The story of the notorious haunting of Borley Rectory was one of the things on which I cut my weird shit teeth. In fact I have read virtually everything about it except for James Turner's My Life with Borley Rectory, but only because I have never been able to get my grubby little hands on it.
This film's negative reviews largely stem from historical purists. Set in 1944, it features an American serviceman, ordered to live in an Essex cottage and monitor the airwaves. Unfortunately the famous Rectory nun won't leave him alone and he enlists the help of Harry Price.
Probably I have said here before that while I have read both the for and against literature on Borley I have to come down on the side of the sceptic. The story is too incredible to be true, all of the characters too vaudeville, and frankly the level of hysteria would give Freud a fit.
This film is done no service by the way it is described online as the story of Borley Rectory. It is no such thing. It is a fantasy inspired by the already incredible legend of the haunting of Borley. The mere fact that it opens with Marianne Foyster (pictured) speaking in the ruins of the rectory should tell anyone who knows the story that this is not a historical account and some drama is about to happen. A fantastic story based on a fantastic story, this is not history.
But the aspect which makes this film really easy on the eye is that it stars the gorgeous Zach Clifford. I'm not going to go on, because I will embarrass myself!
Obviously I googled Zach Clifford. Turns out he's also featured in a Star Trek fan film, in which he is by far and away the best actor. I also discovered a professional looking head shot in which he's wearing glasses that makes him look like a more chiselled and better looking Kevin "from Grimsby" Clifton (from Strictly Come Dancing), so that helps!
ReplyDeleteSwoon! But sadly he seems to be determined to keep his clothes on...
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