zmartever Reviews

Columbo: A Stitch in Crime (1973) Season 2, Episode 6

One of my favorites :)

[10/10 · 18 March 2014]

Leonard Nimoy is excellent as a sociopathic heart surgeon, emotionless as he's bumping off people trying to hide his murder on installment plan. His cold as ice demeanor makes Mr. Spock look like an extrovert. Wonderful performances, great plot and writing. Just one of the all time great vintage episodes. Columbo get's more and more frustrated trying to solve this one but we all know in the end he will.

Best moments: Columbo interviews the shallow roommate of the slain nurse. Amusing little exchange. - Columbo feels ill watching an operation. - Columbo loses his temper with the villain. A rare occurrence in any episode.

Columbo: Sex and the Married Detective (1989) Season 8, Episode 3

Very weak episode IMO

[4/10 · 17 March 2014]

~~ Possible spoilers ~~ I did not like this at all and even Peter Falk whom i adore could not save this stinker :( The first half of the movie plays like something on Lifetime. The cheesy saxophone music is terrible. The female villain is stiff and boring. The motive for murder is weak. I don't see where the passion is in this crime of supposed passion. Episode has way too many fillers.....love scenes that go on too long....Columbo playing the tuba in tandem with water fountains (ludicrous)....the villain repeatedly donning her undercover outfit. All of this moves at a snail's pace. Columbo has no chemistry with the woman. All in all just a disaster. I won't watch it again. Best moment : Various sex therapists asking advice from Columbo is amusing.

Columbo: Columbo Goes to College (1990) Season 10, Episode 1

Fabulous :)

[8/10 · 17 March 2014]

This time Columbo is up against 2 villains.....2 spoiled college kids who think Columbo was born yesterday. The 2 guys chummy up to the Leutenant to stay close to the investigation, even befriending him only to poke fun at his idiocracies behind his back. Robert Culp (looking very well) appears as the father of 1 of the boys. Oh how i missed thee :) This is a good solid installment in the newer Columbo movies. A decent plot that moves along at a good clip. The 2 college kids give a convincing performance. They are even very likable. Too bad they are total sociopaths. They both think Columbo is a total putz until - surprise surprise - he busts their sorry butts. Best moments: Columbo watches 1 of the boys do a parody of Columbo's mannerism, realizing all is not as it seems. And ....the boys getting busted :)

Columbo: Murder in Malibu (1990) Season 9, Episode 6

Please make it stop :(

[5/10 · 17 March 2014]

Good lord, this is atrocious. First the good news. Peter Falk is as terrific as always. Anybody in a scene with him in this movie pales in comparison. He is basically wasted in this thing. His sleuthing, especially toward the end, is solid.

The acting by everybody else is soooo bad, its unreal. Andrew Stevens is just beyond bad. He over acts or he's bland. There is no in between. Geez, is this really the best they could do ? The story is boring. Long winded. I was glad when this movie ended. By the time the end came i did not care. Everybody besides Falk was mediocre to pretty bad. This was painful to watch. I did like some of the ocean and beach scenery. Maybe because nobody was talking. Lol.

Best moment : there isn't one.

Columbo: Uneasy Lies the Crown (1990) Season 9, Episode 5

Interesting episode

[7/10 · 17 March 2014]

All in all, this was an enjoyable and clever episode. The villain is good looking but rather bland. His interaction with Columbo is nothing exciting. But where the episode excels is in Columbo's sleuthing. This episode reminds me a lot more of the vintage episodes. It follows the classic formula, no cheesy music and straight forward story telling. The newer movies only veer off when they try to be too cute or trendy. That's usually where the bad music comes in. My only complaint here is my usual gripe : choice of villain. They could have really used a more dynamic actor. The vintage episode usually had the best guest stars. The newer movies, with a couple of exceptions, used lesser known (and lesser talented, IMO) actors. Best moment : the tricky ending and Columbo's stained laundry.

Columbo: Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo (1990) Season 9, Episode 4

Different and entertaining

[8/10 · 16 March 2014]

As the newer entries of Columbo movies go, this one surprised me because it was quite good. The flashbacks are an interesting twist. The charming but unhinged female villain is convincing. I am also glad they dropped the cheesy music and kept things a bit more realistic. The ending has a nice twist. This is really a bit unusual for a Columbo movie because Columbo and his wife are the intended victims. The feel of this film is closer to vintage Columbo than some of the other newer movies. I notice quite a difference from the '89 series versus the '90s series. I feel they were tweaking things and getting back to the original formula with better results. Best moment : Columbo fixes breakfast at the end.

