Crooked House
The other night I went to the cast and crew screening of Mark Gatiss’ Crooked House, an excellent ghost story collection for Christmas.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Mark’s work, as many of you will be too. It’s a very well-written, beautifully-filmed, very effective treat, and I hope you’ll all make sure you watch it.
To those few of you who may have gotten over-excited by the exaggerated reports of my ‘first dramatic role’ in some areas of the press, please drastically lower your expectations of my personal part in this. I do have a tiny, barely-speaking cameo, safely nestled amongst the proper actors, and I’m sure you’ll cheer and be amused in all the right places, but blink and you’ll miss me.
Enjoy it – it plays on BBC 4 over Christmas on December 22, 23 and 24. Or even better, you could watch the omnibus edition of all three at 9 pm on Saturday 27 December.
Ho Ho Ho.
Yay! If this isn’t the spiffiest thing on TV over Christmas, I’ll eat my own elbows.
I second that yay 🙂 We get BBC 4 in our digital cable package, so I can actually watch this. I loves me some ghost stories!
Oh o O…and i can;t get a jolly BBC4 channel …so, here’s me hoping for some youtube adds later on grrr
Whereabouts do you live? Weren’t you in Holland as well? If so, I could probably record them for you.
I’ll probably miss you anyway Derren seeing as though you apparently have a huge prosthetic nose. Will we even recognise you?
Take it you’re feeling better now then!
That’s right Berber i live in holland….and if you could & would do thatty yayyy, please do soo!
taaa
Will do :), if you email me your address (my email is just my two names stuck together, and I use hotmial 😉 ), I’ll see that you get it.
Ehm, hotmail that is. Late night typos ahoy…
Every Christmas I scare myself to death watching Susan Hill’s “The Woman in Black†and although I’ve seen it a thousand times it still leaves me with a tremendously enjoyable ‘chill’.
Thank goodness I’ve got a new Christmas ghost story to watch this year
Dammit, being in the states just sucks when you are a DB fan…
Seconded AaronK.
AaronK,
If being in states sucks, imagine be a DB fan in Brazil.
aww so you’re not in it much? that sucks : (
I could never miss your beautiful face if I tried Derren ; )
Any more news on the Xmas Special? Have studied the Radio Times Xmas edition closely but no joy.
Great, looking forward to it. Loved League of Gentlemen, Mark Gatiss is great (Although only then knew his face, not name, till now).
Have to admit I’m constantly playing out sad fanboy scenarios in my head re. the type of role that Derren could make his own if he was a professional actor.
The Master in Dr. Who comes near the top of the list, as does Obi Wan in Star Wars and Peter Quint for anyone who’s ever read Henry James’ novel “the Turn of the Screw”.
Also there’s this little known character from the 1930’s German Expressionist movies – Dr. Mabuse…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr_Mabuse
His stock in trade is he’s a criminal kingpin who hypnotises ordinary civilians to commit crimes on his behalf. A bit like a “Heist” prequel!
I know this is type casting, but then there is something to be said for method acting, and most of the above involve guys with a goatee and the ability to manipulate minds!
I should probably get out more…
It always feels like Christmas when Derren is on tv…..
(hurray…anti-spam device)
Oh well, I’m sure we will have wonderfull stuff here on tv .. not that I thought you could have lifted me out of my own misery one bit … hehehe …. No, I have my hopes up for the lottery on Dec 31 … and risk going into the new year even more depressed .. *chuckles* .. sweet hope …
Nonetheless, on my old day in the winter of my life I will see all that stuff from the by then very young looking mr brown .. I’ll save some stuff for later so to speak .. so maybe the disappointment will not kick in till then .. I’m sure I’m numbed by then so it will not hurt that much anymore .. if it is disappointing .. that is … *grinning*
For now I prefer being caught up completely in my own personal weirdish fantasies about your skills … in acting that is …
For all you non-UK peeps out there, I have a feeling that http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer is accesible worldwide and Crooked House will def. be on that after terrestrial broadcast.
I may be wrong, so give it a try…
X
Am looking forward to seeing this and will try not to blink!
xx
Oooohh i will be watching that 😀
I love a good ghost story so it will be a great treat
especially when i see the tiny tiny part you play hehe
That should be a giggle! haha
All the best to you for crimbo my muse.
Hugz xXx
Just got the boxed set of Derren’s specials off a friend as an early xmas present…
Christmas really has come early this year!
What’s this baloney about a “blink and you’ll miss it” cameo? You’re second in the cast list on the Internet Movie database, under the name “Sir Roger Widowson”. That’s normally a place reserved for main characters!
Are you just being modest or did you mentally manipulate the editors at IMDB to shuffle you up the list? Or is this another example of DB misdirection? I’m confused…
Misdirection indeed…. in the TV and Satellite book it says:
“Crooked Houseâ€
Derren Brown guest stars
It doesn’t matter how big or small your part is (steady now) I’m sure it will enjoyable to watch.
I’m so looking forward to this! Probably be the tv highlight of the year!
Its good that it should hopefully be getting a dvd release too.
I must admit, I’m a little skeptical of Crooked House. I’ve always liked ‘The League of Gentlemen’ as a fan of horror and dark humour – I’ve missed Royston Vasey.
