georgigems Reviews

Midsomer Murders (1997– )

CHRISTMAS EPISODES

[10/10 · 27 November 2018]

Does anyone have a list of the CHRISTMAS episodes from the beginning to the present season?

Prisoners (2013)

great performance in a very disturbing movie

[8/10 · 13 October 2013]

This is probably one of Hugh Jackman's best roles yet. However,in the real world wouldn't the FBI be involved from the beginning as they do in all kidnap cases? And, how could there be only one detective on the case? usually they always work in pairs and the detectives and the CSI's would have torn the suspects home and property apart from the beginning and ultimately found the car/well/ pit .

The girls mother (Hugh Jackmans' wife) also made a marvelous recovery as soon as her daughter was found but her husband went missing.

A great story but a little far fetched in the real world of law enforcement.

Sherlock (2010–2017)

I seem to be in a minority but...

[1/10 · 21 May 2012]

I guess I am in the minority here but I miss Jeremy Brett .

The "New" Jim Moriarty gives me indigestion. He looks like a gigolo from some of those 1920's movies that said the character had to be oily and greasy.

There are some things that can't be modernized, like Shakespeare. Hope ACD doesn't see this from afar...he would not rest in peace. The HOUND of BASKERVILLE really was a disaster, they lost all the concept of the original story. I went to bed after the first 30 minutes. Basil Rathbone 's version is the classic all should be measured against.

This series is trying too hard to be a hip, modern show. Next , Sherlock will have a girlfriend. YUK!

The Playboy Club (2011)

What a waste of time!

[2/10 · 21 September 2011]

I thought from the previews that this show had some potential. What a turkey! The writing was so bad that it seemed like a first draft of a high school project. The acting was even worse. A total waste of time. Every character was plastic and most slept thru their lines and parts, except Eddie C who could have phoned his in. Having had some experience in the real world of the Playboy clubs , this wasn't even authentic. No bunny flirted with customers, you were simply a pretty waitress and the bunny mother made sure there was no fooling around and rules were strictly adhered to. This show is a joke! Early cancellation would be a mercy killing.

Burn Notice (2007–2013)

Better Than I Expected

[7/10 · 30 June 2007]

Michael Westen just got burned! That's spy lingo for fired, except no body told him he was fired or that his credit rating was trashed or that all his savings were frozen with a government code attached to them or that he was deposited someplace he does not want to be (Miami). When I first saw the previews of this show I though this must be a junk like so much else that comes on TV these days. Looked like an interesting premise so I watched the pilot. Maybe not worth all the hype but the show does have several redeeming qualities. Number one is the actor who plays Westen. Mr. Donovan is a likable rogue and during the course of the hour he does grow on you. The script has a mix of tongue in cheek dialog with a bit of Mac Guyver thrown in. After being fired from the agency Michael tried to find out why and in the process takes on a job of a private investigator for some living expenses. In the course of his investigation, he is helped by his former girlfriend , Fiona, who is ex- IRA and who is played with great ease by Gabrielle Anwar. The scene where she puts away the local drug dealer's muscle is priceless. She's very well cast. Michael's nemesis is not the CIA agents who are constantly watching him but his hypochondriac mother who has the disease of the week syndrome played by Sharon Gless.

The rest of the supporting cast is adequate and the finale was a little implausible as Michael blackmails the mogul whose robbery of $10 million in art he was hired to investigate.

Overall it was new, a pleasant way to pass an hour and with all the summer reruns so pervasive on TV now, I will probably watch it next week.

Dangerous Heart (1994 TV Movie)

A Fair film but worth a look for Tim Daly alone.

[7/10 · 7 February 2007]

I remember seeing this movie when it was made for TV and the story line reminded me of one of my all time favorite TV movies , made in 1970, called "THE OTHER MAN". That film starred Roy Thinnes and the late Joan Hackett and is similar as the female lead has no idea that the man she has fallen in love with is really someone else and initially is trying to get revenge. This was a 10 rated all around, The score and the majestic setting in Big Sur, CA made it memorable. And the acting was first rate.