Columbo: Agenda for Murder (1990) Season 9, Episode 3

Very solid episode

[9/10 · 16 March 2014]

Finally a villain worthy of Columbo. How i wish that the newer movies had used a better roster of guest stars to begin with. Here is Patrick McGoohan back as a fantastic adversary, plus top notch writing, clever plot and Peter Falk looks very good. More like his "old" self. In some previous newer installments he actually looks older and tired, with grey hair and a scruffy face. Here he doesn't look much different from his vintage episodes. I notice that the newer movies are very uneven. Ranging from cheesy and over the top to a more realistic style, such as this one. And i prefer the latter. Less is more. And i think that encapsulates the vintage episodes. Great villains, clever plots, swift directing and a bit of humor. Had every episode in the new line up been as good as this one, which follows the original formula, we would have had a lot more winners.

Columbo: Columbo Cries Wolf (1990) Season 9, Episode 2

Surprising departure for Columbo

[7/10 · 15 March 2014]

This installment of '90s Columbo isn't half bad if you can overlook some corny dialogue and stilted acting delivered by soap opera actors (a very attractive Deidre Hall and a sufficiently oily Ian Buchanan) in bad clothing and repeated scenes of cheesy photo shoots designed as fillers for this 120 minute format. I really think that the newer shows would have benefited from a 90 minute format, tightening up the story lines. Peter Falk is still great and easily out-acts anybody he shares a scene with. Older of course but still wonderful. I just really miss big name guest stars as villains. I would love to have seen Elizabeth Taylor and other classic stars. These lesser known actors just don't bring the omph. A huge part of the fun of vintage Columbo were the big name villains. The menacing music also added to the atmosphere and tension where most of the music in the newer installments is just plain bad. All in all, this is certainly not the worst among the newer Columbos.It actually got better as it went along. The plot entertains and surprises....with a cool twist at the end.

Columbo: It's All in the Game (1993) Season 10, Episode 7

wow !!! A helluva episode

[10/10 · 15 March 2014]

Omg. Finally a guest star worthy of playing a Columbo villain. Fay Dunaway brings an intensity to her role usually reserved for only the very best villains on vintage Columbo. Here the villain is very likable. Fay Dunaway brings class and her great acting chops to the role. Fabulous edge of your seat drama. The story wastes no time getting right to it which is sometimes a problem with the later columbo movies. Too much filler. Here not a minute is wasted !! Fabulous chemistry between Fay and Peter Falk. Columbo really feels for her and knows he has to do what he must, but reluctantly. Superb.

Best moment : Fay buys a tie for Columbo and plants one on him. A kiss that is.

Columbo: Murder, a Self Portrait (1989) Season 9, Episode 1

Good effort

[7/10 · 14 March 2014]

OK, so i enjoyed this Columbo movie a bit more than the previous ones. Partly because of the lovely scenery, the awesome house by the ocean and a much better musical score than the previous movies from '89. The villain is a narcissistic needy jerk thru-out, a painter, perfect for a guy controlling three different women in his life. His ex-wife, his current wife and his mistress. The actress playing the ex-wife has the most impact and believability. The mistress is the weakest link. The whole thing still doesn't compare to vintage Columbo but it's better than some earlier offerings. Best moment: Columbo sits for the artist and is put in an uncomfortable position. Peter Falk's understated humor is just wonderful. He knows how to milk a scene in a subtle way.

Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows (1989) Season 8, Episode 2

Not too shabby....

[8/10 · 13 March 2014]

I liked this installment better than the first movie from '89 where the snobby villain was rather dull. At least here the villain, although a tad young, had some personality. I liked to watch his building frustration as Columbo tightened the noose. All in all, a better effort all around. I think i am figuring out why the original columbos were just better. Made in the '70s they had a certain style and simplicity thats maybe lacking in the newer films.....the newer versions try to do too much. Everything is a bit cheesier, even the music. Funny but the "newer" episodes seem more dated to me than the older stuff. And i am, so far, missing the big name villains. I am hoping the episode with Faye Dunaway will rectify this. However, as always, i enjoy Peter Falk. He remains as good as ever. Best moment: columbo shows his incredible deduction skills to the viewer and the villain during an early scene where Columbo can tell so much from 2 left over ice cream sodas. It's right up there with vintage Columbo. Secondly, the scene where Columbo literally hangs in the air scanning a movie set. His dislike of heights is known from vintage episodes.

