Good movie but grossly overrated

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

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.

One of those Series that is very difficult to review as a whole, largely due to the vast degree in quality between the episodes, on the whole though I'd say I love Tales of the Unexpected, it's a unique series, one millions remember very fondly, for good reason.I always preferred the introductions when Roald Dahl was sat in his chair, he added to the sense of Theatre in his own inimitable style.Fair to say the earlier Series were a better standard then the later ones, at the end they became a little sad and repetitive. The 'twist' was always the best bit, and in the first few series, the twists were big.Highlights include Lamb to the Slaughter, Fat Chance, The way up to Heaven and Royal Jelly, but it's fair to say that the out and out best episode of the entire Series, is the opener to the third run, The Flypaper, truly one of the nastiest, most horrifying pieces of television ever made, even to this day it's intensely disturbing.Is that possibly the most iconic set of opening credits and music ever put together, instantly recognisable, impossible to forget, I wonder the mix of emotions that tune creates for people.No wonder Tales ran for nine years, a great series. 8/10

Tales of the Unexpected is an iconic series which lasted around 10 years starting in the late 1970s to the late 1980s. As you'd expect with any TV series, there are fantastic, classic episodes and some that aren't so great. Thankfully the great episodes outnumber the not so great quite significantly.Originally, the series was meant to showcase the stories from Roald Dahl's books "Tales of the Unexpected" and "More Tales of the Unexpected". Each of these episodes were introduced by Dahl himself in a mock sitting room in front of a roaring fireplace. A short description of where the idea came from regarding the upcoming story then led to 25 minutes of television magic. Each story was meant to end with a twist. Although many did, some had a twist of not actually having a twist but a natural conclusion which you think could never go all the way but it does.After Dahl's stories ran out, other similarly themed stories were used by well known authors such as Henry Slesar, Bert Salzman, Jeffrey Archer and many others. They didn't have the Dahl introduction and the name "Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected" was thus shortened to the familiar "Tales of the Unexpected".Many big names have appeared in the show from Joan Collins, Peter Cushing, Stephanie Cole, Toyah Wilcox, John Mills, Telly Savalas and many, many more. Some early in their careers, others in their prime and some in the twilight.So if you like a story with a twist ending, you can do far worse than check out this gem. When you hear Ron Grainer's fantastic theme tune starting up and the silhouetted lady dancing in the flames, you'll be gripped for 25 minutes. After that you'll hunger for your next fix of 'The Tales'. My top 10?1. The Eavesdropper 2. Would you Believe it? 3. Taste 4. The Tribute 5. The Flypaper 6. Shatterproof 7. The Way To Do It 8. Kindly Dig Your Grave 9. Never Speak Ill of the Dead 10. Down Among the Sheltering Palms

Although there are a lot of the original Roald Dahl stories in here, there are also quite a few from other writers, which are successful to varying degrees. What is apparent from the series though is it's age - I have never witnessed acting, filming, sets, hairstyles, music, and costumes to look so dated (and just plain bad!) so quickly. Indeed the series is the quintessential "Its so bad its good" - I certainly laughed at things when no humor was implied, this may explain it's cult status in some circles. When the stories work, they're very good, and the poor acting etc doesn't seem to matter too much, but all too often either nothing interesting happens or you can see the punch line coming a mile off. The most remembered parts of the series are of course the opening credits and music (mention Tales of the Unexpected to anyone in the UK and that's what they'll comment on).