Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Bfs Entertainment
• VHS Release Date: November 11, 1998
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304041926
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #308,139 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Avril Steppings is permanently brain damaged following a minor operation which went tragically wrong. The tragedy has had a devastating effect on her devoted father, Michael, a millionaire businessman who has become semi-recluse. When the doctor who runs the clinic that treated Avril is murdered, Inspector Morse has an immediate suspect, Michael Steppings. Morse is quickly impressed by Stepping's devotion to his daughter and the two men find they have mutual respect.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Morse at his best, part two, August 17, 2000

By 

Richard James Winters III (Kettering, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inspector Morse - Deadly Slumber [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The Inspector Morse series is one of the greatest in detective drama. While Colin Dexter's books are marvels of intricate (and occasionally bizarre) plot twists, the movies focus more on the characters involved...and in this movie (and "Who Killed Harry Field") especially so. The mystery is good, but the kinship between Morse and chief suspect Michael Steppings is best thing about this particular episode. It's one of those great films where the bad guys and good guys seem to have reversed roles, and the whole mystery hinges on one small slip...#2 on the list of the five greatest Morses!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars revenge and retribution, September 22, 2004

By 

Pamela Williams (Saginaw, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inspector Morse - Deadly Slumber (DVD)

This is one of the finest Morse episodes for a number of reasons. One characteristic of this entry is that the viewer is exposed to a number of false leads and to elements of evidence which either point to criminality or to innocence-- only to find that the seemingly obvious conclusions yielded by the evidence have been premature and inaccurate. The plot basically involves the possibility that a wealthy man, whose daughter suffered irreversible brain damage during a minor operation, has decided to take vengeance on the medical personnel involved in the surgery. When the surgeon who performed the operation is found dead in his own garage, the grief stricken father (Michael Steppings) becomes a prime suspect in the murder case. As the investigation unfolds, we learn that there are two or three other people, including the surgeon's wife and son, who had a possible motive to murder the good doctor. In the final analysis, the viewer is exposed to a premeditated and carefully constructed plot to inveigle the police and to destroy the lives and/or reputations of those involved in the botched surgical procedure. Naturally, he who would seek to take vengeance on others must be prepared for the possibility that he, himself, will suffer some form of retribution. The end is predictable-- with the architect of the diabolical revenge scheme experiencing "justice" rendered by one of his intended victims. As played by Brian Cox, the character of Michael Steppings is someone we are forced to sympathize with, even if we cannot condone the measures he takes to punish the medical malefactors. In this episode, even Morse displays a level of emotional involvement which is unusual. Two murders are solved in this episode, with one solution aided by a small detail (a scene in a painting) which does not escape the shrewd analysis of Inspector Morse. All things considered, this really is one of the best entries in the Morse series and is characterized by outstanding performances in the lead roles.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rock-solid mystery, August 1, 2009

By 

Richard B. Schwartz (Columbia, Missouri USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inspector Morse - Deadly Slumber (DVD)

While I prefer the Morse episodes that involve philosophic talk, Deadly Slumber is a rock-solid mystery. The report of a putative suicide is investigated. The dead man is a doctor who has, with his wife, been operating a private clinic. They have a son doing a D.Phil in philosophy at Oxford. Morse thinks the suicide is hinky and the coroner confirms his suspicions. The man was killed. But whodidit? The prime suspect is the father of a young woman consigned to a vegetative state as the result of botched, simple surgery at the clinic. Then things get interesting, as Morse develops a relationship with the suspect and his ventilator-dependent daughter. The script by Daniel Boyle is superb--a sort of Prime Suspect without the edgy language and the frenetic action. There's no anger here; we've moved past it. The script takes the few possible suspects and crafts from that list a complex, plausible, striking but not surprising mystery story. The prime suspect is played by Brian Cox, here in a very soft, touching mode. All in all a mystery lover's delight.