Director Tony Scott teamed up with writer Shane Black to deliver a classic action film of the early 90s, The Last Boy Scout, with Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans teaming up on screen as a ex-Secret Service agent turned private detective, Joe Hallenbeck, and a former NFL all star, Jimmy Dix. When a client (played…
Tag: detective
Never Send Flowers (1993) – John Gardner
James Bond is back, and while I’ve enjoyed Gardner’s efforts with Ian Fleming’s 007, with the minor exception of The Man From Barbarossa, this entry, his thirteenth (of sixteen) feels like a real stumble. It seems to want to be more in line with the cinematic 007, but without a solid story, or set pieces…
The Big Four (1927) – Agatha Christie
Hercule Poirot is reunited with his old friend Captain Hastings who comes to England to see his old friend, but the duo find themselves caught up in their biggest adventure yet. The Big Four moves the characters into some new territory, almost James Bondian in nature, as the pair encounter an international master criminal (well…
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) – Agatha Christie
This week’s Agatha Christie isn’t quite the romp of the previous entry, but like all her tales, is wonderfully engaging and entertaining as she weaves a tale of murder, secret marriages, servants, doctors, drugs, wayward sons, and hidden secrets and truths. And in the middle of it all, Hercule Poirot. This one is a bit…
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) – Renny Harlin
The Long Kiss Goodnight should be better than it is. It’s got quite the pedigree. Director Renny Harlin had given us Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, and a solid entry in the Nightmare on Elm Street series with The Dream Master. There’s a score by Alan Silvestri, a script by Shane Black (who is damned reliable…
M*A*S*H (1972) – I Hate a Mystery, Germ Warfare, Dear Dad
Hawkeye (Alan Alda) plays detective after he’s apparently framed for a rash of thefts across the camp in I Hate a Mystery. Written by Hal Dresner, and first airing on 26 November, 1972, the story is rather light-hearted, though there is a real issue at heart behind the crimes. Knick knacks from all over the…
The Murder on the Links (1923) – Agatha Christie
My third foray into Agatha Christie territory brings me another tale featuring Hercule Poirot, and this time as it unspooled, I found myself paying more attention to the things that were said, the clues that were laid out, and much like his friend, Captain Hastings, who tells the tale, I had a portion of it…
Dick Tracy (1990) – Warren Beatty
It’s been a long time since I sat down to watch this film, it may be since it first came out, or at least when it first hit video. I remember wanting to really get into this one when it first came out, I wanted it to be the next big summer blockbuster. So did…
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) – Agatha Christie
It’s been decades, literally decades, since I read an Agatha Christie novel, in fact I remember where I was, and though I don’t recall the title, I know that it was a Poirot mystery. Something tells me a teacher may have suggested them to me, or perhaps the school librarian. I was curious what I…
Shadow of a Doubt (1943) – Alfred Hitchock
It’s time for a little more Hitchcock as I dive into another old favourite, Shadow of a Doubt starring Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten. A coming-of-age tale with a twist of murder, this film remains completely captivating thanks to the direction, the leading and the wonderful supporting cast which are all recognisable to anyone who…
Police Squad! (1982) – Blu-Ray Review
In case you missed it last week, and are in need of a laugh, or more, Paramount Pictures released the classic, and far too short-lived Police Squad! (In Color) to blu-ray. Serving as the basis for the Naked Gun films, the makers of Airplane! turned their attention to television, and the police drama and piled…
Good Guys (2018) – Steven Brust
Steven Brust is an author I’d never encountered before, but I received his latest as a gift, and reading the blurb I thought it would be something I would enjoy, as it explores magic in the modern era with a trio of working class heroes. We are introduced to Donovan, Susan and Marci, a trio…
