Originally banned from television as being too controversial/violent, THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE is today a perfectly serviceable TV horror episode. It's a low budget outing with a small cast, set in a fairground, following many of the same themes as feature-length movies like CIRCUS OF HORRORS and BERSERK. The most interesting thing is that the teleplay is adapted from a Robert Bloch short story by the author himself, so we know we're in for twists and turns, deliciously dark humour and plenty of ghoulish hijinks.
The story is familiar: an adulteress femme fatale decides to bump off her husband, only things go wrong. The acting isn't up to much. Diana Dors is perfect as the cold murderess, but Brandon De Wilde camps it up a lot as the guy escaped from a mental home. Everything hangs on the twist ending, which is gruesome without showing anything and reminds us of Bloch's black comedy. I also loved Hitchcock's closing remarks, which are the epitome of dark humour.
The story is familiar: an adulteress femme fatale decides to bump off her husband, only things go wrong. The acting isn't up to much. Diana Dors is perfect as the cold murderess, but Brandon De Wilde camps it up a lot as the guy escaped from a mental home. Everything hangs on the twist ending, which is gruesome without showing anything and reminds us of Bloch's black comedy. I also loved Hitchcock's closing remarks, which are the epitome of dark humour.