THE STORY OF A DISAPPEARANCE AND AN APPEARANCE is a tale by famed ghost story writer M.R. James adapted for the screen by narrator Silas Hawkins. It's a companion piece to COUNT MAGNUS, a similar shadow puppet exploration of another Jamesian tale, and the lesser of the two pieces, although not without merit. For those with a real love of the author, the best adaptations of his work are those directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark as part of the famed BBC GHOST STORIES FOR Christmas series.
In any case, this effort is short and to the point and manages to evoke an appropriately spooky atmosphere in just a few minutes. I found that the lack of budget constrained the action somewhat here; aside from the Punch and Judy segment, it all lacks a bit of oomph and just consists of a guy sitting at his desk, a reminder perhaps that James ultimately worked best on the page rather than on the screen.
In any case, this effort is short and to the point and manages to evoke an appropriately spooky atmosphere in just a few minutes. I found that the lack of budget constrained the action somewhat here; aside from the Punch and Judy segment, it all lacks a bit of oomph and just consists of a guy sitting at his desk, a reminder perhaps that James ultimately worked best on the page rather than on the screen.
