Simply Perfect

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The series itself was okay, although I suspect it was more famous for its title sequence than its actual content. Basically, Tales of the Unexpected was Roald Dahl's attempt at the Twilight Zone/Outer Limits - a screen adaptation of the eponymous short story collection. Having not read this book, I couldn't tell you how well the stories were adapted, although like the aforementioned TV shows, they sometimes involved an element of the supernatural and one of the characters usually getting their just deserts by the end. I've seen them described as campy, although I think mediocre would have been a better word to use. Most episodes are watchable and are of acceptable entertainment value, although some having pacing issues and the production quality certainly isn't up to today's standards.If you're a fan of the Twilight Zone, this might be worth a look.

Tales of the Unexpected is a British anthology series which aired between 1979 and 1988. Introduced by author Roald Dahl many of the episodes were based on his own stories. Most of the episodes are very macabre and have a twist ending.The earlier seasons are the best but there are excellent episodes to be found across all nine years. The Landlady (season 1)would have made a terrific Twilight Zone episode. The Flypaper (season 3)is one of the best episodes and I'd say it may well be the darkest. I'd say this episode has even more relevance today and should be shown to children to warn them not to trust strangers, no matter how harmless the person seems.

Being a huge fan of anthology series, I'm always on the lookout for ones I haven't seen. I've had some hits (Twilight Zone, Night Gallery) and a few misses, (Thriller, most of Hammer House of Horror) but then I stumbled across Roald Dahl's 'Tales of the Unexpected' Always being a short story, horror, and sci fi fan, I jumped at the chance to try some programs I had never seen. Having some familiarity with Roald Dahl's work, I was intrigued, having read that he was a cross between Alfred Hitchcock and O Henry. I sat back to enjoy the first story of the series, the fine, 'Man from the South' about a man who bets the little finger on his left hand that he can't light his lighter ten times in a row. Filmed on location in Jamaica, it is a very clever tale that sets the tone of future episodes. Now don't misunderstand, the episodes are not all 10's, but the majority are very, very good, including 'The Landlady', and 'The Flytrap' which is a CHILLER, all the while featuring a wonderful sense of storytelling along with some excellent actors, including Jose Ferrer, Joseph Cotten, and Joan Collins, to name but a few. If you enjoy really well told tales that hold your attention and are genuinely entertaining, get the first two sets of this series, they really are a wonderful way to spend a few hours.

Regardless of what some viewers may think, I had a great time watching this series as a young adult late in the evenings and before the station screening it closed for the night.It was brilliantly written by the fabulous Mr Roald Dahl and the theme soundtrack was worth the wait for 'the Unexpected Tale' with a usually camp and fascinating end to unfold.The series starred many budding and now household names from the British Theatre world and yes, the costumes, sets and furnishings were glam and stylish for the period when the world was a more innocent and romantic place to be.I wish it could be screened again in Australia for older and even newer audiences to enjoy again; especially now that the 70's are hip and back!