Nigel Kneale died five years ago today. To describe him as a pivotal figure in British film and television is like saying that Francis Bacon could paint a bit. Kneale was a genius, pure and simple, and was responsible for some of the cleverest, most inventive, thought provoking and terrifying stories of all time.
When I think about Nigel, about a million things all jostle to the front of my head at once, and I find it hard to present a reasoned summary of why his work is so important. All I can say is that I love him, I miss him, and then try and piece together a very inadequate tribute to his brilliance.
I couldn't agree with you more--Kneale was a true giant of the genre, and his influence is probably as gigantic as his talent. If you're interested, I profiled him on my blog, Bradley on Film (http://bradleyonfilm.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/nigel-kneale/). And, since another of my heroes is Richard Matheson, it did not escape my attention that the graphic at the top of yours is from the title sequence of his classic THE DEVIL RIDES OUT. You might want to check out my book, RICHARD MATHESON ON SCREEN (http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4216-4). Thanks for helping to keep Kneale's memory alive.
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