… But lately I feel that Mark Gatiss – without Reece and the others, has been lacking something and become very mainstream. I hope with a good ghost story, he can prove me wrong and Derren’s evil influence can provide some navigational mood on the script.
I’m left thinking that perhaps this might be an area DB may entertain some consideration. After all Derren co-writers with Andy Nyman, preforms and acts as a producer on his own shows and co-ordinates with many able-bodied crew and friends. Why not write a script and director a drama of sorts?
If you have? – Get it commisioned by the BBC or Channel Four. You have the contacts now! Get some advice from Stefan Stuckert.
finally freeview has a use
i will be watching this with hawk eyes…
haha
xx
Derren! Please stop forcing me to watch TV programmes. I’ve banned myself from it, apart from when you’re doing something… so you simply must stick to your own show in future! My sanity can’t take much more screen-staring.
What about his part as the waiter in the short film ‘Medium Rare’? Surely that was his first.
I missed first two but caught the third story, Derren Brown was mentioned in the list of cameo but i guess i blinked cos i missed it!
No Derren!!!
I love a good ghost story but i am most disappointed to say it was a bit poo 🙁
But hell theres very little that impresses me any more although good ol British acting to all.
At least British actors are not so overbearing or wooden.
I will be watching carefully when the episodes are repeated but to be honest the only good thing about crimbo is getting a good dose of Dr Who at 6pm on bbc1 tomorrow 😀
LOL its soooo corny but i do love time travel monsters and wacky gentleman!
I wish i could travel with the doc, i have no love for reality as it is…
Give me wonders danger and excitement any day,
Someone whisk me away in a flippin Tardis please!
And that concludes me loopy crimbo wishes.
I cant see me getting it but i am looking out for time portals, that should be pretty cool when i find one! HAHA
Argh Christmas…
Leave it to the Christians i say and leave me be.
Have a good one you loopy Derren fanatical lot.
xXx
I thoroughly enjoyed all three programmes and despite the fact that Derren was only visible for a short time, his character was still very significant to the stories being told. He looked incredibly menacing and I’m guessing the publicity he generated must have been beneficial for all concerned.
I think Mark Gatiss did a splendid job ‘Crooked House’ was entertaining and spooky; it certainly sent a shiver down my spine. I particularly liked the way he linked the past into the present day…..lots of surprises that I didn’t see coming.
I’ll probably still watch “The woman in Black†over the holiday, mainly because it’s turned into quite a Christmas tradition in our house (a young Andy Nyman also appears in the film version) however, it made such a pleasant change to see something new. Lets hope Mr Gatiss and the BBC make sure the festive ghostly tradition carries on next year.
Peyote Wishcard – In case you didn’t recognise him, Derren’s character dropped up at regular intervals through the final installment. He was playing “Sir Roger Widdowson” the Elizabethan first owner of the Crooked house and renowned satanist, who appears in apparition form after the old knocker is screwed back on the door.
I was amused that Derren’s character didn’t sire an heir to his estate for some ‘unexplained’ reason. Am I reading too much into it or is that Mark Gatiss a cheeky so-and-so 😉
Anyhow, Gatiss of all folk should understand the reason for a lack of offspring in that marriage!
Just watched Crooked House. Loved every minute, especially cringing behind a cushion when the bride was about to stab herself in the eyeballs.
And I’ve just read that Gatiss and Moffat are getting together on a one off Sherlock Holmes adaptation. Cannot. Wait.
Lynsey thanks for the BBC Iplayer link but there will be no joy for those of us outside of the UK as it will not work. Let’s hope BBC America will have it on soon!
I enjoyed most of the drama, but was disappointed with the end, I was left thinking ‘oh is that it.’ The special effects with the bride ghost were great, and the creepy thing in the guys hallway in part three made me go ewwww. Derren’s part was brief, and was first recognisable by his voice when chanting.
Hm, time passes in a different way for people .. some did not see derren, others very shortly, another one saw him through all episodes coming and going … but from what I get his part was a bit more than from those who you hear saying .. if you look way in the back of the restaurant in that scene you will see me sitting (from the back ..) .. my movie career is going like a rocket (well, they never say the latter but hey …).
But I read somewhere that Derren popped up in 2 other movies already as well, one as a waiter and the other one .. I forgot .. Ofcourse all the erm .. x-movies are not mentioned … hehehe … What? They are not there? What do you mean? Who was it then I saw .. def. did put some .. erm .. mindcontrol on top of me …
I loved the first two episodes, third started out nice, but I turned it off before the ending — it started messing with a personal phobia of mine, which combined with the general horror stuff was just a bit TOO scary. Though I am kind of wondering how it ended, now. Couldn’t even find a spoiler synopsis online… 🙁
Didn’t know who Mark Gatiss was before I saw this film, but I looked him up on Wikipedia now, and found out that he’s the writer of my favorite Dr Who episode. Now I’m quite interested in his other works, especially the Lucifer Box trilogy, which sounds right up my alley.
The things you discover by reading blogs… 🙂
And for those in the UK, if you can’t get enough from it:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00g7rh1/Crooked_House_27_12_2008/
We, non-UK, may listen to BBC radio the message says, but not to the url above ….