Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 5 (Charlie Chan At The Wax Museum/Murder Over New York/Dead Men Tell/Charlie Chan In Rio/Charlie Chan In Panama/Murder Cruise/Castle in the Desert) Review

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(More customer reviews)Sidney Toler's Chan was nothing like Warner Oland's characterization. But if the truth be told, it's Toler who comes through in the pages of Earl Derr Biggers novels, not Oland. I know because as an inveterate Oland fan, I tried very hard to see my hero in the six Chan novels but, alas, it was Toler who showed up in my mind's eyes and ears. As for the Toler films, it took Fox awhile to reposition the series to capture Toler's strengths. If Oland's Chan was like a stately mandarin, Toler's was more of a gritty, Sam Spade-like characterization.
By late 1940, Fox had tailored the scripts to suit Toler's personality and replaced the globe-trotting Oland formula ("At the Race Track," "At the Olympics," "On Broadway") with a compact film noir-like mystery format that was closer stylistically to "The Maltese Falcon" than to "Sherlock Holmes." And it worked too. "Wax Museum" and "Dead Men Tell" are especially adroit little films that benefit from the Fox studio's top technicians, set and costume designers, and superb supporting cast of contract players. Even a pre-Superman George Reeves shows up in "Dead Men Tell." The last of the Fox Chans, "Castle in the Desert" ended the series on a high level of quality. Presumably, the coming of World War II cut off the overseas markets and cut deeply into the potential revenues of these films, thus ending the series.
My favorite Toler is included in the set, CHARLIE CHAN IN PANAMA. The story is surprisingly timely with spies (today we call them terrorists) plotting to blow up the Panama Canal as the U.S. Naval Fleet is going through it. Charlie is working undercover in this one as a shopkeeper but considering how well known he was supposed to be, wouldn't he stand out like a sore thumb? (Maybe the bad guys are still looking for Warner Oland) The plot takes its time to get going but the climax is as suspenseful as any of the higher-rated Chans. The killer is exceptionally well hidden and the writers exploit our subconscious biases so we keep the individual off our suspect list without even realizing it.
While the earlier Tolers of 1939 only served to emphasize that the "real" Charlie Chan was gone, these last entries show a successful evolution in format and are quite enjoyable if you can just let Toler be Toler, forget (albeit momentarily) about Oland, and ironically see the Chan that Earl Derr Biggers probably had in mind when he wrote his stories. I am sure (this is a pre-release review)that the print quality of these films is excellent if the short-lived Fox Movie Channel airings of a few years back were any indication - they offer stunning b/w photography when the studio system was at its peak.

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Disc 1: Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum Disc 2: Murder Over New York Disc 3: Dead Men Tell Disc 4: Charlie Chan in Rio Disc 5: Charlie Chan in Panama Disc 6: Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise Disc 7: Castle in the Desert Disc 8: Charlie Chan: The Fox Years

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The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection (1944) Review

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(More customer reviews)MPI Home Video has made a terrific decision here, combining all of its previously released DVD boxed sets of this classic 14-film series into one affordable package. It is a must buy for any Sherlock Holmes fan, or anyone who enjoys classic mysteries, who does not already have all of these wonderful films.
When these were first released on DVD it was truly a cause for celebration, as it represented the completed painstaking restoration of all 14 classic films by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
The UCLA Theatre Archives did an award-winning job in restoring and thus preserving these great films from 35mm master copies into the digital format, sometimes literally being forced to piece together the celluloid remnants that they found.
It took the archivists several years to complete the entire project, but was well worth the wait. The result is that the black and white images seem as fresh today as when the films were released to theatres more than 40 years ago. The archivists deserve a hearty thanks from all movie fans concerned with preserving America's classic cinema heritage for future generations to enjoy.
This boxed set includes a facinating feature on what it took to restore the films. Well worth watching, it's wonderful that it's included.
Atmospherically, "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is arguably the best of the 14 Holmes films, and the only one based specifically on a Conan Doyle story. It, and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," are the only two "period" films in the series and run longer, the remainder taking place in then modern-day England and America of the late 30s and early 40s and run about 90 minutes each.
Because the "regular" series was made during World War II, there are many references to it, as well as some facinating patriotic drum beating on the part of Holmes that concludes many of the films.
In both "Hound" and "Adventures," Holmes dons his deerstalker cap, popularized by original Strand Magazine illustrator Sidney Paget who made the image synonymous with the great detective. It is interesting to note that in the first of the non-period films in the series, Holmes reaches for his handy deerstalker, but is stopped by Watson. "Holmes," Watson said, "you promised." Leaving the deerstalker on the peg, Holmes grabs a "modern" hat instead.
Rathbone is especially sharp in "Hound of the Baskervilles," and is partnered by Bruce, who plays a bumbling Watson throughout the 14 films that was not Conan Doyle's vision of the great sleuth's biographical "Boswell." Nonetheless, the pairing is hugely entertaining and satisfying.
The creation of the moor, the sinister grimpen mire and truly terrifying hound remains fantastic and does much to engender this story as one of Conan Doyle's most popular with modern-day
readers and viewers alike.
The final scene represents the only reference any of the 14 films made to Holmes' "seven-percent" cocaine habit as Rathbone asks Bruce to retrieve "the needle." The scene, criticized as too risque by 1939 audiences, caused the film's producers to make a conscious decision to omit any additional mention of Holmes' recreational drug use in future outings.
All of the films are really enjoyable and bear up wonderfully well under repeat viewings. For me, two of the best films of the "regular" series are The Scarlet Claw, where a village believes the supernatural is at work killing people, and Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, where Holmes must solve the riddle of the Musgrave Ritual.
Not matter your age, these films deliver hours of enjoyment, and thanks to the UCLA Theater Archives and MPI, will for generations to come. I only wish that Rathbone and Bruce had lived to see their great work released to new audiences in this pristine DVD condition.

