Genuinely original in that it denies us the closure we expect to be delivered like the tide; a Tales of the Unexpected meets Hammer House but with the makeup budget spent on a mistery generator.

I have a huge love affair with the Woman in Black, in order I saw the stage play first, then read the book, then this version, and finally the Hammer film. In my humble opinion this is the best version, it is incredibly dark, scary, atmospheric, gloriously produced and beautifully acted. Adrian Rawlins is utterly fantastic in the lead as Arthur Kidd.

Pauline Moran adds a mass of fear and terror into the film, her appearances strike true terror into the viewer. The music, lighting and camera-work all crank up the tension and sinister feel too.

This adaptation is shamefully overlooked, it deserves so much to be seen by a much wider audience, it boasts a subtlety that the update, which I really enjoyed, didn't have.

If you've not seen it, do what you can to get hold of a copy, if you've seen it. The woman in Black is my favourite Ghost story of all time, and this is a tremendous adaptation.

Spectacular, atmospheric chiller.

10/10

It's finally getting a commercial Blu Ray release in 2020.

Regarded by those who have seen it as one of the scariest films ever made, this subtle exercise in haunting terror is more frightening than any other '80s horror film you might care to think of. If you're a fan of the BBC Ghost Story for Christmas series which ran back in the early '70s and used M R James' stories as a basis, then you'll recognise many elements which are similar here. The period setting, the lone, isolated protagonist, and the seriously spooky black-clad figures are all present and correct. Fans of gore-filled slashers need not apply as this is an extremely slow-moving ghost story which relies on a build-up of atmosphere mixed in with the odd physical shock or two to get your pulse racing. While the low budget is apparent, the attention to period detail is great, as is the authentic acting from a mostly unknown cast. Adrian Rawlins and Clare Holman are, in particular, fantastic, Rawlins utterly convincing as the man slowly driven to the edge by the sinister ghost.

The supernatural events are some of the most spine-chilling ever put on screen. The parts which affected me greatly were the bits where Kidd hears a carriage crashing into a marsh and the screams of the dying; extremely chilling moments. Also there's another jump-out-of-your-seat moment which comes out of nowhere and is guaranteed to give you nightmares. The ending is downbeat and conjures up a nice sense of impending calamity. In a way it's funny to think that over twenty-five years ago Central Television were capable of producing accurate, classic material like this. They certainly don't make stuff like this anymore. THE WOMAN IN BLACK is a modern classic, and a film which lives up to its reputation as a haunting masterpiece - it's just a shame that so few people have actually seen it!