None of the first three episodes in the obscure early 70s and Polish anthology series "Theater Macabre" were very good, but at least they were original and compelling enough to remain entertained. Episodes 4 and 5, that I watched back-to-back, are both terrible and practically without any redeeming elements whatsoever. In fact, these are so bad I might just give up on the series entirely if I see another two or three like this.
What's the problem? Boredom, mostly, and the utterly uninspired execution of a nevertheless fascinating premise. Set on the isle of Corsica, father and turkey farmer Falcone tries to teach his young son the values that are important to him. Yet, when a fugitive bandit seeks a hiding place, the boy hands him over to the police and the Falcone family is dishonored forever. The plot is preposterous, but has potential for sure, especially if you know that the Corsicans genuinely form a rather uncanny and highly secluded community. I went there for work once, and I never felt more like an intruder in my life. The plot is also very thin, unfortunately, and even with the minimal runtime of 25 minutes, "Mateo Falcone" is unbelievable boring. The first 15-20 minutes exclusively exist of father and son walking around the island and shots of gobbling turkeys. The finale is intense but gets ruined by bad acting.
I honestly wonder if the almighty Christopher Lee, who provides a short introduction and epilogue to every episode, had ever seen any of the episodes that he hosted. My guess is no.
