Product Details

• Actors: Jane Lapotaire, Beatie Edney, Guy Rolfe, Barbara Shelley, Norma Shebbeare
• Producers: Mike Hudson
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• VHS Release Date: December 29, 1993
• Run Time: 148 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302561876
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,940 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Every night is dark and stormy in The Dark Angel, a lavish adaptation of Sheridan le Fanu's Victorian thriller, Uncle Silas. Peter O'Toole gives a delightfully depraved performance as the mysterious Silas in a story of dark family secrets, madness, and murder.

Sheltered heiress Maud Ruthyn's troubles begin when her father hires a new governess. Madame De La Rougierre (played with considerable relish by Jane Lapotaire) is a cruel, brandy-swigging schemer with an unhealthy interest in Maud's inheritance and an approach to childcare that would make Mary Poppins faint. When Maud's father dies she has no choice but to live with her wicked uncle Silas, who will inherit the family fortune if Maud should happen to die. This is not a recipe for domestic bliss and soon it seems that everyone but Maud is either bad, mad, or both.

With its gothic horrors and bizarre characters, The Dark Angel is both chilling and silly--perfect entertainment for a stormy winter night. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creepy, Gothic horror, December 15, 1999

By 

Sara Hopkins (randolph, nj USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dark Angel [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is very well done and well acted. It is much scarier than the book, which was written by the "father" of the horror novel, J.S. LeFanu. There is a real sense of menace and danger, a young, innocent heroine, a charming and evil uncle, and a decaying, remote estate. Need I say more? This is classic suspense, and Peter O'Toole is fabulous as the decadent and devilish Uncle Silas.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deliciously evil, a true literary gothic thriller!, July 8, 1999

By 

Marie (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Angel [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is an exquisite dramatizaton of J.S.Le Fanu's gothic masterpiece, Uncle Silas. Although there is some variation between the two, I recommend both the book and the film. Jane Lapotaire(Madame de la Rougierre) and Peter O'Toole(Uncle Silas) are probably the most depraved villains on film! All the roles are very well-acted, which helps suck the viewer into this sinister tale. The sets and cinematography are also fantastic! For those who crave more gothic period works, I also highly recommend The Woman in White and a Sherlock Holmes episode The Eligible Bachelor, also produced by Peter Hammond and starring Jeremy Brett(The Brilliant!) They have the same malignant flavor as The Dark Angel.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must for O'Toole fans, June 28, 2003

By 

movie nut (Dixville Notch, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Angel [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I first saw this movie on PBS mystery several years ago and fell in love with it. Peter O'Toole plays a sinster uncle who is in charge of Maud until she is an adult at which point she will inherit a fortune.
Peter O'Toole gives his usual outstanding performance, but its Beatie Edney who steals the show. Another performance of note was that of Jane Lapotaire who potrayed Madame LaRougierre. Lapotaire is even scarier than Silas and you wonder what her plans are for Maud.
This movie has a great plot but, it does drags on. Overall, I would recommend this movie to anyone who is into gothic horror.