article, ' Is There Anything On The Other Side? - The Classic British TV Ghost Story ' written by Alistair McGown. The section on Ghostwatch can be found on Page 96. All in all, the feature is a great read and well worth checking out if you can find a copy. Quite amazing to see a 'December' issue for sale in October. Maybe Pipes has found his way into the printing presses, too..!  

Parareminder

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Just a quick heads-up that October 22nd heralds the arrival of Paranormal Activity 2 - the sequel to Oren Peli's surprise 2009 hit about a seemingly ordinary couple terrorised by spooky goings-on in their new home. Good reviews have already started pouring in, so be sure to catch this Hallowe'en treat before the spoiler wave hits you head-on... and from what I hear, there are more than a few surprises to be found in this chilling new story. If you're a Ghostwatch fan, the chances are you'll enjoy this flick too. Least of all, if you might remember, as it sounds like Oren Peli might be a fan too... :)

Nurieek, Rotut, Hernunger, Sqweloookle..!

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Many thanks as always to the wonderful Red Dwarf Fan Club team for their latest and greatest issue of Back To Reality - the occasionally regular, but always fun and informative magazine on all things Dwarfy. Yes, Red Dwarf and Ghostwatch have collided once again, this time on Page 10 in an article entitled, ' Ghostwatching: My Wonderful Obsession '. And if that wasn't enough, Behind the Curtains supporter and graphic designer extraordinaire, Arfon Jones' work is featured not once, but twice - after winning the logo design contest for the next convention ! Congrats, Arfon! For anyone who has yet to take the plunge, Dimension Jump is essentially a three-day party for anyone who has enjoyed even just a single episode of the popular interstellar sitcom . With rumours that a brand-new Red Dwarf series could soon be with us, the chances are, DJ XVI will be a very special event indeed...     Getting a great response for our upcoming National Séance event, by

It's Hallowe'en Night, homebrew time...

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Believe it or not, on October 31st 2010, Ghostwatch will turn eighteen years old. Sadly, this will also mean that during that time, we'll have yet to see a repeat screening of the show on UK television. In response to this, and inspired by what has become something of an annual tradition for many fans, we hope that you will join us by taking part in the first-ever 'live' simultaneous repeat viewing, to take place later this month! So, how will this work? Well, all you have to do is synchronise your watches and play your personal copy of Ghostwatch at precisely 21:25 on Hallowe'en Night! And to help you host your very own Ghostwatch Birthday Party , here are ten simple-to-follow suggestions to help make yours a night to remember: 1. ALL day, in response to any unexpected/strange sound, say with a wry grin, "Maybe our poltergeist, eh, Dr. Pascoe?" 2. In advance of the show starting, all curtains in the room should be drawn closed, and the lighting se

...To Show Them!

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...Anyone catch The One Show last night on BBC One? Just in case you didn't, here's Kim Newman's very own ' 60 Second Guide To Huge Hoaxes '! Shame they spelt ' Ghostwatch ' wrong though... ;) On an interesting side-note, this may very well be the first time since 1992 that even part of Ghostwatch has appeared on BBC One. Mark that date in your calendars, Ghostwatchers..!

Fangoria #297

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Many thanks to Phil Brown and everyone at Fangoria magazine for getting in touch regarding their new October issue! If you haven't done so already, be sure to pick up a copy of the legendary horror mag at your local newsagents and flick through to page 68 where you will find a two-page spread on Ghostwatch . The article also features an exclusive BtC photograph taken at a GW screening that took place at The Invisible Dot , and a special never-before-seen still of soundman, Mike Aiton post-mirror smashing at The House in Foxhill Drive...  

And if you can, take a photograph...

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Yesterday, Stephen Volk pointed me in the direction of a photo set he'd stumbled upon via the aptly-named, 'BBC's Ghostwatch was the scariest f**king thing I have ever seen.' Facebook group. The brainchild of Ghostwatch super-fan, Adam Hart and his friends, the following photographic evidence was recovered shortly after the incident (also known as Adam's 29th birthday party)...   Many thanks to Adam for sharing these fantastic pics! For more, be sure to click one of the links above.

31/10

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Greetings, Ghostwatchers! Set ten years after the original programme's broadcast date, ' 31/10 ' - the sequel to Ghostwatch - follows screenwriter, Stephen Volk as he revisits the haunted BBC studio in which Parky once became possessed, along with a group of fellow individuals whose lives were somehow affected by the show back in 1992. The short story from the collection, Dark Corners ( Gray Friar Press , 2006) was nominated for the Horror Writers' Association Bram Stoker Award and also for the British Fantasy Award, 2006. The PDF file is available to read here , hosted on Stephen's official site. Check it out... just try not to have sleepless nights.

