Tales of the Unexpected DVD 1979 Meghökkentő Mesék / Episodes 1-6. / Season 1 / Created by Roald Dahl / British TV Series

UPC 5999544243262

MADE IN HUNGARY

REGION 2 PAL DVD 

Audio: English 2.0 mono, Hungarian 2.0 mono

Subtitles: Hungarian

Runtime: 6X25 minutes

English Summary:

Tales of the Unexpected (Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected) is a British television series that aired between 1979 and 1988. Each episode told a story, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, with an unexpected twist ending. Every episode of series one, eight episodes of series two, and one episode of series three were based on short stories by Roald Dahl collected in the books Tales of the Unexpected, Kiss Kiss, and Someone Like You.

The series originally adapted various stories from Roald Dahl's anthology books. Despite being produced on a low budget, the series attracted notable guest stars, including Susan George, Siân Phillips, José Ferrer, Joseph Cotten, Janet Leigh, John Gielgud, John Mills, Wendy Hiller, Denholm Elliott, Katy Jurado, Joan Collins, Rod Taylor, Ian Holm, Brian Blessed, Michael Gambon, Cyril Cusack, Julie Harris, Michael Hordern, Derek Jacobi, Anna Neagle, Elaine Stritch, Andrew Ray, Harry H. Corbett, and Timothy West.

Dahl introduced most of his own stories himself, giving short monologues explaining what inspired him to write them. Unlike other horror anthologies such as The Twilight Zone, Tales of the Unexpected features few supernatural, science-fiction, or fantasy elements and instead takes place in entirely realistic settings. (Exceptions include the series-one episode "William and Mary”, the series-two episode “Royal Jelly”, and the series-four episode "The Sound Machine”.)

Episodes on DISC:

1. "The Man from the South"

An American sailor and his girlfriend, Cathy, are on holiday in Jamaica.  They become involved in a bizarre bet with Carlos, who loves to gamble.  When the young man boasts about his cigarette lighter, Carlos offers him his Jaguar if the boy can strike his lighter successfully ten times in a row.  But if he fails even once, if the boy does not strike it precisely, Carlos will cut off his finger.

2. "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat"

Mrs Bixby is having an affair behind her husband's back.  Her lover gives her a mink coat.  She devises a devious plan to explain its presence to her husband.

3. "William and Mary"

A widow is informed by her doctor that her husband's brain has been kept alive.  The husband had always imposed a strict regimen on his wife and she now seeks revenge.

4. "Lamb to the Slaughter"

Mary Marney, a devoted and pregnant housewife, is preparing dinner when her husband Patrick returns home from his job as a police detective.  He tells her that he is leaving her.  Moving almost on autopilot, Mary fetches a leg of lamb from the deep-freezer in the cellar to cook for their dinner.  Patrick says he does not want dinner, as he is going out.  In a trance-like panic, she hits him on the head and kills him.  The police conclude that Patrick was killed with a large, blunt object, but are baffled when the murder weapon cannot be found.

5. "The Landlady"

Billy Weaver, a young man from London, arrives at a guesthouse.  He is greeted by the landlady, but his curiosity is aroused when he reads the guest book.  He sees the names of young men whom, he remembers, had gone missing.  The landlady tells him that she is a taxidermist.

6. "Neck"

Lady Turton, an art collector's wife, is conducting a series of affairs, much to the disapproval of her resentful husband and their butler, Jelks.  They have an estate filled with art; even the outdoor gardens have fantastical pieces of topiary and abstract sculpture.  One night, while cavorting with Major Jack Haddock and making fun of her husband's beloved artworks, she finds her head trapped in a priceless piece of art.  Sir Basil Turton asks Jelks to fetch him a tool with which he can free her head.  Jelks brings him both an axe and a saw.  After considering the problem, Sir Basil decides upon the axe.

Hungarian Summary:

A mesék igazi rémtörténetek, borzongással, morbid helyzetekkel és a legfeketébb humorral fűszerezve. A filmek befejezése mindig tartogat egy olyan kiszámíthatatlan csavart, amit képtelenség előre kitalálni. A meghökkentő mesék legismertebb figurái közé tartozik a megcsalt asszony, aki férjét mélyhutött báránycombbal csapja agyon, vagy a csavargó, akinek hátán a világ egyik legértékesebb tetoválása van, illetve egy kedves házinéni, aki mellesleg professzionális preparátor.

Epizódok:

Egy Ember délről, Mrs Bixby és a szőrmekabát, William és Mary, Báránycombb Hentesné Módra, A Házinéni, A fába szorult féreg

Actors:

Angela Malcolm (Maid), Pamela Stephenson (Cathy), José Ferrer (Carlos), Michael Ontkean (Tommy), Cyril Luckham (Rawlsden), Katy Jurado (Mysterious Woman)

Will Leighton (Seamus), Richard Hampton (The Patient), Richard Greene (The Colonel), Michael Hordern (Cyril Bixby), Julie Harris (Mrs Bixby), Alan Chuntz (Taxi Driver), Sandra Payne (Miss Pulteney), Frederick Farley (Pawnbroker), Vass Anderson (Master of Hounds)

Marius Goring (Dr Landy), Elaine Stritch (Mary Pearl), Frederick Farley (Baxter), Richard Hampton (Vicar), Jimmy Mac (Dr William Pearl), Jane Paton (Nurse)

Michael Byrne (Patrick Marney), Brian Blessed (Detective Sergeant Jack Nolan), Susan George (Mary Marney), Mark Jones (Detective Sergeant Jameson), Andrew Fell (Uniformed Policeman), David English (Plain Clothes Policeman), George Little (Samuel), Hugh Cross (Police Doctor)

Siobhán McKenna (The Landlady), Leonard Preston (Billy Weaver), Anthony Dawes (The Clergyman), John Bryant (Mulholland), Jess Davies (Temple)

Michael Aldridge (Sir Basil Turton), Joan Collins (Lady Turton), John Gielgud (Jelks), Peter Bowles (Major Jack Haddock), Paul Herzberg (John Bannister), Carmen Silvera (Carmen La Rosa)