Bpaxson002 Reviews

Poirot: The Big Four (2013) Season 13, Episode 2

It was very good until.....

[4/10 · 28 May 2024]

My wife and I have been watching this series for some time. I have also been reading the novels and short stories, so I know the solutions before a given episode is watched.

So I had some trepidation when The Big Four came time to been seen. It is not one of Christie's best books. It reads too much like a Sax Rohmer, where the villain commits crimes and then escapes the hero's clutches.

I figured this is why the showrunner and writers left it to last season. It would be hard to adapt and not make it all seem like 60s James Bond movie.

Thus I was very much surprised at how three quarters of the show ran. It was concise and well played out.

Then the final act came and I could not believe me eyes and ears.

Instead of stopping a world wide cartel, we have a jilted lover. All this murder and mayhem, world wide and governments shaking because some guy got his feeling hurt.

Hard to believe this is the same writer who came up with Sherlock for the BBC

Avoid this one, if you can.

More Wild Wild West (1980 TV Movie)

A painful finale to a great show

[2/10 · 26 June 2023]

This is a made for TV movie attempting to cash in on one of the more violent 60s series. With westerns being somewhat blaze', the writers and production company decided to go the way of slapstick comedy.

To that end, they bring in Jonathan Winters as a Loveless substitute, only less intertaining. I'm not sure who I feel worse for: Conrad and Martin for being sucked into this mess or Winters for trying to adapt his talent to get this boat to float.

The best of this is watching Ross Martin in one of his final roles. A man of impeccable talent, he gives his best while everyone else seems to be phoning it in. The only real reason to watch this film is to complete the set.

The Wild Wild West: The Night of the Eccentrics (1966) Season 2, Episode 1

The Night of the Eccentric Show

[4/10 · 16 April 2023]

With the coming of color broadcast, it seems this episode sacrificed plot and characterization for production values. While it was not the first episode filmed, it was chosen to the first broadcast. It was fast paced but had little story other than Victor Bruno and team showing up when it was time to move the story along

Ross Martain's Artie strangely included. Appearing, getting injured, stuck in hospital and then showing up in disguise toward the end or no reason. Then filmed from behind and forced to end the show in a chair. All very odd.

To me it seemed he producers where trying to out Batman Batman.

Blonde (2022)

Makes the John Belushi, Wired, seem an Oscar Winner by contrast

[2/10 · 1 January 2023]

If you are looking for in-depth coverage of M's character, you should change the channel. This miscarriage of digital storytelling is nothing more than attempt to make some money on dead woman's image. However, they did find a new way to do it: Simply make things up!

Yeah it is based on a crappy novel, but that is no excuse. Maybe the guy who did the direction and scriptwriting should stick to his music videos. He seems unfit for anything else. If I was Netflix, I'd be asking for my money back from Dominik. Or maybe they are looking for a tax write off like WB is using. Can we put this one back in the can and get Batgirl released instead?

Edge of Doom (1950)

B level movie of Pretentious Claptrap

[3/10 · 20 May 2021]

Edge of Doom is a very good example of when one has produced too much. Sam Goldwyn must have phoned this movie in from his beside, as he lets Mark Robson direct this fairy tale on how the Church fails it's parishioners.

Dana Andrews' Father Roth uses a tale of murder to show a disgruntled fellow priest how pesky god can be in his work. An emotionally upset Farley Granger simply wants to bury his still warm dead mother. However, everyone seems to be working against him: Boss, girl friend, fellow apartment building renters.

When the grieving son pleads his case to the parish priest, he is met with scorn and yelling. Of course the mother had been giving the church money for decades, but suddenly there is nothing to help bury her with. Son goes nuts and kills priest.

Now assistant priest decides to help find the murderer, knowing god would not let said murderer get away. For the next 90 minutes, movie watchers are showed how dumb the cops are and how smart and forgiving the church is.

Production values for this film are ok. It could have been a better film had they made it more of a noir than how great and put upon the church is. Sadly it is not.

Vlad the Impaler (2018)

Certainly not a Vampire tale.....

[6/10 · 7 October 2020]

While looking for Dracula movies (free, because I am a cheap person), I came across this movie. It certainly wasn't what I expected. It is interesting to see a modern movie depicting Vlad Tepes as a bad guy.

I am not up on on the history of between Vlad and the Ottoman Empire, so I can not say how accurate it is, but it does make for an interesting story. If not a bit hard to follow. The cinematography and direction are very good. What really sucks is the the english dubbing. The dialog seems off and the voice actors did a really bad job.

If you are looking for vampires, stay away If you want something on the level of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves with bad dialog, spend some time with this one.