Description: Part of the American Lights Out! series, based on The Tractate Middoth. Fairly accurate adaptation starring a very young Leslie Nielsen. The standard Lights Out! formula means this is entertaining in a B-movie way.


Leslie Nielsen ... …

Description: Two-part BBC series, narration with effects. Now thought lost.

Description: Two-part BBC series, narration with effects. Now thought lost.

Description: "It's coming... It's in the trees!" Where to begin? One of only two English language feature film adaptation of an MRJ tale to date (and Drag me to Hell is only a very loose adaptation). Books have been written on this movie and almost as many…

Description: NBC play for television. Now thought lost.

Description: Part of ITV''s Mystery and Imagination series. Now thought lost.

Giles Block ... Davis
David Buck ... Richard Beckett / Host
John Crocker ... Porter
Marian Diamond ... Alice Simpson
Edwin Finn ... Rant
Helen Ford ... Landlady
Robert…

Description: Part of ITV''s Mystery and Imagination series. Now thought lost.

David Buck ... Richard Beckett / Host
David Dodimead ... Rector
Megs Jenkins ... Mrs. Bunch
Freddie Jones ... Parkes
Richard Pearson ... Mr. Abney
Darryl Read ...…

Description: Part of ITV''s Mystery and Imagination series. Now thought lost.

Joss Ackland ... Herr Scavenius
David Battley ... Klaus
Carl Bernard ... Herr Jensen
David Buck ... Richard Beckett / Host
Margery Withers ... Frau Mahler
George…

Description: Part of ITV''s Mystery and Imagination series. Thought lost until a recent discovery of a few minutes of footage, included as an extra in the Mystery and Imagination DVD box set.

Fingers crossed for the discovery of the rest!

Robert Eddison …

Description: This adaptation sets a standard by which others are judged. The cast is wonderfully strong and the direction faultless. Michael Hordern's best work outside of Paddington Bear. As the unknown encroaches, he guides the audience through his own downward…

Description: Rod Serling introduces three separate paintings, each with its own story of uncanny vengeance against evil to tell. The first, "The Cemetery", involves a black sheep nephew (Roddy McDowall) who murders his rich uncle to inherit his fortune - both…

Description: Part of the BBC1 's Ghost Stories for Christmas series. Solid adaptation with some truly chilling moments. Robert Hardy turns in a good performance despite too much screen time for the unimpressive effects.

Roert Hardy ... Archdeacon…

Description: Part of the BBC1 's Ghost Stories for Christmas series. Perhaps the least impressive of Clarke's adaptations. The decision to transpose Paxton to an out of work treasure seeker is awkwardly done.

Ager too, is more Monty Python than is…

Description: Part of the BBC1 's Ghost Stories for Christmas series. Certainly a strong adaptation but perhaps slightly too 'graphic' to be actually atmospheric. Still, will give you a life long fear of the hurdy gurdy.

Simon Gipps-Kent ... Stephen
Joseph…

Description: Part of the BBC1 's Ghost Stories for Christmas series. Strong cast give a first class adaptation. Even departures form Jame's tale are considered and justified. The 'thing of slime' is a Lovecraftian twist which is particularly unpleasant and so is…

Description: Short Yorkshire TV schools adaptation focused on incidental music. When you take into account why this short adaptation was made it seems more impressive. The mood may be lackin but the production values are equal to many of the more celebrated…

Description: Part of the BBC1 's Ghost Stories for Christmas series. The climax to this adaptation is very strong (love the creatures or hate them) but the rest of the story is confused by shifting time periods which (due to the limited budget) look almost…

Description: Part of an anthology of one-off plays. Not overly aligned with James's tale but a good adaptation none the less. Cuthbertson is convincing as Karswell. The 'updating' is occasionally laboured, but provides an interesting twist at the end.

Iain…

Description: Part of Spine Chillers, readings of ghost stories for teenage viewers.

Description: Part of Spine Chillers, readings of ghost stories for teenage viewers.

Description: Part of Spine Chillers, readings of ghost stories for teenage viewers. Limited in ambition but narrated by the consistently excellent Michael Bryant.

Description: Part of the BBC 2 series Classic Ghost Stories, narration with effects. Well executed but limited in scope. Essentially a straightforward reading.

Robert Powell narrates.

Description: Part of the BBC 2 series Classic Ghost Stories, narration with effects. Well executed but limited in scope. Essentially a straightforward reading.

Robert Powell narrates.

Description: Part of the BBC 2 series Classic Ghost Stories, narration with effects. Well executed but limited in scope. Essentially a straightforward reading.

Robert Powell narrates.

Description: Part of the BBC 2 series Classic Ghost Stories, narration with effects. Well executed but limited in scope. Essentially a straightforward reading.

