Martin's Close is a short film which is part of the British supernatural anthology series A Ghost Story for Christmas. Produced by Isibeal Ballance and written and directed by Mark Gatiss, it is based on the ghost story of the same name by M. R. James, first published in the collection More Ghost Stories (1911), and first aired on BBC Two on 24 December 2019.[1]
| Martin's Close | |
|---|---|
 Title screen | |
| Based on | "Martin's Close" by M. R. James |
| Written by | Mark Gatiss |
| Directed by | Mark Gatiss |
| Starring |
|
| Production | |
| Producer | Isibeal Ballance |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Release | 24 December 2019 |
| Related | |
| A Ghost Story for Christmas | |
It stars Wilf Scolding as John Martin, who is prosecuted for murder in a court presided over by the hanging judge Judge Jeffreys (Elliot Levey), despite the girl he is accused of murdering having been seen since her apparent death.[2]
The film was well-received by critics, though there was some criticism of its structure.[3][4]
Synopsis
editThe narrator, Stanton (Simon Williams), tells the tale of a young squire, John Martin (Wilf Scolding), who in 1684 is prosecuted for murder by the King's Counsel (Peter Capaldi) in a court presided over by the notorious Judge Jeffreys (Elliot Levey). But Ann Clark (Jessica Temple), the simple-minded and poor country girl he is accused of murdering, has been seen after her death.[1][2][5]
Cast
edit
- Peter Capaldi .. Dolben
- Elliot Levey .. Judge Jeffreys
- Wilf Scolding .. John Martin
- Sara Crowe .. Sarah Arscott
- James Holmes .. Thomas Snell
- Jessica Temple .. Ann Clark
- Simon Williams .. Stanton
- Fisayo Akinade .. William
- Ian Hallard .. Hosier[6][7]
Production
edit
The drama was filmed at Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge in Epping Forest. The first floor Salon was used for the scene of the party where John Martin first encounters Ann Clark while the top floor was used for the court scenes.
Critical reception
editGiving the production three stars out of five, Tilly Pearce, the critic for Metro, wrote: "It's a snappy tale that doesn't take too much of your time, and it's got a fair amount of freaky moments that actually make your skin crawl a little bit."[3]
Michael Hogan, the critic for The Daily Telegraph, also giving three stars out of five, wrote:
"I must confess, I found the ending a mild disappointment. I found myself waiting for a twist or explanation that never came. Instead we were left with the haunting image of Martin being led off to the gallows and Ann's ghost gleefully joining the procession. This was eerie fare, rather than flat-out scary.
Budgetary limitations meant the simple story was told with a small cast and stripped-back. stagey production... For a punchy half-hour piece, however, its storytelling style felt unnecessarily convoluted..."[4]
Home video
edit"Martin's Close" was first released on DVD in 2022 by 2 Entertain along with "The Tractate Middoth" (2013), "The Dead Room" (2018), and "The Mezzotint" (2021) on a single DVD titled Ghost Stories.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b Martin's Close (2019), Radio Times, December 2019
- ^ a b "BBC Four Christmas highlights". BBC Media Centre. 26 November 2019.
- ^ a b Pearce, Tilly. Martin's Close review: Mark Gatiss' Christmas ghost tale needed more time to breathe, Metro, 23 December 2019
- ^ a b Hogan, Michael. Martin's Close, review: this MR James ghost story was eerie, rather than flat-out scary, The Daily Telegraph, 24 December 2019
- ^ Feay, Suzi. Festive frights abound in Martin's Close and A Christmas Carol, Financial Times, 20 December 2019
- ^ "Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who, The Thick Of It, Paddington) will star in Martin's Close, airing this Christmas on BBC Four". BBC Media Centre. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ "Peter Capaldi to star in new BBC4 Christmas ghost story". Radio Times. 29 August 2019.
- ^ "Ghost Stories | DVD | Free shipping over £20". HMV Store. Retrieved 2024-06-14.