Tales of the Unexpected, Set 1
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Andrew Ray, Forbes Collins, Joan Collins, Richard Johnson, Roald DahlBrand: Acorn
Producer: Paul Kurta
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 25 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-28
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media
Movie Reviews of Tales of the Unexpected, Set 1
Movie Review: Very entertaining and many are familiar
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Summary of Tales of the Unexpected, Set 1
Like his children?s books, Roald Dahl?s adult stories never fail to surprise, though they take more chilling flights of fancy. Darkly humorous and playfully macabre, each standalone episode in this acclaimed series is a brilliantly acted little gem of creepy delight. Episode casts feature a cavalcade of stars, including John Alderton, Joan Collins, Joseph Cotten, José Ferrer, Michael Gambon, Susan George, John Gielgud, Julie Harris, Derek Jacobi, John Mills, and Elaine Stritch. With introductions by Roald Dahl.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
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