safenoe Reviews

M*A*S*H Matters: "Hot Guy" Pierce - MASH Matters #123 (2024 Podcast Episode)

The time capsule continues

[8/10 · 17 May 2024]

I was really hoping that Jeff Maxwell and Ryan Patrick would address the apparent inconsistency from podcast episode #121 - Burying the Time Capsule with special guest Jay King, where King states the time capsule was found by a construction worker eight years after it was secretly buried by the cast, but this doesn't align with the long-reported lore that it was dug up just weeks after it was buried. In fact, this podcast #123 opened up with a reader's comment about the time capsule location generally, and I was hoping Jeff and Ryan would respond to the inconsistency, but not to be.

Anyway, I also liked a reader's comment about the four stages of the M*A*S*H series, and Ryan's observation that could M*A*S*H have lasted 11 years if the original cast remained intact.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! (1982–1986)

Entertaining

[8/10 · 17 May 2024]

I was a big fan of Ripley's Believe It or Not! From the 1980s, and I even bought some of the Ripley books that were equally entertaining. Anyway, Jack Palance, who later earned an Oscar for his career defining role in City Slickers, was the host of this fine series. Holly Palance, who should have won an Academy Award for her role as the nanny in The Omen, was one of the co-hosts. Also co-hosting was Cathie Shirriff and the legendary Marie Osmond. Anyway, it's amazing to reflect that the series debuted in 1982, so over four decades ago, and nowadays there's so much to believe or not init right.

Pac-Man: The Abominable Pac-Man/The Bionic Pac-Woman (1982) Season 1, Episode 9

Who is Ms. Pac-Man

[8/10 · 17 May 2024]

For some reason I was just thinking about the Pac-Man cartoon, possibly because I was recently reminiscing about the Mr. T cartoon and also the Beatles cartoon. Anyway, thankfully the Pac-Man cartoons are on the internet, so I was able to thoroughly enjoy wading in 80s nostalgia big time. This review is for The Bionic Pac-Woman, and it reminded me of the Bionic Woman, although here the Bionic Pac-Woman is malevolent and wants to bring Pac-Man down. Anyway, Pac-Man manages to see through Bionic Pac-Woman, and manages to rescue Ms. Pac-Man thankfully, with a funny ending that was hilarious on several levels.

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Tension and manipulation

[8/10 · 17 May 2024]

Seriously, I can't believe it's taken me ages and ages to finally post an imdb user review for Dangerous Liaisons. I saw Dangerous Liaisons on the small screen back in the 1990s I think, and wow, it was more than a French period piece. Firstly, despite the American accents, you could still think everyone was French init. What more can I add, except to say that Glenn Close should have won an Academy Award for her role, and it's unjustified that to this day Close still has not walked away with an Oscar.

Keanu Reeves also has a key supporting role, along with Uma "Kill Bill" Thurman.

Peter Capaldi, well before he became Doctor Who, also appears.

The Critic: A Little Deb Will Do You (1994) Season 1, Episode 5

The twist

[10/10 · 17 May 2024]

The line about the longest serving director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation "coming out the same day" as Eleanor's debutante ball was absolutely, crazily hilarious, and sadly wasn't addressed in the biopic that starred Leonardo DiCaprio who played the director. Anyway, the twist at the end was a big time twist, that I thought was going to be like The Crying Game, the 1992 movie famous for its famous twist that was later immortalized in The Simpsons, but no, it was that the female playing Humphrey the Hippo had fallen in love with Jay, and they do the best with two backs at the end. In fact, the meta-ending had Jay pleading with viewers not to reveal the twist. That's why I've indicated this review contains spoilers.

Death in Paradise: The Stakes Are High (2018) Season 7, Episode 2

Poker face

[8/10 · 17 May 2024]

Nigel Planer, whose career went to the stratosphere with his role as Neil in the British comedy, The Young Ones, guest stars in this episode. I think (but I could be wrong) that Planer is the only lead star from The Young Ones to appear in Death in Paradise. Anyway, here the stakes are high with a poker match, and DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O'Hanlon) is settling in. However his daughter Siobhan (Grace Stone) left in the previous episode, so that means the DI has an extra room in his government-provided accommodation by the beach.

I've been a fan of Death in Paradise since it debuted over a decade ago, and I do wonder quite seriously really how the police photograph the suspects for their whiteboard propped up in the police station. Really, at the crime scene do they gently ask the suspects to calmly pose for the whiteboard init, I don't quite get it really. Anyway, more credit should also be given to the two loyal paramedics who turn up at the crime scene.

