Michael Caine is lured into a game of cat and mouse with a sinister Laurence Olivier, that according to the DVD release, was every bit as exciting behind-the-scenes as on screen.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Picture There are a few slightly soft and bleary moments in this picture transfer, but for a film of this age it's not a bad effort at all.

Sound The 2.0 mono mix is occasionally a little on the feeble side, but not enough to spoil the film, which is very much about verbal sparring.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Anthony Shaffer Interview This 22-minute interview with Anthony Shaffer is worth the price of the disc alone. Warm, witty, and not short of startling anecdotes, he's a consummate entertainer. While he was almost embarrassed by the excellent reviews the original play got, he reveals that Anthony Quayle, a star of the stage adaptation, hated the title of "Sleuth" and thought it common. Years later, when Shaffer came to visit the dying Quayle, he admitted he was wrong and that Shaffer had given him, "the best part of my life".

Shaffer had wanted Quayle to reprise his stage role for the movie (which went to Olivier), and certainly didn’t have Michael Caine in mind for the other role. He wanted Alan Bates, but thinks now the casting was ideal. Curiously Olivier had asked Quayle years before when he was in the stage play, "What are you doing in a piece of piss like this?" As Shaffer says, "years later it was a different story" and allows himself a wry smile at Olivier eagerly accepting the part. There are more great stories to be gleaned from this interview but you'll have to treat yourself to the DVD to find them out.

Additional Extra Features Also on the DVD are two photo galleries, film notes, and cast and crew biographies.

Region: 2
Chapters: 18
Ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (mono)
Technical Features: Scene selection, and animated menus.

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.