The Stone Tape (1972) – Film Review
The Stone Tape is a 1970s TV movie about a team of scientists that move their operations into a fresh facility, located in a newly renovated Victorian mansion, and quickly discover one of the rooms is haunted.
Presenting a refreshing take on standard haunted house stories, The Stone Tape was written by respected British screenwriter Nigel Kneale, who is probably best remembered as the creator of the character Bernard Quatermass, and was also the brains behind the 1970s TV series Beasts. Like much of Kneale’s other work, The Stone Tape is a cross-genre film that combines elements of horror with science fiction.
Michael Bryant and Jane Asher star as Peter Brock and Jill Geeley. Peter heads the team of scientists and electronics experts, that have been tasked with developing technology capable of surpassing the abilities of Japanese technology. The team’s main focus in producing a superior alternative to audio tape,
A vital part of the team, Jill is the computer scientist charged with evaluating and making sense of all the data. However, shortly after she arrives, Jill discovers there’s been a problem. Due to the mass of data the research is going to produce, she requires a data storage room, and her colleague, Roy Collinson (Iain Cuthbertson), who has been supervising the renovation for five months, has failed to deliver the goods. The room that was earmarked for her store hasn’t been touched.
When he learns of this, Peter is outraged, and wants an explanation, but Cuthbertson seems unwilling to provide details, merely offering a vague response about “trouble with the men”. However, when she’s left alone in the room, Jill, who appears to have latent mediumistic abilities, starts hearing things, and witnesses the manifestation of a ghost at the top of a set of a stone staircase at the side of the room. She subsequently discovers the staircase predates the house itself. It was part of a much earlier construction and has been subjected to unsuccessful attempts at exorcism,
Intrigued by the situation, Peter visits the room alone, and hears screams. The “ghost” turns out to be the real reason why the contractors refuse to work there. Peter thinks the best solution is to send the team into the room and, using its electronic technology, find out what makes the phenomenon tick, and then neutralize its presence. However, after most of the team hear ghostly sounds that fail to register on the equipment, Peter realizes he may be onto something big. He theorizes everything that people experience in the room is stored in the stones of the wall, which transmit sounds and images directly to the brain.
Believing this could present an opportunity to develop a new recording medium capable of surpassing Japanese technology, Peter and the team try to pinpoint the mechanism that triggers the paranormal playback.
The Stone Tape is a slow-burn haunted house film with a storyline that’s strong enough to compensate for the lack of action. It’s also worth noting the theory about ghosts being nothing more than recording of past events pre-dates the film. It’s known as residual haunting. The theory was introduced by multiple 19th-century scholars and philosophers. Due to the popularity of the film, it’s became known as The Stone Tape theory.
Needless to say, the special effects in The Stone Tape do not compare well with those available in modern films, but they are adequate, and the quality of the acting is good, with most of the action centring around Jill and Peter, who, in addition to being work colleagues, are also lovers.
Bryant does an excellent job of making Peter, who married and appears to be using Jill, come across as self-centred and not particularly pleasant. Asher’s character is easier to like and the relationship between Peter and Jill is an important sub-plot that helps drive the film forward and keeps things interesting.
Due to the clothing styles and car types featured in the film, The Stone Tape may be particularly interesting to viewers who enjoy ghost stories, remember the 1970s, and have a strong sense of nostalgia. Those who grew up in later decades may find the clothing, cars, and technology a little unusual. However, anyone who gives The Stone Tape a change, may find it provides them with a refreshing change to modern horror films.
With a runtime of 90 minutes, The Stone Tape is not overly long and never drags or becomes boring. It’s an atmospheric chiller that has done a good job of standing the test of time.
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