John Urling Clark & Robin Beresford Evans – The Experiment
Posted by demonik on August 5, 2007
John Urling Clark & Robin Beresford Evans – The Experiment (Sphere, 1979)
From out of the lake of nightmares it came … the chilling, horrific creation of a twisted scientist with a sinister Nazi past.”
“Twisted” doesn’t begin to do him justice.
At the close of the war, Karl Heinrich Von Stansfield destroys the few survivors of his brutal experiments at Saschenhausen and surrenders himself to the Americans. His captors are prepared to overlook his war crimes because they’re particularly keen that he continues his work on modifyiing man’s breathing aparatus so that he can survive on water as opposed to air.
Relocated to a US airforce base at Marsden, Hampshire in the present day, the aged Nazi creates his abomination which inevitably absconds to the marshes. The man who was once known as Sheldon is none-too mobile and spends much of his time breathing frothily into his tubes and hunting for victims.
“Now a nerve-twisting shock-movie” boasts the cover: “The Video Film Partnership in association with Amaranth … starring Vivien Wolf as the Doctor, Helen Gill as the wife, Richard Marner as the Nazi Scientist.” A quarter of a century later, we’re still waiting to see it.
Sordid Spheres! 
Jo said
OK – if anyone out there is reading this… where can I get hold of a copy of this elusive video? Have tried the usual suspects to no avail. Any help appreciated.
demonik said
hello Jo
I seem to recall that a clued-in member of the British Horror Film forum did some detective work on the film and established that it was never released in any shape or form. You might like to have a look on there?
There’s a far longer excuse-for-a-review of the novel on the Vault board!
Good luck!
ash said
It in fact was released on video and was the first video to be available with its novelisation included in the packaging.
Jo said
A faint rumour from the swamp… is that the long-thought-dead visual beauty of “The Experiment” may soon be available, though perhaps not in a cinema near you. Watch this murky space!
ross skelton said
Robin – you msy =remember me from TCD would you like to meet up sometime/how?I met w Chris Oakley recently and he too wonderd where you were. Wld love to hear from you!
Best wishes,
Ross
john Urling Clark said
Hi Ross, I remember meeting you with Robin. You used to swim a lot. Have lost touch with Robin and wd like to recontact him. Are you still in London?
Please get in touch if possible. Wd love to meet up for a drink.
Best John
ross skelton said
John: were you at UCL? Doing Philos w Wollheim? I’ve just found your note. I live in Dublin now retiring from TCD after a milion years teaching logic –it would be good to meet. Are you who I think you are?
Best wishes,
Ross
John Urling Clark said
Hi Ross, I was actually at Bedford College but I think I am who you think I am. I did an MPhil at the same time as Robin and after we finished we formed a writing partnership and wrote a few things together including this horror SF book which, for reason too complex to explain here, we had to transpose from a script in six weeks. Would love to meet up. Not sure how we are going to set up a means of communication without giving everyone who visits this site our email address.
I am living in London again at present, having had a ten year interval in Hastings.
Congratulations on having had an academic career and surviving it.
I much shorter than Robin but had as much hair. Still got most of it.
Best wishes
John
Proud Mary Entertainment said
Hello,
New here. Thanks
Mary Aloe
Proud Mary Entertainment
ross skelton said
John: good to know Batman around but what about Robin – incognito? Best, Ross
John Urling Clark said
Hi Ross,
Have lost track of Robin, which is a shame.
He kept his flat on in Chelsea for years but eventually sold it, I think. That was my last avenue of contact, not at all frequent, with him.
I think they lived in Merton for a while.
I hope this finds you well.
all good wishes
John
Ian Williams said
John… now there’s a name from the deep and dark past..! Ian Williams here… it’s well over 25 years since our paths crossed. I think one of the last times I saw you and Robin was when you came to dinner at my flat in the New King’s Road not far from Putney Bridge – oh dear! ;o)
Anyway, I am living down in Brighton and have been for quite a while – I can be found here: http://www.ianfwilliams.com Give me a call or drop me an email…
All the best
Ian
John Urling Clark said
Hi Ian,
I remember that evening far too well! I also recall it was you that persuaded Sphere to publish.
Am trying to email you.
Would love to meet up for a drink either in London or Brighton. Have been in Lewes a few times recently and am thinking of relocating on the South Coast again.
John