The pseudonym 'Alan Smithee' is used by directors when a film ends up being tampered with by the studio or is so bad they don't wish to be associated with it any longer. In the case of this TV movie pilot, the disgruntled director is John Frankenheimer, who has lost his touch since the heady days of thrillers such as 'French Connection II', 'The Manchurian Candidate' and 'The Birdman af Alcatraz'. Part of the problem here is that his film is long on atmosphere and short on plot, despite running with two different storylines that only become linked in the finale. Ben Masters is a former US Spy who may or may not have been a double agent, while the film's second strand, modern day forces are plundering the treasures of an ancient tomb. The final fight is strictly for fans of Saturday matinee stuff, but a big plus is the French Riviera footage. Followers of 'Dr Who' from the days of the Tom Baker will spot his able assistant Lalla Ward as the daughter of an archaeologist.


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