DANGEROUS HEART has much of the same premise, an innocent , naive woman who meets and falls for a handsome stranger who pretends to be someone else. Tim Daly goes from greasy drug dealer to suburban single by changing his clothes, washing his hair and shaving his beard. He then does his best to find out from the woman he initially seduces and ultimately loves where the money that her late husband stole from him is located. I rated this film a 7 because the rest of the supporting cast was very annoying. The girl who played Angel's moll and girlfriend was so over the top in her performance that it looked like amateur night at a high school play. The other pest was Joe Pantoliano who was definitely trying too hard. His drug dealer cum psycho character has been done much better on LAW AND ORDER etc. I found watching him very distracting. The story also has a lot of holes in it and the plot could have been crafted better.

It ends very much like THE OTHER MAN and cannot have one of those fairy tale endings but is more like a Greek Tragedy.

Tim Daly became my new heart throb after I saw this and confirmed this position with his performance in the OUTSIDER (a western that is a cross between THE ANGEL AND THE BADMAN and HIGH NOON but with some steamy sex).

If anyone ever finds THE OTHER MAN, let me know as I have been searching for years! That was truly one of the lost films of TV.

The Case of the Dangerous Robin (1960– )

Yes, It Did Exist.

[8/10 · 29 October 2006]

I remember this show very well. Rick Jason (who was tall , dark and handsome in a sinister way) starred as Robin Scott an insurance investigator. But the unique thing about the show was that the hero was skilled in martial arts, something never seen on TV before. It would have had a longer run except Jason hurt his back during the filming and the show got axed. This is one of those shows that only a few die hard TV fans would remember. I also believe it was on Friday nights (well at least in New York). Rick Jason had a longer career on TV in Combat (which was not one of my favorites) but he was really smooth as silk as Robin. What a shame that he took his own life. He really was a pretty good actor.

The Black Dahlia (2006)

Who is trying To Be Who Here? Lana? Ava?

[7/10 · 24 September 2006]

The very first thing that occurred to me right away was Scarlett trying to do her best Lana Turner impersonation. Lana always wore pales and neutrals (like beige, ecru, cream) to enhance her makeup and blondness.The table sex scene was right out of "The Postman Awalys Rings Twice" The two male leads, Josh and Aaron did not have the maturity or seasoning to be hotshot LA detectives in the 1940's. Their characterizations ,to say the least, were very wishy washy and one dimensional. I adore Hilary Swank and think she is a wonderful actress but was very miscast in a role that would have definitely been Ava Gardners in the 50's or early 60's.

The plot was convoluted at times and seemed to jump around. My question was where did Kay/Lee get the money for such a fabulous house that would have been a small fortune even in the 1940's real estate market. The blackmail was explained but how long was it going on?The furniture and decor was magnificent. Very Art Deco with a post WW11 influence.

The ending and how the murder was solved was a very interesting premise. I loved the great Conrad Veidt silent classic "The Man Who laughs" interwoven in the plot.

I am not sorry I went to see this, but I expected more.

I rate it a 7 for the visuals and the clothes. As a fashion stylist , that is the first thing I notice in a film.

The Murder of Dr. Harrigan (1935)

Interesting Murder Mystery with a surprise killer

[6/10 · 19 July 2006]

