A Warning to the Curious

Description: Paxton, an unemployed man from London, arrives in the seaside town of Seaburgh to search for the legendary Crowns of Anglia. In particular, he is hoping to indulge his skills in amateur archaeology and find the third, and final, crown which is believed to be hidden along the sandy shores of the North Sea. His research uncovers the tale of the late William Ager, the last of the Ager family line, and the guardian of the crown. Although deceased, it is William who leads Paxton to the site of the crown, unwittingly. Once unearthed, Paxton discovers the crown offers more than wealth: No one has ever seen an Anglo-Saxon crown - at least no one had. But our man gazed at us with a rueful eye. 'Yes,' he said'and the worst of it is I don't know how to put it back. Paxton did not heed the warning to the curious. Returning the crown to its rightful position will not pacify the guardian spirit of Ager, Paxton's knowledge may cost him his life. Adapted, produced and directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark in 1972, this 50 minute film offers atmosphere, eerie photography and a chilling soundtrack. It was the second dramatization of a James book for the "Ghost Story for Christmas" series, and stars Peter Vaughan and Clive Swift, with a notable performance by John Kearney. Each frame oozes menace, while the haunting violins and flutish tones build to a nerve shredding climax. Never has a landscape seemed more haunted, and rarely do shadows exhibit such threat. A true classic, influencing a new generation of fans on DVD.