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Beasts - The Complete Series [1976]


RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £7.93 (subject to change)

The not so good old days
Review date: 2008-05-27 Rating: 2 out of 10

I don't really think I can add anymore to what the reviewer 'geurilla pen' has already written as he/she has pretty much summed up the quality of this boxed set. I ummed and arred for a long time about getting it as the only episode I remember as a 10-year-old was 'Special Offer'. Still, as it was on offer from a seller on amazon, I thought at the price of two rented videos, you can't really go wrong. Ah well, first mistake. I found 'The Dummy' to be slightly ridiculous, not because of the main plot, but because of the fact that the model that they actually used wouldn't have even been scary in a 1950s Bela Lugosi film, so it's hardly likely they'd really have 'made' such a film, particularly coming three years after 'The Exorcist'. Just doesn't really hold water. The characters constantly shouting at each other irrated me a lot as has already been commented on and you never got any sense of foreboding in any of the episodes. I just felt a bit silly having spent money on two DVDs that are going to take up room in my cupboard (unless I can convince some poor mug to buy them on ebay). Any offers anybody? Two DVD-set - played only once .... Special Offer! Even Briteway Billy would jump at a bargain like that!

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Good .... but not a classic series by any means.
Review date: 2007-10-25 Rating: 6 out of 10

The late Nigel Kneale was arguably one of the the most influential script writers in British television. It can also be argued that his influence reaches beyond the genre of sci-fi but "Beasts" is a very unpredictable animal. While the first story on the DVD is pure gold, the rest are a mixed bag and if your idea of terror is groceries falling off shelves - I suggest you get out more. The acting on display isn't merely unfashionably mannered but the actors commitment is of the " this may tosh but, well, it pays the mortgage " level. All too often the central idea of the story is good but the stories lose dramatic impetus. While it desirable for drama to allow the viewer to draw their own conclusions all too often "Beasts" seems to hint at profundity rather than deliver entertainment. The stories seemed to have underlying theme of the individual's thirst for freedom and right to self-determination but when it comes down to it this is series often is no more than a collection of sub-par "Tales of the Unexpected". But like all TV from the pre-MTV era it is easy to admire the more relaxed editting and even if the stories promise more than they deliver they are at least original.
In summary, interesting but not essential viewing, I'm afraid "Beasts" bark is worse than its bite.



Dated
Review date: 2007-10-16 Rating: 4 out of 10

The episode I remember was "The Baby"
Sadly I didn't realise how dated the series had become.
some of the latter and the wooden acting made viewing experience tiresome
for me.
Family struggled, tried eventually succumbing to slumber only to awaken to find the dull episode...prehaps the one with the... oh cannot even remember.......zzzzzzzzz

Deliciously dark offering from Kneale
Review date: 2007-09-26 Rating: 10 out of 10

Another wonderful series from the pen of Nigel Kneale, Beasts was initially shown back in 1976, and made by ATV in Birmingahm. The series deals with the macabre, each using the relationship between man and differing animals, or if you will, Beasts. They range from the bizaar (a haunted Swimming Pool) to the fear of rats, this sets a standard of excellence and keeps it. There is not a single duffer here, and to top it, there is an extra, also penned by Nigel Kneale about witchcraft.

All filmed on videotape rather than film, the colours are sometimes a bit gaudy (what can one expect after such a long period of time), but the acting is always excellent (Pauline Quirk especially), resulting in an outstanding series and a dvd certainly worth owning if this genre is your thing.

Nigel Kneale (for those not in the know) wrote some of the most outstanding, challenging and entertaining television in the last 50 years, and can be argued the father of British Sci Fi (due to his not unconsiderable tales of Professor Quatermass). This is another classic and deserves to be seen by one and all, especially if you like a little terror and psycho-drama.

Stop messing about; this sbould be bought on a daily basis! go on. this is a work of a brain who will be viewed as a litiary classic in future. Cheers!

Has two outstanding episodes
Review date: 2007-09-09 Rating: 8 out of 10

As other reviewers have pointed out, not all the episodes on this DVD set are of the same high quality. However, I feel that two of them - BABY and DURING BARTY'S PARTY - are brilliant. Both rely on suggestion rather than special effects, using the viewer's imagination (if he/she has one) to conjure up terrors far more effective than cheap shocks shown on screen. BABY echoes Kneale's theme in QUATERMASS AND THE PIT to some extent, with a dead and buried artefact exerting a malign influence. BARTY is done almost like a radio play, using sound particularly effectively.

None of the other episodes comes close to these in "scariness". However, SPECIAL OFFER is also effective for an excellent performance from Pauline Quirke and its parallels with CARRIE in exploring the mind of a teenage misfit. Some others have enjoyed BUDDYBOY, WHAT BIG EYES and THE DUMMY but, for me, these episodes don't really come off. MURRAIN (a one-off play included in the set but not part of the BEASTS series) is undoubtedly clever and I plan to watch this again when I'm in a more receptive mood.

I reckon that the discs (which aren't expensive) are worthwhile even if only for the two episodes mentioned at the start. I would definitely recommend them.

Product Details/Specifications


Artist(s):
Beasts

Recording label: Network
Manufacturer: Network
EAN: 5027626247744
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2006-06-26
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 300 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1976-10-22
Language: English (Original Language)

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