The Dick Francis Mysteries

The Dick Francis Mysteries
[DVD Francis]

I originally watched the movie version of Blood Sport, after the Just Desserts mystery discussion group used that Dick Francis novel for one of its monthly mystery discussions. Quite a bit of the novel was changed to turn it into a vehicle for Ian McShane (Deadwood, Lovejoy, Kings) as Francis' investigator David Cleveland. As an adaptation, I found Blood Sport somewhat lacking...especially considering the powerful depression/suicide subtext of the original novel. However, ignoring that novel, the movie Blood Sport itself was actually pretty good...which convinced me to watch the other two stories in this 3-DVD set. Admittedly, I haven't read either Twice Shy or In the Frame, so I can't comment on how well they serve as adaptations of Dick Francis novels, but as movies (or TV-movies), they're also quite good. McShane can play both charming and dangerous equally well, which is necessary for the role of Cleveland. And the British horse-world scene is well represented in all three tales. If you're looking for a set of solid mystery-thrillers with a British flavor and lots of horses, I recommend the Dick Francis Mysteries. If you're looking for faithful adaptations of Dick Francis novels, be forewarned that these may play a bit fast and loose! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[The stories included in this DVD set are also available in print format: Twice Shy, Blood Sport, and In the Frame.][ Internet Movie Database entry for In the Frame ] [ Internet Movie Database entry for Blood Sport ] [ Internet Movie Database entry for Twice Shy ]

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