★ 6 / 10
**_Nimoy investigates mysteries at a manor on the
Wuchak
**_Nimoy investigates mysteries at a manor on the coast of Eng_**land Shot in 1971, this was the pilot movie for a potential Brit series that never…
**_Nimoy investigates mysteries at a manor on the coast of Eng_**land
Shot in 1971, this was the pilot movie for a potential Brit series that never materialized. Nimoy’s costar is winsome Susan Hampshire and, as a team, they play psychic detectives, using his visions and her expertise in ESP and the occult. It’s basically a more lowkey version of ensuing pilot movies “The Night Stalker,” “The Norliss Tapes” and “Spectre.” Of course, only “Night Stalker” went on to become a series and, then, only for one season (barely).
“Baffled” comes across more as a convoluted Agatha Christie mystery mixed with paranormal stuff, including bewitching amulets and the obsession with eternal youth. If you liked Peter Cushing’s “Corruption” or Christopher Lee’s “Curse of the Crimson Altar,” you should appreciate it. Just remember that the sensationalistic bits are toned down by comparison.
On the downside, the music is quirky and dated. I get that we’re talking about the early ’70s here, but the scores to many notable films from that time period hold up. Also, the story is kind of complicated and challenging to follow, yet I’m sure mystery aficionados will have no problem.
Jewel Blanch was only 13 as Jennifer during shooting and it’s surprising how the story morphs her into a lil’ wannabe hottie which, needless to say, wouldn’t fly today. Vera Miles is on hand as her mother while Rachel Roberts plays the lady of the manor.
Lastly, it's amusing how Nimoy is referred to as "young" in the story when he was 40 during shooting, and looks older.
It runs 1h 30m and was shot at Taplow Court, which is a dozen miles west of London, as well as areas nearby and Pinewood Studios. The opening racetrack scenes were done at Oulton Park, Cheshire, which is a four-hour drive northwest of London. I’m not sure where the scenic coastal footage was shot.
GRADE: B-
Read full review
★ 7 / 10
If you keep in mind the year it was made and that it is a Telefilm for a Pilot, there is some fun here to be had...
lathe-of-heaven
The plot was pretty straightforward, but I thought that the writing, direction, and the acting were actually quite good.I particularly liked the dialog between…
The plot was pretty straightforward, but I thought that the writing, direction, and the acting were actually quite good.I particularly liked the dialog between the two leads. There was a good chemistry and considering the time and that it was a Telefilm for a pilot, it COULD have simply been tossed off without much thought put into it. But, I liked the humour and interplay between them.You could tell that they were sort of shooting for a feel similar to the series The Avengers. Between the two of them, her being British and him being a pretty cool fellow, I felt it worked rather well.There was a decent Mystery too, and I liked the way the story unfolded where they continued to build a sense of tension as the audience tries to figure out what is going on.Again, considering the time and type of film, the characters were all portrayed fairly well. Usually during that time and with such a low budget production, you would see a lot of overacting and hammy performances, but not here.It was really nice to see Leonard Nimoy in such a role and see him smiling freely and using humour, which as we all are well aware for a few years there we almost never got to see... : )All 'n' all I truly felt it was a fun, entertaining movie. If you have the right mindset for the time and what kind of production it is, and you are not expecting too much, then you may very well find some enjoyment here.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MY PARTICULAR WAY OF RATING:5 - Flawed, but with some entertainment value.6. A decently passable story maybe worth a watch.7. A solid film, well made, effective, and entertaining.And, obviously, you can probably figure out what above and below these would mean... : )
Read full review
★ 5 / 10
Oddly entertaining
Stormycinder
Learning that this was intended as a pilot for a tv series actually helps sum up how this movie felt to me. There were hints throughout that the main…
Learning that this was intended as a pilot for a tv series actually helps sum up how this movie felt to me. There were hints throughout that the main characters, Spock and his lady interest, either had a prior relationship or were building toward a more involved future one. There are no big surprises here and there is definitely plenty of 70s cheese. But I found myself watching the entire movie and enjoying it. Worth a look if you come across it.
Read full review
•••
I was Baffled by the cover as it looks like Leonard Nimoy doing a Kung Fu movie. I'm downloading it because it looks woke.