The Critic: Dial 'M' for Mother (1994) Season 1, Episode 3

Guest starring Bart and Homer

[9/10 · 17 May 2024]

I loved the Simpsons crossover in Dial 'M' for Mother, which builds upon the fact that many of the the creative team (along with Nancy Cartwright who of course voices Bart Simpson and other characters) worked on The Critic. Anyway, we have a brief scene of the aye caramba scene with Bart and Homer, and it was hilarious, and really good to see Dan Castellaneta on board for this scene. Anyway, Jay tries to become more likeable and only at the end does the dial from the test audience help out a bit. I became a fan of The Critic back in the late 1990s, and I'm enjoying catching up on the episodes of a series that should have gone on for much longer.

I'll Be Watching (2018)

I'll be watching you

[7/10 · 17 May 2024]

I must admit, I don't watch many Lifetime movies, but I thought I'd have I'll Be Watching on during a lunchbreak working from home init. Anyway, there was considerable violence in this one (not Die Hard or Saw or Hostel type violence though), more than I would expect for a Lifetime movie. Janel Parrish is the lead star in I'll be Watching, and all credit to her for her performance under harrowing conditions. Rob Estes is a reliable hand in lifetime-type movies, and in fact he had a memorable role in Signed, Sealed and Delivered. Anyway, the ending was upbeat with the good people gathering for Christmas.

Bob Seger: Old Time Rock 'n' Roll (1983 Music Video)

Soothes the soul

[10/10 · 17 May 2024]

What a classic Old Time Rock 'n' Roll is, with the song experiencing a massive revival and royalties when it was featured prominently in the 1983 movie Risky Business starring Tom Cruise. Anyway, Old Time Rock 'n' Roll was released in 1979, and the song endures from one generation to the next after 45 years and counting init. Anyway, I love the song and you can imagine it being played at numerous sporting events to motivate the crowd. I would even play it at lacrosse events to get the mallets swinging for sure. Anyway, get yourself some old time rock and role by listening to Old Time Rock 'n' Roll.

Death in Paradise: Murder from Above (2018) Season 7, Episode 1

The bride and the balcony

[7/10 · 17 May 2024]

It's fascinating init how suddenly an episode of a TV series gets a spike of imdb user reviews, way above the average. Here there are already 15 imdb user reviews for Murder from Above, compared to say the three to seven odd that are posted. Not sure why, but anyway, I've been a fan of Death in Paradise since it debuted over a decade ago, and DI Mooney (played by Irish comedian Ardal O'Hanlon) is settling in well. His daughter Siobhan (played by Grace Stone) joined him in the previous season, but alas, she returns to the United Kingdom in this episode, but she returns for two more episodes eventually.

Elizabeth Berrington guest stars in this episode.

Death in Paradise: Murder in the Polls (2017) Season 6, Episode 8

Meet your new mayor!

[7/10 · 17 May 2024]

The political intrigue of Saint Marie comes to the fore, and the upshot is that Catherine Bordey (Elizabeth Bourgine) is elected mayor in a hard-fought contest that appeared to defy the opinion polls, and was the most important election since world war two, and had the highest voter turnout since (insert historical event). Anyway, this is the season finale, and DI Mooney (Irish comedian Ardal O'Hanlon) is settling in well, along with his daughter Siobhan (played by Grace Stone). Anyway, on reflection we don't see much of Bordey in her mayoral capacity from this episode onwards, but no doubt she works hard behind the scenes rather dutifully.

Risky Business (1983)

Ferris Bueller for grown-ups

[8/10 · 17 May 2024]

It's taken me ages and ages to finally post an imdb user review for Risky Business, which I saw on the small screen maybe back in the 1990s perhaps. Anyway, reflecting on Risky Business, well it's kind of like that Ferris Bueller's Day Off, released in 1986 was inspired by Tom Cruise and his singalong to Bob Seeger's Old Time Rock and Roll, although Ferris doesn't do that. It's hard to believe Risky Business was released over 40 years ago, and I always wonder if a sequel called Riskier Business should have been released, but maybe Risky Business can be rebooted with say an English actor as the lead, and perhaps Matthew Broderick playing the father.

Death in Paradise: In the Footsteps of a Killer (2017) Season 6, Episode 7

The Mooneys

[8/10 · 16 May 2024]

Ardal O'Hanlon starts to settle in as DI Jack Mooney, with Mooney's daughter Siobhan (played by Grace Stone) in tow. I've been a fan of Death in Paradise since it debuted over a decade ago, and I had a sense that Siobhan wouldn't play a major role in the series, and all up she was in only six episodes.

