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By
FRANK BEHRENS
Here is a boxed set of four
DVDs that is a real treat. Back in 1979 and 1980,
British television watchers were treated to an
anthology show called "Tales of the Unexpected."
It was hosted by writer Roald Dahl and featured
some of Britain's top stars in 25-minute tales
with twist endings, very much in the tradition of
"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Twilight
Zone." Indeed, one or two of these stories were
also shown on the Hitchcock series.
Now Acorn Media has released "Tales of the
Unexpected, Set 1" which includes the complete
first two seasons. In all, we have 25 tales, 21 of
which are by Dahl. (He might be more familiar as
the author of "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory"
that appeared with a similar title as a fantasy
film.)
Along the way, you will enjoy sterling
performances by such notables as John Mills, Derek
Jacobi, Joan Collins (in a stunning double role),
John Gielgud, Julie Harris, Joseph Cotten, and
Elaine Stritch. Some of the tales are fantastic
("The Landlady," "Royal Jelly"), some grisly
("Back for Christmas"), some charming ("The
Umbrella Man"), and some just a tad disappointing
at the end ("The Man at the Top").
Still, I greatly enjoyed the 625 minutes of
running time, and you will too. The special
features are some production notes, cast
filmographies of the stars, and a Roald Dahl
biography. |