I never heard of this movie before I saw it on TCM although I am a big fan of Mary Astor and know the body of her work. It is a "B" murder plot with an surprise killer. The premise is about a totally horrible millionaire Peter Melady, self-proclaimed developer of a new wonder anesthetic, around whose discovery there is a lot of controversy. It appears that he was not the sole developer of this drug but that becomes a viable motive for murder. As an experiment to prove the drug's value, he wants to undergo surgery , using this drug but not to be operated on by his own doctor, Doctor Coate, but by the glib Dr. Leo Harrigan, Melady's longtime mutual adversary. Again, they hate each other and are connected by this new drug.Police are called when the murdered body of Harrigan is found in an elevator, and Melady, last seen being wheeled on a gurney to surgery by Harrigan, has disappeared. There are sub plots about Dr. Harrigan's society wife (who is in the hospital for a broken arm). Hello! this was obviously the days before same day surgery and medical insurance companies calling the shots. Oh , and Melady's daughter is also "convienently" another patient in there for "sunburn". Dr Harrigan's wife has a gigolo boyfriend who is visiting her even though her husband is chief of surgery there. This guy, who looks like a poor imitation of Jack la Rue ,is played by Bill Elliott (billed as Gordon Elliott ) who went on to become one of my favorite cowboys "Wild Bill Elliott" . Mary Astor has a supporting role in this movie which is a surprise considering when it was made. The rest of the cast includes Philip Reed as a young intern (I always thought of him as the poor man's Tyrone Power- he had that look) and Ricardo Cortez as the doctor who figures out the crime. Somebody has to explain to l me what anybody ever saw in Ricardo Cortez. He was born in Austria, so the studio, jumping on the bandwagon of the Latin lover craze begun by Valentino, changed his name, place of birth to Spain and put him in films. They really should have given him acting lessons. He was wooden and had no range as an actor. There are scenes in this movie where he looks taken with himself! Anyway , there is a surprise killer

and some revelation about Mary Astor's character. I recommend it for film buffs.

The Right to Romance (1933)

A Must See for 1930's movie fans

[8/10 · 27 March 2006]

I knew nothing of this film until I started watching it about 15 minutes into its start. I was really watching it for the clothes( that are so spectacular even in "B" films of the 1930's) and got caught up in the story. Ann Harding, who is totally unknown today and was a major star then, plays a woman doctor, a plastic surgeon, who falls for a much younger playboy (Robert Young- looking very young by the way) and marries him even though deep down inside she knows it might not work out. She is loved by a colleague played effortlessly by Nils Asher. And yes, who knows who HE was today? Asher was one of the best character actors who had a short career in the 1930's yet was paired with some of the best and most glamorous leading ladies of the era. While her husband was off having an affair with his ex-girlfriend, they have a plane crash and she is scarred. Will the doctor save her life and restore her beauty? And will she finally have the love she wants and deserves from her colleague who adores her? Very short film (about 70 minutes) but right on target and not a lot of fluff. AND yes, being a fashion stylist myself, the clothes are fabulous, especially, the gown Ann Harding wears at the party where she succumbs to Robert Young's charms. If you are a 1930's film fan, you must see this film.

Confession (I) (2005)

dull, far fetched and mundane story

[1/10 · 15 January 2006]

This is a really poor film. Even the ones made for "movie of the week "are better than this. The story line is predictable, the acting is equal to a high school production and the entire premise, based on the sanctity of the seal of confession is weak. If you are thinking of renting this on DVD , save your money. The girl who plays the main character's girlfriend (who is supposed to be in high school ) , looks about 25 rather than a teenager. There is so much miscasting it is a joke.

At best, the main character Luther, is annoying and my Himalayan cat has more emotion than he possesses. A real turkey!!!

The King on Main Street (1925)

Bittersweet love story that is dated but still charming

[8/10 · 16 August 2005]

The ever elegant Adolphe Menjou portrays an impoverished King from a mythical country who comes to the USA to broker an oil deal. He escapes his regimented schedule and runs off to Coney Island (my favorite childhood place being from Brooklyn, New York) where he meets the girl, played by Bessie Love. Although they have a "love affair" their relationship is platonic but nevertheless intense. Hollywood had a thing for kings who socialize with the masses in the 1920's and 30's but this story (because of the superb direction by Monta Bell) is an exception. There is a real chemistry between the two leads which is missing in a lot of other king and commoner films. You can really sense the depth of their feelings for each other. A real bittersweet love story of the silent era. Too bad this is not on DVD or VHS.

