What Was the Last Television Episode You Watched?

[Parson]

I finished Day of the Jackal on Paramount Plus. This is a very interesting story based (loosely I think) on a book of the same name. I found the background of the two principals to be most interesting the Jackal --- a peerless sniper --- is being pursued by an intrepid MI6 officer. The Jackal is wealthy, while the agent is bare middleclass. But in both their cases their family is extremely important to them but in the end not the most important thing. This is a very good series and it's ending knocked my socks off. It is of course only for mature audiences.

Avoid --- Not Recommended --- Flawed --- Okay --- Good --- Recommended --- Shouldn’t be Missed

 

[paranoid marvin]

The movie version of The Day of the Jackal is very, very good.

 

[Randy M.]

Hordern's professor is quite a different one to that in James' story. The Omnibus adaptation makes him older and far more introverted, to the point of isolation. His conversations are more like pontifications, with the professor enjoying scoring points off others.

The Professor feels 'protected' by his intellectual superiority, and the horror occurs when this is stripped away, confronted by a primordial entity that cares nothing for wit or words.

I like your "reading"; it fits this adaptation. Still, for me, the charm of the story is the kind of gleefulness that James brings to the early part of the story, and how that humor contrasts with the later part. So, in a sense for me (and I understand it may be only me), this only adapts half the story; but I'll grant it adapts that half rather well.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I like your "reading"; it fits this adaptation. Still, for me, the charm of the story is the kind of gleefulness that James brings to the early part of the story, and how that humor contrasts with the later part. So, in a sense for me (and I understand it may be only me), this only adapts half the story; but I'll grant it adapts that half rather well.

Yes, early humour is often a key factor in heightening to coming horror. And James is often very good at lulling us into a false sense of normality before confronting the protagonist with a horror from the darkest pits.

At least it adapts it much better than the awful later version with John Hurt.

Btw if you like Oh Whistle', for something a bit different check out the episode of 'Doctors' on Youtube.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I would also like to mention that Oh Whistle is one of the reasons why I like James' ghost stories so much.

His protagonists are usually normal, young scholars. Harmless fellows. They don't go where they shouldn't or do things that they've been warned against.

In most horror/ghost stories, the people/victims are deserving of their fate. Either through being bad people, or by ignoring the warnings they've been given.

M R James' characters are usually only guilty of curiosity. Yes, he does have some bad people such as Karswell, Martin and Haynes. But mostly they are nice, friendly, scholarly individuals.

And in most cases there is no chance of reversing the misdeed. Once committed, it will never be forgiven or fogotten. And it will always be punished in the most severe way possible.