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DVD Tales of the Unexpected, Set 1
The wicked wit of Roald Dahl's fiction is superbly adapted in the first two seasons of Tales of the Unexpected. Premiering on British TV in 1979, this first-rate anthology series had the added advantage of Dahl himself as host, introducing each 25-minute episode from a cozy English fireside and bringing his own dark, playfully macabre sensibility to the stories that followed. In the delicious tradition of O. Henry, the author's twisted sense of irony inspired superior adaptations from several of England's finest dramatists (most notably Ronald Harwood, Oscar®-winner for The Pianist), and in turn their teleplays attracted an impressive array of high-caliber British and American actors including John Gielgud, John Mills, Joseph Cotten, Gloria Grahame, Susan George, Julie Harris, Derek Jacobi, Michael Gambon, Elaine Stritch, Joan Collins, and many more.
Shot on videotape, these 25 episodes compensate for modest budgets by emphasizing excellence in dialogue, direction, and performance, all heightened by the sophisticated savagery of Dahl's cynical but never off-putting appreciation for the dark side of humanity. Unlike the mostly supernatural twists of The Twilight Zone, murder and other kinds of extreme misbehavior provide the motivation for these Tales, most of which deliver a highly refined sense of devious delight. For the final three episodes, Dahl generously includes other authors of his ilk including John Collier, whose story "Back for Christmas" inspires a particularly grisly scenario. Consistently high in quality, these overlooked gems deliver quintessentially British twists of fate, each worthy of a sly and devilish grin. --Jeff Shannon
I am really enjoying this set. I remember watching this series when I was in junior high. I am still creeped out by the beekeeper in "Royal Jelly". Really fun to watch if you are a big Dahl fan, or Hitchcock fan, or anyone who likes to have a "little twist" added to their entertainment.
another item from the library
...and another item i'm GLAD i got from the library...
i liked the episodes, but for people who are'nt fans of the show, and are just passersby, i'd keep passing...
the premises are boring at points, definitely not something you'd want to push out to the english, which have a total of 4 channels...
keep on going...
Nasty Tales To Be Expected
These 25 tales are based on stories written by Roald Dahl, excepting four: Fat Chance (Robert Bloch), Back for Christmas (John Collier), The Orderly World of Mr. Appleby (Stanley Ellin), and The Man at the Top (Edward D. Hoch). Each tale requires one-plus minutes of introductory credits and 23 minutes of story, totaling 600 minutes. Favorably, there are no supernatural elements. Rather, the tales concern stupidity, hate, murder, adultery, larceny, infidelity, greed, deception, revenge, cunning, cheating, delusions, narcissism, and misunderstandings (is there anything else?) in which Dahl sometimes exhibits flashes of brilliance.
This reviewer assigned each tale a rating, ranging from zero (one such) to five stars. The resulting average rating was 2.68 stars. The six tales comprising the four 5-star entries: (Man From the South, Neck, Hitch Hiker, and Umbrella Man); and the two 4-star entries: (Taste and Back for Christmas); would nicely fill one DVD, well worth a quarter of the total price of this collection. The seven 3-star tales: (Lamb to the Slaughter, Edward the Conqueror, Skin, Galloping Foxley, Poison, Depart in Peace, and Genesis & Catastrophe) would fill another DVD; again, at a quarter of the total price, this would be a reasonable buy. The remaining twelve tales are a waste of time and money, lacking any merit whatever.
Principal actors with very good performances (some appearing more than once) include Michael Aldridge, Peter Bowles, Joan Collins, Joseph Cotton, Cyril Cusack, Jose Ferrer, John Gielgud, Julie Harris, Wendy Hiller, Derek Jacobi, John Mills, Ron Moody, Sian Phillips, Anthony Steel, Elaine Stritch, Rod Taylor, and Jack Weston.
Acorn Media packages this set nicely, with each of the four DVDs being contained in its own (thick style) keep-case. (Why doesn't everyone adopt those sleek, thin-style keep-cases? Think of the shelf space saved!) Each DVD has a nicely executed picture and filmography of its major cast members (worth exactly .32 stars). Color picture quality is very satisfying. The mono sound is adequate. This "Set 1" of DVDs comprises the 25 episodes of Seasons 1 and 2, implying that Seasons 3 and 4 will be forthcoming. Prospective buyers, be advised: You WILL find half of these disappointing.
Not long ago, I had only heard about the television show Tales of Tomorrow just twice: once as a passing reference as an inspiration of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone in his PBS documentary, and once more when I saw the episode "All the Time in the World" at the Museum of TV and Radio in NYC when I visited there last August. I had always liked TZ and I was happy to see one of it's predecessors which had left the air before my parents were even born. I was not disappointed as the episode was another example of intelligently wielded suspense and science fiction, the kind of show that they just don't make any more (well UPN tried, but let's not talk about that right now). There were other available episodes, but my family and I had to leave the museum, but imagine my happiness when I heard... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Don Medford - Franklin J. Schaffner - Charles S. Dubin - Leonard Valenta DVD Release Date: Released the 07 September 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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When it premiered on CBS on October 2, 1955, Alfred Hitchcock Presents was an instant hit destined for long-term popularity. The series' original half-hour anthology format provided a perfect showcase for stories of mystery, suspense, and the macabre that reflected Hitchcock's established persona. Every Sunday at 9:30 p.m., the series began with the familiar theme of Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" (which would thereafter be inextricably linked with Hitchcock), and as Hitchcock's trademark profile sketch was overshadowed by the familiar silhouette of Hitchcock himself, the weekly "play" opened and closed with the series' most popular feature: As a good-natured host whose inimitable presence made him a global celebrity, Hitchcock delivered droll, dryly sardonic... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 04 October 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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I saw season one by accident and was really expecting the worst. In many ways my expectations were fulfilled, but I just love it... Not even in a 'so bad it's good' kind of way, because many of the episodes are well-done, compelling and intelligent, but it's so... 80's, so badly acted and campy with horrible music. There's a charm to it though, and it's very enjoyable. I find that maybe 50% of the episodes work. The last few discs just scream 'filler,' but for the most part the stories are very efficient, only 20-30 minutes to tell a story and within the first minute it has to draw you in. In that regard it's very interesting to watch how they're made to suck you in. Usually characters and situations are established and within 30 seconds you know every character and what to expect. Some... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Wes Craven DVD Release Date: Released the 28 December 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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