The Right to Live (1935)

Worth Watching

[7/10 · 21 July 2005]

This film is a remake of a famous play by W. Somerset Maugham called "The Sacred Flame". The original 1929 version is lost so there is nothing to compare this one to. The main characters are played by George Brent (who always looked fabulous in a dinner jacket) and Colin Clive as brothers in love with the same woman, Josephine Hutchinson . Colin Clive plays an amateur aviator (who lives on a beautiful estate with his mother) , marries a lovely woman (Ms. Hutchinson) and then has a tragic accident which leaves him with spinal damage and no hope of recovery. Enter George Brent (as Clive's brother) and as they say, the plot thickens.But the real reason to watch this movie is the incredible supporting cast. There is C. Aubrey Smith (who is always the consummate British gentleman) and Leo G. Carrol ( who lent class to any film and had impeccable diction) and an early Peggy Wood before she became everyone's favorite MAMA. If you love the 1930's films with their soap opera plots, great sets and WONDERFUL woman's costume by top designers (in this case Orry Kelly) then by all means watch this movie. Not on VHS or DVD but there is always TCM (thank heavens).

Pal Joey (1957)

Good but not great!!

[27 November 2003]

The Broadway play "Pal Joey" made a star out of an unknown

dancer named Gene Kelly and had a script that had zing and

wonderful Rogers and Hart songs that have become classics.

In the story, Joey is really a first class heel, a con artist, womanizer

and cad. The characters are very 1930's/40's and it is the world of

night clubs and show girls.

This movie version (and the only one that I know of) is very

"scrubbed" . The plot is somewhat close to the story but the lyrics

to the R & H tunes are very sanitized. They totally changed

"Bewitched" and by doing so lost the impact of the relationship

between Vera and Joey. He's a kept man and she doesn't mind

paying for sex as it makes her feel young again. The original story

also does not have a "Hollywood ending". Joey just leaves all

alone. They also miscast the Linda part and totally eradicated the

duet between Linda and Joey "I Could Write A Book" probably the

only really soft moment in Joey's character,

I do adore Sinatra and think that as a singer no one comes close

to his phrasing and delivery.

I just saw a stage revival of this show with Christine Andreas and it

was wonderful . Her "Bewitched" was sensational.

I suppose it was Sinatra's call all the way and the times it was

made also have an effect on it ....This should have been Gene

Kelly's part. He would have been so much more credible.

They Made Me a Criminal (1939)

A Mirror Image of another great film from the 1930's

[14 September 2003]

I have never been a big fan of John Garfield but seeing this movie gave me a different opinion. This is a well done remake of one of my all time favorite films "The Life of Jimmy Dolan" (1933) with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. , Loretta Young , a very young Mickey Rooney and a cameo by a guy named John Wayne. That film had one of the best love songs ever "How Deep Is the Ocean" as a background to the love scenes.

Garfield plays his boxer a little more as a looser than did Doug Fairbanks but he is great in the part.

What really drew me to this film was the "ensemble" cast of the Dead End Kids as the tough reform school guys on the farm that Garfield's character helps. The ever superb (and I feel also unrated) Leo Gorcey says it all with his body language and that face as the tough mug with a ice cube for a heart. He is wonderful. As for the rest of the Bowery Boys/Dead End Kids, they are also fabulous. How they play off each other is a lesson in acting.

I would recommend this film but for the classic take on this story see the Fairbanks film. It is outstanding.

Tennessee Johnson (1942)

VAN HEFLIN IS GREAT!

[16 July 2003]

OK, so it's not that accurate a portrait of the era and the writers may have fabricated "history" but that's Hollywood. Let's not under estimate Van Heflin. The guy was one of my favorites and terribly underrated. You can see all kinds of emotion in his eyes. He was not a very energetic actor like Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power nor did he have the matinee idol looks of a Robert Taylor but the guy was cerebral. He was brilliant in "Johnny Eager" and all but stole every scene he was in in "Santa Fe Trail". He excelled at complex characters.

I wonder what kind of career he would have had if he had lived longer.

Watch this movie with an open mind and really enjoy Heflin's acting.

