mike65-1

Chances are nobody was really ready to put of the bunting when it was announced that 80s children's favourite Danger Mouse was being revived. After all said plenty online why not just show the David Jason era episodes again, its not as if they've dated in any meaningful way - the new series essentially proves that to be true as they have changed very little in terms of tone and style. Sure the visuals are slicker but they are very much patterned after the original look and feel while the script and voice characterisation could almost be lifted straight. The casting is pretty much perfect Alexander Armstrong as DM knows when to raise a vocal eyebrow and Kevin Eldon is perfect as Penfold, capturing the essential traits of the little guy who'd love to be big if only he was brave enough (and actually he's happy enough leaving the derring-do stuff to Danger Mouse). The stories are as daft as a brush and all the better for it - its hard not be smile when the villain in an episode is a toilet which has gone through an unintended forced software upgrade. The gags come quick and often and many of the quips will surely zoom right over the heads of the supposed core audience. As such Danger Mouse is arguably wasted on CBBC and instead would make a nice piece of tie-in programming with Pointless on BBC One - after all they have the same lead in both!

George C Scott is Justin Playfair who has believed himself to be Sherlock Holmes since the death of his wife, his brother wants to section him so to get his hands on the money Justin controls. Enter psychiatric doctor Mildred Watson....

Effectively a companion piece to another James Goldman scripted romantic light drama Robin and Marian (1976) They Might Be Giants is a quirky story about loners, the lonely and love. Scott and Joanne Woodward (as Dr Watson) are both terrific esp in the later scenes as the relationship moves to the personal and Watson gives up her rational self for love and imagination.

There is simply no way any major studio would make a film of this nature with the equivalent actors (if you could find them!) in 2015. Its too offbeat, too obtuse though one could imagine the best of cable channels giving this type of material a chance.

Wiki notes the film is available in a couple of different edits - the version I saw on More4 (UK) was the 88 minute edit with the full supermarket scene included in a later version missing.

The 2nd of the Sidney Lumet/Sean Connery collaborations is an early entry in the 70s surveillance/paranoia genre combined with a fairly standard heist storyline as a con having only just got out of sing sing decides there is a killing to made from a New York town-house full of wealthy types. Featuring an interesting score from Quincy Jones and superbly crisp editing Joanne Burke (ever notice how often editors are women?) Lumet as usual doesn't waste a moment with everything moving a clip as the plan is hatched, takes shape and is executed. There are one or two style touches that are very much of the era esp the tape playback moments early in the film and brief flash forwards during the burglary sequence.

As for the tapes in the title ah well....that would be telling.

Christopher Walken makes his debut and you have to wonder why it would be another six or so years before his career took off, cos he's obvious star material. Everyone else is good value for their efforts esp veterans Margaret Hamilton and Judith Lowry as the bickering "spinster" couple in one of the apartments.