Robert Powell narrates.

Description: Part of the BBC 2 series Classic Ghost Stories, narration with effects. Well executed but limited in scope. Essentially a straightforward reading.

Robert Powell narrates.

Description: Written by horror guru Argento and (loosly) based on The Treasure of Abbot Thomas, though you may never guess. Fans of both Argento and James will likely be dissapointed by the combination.

Hugh Quarshie ... Father Gus
Tomas Arana ...…

Description: Documentary with dramatisations.

Description: Short Spanish TV adaptation of The Mezzotint. Interesting to watch cultural differences in play. Budget restrictions lead to a disappointing etching which looks more Bob Godfrey than Gustave Dore.

Description: Part of the BBC2's re-invented Ghost Stories for Christmas series. Christopher Lee, who actually met James obviously enjoyed making this series. Unambitious in scope but highly successful and atmospheric in what it sets out to do.

Christopher…

Description: Part of the BBC2's re-invented Ghost Stories for Christmas series. Christopher Lee, who actually met James obviously enjoyed making this series. Unambitious in scope but highly successful and atmospheric in what it sets out to do.

Christopher…

Description: Part of the BBC2's re-invented Ghost Stories for Christmas series. Christopher Lee, who actually met James obviously enjoyed making this series. Unambitious in scope but highly successful and atmospheric in what it sets out to do.

Christopher…

Description: Part of the BBC2's re-invented Ghost Stories for Christmas series. Christopher Lee, who actually met James obviously enjoyed making this series. Unambitious in scope but highly successful and atmospheric in what it sets out to do.

Christopher…

Description: A.k.a M.R. James: The Corner of the Retina. Featuring Michael Cox, Christopher Frayling, Muriel Gray and Ruth Rendell.

Description: BBC4 documentary to mark the re-launch of the Ghost Story for Christmas adaptations. M.R. James is only one of the many authors discussed.

Description: Continuing the BBC's Ghost Stories for Christmas series. Highty watchable adaptation of an under appreciated tale. Builds atmosphere using a almost David Lynch scenario of mutual misunderstanding. Also looks great and is well crafted.

Mark…

Description: Impressive BBC adaptation. Considered to be part of the Ghost Story for Christmas series.

The original tale is departed from somewhat, especially toward the end but this seems justified.
The professor is perhaps somewhat unlikable, which is…

Description: Adaptation for Children from production company Cuchulaine Films. Not widely available, but this may be no bad thing as (from the stills) it looks more fun to have made than to watch. Good to see MRJ stories are still being interpreted for new…

Description: The DVD includes performances of "Canon Alberic's Scrap-book" and "The Mezzotint" filmed on location in Hemingford Grey Manor in Cambridgeshire.
Robert gives us a wonderfully entertaining James, his performance is as faultless as ever. We begin to…

Description: Unacknowledged adaptation of Casting the Runes or perhaps the movie Night of the Demon.

A loan officer who evicts an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her…

Description: A Warning to the Curious is arguably M R James’s last great ghost story. Published in 1925, it draws on the author’s own experience of holidaying in Aldeburgh, and seems at the same to time to be a response to the traumas of the first World War.…

Description: Meet Mr Karswell, ‘The Abbot of Lufford’ – magic lanternist, historian of the occult, and scourge of the academic establishment. Casting the Runes is one of M R James’s most admired tales. Now it has been brought to thrilling life in this new…

Description: Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad is considered by many to be M R James’s finest ghost story. Probably first read to the author’s friends in Cambridge at Christmas 1903, it has now been brought back to thrilling life in this new…

Description: Two classic spine chillers from the master of the English ghost story, based on Nunkie Theatre Company’s thrilling stage show of the same name.

Lost Hearts features one of M R James's most memorable black magicians, the predatory scholar…

Description: Pretty but ultimately disappointing adaptation of perhaps the only MRJ story to already have been successfully adapted for the screen. The climax is particularly disappointing as arcane forces are scaled down to human size and the external forces…

Description: Short film adaptation of the story. Made by myself and friends over the course of 2010. Rats follows the decline of our hero into dark and arcane realms.This adaptation remains fairly true to the text throughout, but is fleshed out with extra detail…

Description: The first of our MRJ adaptations. Short film, fairly true to the spirit of the original story. Made by myself and David Lilley as Luddite Films initially for the short film circuit.

Description: My own short film adaptation. Reviewed by Roger Edwards.

Description: Mark Gatiss steps into the mind of MR James, the enigmatic English master of the supernatural story.

Description: On his deathbed vicar Rant makes a secret confession to his niece Mary Simpson. Some twenty years later young librarian William Garrett is asked by elderly John Eldred to locate a book...