Life through a Fish Eye Lens - The Thriller Thread

[Nyder]

All those American alternate titles are way OTT! If the stories were kept to an hour then the pacing would be a bit better!

[Nyder]

"Night time is for killing" by BC

Oh dear, the first real clunker for me. The Lady Vanishes meets The Avengers' "Funny Thing Happened..." as a night sleeper train starts to accrue bodies. It gets all Scooby Doo at the end with the villain getting literally unmasked.

Poor 2/10


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[SiHart]

Thriller number 2 last night. John Carson was a man possessed. He had good knife work. The twist was OK. We might be having more fun laughing through them than the actual episodes give... but that's OK, we've got through lesser series that way!

[Nyder]

I'll do you a "My Top 5" of the first batch if you want to skip


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[Rob McCow]

Could really do with a guide. The two we've seen so far have made Sapphire & Steel look mind-bogglingly pacey.

[Nyder]

Okay so here's my Top Five from the first batch (two of which star Michael Jayston):-

The Colour of Blood
Ring Once For Death
Sign it Death
I'm The Girl He Wants To Kill
A Coffin For The Bride

and a runner up is Someone At The Top of the Stairs because the ending is so bizarre! Enjoy But don't expect pace, pace, pace. This is 70s ATV after all.


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[Nyder]

"Killer With Two Faces" by BC

Ian Hendry & Donna Mills star in this predictable story about a psychopathic killer who escapes from jail. The main plot is revealed a quarter of the way through, but I'm proud that I spotted it before! Hendry is a consummate actor, and can play unhinged very well! But I'm afraid he can't rescue this story from being a bit of a plodder.

6/10


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[Nyder]

"A Killer in Every Corner" by BC

The legendary Max Wall is in this one, and pretty disturbing he is too.


Plus Don Henderson who also plays disturbing pretty well! The plot involves an amoral therapist (Patrick Magee) who carries out some pretty unethical experiments!

Taut and grisly in places - not bad at all!

7/10


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[Nyder]

"Where The Action Is" by BC

A strange title, there's no "Death" or "Killer" in the title, but fear not - there were 2 deaths in the story. It should have been called "You Bet Your Life" as it involves gamblers who take their addiction to extreme measures....

Ingrid Pitt provides the glamour, and Trevor Baxter provides the class (this must have been a year before Talons).

7.5/10


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[Nyder]

"If It's A Man - Hang Up!" by BC

Daftest title so far! This was based on a BC stage play apparently. Gerald Harper is in this one, though he doesn't get enough screen time IMHO. The story revolves a model who is getting threatening phone calls. There's a thrilling denouement in a deserted cottage at the end, and it's still not clear who the miscreant until right at the very end. Brian - you are a big old tease!

6.5/10


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[Nyder]

"Double Kill" by BC

I thought this was going to be another slowy, but no I was wrong - it turned out to be one of the best! Gary Collins stars in a tale of plotting his wife's murder and getting a robber to take the hit for it. But all is not as it seems....

Peter Bowles plays a Superintendent with a very unorthodox way of doing things. Things really livened up when he entered the scene

9/10 highly recommended


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[Perry Vale]

I'd seen this thread but never ventured in, didn't really have any idea what the series was. However looking to spend some xmas money, I've just ordered this totally unrelated. So as Arnie says, I'll be back....

[Nyder]

I look forward to your comments Perry. It's kinda lonely on this thread :-)

[Perry Vale]

Yes, I've just noticed.

The cast list and Clemens name caught my attention, and I sort of remember the opening 'fish eye' effect, and then the price sold me. £25 at the moment (via Network) for around 43 x 60 minute episodes!

[Philipnet]

Can't say I fancy Horror on a Sunday evening

I usually spend that time making smoothies and ironing shirts

[Nyder]

It's not so much horror Phil - mostly murder, but not horror :-)

[Nyder]

"Don't Write Home Mom, I'm Dead" by BC & Dennis Spooner

Ian Bannen puts in a creepy performance in a story with a sinister hippy commune in a remote part of Scotland. Added to that we have a woman who's getting psychic messages from her boyfriend. Is he alive or dead?? It's all a bit of a ragbag of plotting, a bit on the ploddy side, but things soon start moving by Part 3. Stick with kid!

6.5/10

Half a mark knocked off for the use of "Mom" in the title. Obvious pandering to the U.S. market. A bit pointless really - they used an alternative episode title anyway!


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[Perry Vale]

I've watched the first two so far, both really enjoyable. I like how both portray married couples, sleeping in seperate single beds.

[Perry Vale]

Took the set around to a friend's last night, and we watched 'Something at the top of the stairs'. A bit cheesier than the first two, but still kept me guessing.

Also I had that moment when your at someone else's and they watch 4:3 material stretched to 16:9 I couldn't bring myself to mention it and just put up with it, but it made the PQ awful - all blurry and yellow. Had to watch it again when I got home in it's correct presentation.

[Nyder]

Yes that one gets a bit bizarre at the end, but still quite creepy!


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[Perry Vale]

It was nice to see Alethea Charlton in something colour instead of b&w Doctor Who, for a change.

[Perry Vale]

An Echo of Theresa was ok, although found it dragged slightly.

The Colour of Blood....based on such a daft premise, yet still managed to just about rescue itself with the 'twist'. Didn't spot any "famous" US actors in this one?

[Perry Vale]

Just finished watching File It Under Fear, really excellent and one of the best so far. A proper, chilling whodunnit. The face of a certain actor in the thumbnail for the episode did suggest who the killer was, but it still kept me guessing most of the way. It's a superb cast for this one (especially the gorgeous Jan Francis), and I was very impressed with the set design for the library, the reason for which becomes aparent at the end.

[Nyder]

Yes the lead actor gives an unusually chilling performance in this ep!


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[Perry Vale]

I mentioned it upthread, but after watching 'A Place To Die' I was struck again that they seem to always (so far) portray married couples sleeping in seperate single beds. It's in 3 episodes so far. Must be a sign of the times, I guess, that it was ok to try and scare the living sh*t out of people, but not dare suggest rumpy-pumpy between married couples!