Thanks to my local Library, I watched "Blackheath Poisonings" in its entirety. The excellent cast includes Judy Parfitt, who is absolutely perfect as the deliciously vicious family matriarch. There are a few recognizable faces including Zoe Wanamaker and Patrick Malahide. Warning! If you want family fare, this ain't it. There are many Adult Themes in this movie. But those of us who live on Planet Earth know that there were many sexual perversions in the Victorian Age just as there are today. They were just well hidden under a hypocritical veil of moral decency. This mystery unveils them all, with death by poisoning woven in. It begins by introducing us to a wealthy family that owns a Toy factory. We learn immediately that there are extramarital sexual relations going on and sooner than we catch that fact, someone dies. When a second death occurs, the smartest member of the family starts hound-dogging around. The police put one person on trial believing they have caught the real killer. But is it really the true killer?? I can guarantee that you won't guess the twists and turns that lead to the real killer. I kind of guessed the additional twist at the end. I love mysteries set in bygone times, especially Victorian dramas. In "Blackheath Poisonings" it's great fun and entertaining to watch. The costumes are great, so are the sets. The actors each do a terrific job of making their characters dis-likable, despicable, or likable. I have cable TV and I've seen stuff like this on USA, TNT, PBS and other non-premium channels, so I wasn't shocked at the adult content like some who've commented here. It also didn't surprise me in the least that all this happened in a rich, so-called respectable, Victorian family. That's part of the entertainment factor!
Reviews
5 Reviews
Salem's Lot
(2004)
Disappointing.......The Worse of the Lot
2 October 2007
It should have been two hours, because this painfully done "Salem's Lot" is very disappointing. Some good actors such as Andre Brauer and Donald Sutherland are wasted in a badly written script, scatty filming and non-scary plotting.
The biggest problem with this Salem's Lot is that it was done already, with terrific results. There's no comparison and time hasn't diminished the frightening aspects of the original (I have it on DVD).
Changing the characters to make it new didn't help. It weakened the wonderful Stephen King story. In the original with David Soul, the music and pounding sound when one of the vampires "awoke" had me reaching for my cross.....to wear. In this story there's none of that. Just fillers thrown in to make this mini-series long for the unending commercials. That's okay, since I cleaned the house while it was on.
I don't mind it if movies stray from the book as long as they're just good. This wasn't. It was just long and silly.
The biggest problem with this Salem's Lot is that it was done already, with terrific results. There's no comparison and time hasn't diminished the frightening aspects of the original (I have it on DVD).
Changing the characters to make it new didn't help. It weakened the wonderful Stephen King story. In the original with David Soul, the music and pounding sound when one of the vampires "awoke" had me reaching for my cross.....to wear. In this story there's none of that. Just fillers thrown in to make this mini-series long for the unending commercials. That's okay, since I cleaned the house while it was on.
I don't mind it if movies stray from the book as long as they're just good. This wasn't. It was just long and silly.
Absolute Garbage!!
25 September 2007
The new majority holders of Agatha Christie Ltd have started this new series and with very few exceptions the episodes are dreadful. This one is one of the worse.
Gee, did someone actually call himself an "Agatha Christie Fan" and give it a ten point score?? A dead giveaway of a clueless reviewer. Agatha Christie NEVER placed Miss Marple in this story. It was strictly a Tommy and Tuppence Beresford mystery.
As usual with these terrible remakes, the crew have changed everything including Christie's wonderful plot, fully-dimensional characters, time-settings. So it's terrible to place Christie's name on it.
I'd have no problem if the series was actually reasonably good. It isn't. In this one, Tuppence Beresford is a drunken, depressed drudge. Miss Marple is dithering, dotty, twinkling and totally unbelievable as a crack-shot elderly sleuth. All very good older actors are wasted here, their talents buried under shoddy direction, and silly plotting.
There's nothing of Agatha Christie here except her name....used to draw in the novice.
The entire series reminds me of silly, overacted community theater plays. The actors chew up the scenery and everything is too silly for words.
