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Category:    Home > Reviews > Action > Crime > Mystery > Supernatural > Baffled! (1972/Network U.K./PAL Region 2 DVD Import/Web Exclusive)

Baffled! (1972/Network U.K./PAL Region 2 DVD Import/Web Exclusive)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C     Telefilm: C+

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: This DVD can only be operated on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Two/2 PAL format software and can be only be ordered from our friends at Network U.K. at the website address provided at the end of the review.  This disc is only available on their site as an exclusive.

 

 

After his legendary run on Star Trek and solid work succeeding Martin Landau on Mission: Impossible, Leonard Nimoy singed on for what was a great team-up of two companies known for successful action series.  Arena and Producer Norman Felton made The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (reviewed elsewhere on this site) a huge hit and also came up with its underrated spin-off The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., while also finding success with ITC and Lord Lew Grade on the hit British series Strange Report.  They tried to launch Nimoy into his own big hit with this pilot telefilm called Baffled! in 1972.

 

It did not sell, but has been an item fans of Nimoy and other involved have wanted to se in an official DVD for years and now, here it is from Network U.K. and it makes for interesting viewing.  Nimoy is professional race car driver Tom Kovac, who in the thick of a Formula One race in Pennsylvania sees a series of visions that makes him spin out of control.  Fortunately for him, an expert on ESP (Susan Hampshire of The Andromeda Breakthrough, Danger Man) sees him on TV and meets him to tell him what she thinks is going on.  It is enough to convince him to go with her to England, where they find a house to match the vision.

 

Three, they find a legendary actress (played by Vera Miles), her daughter and some other matches to his vision as they come closer and closer to a murder plot that might get them killed too.  Theodore Apstein’s teleplay wants to be The Avengers, Psycho and anything else he can add, but this mixes good moments with poor and dated choices that likely stopped this from being sold.  If it had, this could have been a big hit all around, though the Nimoy/Hampshire relationship needed some work.

 

Still, it is very ambitious, some money was spent and it was a serious attempt to have a hit, but it just did not work out despite being some of Director Philip Leacock’s most interesting work.  However, it is very interesting and entertaining to watch, which is why its arrival on DVD is a good thing.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image was shot in 35mm color film by Director of Photography Ken Hodges (Star Maidens, Danger Man, Peter Medak’s Negatives) has its moments and looks good here, but there are also parts of the transfer that are soft and slight print flaws throughout.  Still, this looks good, especially for a telefilm of the time.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is also fine for its age and Richard Hill’s score is interesting.  Extras include stills and PDF promotional material via DVD-ROM playback.

 

 

 

As noted above, you can order this DVD import exclusively from Network U.K. at:

 

http://www.networkdvd.net/

 

or

 

www.networkdvd.co.uk

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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