the secret of crickley hall by james herbert

It’s only a personal opinion that Horror-conforming pieces of media- be it films, TV series or even video games- seem to get far more bogged down in what constitutes ‘horror’ than its action, romance or comedy counterparts. The Horror genre, like any other genre, is of course defined by its conventions. Looking earnestly sad in mandatory graveyard. We still love it, we lap it up, every stale morsel. The ‘twists and turns’ the adverts shriek and rave about are more like languid meanders along well-worn, tired plots. But sometimes you have to ask… why? People flock to the cinemas for midnight viewings of the latest exorcism film, the Paranormal Activity franchise has reached its 4 th instalment (films admirable for their relentless, desperate effort if nothing else) and as you’re reading this, chances are someone is slipping their copy of The Grudge into their DVD player for the sixth-hundredth time, even though they know the story backwards… and what for? Even the most ardent, passionate horror film fans (and whilst fanatical probably isn’t the correct term to use, this author counts herself amongst the genre’s many admirers) would be the first to admit that, well… it’s all a bit the same. Ghosts, vampires, frenziedly butchering axe-men and anything in between are still big news- and quite often, big money- in the film and television industry, and it would be safe to say that the Horror market (such a ridiculously vague umbrella term for a whole plethora of sub-genres) is alive and thriving, even if some of its characters are not. So why is still such an entertaining television show? Ground-breaking, eye-opening, barrier smashing Crickley Hall is… er, none of these things, actually.

The Secret of Crickley Hall Review: And why are we still so in love with being scared?įirst aired on the 18 th November, The Secret of Crickley Hall is a well-executed, disquieting television adaptation of James Herbert’s novel of the same name.

The secret of crickley hall by james herbert