Susannah Doyle, famous for her role in the newsroom sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey, guest stars.

I do wonder quite seriously really how the police photograph the suspects for their whiteboard. Really, at the crime scene do they gently ask the suspects to calmly pose for the whiteboard init, I don't quite get it really. Anyway, more credit should also be given to the two paramedics who turn up at the crime scene. They play a pivotal role in the mission of the police.

Death in Paradise: Man Overboard: Part 2 (2017) Season 6, Episode 6

Humphrey and Martha

[10/10 · 16 May 2024]

This is the final episode with DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall, who I first saw in Love Actually) and we are also introduced to his replacement DI Jack Mooney (Irish actor Ardal O'Hanlon) in a kind of a cross-over. But thankfully Marshall managed to continue in Beyond Paradise a few years later. One difference is that a Death in Paradise season typically has eight episodes, whereas Beyond Paradise has six. Anyway, here there's a man overboard, and Goodman has to resolve it quick fast before he and Martha (Sally Bretton) settle in London together. The ending was quite sad with them leaving, but we have DI Mooney and his daughter Siobhan (Grace Stone) settling on the island. I had a feeling at the time that Siobhan wouldn't appear in many episodes (like really, how many mysteries can involve the DI's daughter) and it turns out in total she was only in six episodes.

The Good Ship Murder: Malta (2023) Season 1, Episode 8

Season two wraps up

[8/10 · 16 May 2024]

I've really enjoyed watching The Good Ship Murder, and it's a lot of fun. Really, the detractors (and I'll never forgive the Gogglebox UK people trashing Shayne's performance of Daydream Believer from the first episode) miss the point by highlighting the unrealistic aspects. But really, how is the "unrealism" different to the exploits of a fictional crime writer solving a murder every week in Murder, She Wrote, like really. Or Mrs Sidhu Investigates, where a caterer solves crimes, or the Marlowe Murder Club, and I could go on init. Anyway, this episode had a tinge of poignancy, with Kate Woods calling off her engagement with Piers, and Jack deciding to remain in his ship job instead of going to America. So will they allow sparks to fly? Thankfully the series has been renewed for seasons two and three.

Van Halen: Jump (1983 Music Video)

Let's jump!

[10/10 · 16 May 2024]

Two years before the jinx predicted by the movie The Wedding Singer resulting in Van Halen breaking up, we have Van Halen's Jump that pretty much personified so much of the David Lee Roth era, and in fact he directed this award winning video.

Interestingly, it appears not enough is made of the fact that Alex Van Halen and Edward Van Halen are of Indonesian descent, and it would have been like a homecoming if Van Halen had performed in Jakarta or other popular tourist spots around Indonesia.

Anyway, Jump is an exciting song and I can imagine it being played at numerous basketball events or the like.

The Twilight Zone: Into the Light (2003) Season 1, Episode 29

Saving the light

[8/10 · 16 May 2024]

Lou Diamond Phillips, famous for his leading role as Ritchie Vallens in the 1980s movie La Bamba, directed Into the Light. In fact, he also starred in one of the episodes from this revival series. Into the Light is a very poignant episode that no doubt many teachers, whether in schools, colleges, universities, can relate to, being to engage the students who don't really seem to care init.

Into the Light stars Samantha "Broken Arrow" Mathis, and also Reed Diamond, famous for his role in Homicide: Life on the Street back in the 1990s. The ending was very tragic for Mathis's character very sadly.

Death in Paradise: Man Overboard: Part 1 (2017) Season 6, Episode 5

Goodman

[10/10 · 16 May 2024]

This is the penultimate episode of DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall, who I first saw in Love Actually) and we are also introduced to his replacement DI Jack Mooney (Irish actor Ardal O'Hanlon) in a kind of a cross-over. Marshall and his family embraced life on the island where Death in Paradise was filmed, but thankfully he managed to continue in Beyond Paradise a few years later. One difference is that a Death in Paradise season typically has eight episodes, whereas Beyond Paradise has six. Anyway, here there's a man overboard, and Goodman has to resolve it quick fast, as this is his penultimate episode sadly.

Death in Paradise: Stumped in Murder (2017) Season 6, Episode 4

Sticky wicket

[7/10 · 16 May 2024]

Here it's murder on the cricket pitch, and obviously Humphrey is initially stumped (no pun intended) about the motive and the culprit. This is Humphrey's third last episode before he leaves the series.

