Stephen Volk – Gothic

Stephen Volk – Gothic (Grafton, 1987)

`CONJURE UP YOUR DEEPEST, DARKEST FEAR.
THEN CALL THAT FEAR TO FORM . .

They joined hands around the seance table.
The lightning-obsessed Shelley, his timid 19-year-old mistress Mary Godwin, Mary’s-neurotic half-sister Claire, her lover the Satanic Lord Byron, and his strange companion Dr Polidori.
It began with ghost stories while the storm raged outside – and inside their fevered minds.
GOTHIC
June 16th 1816 at the Villa Diodati. The famous night of inspired imaginations that created monsters.
Or was something real created that night?
Something born out of electricity and laudanum-formed from their most horrible secrets, congealed in jealousy, obscene lust, guilt and visceral terror.
Some all-powerful creature that vowed revenge on its creators.
Perhaps by morning they would escape the nightmare. If they were all alive by morning. If they were sane.

‘TO CREATE A GHOST STORY, WHAT IS THAT?’ SAID BYRON.
‘BUT TO CREATE A  GHOST  …’
Virgin Vision presents A KEN RUSSELL FILM
GOTHIC
starring GABRIEL BYRNE • JULIAN SANDS
NATASHA RICHARDSON • MYRIAM CYR and TIMOTHY SPALL
Music composed by THOMAS DOLBY
Screenplay by STEPHEN VOLK
Executive producers
AL CLARK and ROBERT DEVEREUX
Produced by PENNY CORKS Directed by KEN RUSSELL