As an almost compulsive contrarian I'm used to seeing my favourite episode languishing halfway down the ratings, be it comedy, horror, or science fiction. And at the time of writing so it is with HHH, along with my second and third preferences, The Thirteenth Reunion and Charlie Boy. In the early 80s I recorded three episodes including GOTA, and since then I completely forgot the other ten. I've just watched them all again and this is still my favourite.
To be honest I enjoy and am more familiar with science fiction than horror. So I am judging them on their own merits, not on how they compare with a film I'm probably unfamiliar with. Certainly, The Two Faces Of Evil and The House That Bled To Death have more gore, which I don't particularly want to see. Carpathian Eagle has more sex, couldn't possibly comment.
To encapsulate in a word why I love GOTA: style. It's at least as fast-paced as any episode and has a number of attractive settings, antique shops, nice houses, and an auction room. This may sound snobbish but it's nicer to look at than a pet shop or dilapidated house. Excellent acting, the good versus evil confrontation when Charles Randolph (John Carson) tries to hypnotize Michael Roberts (Ray Lonnen) is, for my money, the most riveting five minutes in the entire series. Not quite up there with James Mason and Robert Ryan in Caught (1949) but pretty damn good. And Caroline Langrishe is in it. I rest my case.
Groupthink seems to play a part in popularity ratings, favoured episodes often feature a well loved actor or a scene that becomes famous. Would The Silent Scream be the most popular had it starred anyone other than Peter Cushing, with the obvious exception of Christopher Lee? I doubt it.
To be honest I enjoy and am more familiar with science fiction than horror. So I am judging them on their own merits, not on how they compare with a film I'm probably unfamiliar with. Certainly, The Two Faces Of Evil and The House That Bled To Death have more gore, which I don't particularly want to see. Carpathian Eagle has more sex, couldn't possibly comment.
To encapsulate in a word why I love GOTA: style. It's at least as fast-paced as any episode and has a number of attractive settings, antique shops, nice houses, and an auction room. This may sound snobbish but it's nicer to look at than a pet shop or dilapidated house. Excellent acting, the good versus evil confrontation when Charles Randolph (John Carson) tries to hypnotize Michael Roberts (Ray Lonnen) is, for my money, the most riveting five minutes in the entire series. Not quite up there with James Mason and Robert Ryan in Caught (1949) but pretty damn good. And Caroline Langrishe is in it. I rest my case.
Groupthink seems to play a part in popularity ratings, favoured episodes often feature a well loved actor or a scene that becomes famous. Would The Silent Scream be the most popular had it starred anyone other than Peter Cushing, with the obvious exception of Christopher Lee? I doubt it.