Pandrea100 Reviews

Tales of the Unexpected: Down Among the Sheltering Palms (1983) Season 6, Episode 7

Think the previous comment misses the point

[6/10 · 14 December 2007]

OK, sorry to give away the ending but there IS a twist at the end. The old American guy spends the evening trying to speak to the girl who reminds him of his lost love Doris during the war (though it's actually just a modern young girl) but he doesn't go back to a hotel - he goes home to his unpleasant shrewish wife. You find out that he lives in Britain and the implication is that he actually married Doris and settled down there but the young, innocent and charming girl he met grew into a horrible old bag (who says she never did like that dancehall). Thus Doris was only "lost" in the metaphorical sense. That's also why, throughout, there are various comments about other Yank soldiers who had affairs and then went home to the US - it's what he obviously should have done. It's actually quite a sweet and clever story, not the best "Tales" but not bad. There's also a bit of humour with the other old lady who keeps trying to force him to dance with her. Mind you the fashions and set are pretty naff.

As Good as Dead (1995 TV Movie)

Desperately Seeking Desperately Seeking Susan

[7/10 · 10 June 2007]

So much of this film reminds me of a TV version of the Madonna/Roseanna Arquette movie: the shy conventional girl who swaps life and wardrobe with the sexy, messy hip party girl, the lanky young man who gets involved with her, etc. But it's actually more of a (mild) thriller and I thought the plot was pretty neat and well worked out. The lead character was sympathetic and the logic of why she didn't just go to the police (which so many movie heroines should) was good. I also liked how Crystal Bernard quite subtly kept hoisting down her very short skirts, just showing how uncomfortable her character felt in someone else's clothes. Unfortunately a lot of the reviews here and even the cast list give away a major plot twist; maybe I was just feeling dumb tonight, but I didn't guess it in advance and was glad I hadn't been spoiled - beware. Overall, a nice entertaining little movie to kill an hour or so with.