B-E-A-S-T... Beast..!

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...This has to be heard to be believed. It's hard to imagine Pipes the Poltergeist reinvented as a rap artist, but Dick Limerick Academy seems to have made the impossible possible with this impressive mix from their new album, Merseycide . Give it a listen over at SoundCloud . You won't be disappointed.

This picture we're seeing now isn't live...

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Greetings Ghostwatchers, and behold this truly phenomenal piece of artwork created by Behind the Curtains supporter, Arfon Jones . Is is just me, or does this kind of work scream out for a Ghostwatch graphic novel in some shape or form? What would you like to see? Cheers, Arfon!

Paranormal-ier Activity

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The simple and yet engaging premise of Paranormal Activity , released in 2009, focused on a couple terrorized by a malevolent spirit in their new home. After generating a huge following thanks to some impressive filmmaking/performances and not to mention unstoppable word of mouth, (or, perhaps 'word of email'?) the inevitable sequel is now just months away.   Something truly remarkable in both the run-up and fallout of the film's release was just how many people started drawing comparisons with Ghostwatch . The director of the first film, Oren Peli, was even heard to remark in the April 1-7 2010 edition of Time Out magazine... Q: What currently unavailable films or TV shows would you love to see on DVD? A: Ghostwatch (1992) isn't available in the US, although I've already seen it. So, with that in mind, do check out this first trailer for PA2 . And try not to have sleepless nights...

081 811 8181

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Do you happen to own an iPhone or iPod Touch? If your answer to that question is an ever-so slightly smug 'Mm-hmm', then here are two further Behind the Curtains -inspired haunted wallpapers to add to your collection! There are two ways you can upload the pics to your relevant device - either save them directly to your 'pod whilst connected to the Internet, or to your computer and then upload later through iTunes. Either way, just navigate to your personal Photo Library and hit 'Use as Wallpaper' for whichever pic you'd like to use. The files are being hosted on the GhostwatchBtC DeviantArt page - a great online art community that's well-worth checking out if you get the chance.

Not only can this gentleman hear an ant scratching its back legs at fifty yards...

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If Sir Michael Parkinson's much-rumoured 1992 Best Actor nomination for Ghostwatch wasn't enough, now the Channel 4/Clover Films production 'Afghanistan: Behind Enemy Lines (Dispatches)' has been shortlisted for the Current Affairs category at this Sunday's Bafta Awards - mixed at Mikerophonics - the sound studio run by Ghostwatch's very own soundman, Mike Aiton . Here's wishing Mike and his team the best of luck for this Sunday!

Weekend - 29th May 2010

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Thanks to everyone who recommended I check out the May 29th edition of the Daily Mail's Weekend magazine - in particular, Robin Wiggs' brief article 'Are They For Real? The rise of the spoof documentary' . For anyone who didn't catch it, you can click the pic below to see it in full. Cheers!

Screening at The Invisible Dot - Update

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In short, The Invisible Dot proved the perfect venue to host this week's rare public screening of Ghostwatch . Superbly organised by Simon Pearce, and boasting a special Q&A from director Lesley Manning and writer Stephen Volk, the reaction to the film was both terrific and unique in equal measure - with almost certainly more laughs and yelps than I've personally ever heard before -at some points, people were literally jumping out of their seats..! Topics in the hour-long Q&A ranged from pre-broadcast controversy to post-broadcast analysis, and perhaps most notably, the mind-bending revelation of which unlikely crew member provided the voice of Pipes the poltergeist... Many thanks again to Simon and everyone who attended. Cheers!

I should say that this tape is completely undoctored...

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A big shout-out to the fine folks from Ganymede & Titan - the world's premier Red Dwarf fan-site - for helping put together the first ever Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains podcast. ...Sorry, make that 'PipesCast' . Actually, with this being the pilot episode, in a sense, it's more a DwarfCast , really (G&T's very own podcast for all things Red Dwarf -related). But why G&T, I hear you say... Well, there seems to be an interesting correlation between Dwarfers and Ghostwatchers - due partly, I'm sure, to the spot-on performance by last surviving human Craig Charles as Ghostwatch's very own 'Interviewer'. As a lifelong fan of the sci-fi comedy classic, the prospect of discussing both productions with my fellow Smeg Heads proved irresistible, and I'm happy to report that (in spite of the booze) some truly insightful observations and opinions have been preserved for prosperity. Again, let me offer my sincerest thanks to Cappsy,

Screening at The Invisible Dot

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If you're in the Camden area on the 11th May, then why not pay a visit to The Invisible Dot where you can catch a rare screening of Ghostwatch followed by a Q&A with director, Lesley Manning and writer, Stephen Volk? Part of the Swiss Spaghetti Harvest Festival of fact/fiction line blurrers, Ghostwatch will screen at 19:30 with a Q&A to follow. ...Trust me when I say that you haven't seen Ghostwatch until you've seen it on the big screen. Tickets cost £9.50. For more information, check out The Invisible Dot's Ghostwatch page by clicking here .

