Lonely Water (1973)

One of the scarier films from the Central Office of Information films, 'Lonely Water' features Donald Pleasence voicing the character of the Grim Reaper, preying on the foolish youngsters who play near potentially dangerous areas of water. Creepy hints of 'The Seventh Seal' and 'Final Destination' make this a terrifyingly persuasive public information film, with Death's final, ominous "I'll be back" pre-dating Arnold Schwarzenegger by over a decade. (Alex Davidson)

You can watch over 1500 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge at the BFI Mediatheque. There are Mediatheques at BFI Southbank, London, QUAD, Derby and the new Central Library, Cambridge:
http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/bfi-mediatheque http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/online/bfi_media.htm

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• BFI
• British
• Film
• Institute
• Spirit
• Dark
• Lonely
• Water
• Donald
• Pleasence
• Pleasance
• COI
• Central
• Office
• Information
• Safety
• Video
• Danger
• Death
• Grim
• Reaper
• Seventh
• Seal
• Final
• Destination
• Cloak
• I'll
• Be
• Back
• Cult
• 1970s
• Seventies

[fadfax]

I was on Death's side. Little brats.

Also, 1000 brownie points for a pre-Terminator "I'll be back" and still being just as chilling.

[lloydionoisio]

absolutely amazing. Donald Pleasance's voice is enough to scare me off water for life

[avrovulcan617]

as a kid it scared you witless but it worked because it made you think, today this ad would be banned by the pc brigade who would rather say please dont go near the water as it is cold & you may also get wet.

[Tareltonlives]

"I don't think we need any reaping at the moment"

[zigazig1980]

so none of these kids can swim then?? you fall in, you swim, you climb out with help from your mates??

[zakalon123]

Actually it is not scary at all, there were ones far scarier than that.

But in reterospect These so-called PIF'S were really a form of child abuse. Because they put these adverts on at all time of the day, I mean it is hard enought to watch these films as adults, so what the hell were they doing to innocent young children whose minds are not properly formed.

I am so glad that they don't make many of these adverts/films anymore.

[disjoinedchip2]

which is creepier the fashions or the robed dude?

[WilliamAndrews1969]

Still creepy as all Hell and still gives me chills as it did when I was a child.

[Mistysmudge1]

This was terrifying, i was 2 and when i was in my pram at Whitby....there was a nun near the cliff edge, her back to me, i pointed and shouted, I'll be back , back , back, back! (mum says about it alot!

[moominpic]

I was so terrified of this advert... it wasn't the water i was scared of, I was always looking for the scary man!

[nessnes64]

coke is good for you........ you cant drown in coke