THE AMAZING MR. BLUNDEN is a delightful old-fashioned ghost story in the best traditional sense. Directed to the hilt by actor Lionel Jeffries, who clearly has a thorough understanding of his genre, this is timeless stuff, a children's film filled with the kind of atmosphere and engaging storyline that you won't find in most of today's soulless fare.
The story is entirely predictable for this particular sub-genre; two kids move to a remote and dilapidated country mansion, which they soon discover is inhabited by the ghosts of two children who mysteriously died in a fire in the past. What follows is a traditional time-slip tale along the lines of TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN, packed with familiar character actors a sense of quality.
As director, Jeffries has an eye for a decent performance, and thus the film is inhabited by quality acting. Lynne Frederick and Garry Miller are excellent as the protagonist twosome caught up in the supernatural events, and the likes of Graham Crowden, David Lodge, Madeline Smith, Diana Dors and of course Laurence Naismith excel in various supporting parts.
The narrative is action-packed, filled with incident and never less than engaging, and the story as a whole is filled with atmosphere and a kind of timeless joy which makes it highly entertaining to watch. Sad to say they don't make films like this anymore, which for me is a real pity.
The story is entirely predictable for this particular sub-genre; two kids move to a remote and dilapidated country mansion, which they soon discover is inhabited by the ghosts of two children who mysteriously died in a fire in the past. What follows is a traditional time-slip tale along the lines of TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN, packed with familiar character actors a sense of quality.
As director, Jeffries has an eye for a decent performance, and thus the film is inhabited by quality acting. Lynne Frederick and Garry Miller are excellent as the protagonist twosome caught up in the supernatural events, and the likes of Graham Crowden, David Lodge, Madeline Smith, Diana Dors and of course Laurence Naismith excel in various supporting parts.
The narrative is action-packed, filled with incident and never less than engaging, and the story as a whole is filled with atmosphere and a kind of timeless joy which makes it highly entertaining to watch. Sad to say they don't make films like this anymore, which for me is a real pity.