Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7754 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-06-20
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Synopsis
An attractive young charmer by the name of Mr. Sloane weasels his way into the lives of a middle-aged brother and sister, while trying to disguise the truth about his unpleasant past. This black comedy is based on a work by Joe Orton, the taboo-tweaking British playwright who delighted in loading his dialogue with satirical insights and racy double entendres. Indeed, sexual tension drives the plot from the very beginning, when the lonely Kath (Beryl Reid) spots Mr. Sloane (Peter McEnery) in a cemetery and invites him to become a boarder. Despite the age difference, Sloane coyly plays along with her flirtations for his own benefit. Their fun seems over when Kath's brother Ed (Harry Andrews) shows up, but the prim and proper gentleman also takes a shine to Sloane, hiring him as his chauffeur and taking particular interest in the young man's tight leather uniform. Kath and Ed's elderly father, however, develops a strong hatred of Sloane, and accuses to him of being involved in an old, unsolved murder. Though the translation to the screen is somewhat uneven, the controversial elements of Orton's text are mostly preserved, and his gleefully amoral tone survives intact.

Customer Reviews

A tale of greed and manipulation
This is a truly dark comedy, in a way which only Orton knew how to write. Mr Sloan is an athletic young lodger, who believes that he can use his gift for charming his flirtatious landlady (played by Beryl Reid) and her jealous brother to his best advantage. As a tale of manipulation unfolds, each character becomes a victim of their own greed.

Well Worth the Wait?
Not Sure. In & out of print on VHS for years, Sloane finally gets a much deserved DVD release. The picture seems much improved, crisper and sharper print than ever before and seems to have been cleaned up. Sound mix is mono but sounds average for it's type. The only problem I have with this is that the picture looks zoomed in, it is 16:9 but looks cropped at top and bottom, if it's been modified from 4:3 then I wish they'd just left it alone. The film itself is first class and does justice to Orton's text. Beryl Reid gives one of if not her best ever performance, the support cast are equally great. Benefits from repeated viewing.

Very dark comedy with a touch of the 60s about it
A stylish, well made, well acted film version of the dark satirical play by Joe Orton. Orton's work was unique in its very dark comedy of social mores and manners. He has a go at practically everything while telling a very dark story, always involving lust, debauchery, greed, wrongdoing, redemption, hypocrisy, and is stylsed with his trademark racy take on 'gayness'. This piece, like his other works have the discipline and literiness to stop it being a simple campfest, as you would expect many (lesser) writers of today to probably create. This must be his best contained narrative, and it retains its sense of theatre, as essentially that's what it is. The snappy dialogue is as memorable as the darkly humorous story iself. Classic theatrical acting all round, but my favourite performance is from Andrews, an actor far better known for playing stern, official or military men. He seems to love the diversion of this role here. Probably the best of the Orton film covers.