Christie would turn in her grave!!
Gee, did someone actually call himself an "Agatha Christie Fan" and give it a ten point score?? A dead giveaway of a clueless reviewer. Agatha Christie NEVER placed Miss Marple in this story. It was strictly a Tommy and Tuppence Beresford mystery.
As usual with these terrible remakes, the crew have changed everything including Christie's wonderful plot, fully-dimensional characters, time-settings. So it's terrible to place Christie's name on it.
I'd have no problem if the series was actually reasonably good. It isn't. In this one, Tuppence Beresford is a drunken, depressed drudge. Miss Marple is dithering, dotty, twinkling and totally unbelievable as a crack-shot elderly sleuth. All very good older actors are wasted here, their talents buried under shoddy direction, and silly plotting.
There's nothing of Agatha Christie here except her name....used to draw in the novice.
The entire series reminds me of silly, overacted community theater plays. The actors chew up the scenery and everything is too silly for words.
Christie would turn in her grave!!
Dead Like Me
(2003–2004)
I Have Both Seasons--Rumors of Another in the Works!!
23 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I love quirky, unusual, and offbeat humor. This series has it all. NOTE: I just read on this site that it's coming back!! So do a search for 2007.
Anyway, each episode is funny and sometimes just darned hair raising. But I have to comment especially on "ALWAYS" in the Season 2 set. In a very unusual change, Mandy Patinkin (Rube) is allowed to show his tender side and his wonderful singing voice. Yeardley Smith (voice of Lisa Simpson) pays Rube a visit in the restaurant and hands him a note. As she leaves she tells Roxy why. Later we see Rube singing the title song, "Always," to a senior citizen. I do not cry easily (I'm not a sissy girl), but this one touched deeply. It also shows that Mandy Patinkin has a diverse acting range and a beautiful voice. It's excellent! All episodes are great.
The only complaint I have is the continuous use of obscene language. I first saw the series on SCI-FI channel so the obscenities were not in it. After I bought the DVD set I heard some extreme obscenities, even beyond the four letter words. I'm not a prude but, here's fair warning,...... If anyone has little ones around, keep them out of the room while watching. There's no warning on the package to warn you because it's "Not Rated."
Anyway, each episode is funny and sometimes just darned hair raising. But I have to comment especially on "ALWAYS" in the Season 2 set. In a very unusual change, Mandy Patinkin (Rube) is allowed to show his tender side and his wonderful singing voice. Yeardley Smith (voice of Lisa Simpson) pays Rube a visit in the restaurant and hands him a note. As she leaves she tells Roxy why. Later we see Rube singing the title song, "Always," to a senior citizen. I do not cry easily (I'm not a sissy girl), but this one touched deeply. It also shows that Mandy Patinkin has a diverse acting range and a beautiful voice. It's excellent! All episodes are great.
The only complaint I have is the continuous use of obscene language. I first saw the series on SCI-FI channel so the obscenities were not in it. After I bought the DVD set I heard some extreme obscenities, even beyond the four letter words. I'm not a prude but, here's fair warning,...... If anyone has little ones around, keep them out of the room while watching. There's no warning on the package to warn you because it's "Not Rated."
Unusually Poignant Showcase for Mandy Patinkin
23 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I own this DVD set of "Dead Like Me", Season 2, and I especially love this episode, "Always." Yardley Smith (the voice of Lisa Simpson) is a guest star, and she's just as adorable as Lisa Simpson. She stops by the restaurant to give Rube (Mandy Patinkin) a note. As she's leaving, she tells Roxy why and what's in the note. Rube visits his daughter and sings "Always." While I've never been one to cry (I'm no sissy girl), this one is so touching. Mandy Patinkin is excellent here and shows his theatrical ability to sing beautifully. They also let Rube show tenderness, and drop his usual callous character for a change. "Dead Like Me" really is a strange, sometimes twisted, and almost always funny series. This one episode takes a different turn. It's excellent.
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