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves."

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About as close to a contemporary US version of Ghostwatch as you can get (it even went out on October 31st!), Without Warning is another wonderful 'live' TV event from 1994 that depicts a special news bulletin covering the aftermath of a sudden, unexpected meteorite impact. As the story progresses, it transpires that the seemingly calculated trajectory of this rogue asteroid may not have been a naturally-occurring event as first thought, but in fact directly influenced by extraterrestrials. Hosted by veteran American journalist and news anchorman, Sander Vanocur and Malcolm in the Middle regular, Jane Kaczmarek , this one-off drama special cleverly begins with a fake murder-mystery show entitled Without Warning which is then interrupted by a special news bulletin. Reporters from all over the globe cover the event as it happens, while Pascoe/Silvestri-like experts exchange theories and insults over live tele-link in the studio. Overall, Without Warning is wonderfully

Shivers #29

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"The gullibility of the Great British Public comes under the microscope as we look back at BBCtv's Ghostwatch ..." Did you know the May 1996 edition of Shivers magazine featured a three-page article on Ghostwatch ? Well, you do now! Written by Jonathan Rigby , the article explores the unique and unprecedented reaction from viewers who believed the show was happening for real, interspersed with thoughts from writer/co-creator, Stephen Volk, and other members of the cast and crew. If you can track down a copy, I highly recommend it. For all you Vans out there, there's also a further four-pages focusing on Stephen Volk's other work - notably Gothic , The Guardian and Ghosts - also made for BBC TV. To close, here's a classic quote from Sir Michael Parkinson where he discusses people's reactions to the 'live' drama's surprisingly realistic impact.   Parkinson himself was quite unfazed by the strange demands made on him and the furore t

"...They see us."

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E.T.'s back, and this time... it's personal. Alien Abduction: The McPherson Tape (also known as Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County ) is a first-person horror film similar in style to The Blair Witch Project , first broadcast on UPN back in 1998. A remake of a lower-budget production that gained a viral-like notoriety in the late eighties, the story centres on a fractured American family who have gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving on the family farm. When all power to the house is mysteriously cut, three of the justifiably-spooked household venture out into the surrounding woodland to investigate... On stumbling upon a landed UFO and two alien beings dissecting a cow with a precision laser, the guys inadvertently startle the Greys, who upon noticing them, quickly abandon their cosmic barbecue and track the terrified trio back to the house - where they use their supernormal abilities to gain entry and terrorise the family into submission. The film, I'm hap

"...Only fools are positive."

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In a similar vein to Ghostwatch , Fail Safe is a remake of a classic 1964 TV movie of the same name that discussed the threat of nuclear annihilation. Broadcast on CBS in 2000, the film features an impressive cast list - including George Clooney, Richard Dreyfuss, Harvey Keitel, Don Cheadle, James Cromwell, Hank Azaria, Brian Dennehy and Noah Wyle to name but a few. The story takes place in decades past. Clooney is a fighter bomber pilot sent on a routine patrol who, due to a technical mishap, is mistakenly ordered to bomb Moscow instead of return to base. What follows is a tense and moving power struggle as both the US and Russian military leaders reluctantly join forces in a desperate attempt to call back the planes, having already crossed their point of no return... or failing that, shoot them down. With a powerful, anti-nuclear message, Fail Safe is definitely worth checking out. The script and acting are both superb, and it is even more impressive that the film went out

Ghostwatch: The Animated Series... sort-of.

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Yep, it's official - writer, Stephen Volk is to put pen to paper for an upcoming episode of The Simpsons ! Set to air sometime in October, Treehouse of Horror XXI will feature the lovable yellow family from Springfield, USA confronting the shadowy spectre of Mr. Pipes - having escaped across the Atlantic thanks to Professor Frink's terrifying new invention... the TeleSoul Transmitter 2000. But it doesn't end there, as Ghostwatch writer & creator Stephen is set to cameo as himself at some point during the (almost) annual Hallowe'en TV special too! For more info on the upcoming episode, be sure to highlight the 'invisi-text' below... --SPOILERS BEGIN-- ...April Fools', Ghostwatchers! --SPOILERS END--