Automatonophobia, and other side effects of Dead of Night
You want trauma? I’ve got trauma; 1945’s Dead of Night. Known for its segment starring Michael Redgrave as an unhinged ventriloquist this portmanteau of terror was, it’s fair to say, my childhood nemesis.
dissected
It’s got the lot: a Ventriloquist dummy (never a scarier artifact in the light entertainment business) Premonitions of death, a Psychiatrist, Victorian ghosts, Haunting, a sinister undertaker, a supernatural mirror, murder, horror at a children’s party, fatal accidents and a twist at the ending.
The children’s party is a harsh reminder of the dangers of wandering off as a child; even in the comparative safety of a sedate Christmas party. The Dorian Gray-esque segment is creepy in the extreme in it's portrayal of vanity, and the Grim Reaper taps on an unsuspecting chaps shoulder to chilling effect.There is some light relief in a story about death and golf, but this is just false hope that things may lighten up.
truly horrifying prison sequence
The Ventriloquist story is, in itself, a clear example of the evil that lurks inside these pint sized plaster and paint artificial humans.
The film was responsible for many a sleepless night and is a major factor in my aversion to all things Ventriloquy. I also would be averse to any type of wandering in other people's houses, and think twice before getting on the local bus.
Dead of Night was absolutely bowel opening in it’s eerie and terrifying atmosphere and content. A childhood memory revived by a recent viewing. and guess what? Its still scary!
The awful truth
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having said that;