THE SIGNALMAN | The Scariest Charles Dickens Story?
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💀 UTG DEEP DISCUSSIONS 💀
🎥 Topics of Terror from the Rabbit Hole of Randomness
🍿 The Signalman is NIGHTMARE FUEL
🎬 Connor heads to the train station for this chilling adaptation of the Charles Dickens tale, and perhaps one the most iconic Ghost Story for Christmas...
👮🏼 Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.
🦇 Huge thanks to Karl Casey @White Bat Audio on the music!
#NightmareFuel #CharlesDickens #TheSignalman
I saw “The Signalman” as a child and to this day I don’t think I’ve seen a more effective rendering of a Victorian ghost story on screen. Far creepier than a lot of contemporary splatterhouse films
Something fundamental and vigorously disturbing about the specter's face. I think the face is disturbing because it reminds us that death has the final say, and will turn off all 5 senses and remove all vitality no matter what.
Remember seeing this on VHS at my Gran's house as a kid. Didn't remember much about it apart from the single image of that eyeless face which definitely snuck it's way into a least a few of my childhood nightmares lmao
I once had a nightmare of it almost identical to the protagonist with a closeup of the ghosts face
I remember the first time I saw this in a Y9 English class and the people around me whispering about how fake the mask of the figure looked. I didn’t care, in fact I thought that was the point, this permanently frozen image of terror and the unknown. It’s a really disturbing image and I was utterly transfixed by it.
Also, the fact it’s clearly based on the appearance of Denholm Elliot (from his character’s final moment of life as well, or perhaps the expression is closer to the traveller’s open mouthed reaction of pure horror) yet is dressed vaguely like the traveller only further adds to the subliminal suggestions and utterly terrifying presence. The ghost in The Signalman is legitimately horrifying and gave me sleepless nights for a few days after just as it did for the traveller!
it remains the best Ghost Story for Christmas i think, genuinely creepy
Literally watched this for the first time last night, first thought was “wonder what those Unleash the Ghouls guys think of this?”
Thank you so much for covering this short film! It haunted me for weeks when I was a kid, and then I wondered how I would ever get to see it again. It appeared on the tv once again (that I know of) in later years and I was enthralled. This was so spooky, and such a well-written and acted story. Thank you❤
A ghost of the future. Have read another well-known story where a figure is seen to approach a house by someone in it, and he goes to the door when no-one knocks, then searches, and there's no sign anyone approached.
Much later a man arrives at the house to tell the new owner about the previous.
The Signal-Man is also referenced in a Doctor Who story where the Doc meets Charles Dickens at one of his one-man shows of readings from his books.
Even the Doctor, a time traveller known as 'the Traveller' to some, is creeped out by Dicken's story.
But then the good Doctor has met a ghost of his own future:
Out of curiosity, was The Spectre an inspiration for the titular "Woman In Black"? Think about it; a man in isolation seeing a ghostly figure that would signify an upcoming tragedy. Not to mention the infamous jumpscares in the 80's "Woman In Black".
Ghosts being seen as an omen of doom are as old as time itself
An absolutely marvellous atmospheric short film.. watched it years ago with my young son who also loved it.. fantastic adaptation with excellent acting..
"...I came in and sat down, partly to collect my thoughts, partly because it had turned me faint. When I went to the door again, daylight was above me, and the ghost was gone...He touched me on the arm with his forefinger twice or thrice, giving a ghastly nod each time..."
I love watching this channel's well deserved growth over time just as much as I love watching this channels content. Go Conner and team Ghouls! Merry Christmas!
When I was a kid, my mum had a theory that the ghost was actually tjr ghost of the signalman coming back to prevent his own death
Wrong, but a fun idea 😊
The ghost CAUSES the signalman's death. The signalman wouldn't have been on the tracks if not for the ghost. The ghost seems to be the traveller, the signalman, and the engine driver all in one form, one impossible spirit. Think about all that and now tell me your theory.
It almost seems that way, but that’s paradoxical because he would never have wandered onto the tracks without the spectre’s presence. As the comment above me suggests, it’s a combination of all the characters involved in the tragedy that unfolds. What that means still isn’t entirely clear to me even after many viewings, but the bottom line is that it’s creepy as all hell!
Hi one of the best adaptions of a classic ghost stories ,have heard and read it several times ,but have never seen it as good as this ,brillant and so glad i found it ,its one of Charles Dickens best short stories ever ,thanks for sharing ,
I consider "A Ghost Story For Christmas" my favourite TV series, and "The Signalman" as my absolute favourite piece of media entertainment.
So good and so well remembered that it was included in the set of programmes to mark the 25th anniversary of BBC 2 (an entire evening in the 1990's). It was repeated in the 1970's as well. Saw it first aged 8.....you can of course appreciate the impact it would have on a kid.
Hi I read this story by Charles Dickens yrs ago ,but had never seen this version before ,very creepy and that face just freaked me out ,brilliantly done and one the best of Dickens short stories ,thanks for sharing ,
Great tale, love this one.
The location is just as creepy as the story ,perfect ,
Dont know where they found this location ,but its perfect for the story ,thanks for sharing ,
There is a YT video where the location is found, and the DVD set of Ghost Stories for Christmas shows it.
It's actually inside a town, the top of the railway cutting and tunnel head were filmed elsewhere, with the down-shots of the tracks and the signal-box done with houses and a road at the camera's back.
The moor and the place the Traveller is staying are also some miles away, outside of the town.
Are you still planning to do a nightmare fuel review on space Runaway Ideon?
Can you review The Divide(2012)? That would be wonderful
Is the spectre’s face that of the signalman himself? I think so, but not sure, what you think?
Read as the signal man was the ghost , warning himself
what is the red light by the mouth of the tunnel
I see you're a railway enthusiast like myself..... Like myself, I think you know what the red "danger" light indicates, and I dare not say anything by spotting the goof, relating what era the film is meant to set in. It's still a bloomin good short ghost story though.
I think Thomas and friends is much more scarier