Horror DVDs - Horror movies on DVD

TWICE SHY
BLOOD SPORT
IN THE FRAME

Voted "Grand Master" by the Mystery Writers of America, Dick Francis, who once rode racehorses for the Queen of England, uses the glamorous, high-stakes world of horse racing to weave action-packed mysteries with intelligence, suspense, a dash of romance and the twists and dangerous turns of a steeplechase run after dark.

Horses run hot and murder runs cold, but Jockey Club investigator David Cleveland always keeps his cool. This collection of Dick Francis mysteries includes "Twice Shy," "Blood Sport" and "In the Frame" - the only three full-length features ever made based on the best-selling author's work.

Sid Halley, champion steeplechase jockey, suffers a devastating injury in a fall that ends his career. He sinks into self-pity until his aristocratic father-in-law bullies him into trying something new: becoming a private detective. A great literary gumshoe emerges as Halley regains his dignity, faces his vulnerability, and finds new meaning in life.

Based on the novel Odds Against and other stories by former jockey and bestselling author Dick Francis, this series goes inside the cutthroat world of British horse racing. As owners scheme, bookies connive, and greed leads to murder, Halley uses what he learned as a jockey to expose the scoundrels in the Sport of Kings.

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE Dick Francis biography.

The remaining five episodes are original tales, sketched out by Francis and set in the surprisingly cutthroat world of racing. "Trackdown" finds Sid and his comic-relief sidekick, Chico Barnes (Mick Ford), looking into evidence of race fixing, blackmail, and murder. In "Gambling Lady," the crime-fighting partners seek a link between a champion horse's road accident and a beautiful woman's sizable bets on a mediocre mare.

The Racing Game has a slippery, hurried look and feel, and its nominal star (Gwilym) is rather lifeless on screen. Yet these shows quickly develop an unmistakable, infectious swagger and humor. Certain motifs, such as Halley's wrecked hand and vise-like prosthetic, have a slightly surreal touch. Supporting actor Ford adds crucial energy, and the many exterior shots of the racing milieu can be fun to watch. This series may not be an unqualified winner, but it certainly does place in the mystery stakes. --Tom Keogh