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Reviews
Columbo: Suitable for Framing (1971)
ross martin at his finest.
Kim Hunter is a joy, right up front. it depends on which rerun you get, but if it's the whole Magilla, she's dino mite (and without the monkey mask) BUT Ross martin shines. he's being pegged early by an intuitive Frank Columbo, but must continue to carry out the deeds of evil and manipulation. all the while keeping Columbo where he wants. it a great early peek at the frumpy detective's foresight and ability to play the prep as much as they think they're playing him. must see
Columbo: Fade in to Murder (1976)
most elements are dead on and it's a high watermark
It's great to see Lola Albright from Peter gunn get evil and Shatnet is perfect. pramatic solutions throuout that most viewers can agree wirh. you have a fred draper wak. on and Timothy Carey to bolster the fun, but of the 6 or 7 Hollywood centric teleplays a unique look without the glamour and a direct mirror to Falk real cop and the entertainment sleuth that, no matter how ward Fowler plays it becomes just a performance. above other more deviant villains he is paletably digging a hole with every tossed off conclusion and ingratiating self aware ploys that, in the end, are just as damming in the very effort.
a must watch to see the back and forth between two iconic players that are sorely missed today.
Columbo: Dead Weight (1971)
oh, Peter Falk, playing hooky are you?
Hard to watch once you know Falk was absent for most of the shoot and you can tell it's a stand-in with the stars. From Columbo's first visit to the general's house to the final scene at the museum it's obviously someone else from the back. The romance subplot feels like filler even more. Wasted guest stars horribly. Still Columbo, however, so...better than most at it's worst.
High Noon (1952)
So you get a great cast to show up and BAM...no movie
From the 'tie me kangaroo' wobble board we get introduced to the passage of law and order from one black balled screen writer...OOPS one retiring Marshall to his deputy as things are usually done. everyone says go, trouble's almost here, but the 'former' Marshall cannot resist skipping his honeymoon with Grace Kelky( ?!) to shoot up the town and the people in it one last time. Townsfolk be damned. taking the law into his own hands as a vigilante who won't let anyone else take over because, in his old sagging eyes, nobody shoots 'em better. (apologies to carly simon) tick tock and no melting clocks. Facing his past is a non-reason to stay as he was doing his job as a lawman. Law is bigger than one man. one of the most wasted casts of this caliber I've ever seen and the finally is a Gunsmoke parody of silliness that makes the preceding melodramatic soap. statement westerns like 'unforgiven' have a realness of pure danger that this thing not only lacks, but avoids so that we can all feel sorry Kane, sorry for the poor writer's plight in the film industry. Better platforms for that exist elsewhere or maybe just could have been done a whole lot better.
Star Trek: The Return of the Archons (1967)
one of my favorites
I've seen all good people turn their heads each day so satis...Oops. sorey, I've seen comments that confound on this gem. there is no depiction of communism here, where are the nearly billion dead citizens? this is also close, but no cigar on religious zealotry. it has always seemed to me 'Landru' (spoken through the sinuses like Shatnet) was in charge of a formicarry or ant farm. humans reduced to their least offensive state until the red hour tap on the glass to remind them how many parts they have, but seldom use. we always pause and repeat when the rubber rock bounces off the guest shirts head as the landing crew runs for cover. Zombie Bones is a treat with Zombie Sulu starting it off. I think the borg comparison is okay, but the borg had a unified purpose of domination. The Body is just that. giant happy couch potato.
The Twilight Zone: Cavender Is Coming (1962)
Shocking this is in an otherwise fine and occasionally forgivable series
First off I love White and Burnett. Here, tho, the beats are taken from the Gary Moore show. The director is going for the laugh without any logical reaction from the main character to what is actually happening to the world around her. I say the Gary Moore show because a skit on Carol's show would have had her probably screaming uncontrollably. One of the few TZ episodes to need more than 5 minutes to make it's point and the only one that is stretched past that without, at least, being interesting enough to justify the effort. Spot pretty Donna Douglas for your ellie mae drinking game and move on to better work from these talented actors.
Quincy M.E.: Images (1978)
classic example of poor unbelievable devices
Allowing all the soapy story elements to just slide by, let's just take the pre-Danny's ending where our 'smart' ME Quincy has figured it all out, called the police (who are on the way) then, in a show of pure masachism, taunted the mentally deranged criminal (his words) into a homicidal episode and for the heck of it throws an innocent child into her arms as a crecendo all to prove. ..he figured it out?! He was right?! Irresponsible and dangerous like many of these head scratchers.
Quincy M.E. (1976)
Just look up schmaltzy
Glen Larson schmaltz. Just as unbelievable as a mystery writer who's smarter than every policeman or woman, ever, we have a coroner who tops that as Klugman, the frumpy nose pedastal, throws his weight around each obvious tale like the second coming. Always playing for the cheap seats Quincy is allowed to, not only do police procedural, but violate laws to achieve his ends in some cases. Oscar Madison put a leash on some of that ham fisted bravado, but you could tell in the Odd Couple Jack felt restrained. Here, add in some social causes and rediculous plot devices and you have pure Larson schlock. It is riveting, sometimes, just to see what they think is appropriate behavior, but I'll stick with Rockford or Columbo.
Columbo: The Most Crucial Game (1972)
Culp and a crisp ending
A great murder idea with good actors all around. You know Culp's time is near when he reacts to Columbo's confidence that he can get the call girl (Harper) to start talking. Sense the private box wasn't bugged he could have still maybe checked the phone records on this one, but just showing the murderer where he missed something is good for a gotcha.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
comic book perfection with comic 'strip' detours for a couple characters
Firstly, loved the film. perfect companion to Infinity War. Stark, Rogers, Romanov and Barton brought home the depth of the proceedings at the edge of their nerves in a grand way. Thor was reduced to a sad clown and Soy Hulk was a disappointment when he and Thor could have handled Thanos without his gauntlet handily. Fun twists and turns never sliding too far from comic book logic and a real spectacular Battle Royale at the demolished headquarters. So, really great ideas with a couple let downs.
The Twilight Zone: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street (1960)
Oh, aha...
The real point here is that Maple street is where we should put all of the idiots to live isolating them from everyone else. A kind of mental leper colony. Otherwise, the premise is contrived and obvious and preachy. A comic book representation of society as ants on a tootsie roll. Stars for production value and an expensive cast, but the leaps and bounds away from reality leave a deafening pall.
The Twilight Zone: Nightmare at 20,000 Feet (1963)
tv simple
A wonderful entry in a top ten show. I get the monster 'mash' for this episode, but tvs were lower res back when this was produced so things actually looked a little better first run. Still, maybe teddy gremlin could morph into what ever the viewer feared most. Maybe Bob's nightmare was a stunt double from Captain Kangaroo. Shatner puts you in that hot seat with him and you're begging someone, anyone to see it, too. Top five TZ easily.