Columbo: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine (1989) Season 8, Episode 1

A decent effort, could have used a better villain

[6/10 · 13 March 2014]

I was excited to see the Columbo episodes that were made in the late '80s and beyond, mainly because i really haven't seen most of them, unlike the original series, where i have seen (and loved) them all. This episode, the first after a decade long break, starts off promising.I wish they had used a bigger star as the villain because that was always part of the fun, as villains go the guy in this episode is a bit lackluster for me. Actually, they should have used the guy who ended up playing the magician as the villain....much better actor and more menacing by far than the guy that ended up the villain. Another gripe is the music....its pretty dreadful. Like something from "murder she wrote", no disrespect.

Now for the good part.....Peter Falk is just priceless.....he may be a bit older and not quite as sharp but as clever as always. Considering he was in his 60's here, he still pulls it off well. Looking forward to watching all of the newer episodes.... Best moment : columbo making awed facial expressions as the phony psychic scans the crimescene for clues. I was laughing out loud.

Columbo: Murder by the Book (1971) Season 1, Episode 1

Simple but great

[8/10 · 11 March 2014]

Jack Cassidy plays the bad guy with oily charm and arrogance. The plot centers around Cassidy as a talentless member of a writing team whose other member wants to call it quits. Cassidy has other ideas, killing his partner for greed and a "not too bright" spinster who knows more than what's good for her trying to blackmail him. Columbo (the superb Peter Falk) is on to him from minute one. Enjoyed watching Columbo's "cooking skills"....and Columbo annoying his suspect. There are better episodes but this one doesn't disappoint. Cassidy always makes for a nice adversary with his superior attitude and superficial charm. The scenes where he sweet talks the blackmailing woman show his phoniness and creepiness to the fullest. Its a joy watching Columbo throw a wrench in the works.

Unsolved History: The Death of Marilyn Monroe (2003) Season 2, Episode 1

"Mystery" solved

[10/10 · 26 November 2010]

Pharmacologist shows without a doubt that pills dissolve, rather than digest, in a rather short amount of time and move from the stomach into the intestines. Furthermore, it is not unusual for addicts to have an empty stomach after an overdose since the pills move so quickly, due to habitual use. In Marilyn's case we have a strong clue that the pills indeed moved thru the stomach - bleeding of the stomach lining, as mentioned in her autopsy. Marilyn Monroe was a depressed drug addict for years with a family history of mental Illness and a personal history of near-overdoses and suicide attempts. It isn't a stretch to say that Marilyn died from a self-inflicted overdose of pills that she herself had purchased just the day before. It is impossible that the overdose was accidental - the dosage was simply too large and it was taken at once...had she taken the pills spaced over time, she would have passed out long before she could have reached the number of pills that were actually in her system. "Unsolved history" shows this clearly and more. There has never been any evidence to link Marilyn's Death to a Murder plot. Second hand and mystery sources galore but nothing concrete to put a finger on. "Unsolved History" gives ample time to the conspiracies out there but they just end up looking silly and unconvincing.

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Bravo...Bravo....Bravo!!!!!

[10/10 · 22 July 2008]

Meryl Streep is fantastic in this. Actually, everybody is pretty much flawless in this germ of a movie. Nobody takes themselves too seriously...(except for maybe some of the "professional" critics that have panned this movie...really now!...lighten up!!!) Nothing burns me up more than some Jerk dissing something and ripping it to shreds because it's not high drama. So what? What is wrong with a movie that lets you forget life as it is and gives you uninterrupted joy and fun for just a little while? The audience was totally into this movie...some were singing....there was even a tear or two for a particularly touching moment (and song)...i won't spoil it. I left the theater happy and still singing a tune or two...Bravo for the whole cast. They did a wonderful Job. Special mention to Meryl Streep, who is just beyond anything i can describe. And Pierce Brosnan gave it his best shot. Not a great singer, but hey...it takes mayor guts to sing, especially in a movie seen by millions. He was just adorable. Do yourself a big favor and go see Mama Mia.