The Day of the Triffids (1981): Part Three

 "Full bodied. Mature. Just a little pretentious, I would say."

This is more first tier television, right from the cliffhangerrresolution as Bill and Jo find their Ford Cortina attacked by a load of terrifying blind people, one of whom is Morris Barry.

They soon escape from that, and begin to bond as a very real and very well-written couple who both need each other. It's 1981 so, of course, it's Jo who does the cooking and there's a bit of social class awkwardness which is nicely brushed away.

But there's realism. They must leave London. Now civilisation has ended the risk of typhoid and tetanus is too great: they need somewhere less populous, and dream of a place in the country with a well and a generator while philosophising aboit what will happen to human civilisation and the hard choices that lie ahead. They can't save everyone. For humanity to survive, most of the blind must be abandoned. It's horrible, but unavoidable.

Such dilemmas are writ even larger when they meet Michael Beadley and his scarily efficient and certain gang, naive about Triffids, mostly sensible and harsh, but disturbingly insistent on polyamory with a little light misogyny. Surely polygamy, with a small population, just means inbreeding?

This is fascinating, philosophical disaster telly. And the cliffhanger is both exciting and an indicator that our favourite couple may well not be partaking in this dubious utopia.

Poirot: The King of Clubs

 "Dear oh dear! Here we go again..."

This is one of those stories with a very Agatha Christie twist about the very murder itself. It feels well-executed. It's well-acted and well-produced. Yet, once again, despite all this plus the very palpable period richness, it somehow isn't anywhere close to being as satisfying as, say, the Granada Sherlock Holmes.

It's clever, yes, but in a very clockwork, very typical Agatha Christie way. I suppose, being from a ahort story as all this series is- suggesting this format is not deal- this is inevitable, and perhaps explains why I feel so lukewarm about a firt series that,objectively speaking, seems to have much to recommend it.

Neverthleless... it's a nice glimpse into the film industry in the 1930s,with more than usual period charm. There is, again, a nicely judged ense that Japp, although Poirot may run rings around him, is nevertheless a seasoned and competent professional who is, alas, not a genius.

It's an entertaining and well-made fifty minutes, I suppose. Buta certain spark is missing,

The Parent Trap (1961)

"We're twins, aren't we?"

The main selling point of this veeeery sloooow paced film is the technical wizardry of getting Hayley Mills to play a pair of twins on screen at the same time for much of the film, and I'm duly dazzled. It's a pity, though, that Mills' American accents are somewhat comically unconvincing even to my British ears. We're talking Dick Van Dyke levels of unconvincing here.

The film has its moments, pacing aside, but there's a disturbing social conservatism at work in that we're supposed to see it as desirable for the divorced parents to get together even though it's explicitly said that Maggie has been violent towards Mitch in the past. Still, the film may be slow and reactionary but it's entertaining enough for most of its length, and it's a pleasure for this blog to finally encounter an actress of the stature of Maureen O'Hara. It's also nice that we have a child's eye view through most of its length.

Oh, and I like the funny vicar.