One thing as a long-time fan of Death in Paradise I do wonder quite seriously really init. I wonder how the police photograph the suspects for their whiteboard. Really, at the crime scene do they gently ask the suspects to calmly pose for the whiteboard init, I don't quite get it really. Anyway, more credit should also be given to the two paramedics who turn up at the crime scene. They play a pivotal role in the mission of the police.

I'd love for acclaimed actors like Danny Dyer, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, David Schwimmer and Sharon Stone to make guest appearances.

Split Enz: Six Months in A Leaky Boat (1982 Music Video)

A classic

[9/10 · 15 May 2024]

Split Enz, a band from New Zealand, released Six Months in A Leaky Boat back in 1982, and it did incredibly well in the charts in Canada, although I didn't know it kind of got ignored in England because some people there thought the song was a veiled reference to what was happening in the Falkland Islands. Anyway, Six Months in a Leaky Boat endures after more than 40 years. One of the members of Split Enz, Neil Finn, joined Fleetwood Mac a few years ago following the departure of Lindsey Buckingham. Anyway, Six Months in a Leaky Boat is a catchy song and can mean so many things political perhaps.

Death in Paradise: The Secret of the Flame Tree (2017) Season 6, Episode 2

Secrets

[8/10 · 15 May 2024]

Kemi-Bo Jacobs plays Esther Monroe, a very good friend of DS Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert), and she meets an untimely end, and that causes issues and all.

Ramon Tikaram, who has a very cheerful imdb profile photo, guest stars as Oliver Wolf, and Monica Dolan plays Patricia Lawrence. I think Dolan is one of the few actors to have starred in Black Mirror and Inside No. 9.

One thing as a long-time fan of Death in Paradise I do wonder. I wonder how the Saint Marie police take the photos of the suspects for their whiteboard. Quite seriously, at the crime scene do they kindly ask the suspects to calmly pose for the whiteboard init, I don't quite get it really. Anyway, more credit should also be given to the two paramedics who turn up at the crime scene. They play a pivotal role.

I'd love for acclaimed actors like Danny Dyer, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas to make guest appearances.

The Twilight Zone: Upgrade (2002) Season 1, Episode 13

Grass is greener...

[7/10 · 15 May 2024]

Upgrade had quite a twist at the end, with a St. Elsewhere feel to it, where the characters are part of a computer graphic program, and, and it was quite unexpected, as we kind of are left to wonder about the overarching influences in our lives.

Anyway, I'm enjoying watching the Forest Whitaker revival of The Twilight Zone, and even though it lasted only one season, it was a worthy attempt to keep the Twilight Zone on for the current culture. Anyway, I look forward to seeing more episodes and appreciating them and reflecting on the 1980s revival and the original one as well. Upgrade is worth watching.

The Good Ship Murder: Barcelona (2023) Season 1, Episode 7

Penultimate episode

[6/10 · 15 May 2024]

So here we are, the penultimate episode of The Good Ship Murder, and much of action is set in Barcelona (which hosted the 1992 Olympics by the way) and also the climactic confrontation on board the ship at the end, with concerned passengers in the background. Anyway, Olivia Nita plays Maria Illiescu, and for authenticity, Nita is a Romanian actress, and she resembles Australian actress Isla Fisher.

So will Jack persuade Kate to call of her engagement to Piers or what, but really Kate senses that Jack's running away from something. Anyway, at the end Jack sings True Faith at the memorial service and before the audience of passengers.

Taylor Dayne: I'll Be Your Shelter (1990 Music Video)

Taylor Dayne

[10/10 · 15 May 2024]

I love this song, I'll Be Your Shelter by Taylor Dane, and I was reflecting that it was released in 1990, so that's 34 years ago init, and it endures in popularity from generation to generation, because it's so optimistic and upbeat. Anyway, in the music video we see Taylor Dane doing impressive dance moves and moving to what appears to be an impromptu concert in a large tent, in front of fans who are privileged to witness such an amazing performance by Taylor Dane. Anyway, I'll Be Your Shelter is incredibly popular on the internet with so many people posting comments about such a wonderful song.

Death in Paradise: Erupting in Murder (2017) Season 6, Episode 1

Volcanic

[8/10 · 15 May 2024]

Yorquiris has an uncredited role as Figurant, and I had check the dictionary for the meaning, being a stage actor who has a small part with little or nothing to say. But still, the figurants play a critical role in Death in Paradise and in every television or movie or theatrical production, for instance in Death in Paradise you have the two actors playing paramedics who turn up at the murder scene. Anyway, here Mount Esme is the setting of the season six murder, and we see the beginning of the end of Humphrey's tenure in Death in Paradise, to be continued a few years later in Beyond Paradise init.