19 April 2021

Review: I Start Counting

Blu-ray: I Start Counting (1969)

The basic premise of I Start Counting is that a psychotic killer is abducting and murdering young girls in a village, but this is akin to saying that The Shining is about a scary hotel, there are many more layers to it than that.

Wynne (Jenny Agutter) is a 14 year old sexually inexperienced pubescent girl who has a crush on her 32 year old foster brother George (Bryan Marshall), all while being told (untrue) stories of sexual conquests by her best friend Corinne (Clare Sutcliffe) who wishes to be seen as a sexually experienced woman and a mentor for Wynne.

Through a series of events and findings, some of which may, or may not, be perceived in the correct way, Wynne begins to suspect that George may be the killer that everyone is looking for, but does this make her begin to fear him, or be more attracted to him?

There are no cheap scares, gratuitous gore or overly melodramatic music in I Start Counting, the underlying horror and feelings of becoming uncomfortable while watching stem from the use of incest, rape and the impulsiveness of burgeoning teenage sexuality, all while trying to figure out who is at the centre of these mysterious killings.

A solid performance by the whole cast draws you into their world, which while quite obviously having aged in the 50+ years since this was made, is still relatable to todays audience, with fractured families, confident peers, unrequited love, and unanswered questions just a few of the things having to deal with.

This new 2K resoration brings everything further to life, with a slew of fascinating special features rounding off another great BFI release.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Scanned & restored in 2k from the 35mm interpositive
An Apprentice With a Master’s Ticket (2021, 40 mins): acclaimed screenwriter Richard Harris looks back over an eclectic career in television and film, ranging from The Avengers to A Touch of Frost
Worlds Within Worlds (2021, 33 mins): Jonny Trunk, founder of cult label Trunk Records, revisits the life and art of ambient music pioneer Basil Kirchin
I Start Building (1942-59, 26 mins): a selection of rare archive films recalling the ‘New Town’ dream
Danger on Dartmoor (1980, 57 mins): plucky kids face peril in this full-length Children’s Film Foundation bonus feature, written by Audrey Erskine Lindop
Don’t Be Like Brenda (1973, 8 mins): the perennial problem of teenage promiscuity is explored in this cautionary film designed for adolescent viewers
Audio commentary by film historian Samm Deighan
A Kickstart: Jenny Agutter Remembers I Start Counting (2020, 20 mins)
Loss of Innocence: a video essay on I Start Counting by Chris O’Neill (2020, 8 mins)
Original theatrical trailer
Image gallery
Newly commissioned sleeve artwork by Matt Needle
**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Fully illustrated booklet with a new essay on the film by the BFI’s Jo Botting and writing on the cast and director by Jon Dear