The Appointment (1981 film)
| The Appointment | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Lindsey C. Vickers |
| Written by | Lindsey C. Vickers |
| Story by | Lindsey C. Vickers |
| Starring | Edward Woodward |
| Music by | Trevor Jones |
Production company | First Principle Film Productions[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £650,000[1] |
The Appointment is a 1981 British horror film directed and written by Lindsey C. Vickers and starring Edward Woodward and Jane Merrow.[2][3]
Plot
Ian deeply disappoints his daughter Joanne by having to miss her first important violin solo. But Joanne is no ordinary young girl and Ian finds himself having to contend with rather more than a childish fit of the sulks as strange forces permeate the household, mostly affecting Ian.
Cast
- Edward Woodward as Ian
- Jane Merrow as Diana
- Samantha Weysom as Joanne
- John Judd as Mark
- Alan Stuart as man at roadside
- Auriol Goldingham as schoolgirl
- Pamela Rose as receptionaist
Production
The movie was meant to be the first in a series of prestige British television films with a focus on the supernatural. These were to be distributed internationally under the umbrella title A Step in the Wrong Direction.[4]
Finance for the movie came from the National Coal Board Pension Fund.[4][1] This Fund had already invested some money in Goldcrest Films over several titles, including Gandhi (1982). It was made by the production company, First Principle Films, whose directors included Lindsey Vickers, Douglas Abbott and Lionel Anthony.[5]
"I have gone for a quality film that will frighten by suggestion rather than overstatement," said Vickers during filming.[6]
Release
The movie was never theatrically released although it was distributed on video. It was the only film in the proposed series.[4] It was released by the British Film Institute in its Flipside DVD series (volume 44, 2022).
References
- ^ a b c "Miners put their pensions on a thriller". Western Daily Press. 7 May 1982. p. 3.
- ^ "The Appointment". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ Newman, Ray (17 December 2022). "Of dogs and dreams: the strange case of Lindsey C. Vickers' The Appointment, 1981". Precast reinforced heart.
- ^ a b c Pratt, Vic (11 July 2022). "The vanishing British horror: unearthing The Appointment". BFI.
- ^ Moses, Antoinette (Autumn 1982). "British film production 1981". Sight and Sound. p. 261.
- ^ "Scene stealer". Ealing and Acton Gazette. 18 September 1981. p. 6.
External links
- The Appointment at IMDb
- The Appointment at Letterbox DVD