Jane Eyre (1934)

Another case of "Hollywood" does their version of the classics

[16 July 2003]

I totally agree with reviewer of May 2003. This film is a travesty of a wonderful classic novel.

The entire film is made up..there are characters that do not even exist in the book and ones that are pivotal to the story were left out.

But the best mess was "Rochester's wife". Where did they dig her up? She was suppose to be insane not ugly and look like a witch.

Don't even bother to waste your time watching this turkey.Another case of "Did anybody bother to read the book"..

The Timothy Dalton version for the BBC is best and I also liked the Welles/Fontaine version in 1944 as well as the one with George C. Scott in 1970....all the newer ones are mediocre, at best.

Waking the Dead (2000–2011)

Brilliant , well written and fabulously acted

[8 July 2003]

I wish someone would be able to find out if they did more than one

pilot and 2 seasons of this show. It is by far one of the best things

ever on TV . The acting is just superb with Trevor Eve (who I have

adored for years ) heading a brilliant cast of relatively unknown

actors. Ever part in executed with realistic sensitivity and the

stories are timely yet not gory considering there is a lot of forensic

work afoot.

As a die-hard fan of Adam Dalgliesh, I rank this show as my #2

favorite from the BBC , tied with Inspector Morse.

God! are these Brits fabulous or what?

Anyone who finds out what's happening with this series in the UK

feel free to email me...I 'd love to know as I have seen every

episode at least 3xs..

I'll Wait for You (1941)

This has been done before

[5 July 2003]

The plot has been done before. Hard boiled gangster on the lam hides out at a farm and falls for the local nice/innocent girl next door.

Robert Sterling ( a poor man's Robert Taylor) plays Lucky the hood . He does a poor imitation of Robert Montgomery playing the part with a lot of Montgomery's mannerisms from "The Earl of Chicago".

Marsha Hunt plays the farm girl who really falls for him.

The plot has been done before , the very best of which is "The Life Of Jimmy Dolan" with Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

They did it for the $$$$$

[3 July 2003]

To summarize ....they obviously did it for the $$$$$$$..

The plot is stupid, the acting forced and who ever told Shalom

Harlow that she could be an actress....'

This movie was a waste of $3.95 from the video store..

and where did they get that dog?????

The Four Feathers (2002)

another example of Hollywood destroying a great book. A REAL TURKEY!!!!!!

[31 May 2003]

Don't waste your time and money renting this film. Once again,

some bean counter in Hollywood wrote the script and decided to

change what was a great book and a once classic film . First and

foremost, British stories about British characters should be played

by British actors, God knows there are enough of them around.

What was the accent that Kate Hudson was using? and how about

Wes Bentley? Kate Hudson had too many opinions and a snippy

character for a British woman in the 19th Century. The writers (if

that is what they were who did the script) wanted to "modernize"

her. AND...Where is one of the most critical scenes in the book (and

chilling in the 1939 version).....Harry getting the scar on his face

so he can pass as an Arab from a tribe that does not speak? I

guess the screen writers felt that if Heath grew his hair and a

beard that he would pass as an Arab......WRONG! maybe was he

more concerned about his profile and appeal to the female

audience than playing the part as written...but then again, that's

called ACTING!! The thrust of this story is about bravery, loyalty and the rules of the

British Empire at that time in history.This was all swept under the

carpet. More Hollywood than History.

If you want to see the real deal rent the 1939 version. IT has real

actors!! C. Aubrey Smith is a standout as the old general, Ralph

Richardson is fabulous. June Duprez, ,who to me was beautiful

but one dimensional, was even good. The story is very true to the

book and the film has become a classic.

THIS 2002 version is a real turkey!!! GOBBLE GOBBLE!!!

The Truth About Charlie (2002)

WHAT A DISASTER!!!

[5 April 2003]

I should have known better !!!

First and foremost, what Hollywood producer thinks he can

possibly top (or even come close ) to "CHARADE". Cary and

Audrey would surely turn over in their graves if they saw what a

hash was made out of one of the classiest films of all times. The

scenes of PARIS (missing here), that haunting boat ride on the

Seine with Notre Dame and that music in the background, Miss

Audrey in those Givenchy outfits being courted by Cary Grant ..need

I say more!!

