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Reviews
The Pale Horse (2020)
Not Agatha Christie's Work
Agatha Christie was arguably the greatest English language fiction writer of the 20th century. And this story was one of her most intriguing - great plot, characters, suspense, and that Agatha twist. This adaptation chooses instead to depend on none of these. Instead, it goes for an extended and cartoonist facsimile of the plot, caricature characters, and cheap thrills. There is no substance to it, only shadow. Christie fans will be saddened by this defamation of her name and work - it is simply someone stealing her central idea, rewriting it in cheap paperback fashion, and then trying to gain an audience for it by putting her name on it. And the crude language! Why? Agatha never needed such trash to sell her works - she and her books had class, unlike this. Amazon really scraped the bottom of the barrel with this.
Agatha Christie: Ordeal by Innocence (2014)
Why do the kids think they can improve the Queen of Fiction..
Agatha would be ashamed of this bastardization of her work, a perversion of a plot, characters, and dialogue that uses her good name to give us a cheap facsimile of this Agatha classic. Like so many other pretenders, these newbies sex up and spice up the characters, foul the dialogue with ideas and language Agatha never used, and add unnecessary twists to her perfect plotlines. They can't write their own substantive works and screenplays, so they steal Agatha's good name and classic and apply them like a label to this trash. Do yourself a favor: skip this cheap and debaded adaptation to read the book. You'll be much more satisfied with the read and with not having sullied the greatest fiction writer of all time. Time to take the trash out.
Magnum, P.I.: Kiss of the Sabre (1984)
Magnum Does Bond
One of the series's best. Magnum's infrequent parodies (James Bond, Indiana Jones, and film noir) are just plain fun. These episodes never taking themselves or the subjects too seriously and yet pay them homage. Selleck as Bond is just great - all tongue-in-cheek but still true to the Bond persona - James Bond style, class, sophistication, and action - all with a wink at the camera. Selleck and this stellar cast really pull this off. The addition of the kooky but frighteningly insightful author make it all the more entertaining. They should have brought her back for a second episode later in the series. Awesome episode.
The Rockford Files: The House on Willis Avenue (1978)
Amazingly Prescient
The Rockford team not only gives us a great fictional thriller but a look at how private companies in the 21st century would in fact invade and control our lives. That makes this extended episode entertaining and disturbing at the same time. Great interplay with "Son" on solving this thorny mystery.
Shetland (2013)
Began well but went downhill
Seasons 1-3 are very well done. Good plots and character development. Season 4 fell off substantially in plot, becoming very slow and harder to follow. Season 4 also introduced severe profanity that did nothing to help the show. It only gets worse in 5 and 6 with slow plots and pointless profanity. I was a big fan in the beginning but have given up on the series. Seasons 1/3 - 10 of 10. Seasons 4-6 - 1 of 10.
Father Brown: The Angel of Mercy (2018)
Not Chesterton's Father Brown
History's great fiction writers like Christie, Sayers, and Brown don't need the help of amateurs, especially when it comes to adding elements that violate the author's values and break faith with his or her published body of work. More and more in later series of Father Brown, producers felt the need to manipulate Chesterton's detective to make social statements on 21st Century life. A shame to tarnish Chesterton and pervert his work in this way. Cardinal rule; stay true to the creator of the work you trade in and make your profit from.
Ordeal by Innocence (2018)
NOT Agatha Christie
I don't know why forgettable producers think they can improve on the unforgettable work of history's finest fiction writer. If you're a Christie fan, you'll want to pass on this and look elsewhere.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Where Have You Gone, George Lucas?
Watching this cartoon made me wish that George Lucas had not sold the franchise so we could have had a true Star Wars movie instead of this forgettable factory yawner that cannot in any way compare to the force and drama of episodes 4-6. One really wonders at the movie Lucas would have written and produced. Sad, just sad.