Have you ever heard of "Theatre Macabre"? No, me neither, but apparently this Polish-made anthology TV-series managed to get Christopher Lee (who was extremely popular at the time) on board as host, and it aired on both American and English TV-channels. The show ended up in oblivion for several decades, I reckon, but now all 24 episodes are included in the fancy - and very expensive - BluRay collection "The Euro-Crypt of Christopher Lee".
"Theatre Macabre" can best be described as a competitor for series like "The Twilight Zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents...". Lee takes over the role of Rod Serling and briefly introduces the independent stories while sitting in a hideous but seemingly comfortable couch.
The first episode, "First Love", certainly isn't bad, but it's unmemorable and doesn't exactly raise high hopes for the remaining 23 stories yet to come. It's about a 15-year-old and introvert upper-class boy who falls madly in love with the new neighbors' daughter who's six years older than he is. I sure can't blame Vladimir because Zina is a ravishing blond angel. Unfortunately, for Vladimir, the girl is an incurable "player" and enjoys the attention of many male admirers within the area.
The peculiar thing about "First Love" is that the script comes up with a cruelly painful and inventive twist at the end, but when you then assume a fierce finale is about to follow, ...the story ends with a dull and disappointing anti-climax. What was the point of the whole thing, I wonder?
"Theatre Macabre" can best be described as a competitor for series like "The Twilight Zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents...". Lee takes over the role of Rod Serling and briefly introduces the independent stories while sitting in a hideous but seemingly comfortable couch.
The first episode, "First Love", certainly isn't bad, but it's unmemorable and doesn't exactly raise high hopes for the remaining 23 stories yet to come. It's about a 15-year-old and introvert upper-class boy who falls madly in love with the new neighbors' daughter who's six years older than he is. I sure can't blame Vladimir because Zina is a ravishing blond angel. Unfortunately, for Vladimir, the girl is an incurable "player" and enjoys the attention of many male admirers within the area.
The peculiar thing about "First Love" is that the script comes up with a cruelly painful and inventive twist at the end, but when you then assume a fierce finale is about to follow, ...the story ends with a dull and disappointing anti-climax. What was the point of the whole thing, I wonder?
