THE SPIRIT OF DARK AND LONELY WATER [1973]

 

THOSE WERE THE DAYS . . . WHEN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT DELIBERATELY TERRORISED IT'S CHILDREN!  At least by way of public service films.  APACHES [1977] is infamous for scarring an entire generation of British 70's kids but the one with the definitely Halloweeny vibe is LONELY WATER [1973].  The hooded and cloaked figure of death hangs around a bit of wasteland water amidst some drifting fog.  ""I am the spirit of dark and lonely water: ready to trap the unwary, the showoff, the fool...and this is the kind of place you'd expect to find me."  He then shows us a group of unwary kids playing by some water; a show-off is trying to retrieve a ball that's plopped into the water.  The "fool" slips on the muddy bank and plunges into the water to his certain death!  We next find another clueless boy who meets a similar fate clinging to a rotten branch over the water. 

Children were killed off left and right in these 1970's COI films (just watch APACHES if you don't believe me!).  But the greatest thing about this 2 minute short is that death is voiced with gleeful evil by Donald Pleasence himself!  An absolute classic!