The Party(1980).It is coming up to Christmas and Henry Knox, manager of Peckham's toy factory, is doubly incensed. First, he has heard a rumour that the factory will be subject to a take-over by a foreign firm who will not want to keep him. Then he learns that young Leighton, another employee, is organizing a staff disco the night before the works' Christmas party that Henry has always arranged. Wandering into the empty room in the pub where the disco is due to be held Henry finds it is laid out for a formal dinner, and imagining that it is in honour of the in-comers he sets fire to the place. if only he had waited to discover its true nature... Written bydon @ minifie-1... Synopsis The Party(1980)
Movie Title: The Party(1980)
Run Time:
Rating: 6.3 / 10
Genres: Horror |Thriller
Release Date: 1980 (UK)
Director: Giles Foster
Writer: Chaim Bermant (dramatisation),Doug Morgan... and other credits
Actor: Robert Morley,Joyce Redman,Raymond Francis
Tales of the Unexpected: The Party starts roughly four weeks before Christmas, Henry Knox (Robert Morley) the managing director of Peckham Toys has been organising the office party for the last 30 years & this year is no different. However it comes to his attention that a rival Christmas party is being set up, a disco for the younger employees to which he doesn't want to go. As Christmas draws nearer Henry discovers that the disco is only taking place the night before his office party, on the night of the disco itself he also learns his boss Mr. Peckham (Raymond Francis) has gone as well as everyone else except him which annoys him. Henry decides to go down & take a look before the thing starts but instead of a disco discovers a formal banquet, feeling left out he takes his revenge...
Episode 9 from season 3 this Tales of the Unexpected story was originally aired here in the UK during December 1980, the third of five Tales of the Unexpected episodes to be directed by Giles Foster this isn't anything that great. The story by Doug Morgan was dramatised by Chaim Bermant & when you think about it doesn't make much sense. For me the major plot hole is when Henry was clearly invited to the party by Leighton when they first discuss it so why get so bothered? Then why let the entire pub burn down? Surely he knew he could go to prison for a very long time for arson & even kill someone as a result of his actions, right? It just doesn't make any logical sense for his character to do what he did at several points. Then there's the awful characterisation of Henry himself who is just one of those annoying & irritating character's with stupid lines of dialogue that just constantly bug me & he has one of the horrible large flabby flaps of skin under his chin so it looks like he doesn't have a neck or chin. Urgh. As a one off 25 minute short story you may like it & the so obvious it hurts twist ending may just surprise you but I doubt it, not one of the better episodes from this very hit & miss series.
Like most episodes of Tales of the Unexpected time hasn't been kind to The Party & it looks very dated. It has no artistic value & is all rather bland & forgettable, I liked that secretary's outfit though at the start where she was wearing a bright blue jump suit with matching high heels & hideous over-sized earrings shaped like sea shells. I think more secretary's should dress that way, I really do. Once again the cast contains a couple of well know actor's, did you know multiple Oscar nominee Joyce Redman who plays Henry's wife is Amanda Redman's aunt who plays Sue here? Well now you do.
The Party is a pretty poor & predictable Tales of the Unexpected episode that if you think about it too much doesn't really make much sense, not one of the show's finest 25 minutes.