The entire cast was a little better than a high school production of

teenage amateurs, none of whom, by the way, could even act their

way out of a paper bag. Who are these people and where did they

come from?

It was definitely a disgrace to the memory of one of Hollywood's

finest films. How could anyone have the audacity to think that they

could remake this movie ....if they were that determined, maybe

they could have gotten some real actors who had talent.

As we used to say in New York, before you watch this, check your

brains at the door!!

Better yet, don;t even bother it is a pure waste of time!!

Mystery!: Campion (1989–1990)

Much More Than He Seems too Be

[14 March 2003]

With his "owlish" glasses and a manservant named "Lugg" Margery Allingham's Albert Campion at first seems like a real twit . However, once you see our bespectacled hero in action you realize that he is a very distinctive sleuth capable of solving maddening mysteries. Aided by his valet cum assistant and friend, Magersfontein Lugg he faces each case in a stylish 1930's approach that was typical of the "golden age" of English Mysteries. Peter Davison is perfectly cast as Albert (whose true name and parentage are still a mystery) and he fits into his 1930's clothes and locations with ease and grace but it is Brian Glover as Lugg who really steals the show. A former wrestler before he became an actor, Glover plays his part so convincingly that one wonders how he could have been anything else in real life but Albert's sidekick. The two tackle some interesting cases in fabulous locations and wonderful period cars. If you like the protagonists from the golden age like Lord Peter Wimsey and Tommy and Tuppance , Campion is for you. Since this first appeared on "MYSTERY!" in 1989 it was never available on video. Now for the first time it is on both VHS and DVD.

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Does Anybody Bother to Read the Book???

[26 January 2003]

This is one of the worst movies of 2002. First of all it doesn't even

resemble the book by Robert Ludlum. They made this up as they

went along. It was all special effects and not much else. First and foremost, Matt Damon looked way too young for the part.

He is supposed to be a master spy and he looked like he just

graduated college....ZERO credibility. Then the girls part was a doctor of economics , she was all wet

too. Then they brought in a trio of assassins to get rid of Bourne. What

a waste of talent in Clive Owen who is one of the best new actors

around. Anyone who saw "Second Sight" will attest to his talent .

How cute, they made the "Professor" (his character ) drive a BMW.

After all those commercials he (Owen) did as "The Driver" this was

a "cutesy touch". Next , what ever happened to the character of Carlos? who was an

important part of the story (in the book).

If you want to see a better version of this book rent the TV movie

made in the 80's with Richard Chamberlin. He at least had the

maturity and credibility to play Jason Bourne and Jaclyn Smith was

at least believable as the doctor who becomes first his victim and

later his ally.

She plays Dr.Marie St.Jacques, a Canadian economist whose life

intertwines with that of the spy on the run.

The TV versions also had better location shots. The new version

was so dank and cold and wet all the time it made me want to

have a box of Kleenex ready in case I got a cold.

I can only say that everyone in this film was motivated by one thing,

to quote a great line from Sean Connery's character in the

movie"The Great Train Robbery". When asked why he committed

the crime he replies....

"I did it for the money"....

MY sentiments exactly.

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes: The Last Vampyre (1993) Season 3, Episode 1

A VERY SEXY VAMPYRE

[4 January 2003]

I am a true fan of Mr. Holmes and the sublime Mr. Brett and have read the entire "Canon" a few times. Although this is barely based on the original story "The Case of the Sussex Vampyre"it does have one very redeeming quality and that is a superb performance by a truly underrated actor ,Roy Marsden. I love Roy as Adam Dalgliesh in the PJ James series and think he was not only brilliant as this title character but gave an aura of sex to the part that is missing in the original story.

You have to really watch this a few times to get the essence of the plot but after you do you might share my feeling about Roy Marsden.....he can bite my neck any time.