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The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection stars Basil Rathbone as the legendary Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as the venerable Dr. John H. Watson. The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection is comprised of all 14 classic films on 5 discs: "THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES: ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES,""SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR,""SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON,""SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON,""SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH," "SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE SPIDER WOMAN," "SHERLOCK HOLMES THE SCARLET CLAW," "SHERLOCK HOLMES IN PEARL OF DEATH," "SHERLOCK HOLMES HOUSE OF FEAR," "SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE WOMAN IN GREEN," "SHERLOCK HOLMES PURSUIT TO ALGIERS," "SHERLOCK HOLMES TERROR BY NIGHT," SHERLOCK HOLMES DRESSED TO KILL."

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Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Definitive Collection Review

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(More customer reviews)Well for the benefit of the woman who asked me to explain the difference in the Poirot collections back when the Acorn sets of the "original series" came out, now she and others who waited can complete their collection and save space at the same time. This indeed is all 12 feature length episodes released to date that were shown here on A&E. For those of you bought them like me in either the smaller sets of 4 and/or individuals, their is nothing new here, but at least this set like the 2 Acorn sets (1 of the hour length shows, the other of the 2 hour ones both of which aired "here" on PBS and A&E later on) will take up less space on your shelf. Since nothing new was added, I will be content with what I have, if by now 7 years after they started you have not gotten any of the A&E ONLY aired stories now is your chance to get them all together. 12 for less than $100 is most definitely a bargain.

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Tony Award-nominee David Suchet is Hercule Poirot - dressed to the nines, impeccably mannered and infuriatingly arch, he is a detective like no other. Adapted from Agatha Christie's celebrated mysteries, each film features beautiful settings and an impeccable cast.Now, for the first time, twelve of Suchet's feature-length Poirot mysteries are available together in this collector's set. Produced by Brian Eastman (Traffik, Jeeves & Wooster), these exquisitely crafted tales of death and deception were filmed on location around the world, and features enough murder and mystery to test the mettle of our inimitably beloved Belgian sleuth.AGATHA CHRISTIE S POIROT: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION contains all twelve A&E feature-length Poirot films: THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD: Poirot's retirement in a quiet country village ends abruptly with the death of his disagreeable neighbor. LORD EDGWARE DIES: Intervening in a sticky marital situation, Poirot suddenly finds himself in the midst of murder.MURDER IN MESOPOTAMIA: Poirot visits an ancient site in Iraq just before the head archeologist's unpopular wife is killed.EVIL UNDER THE SUN: Death intrudes on Poirot's island holiday, and only he can determine who is responsible.DEATH ON THE NILE: A pleasure cruise down the Nile turns deadly when a murder is discovered on board. Thank goodness Poirot is along for the ride.SAD CYPRESS: The solution to a double-murder case appears to be cut and dry, but Poirot's impeccable instincts eventually lead him to the real truth.THE HOLLOW: A weekend retreat where all the guests appear to despise one another finds Poirot hard at work doing what he does best.FIVE LITTLE PIGS: Poirot agrees to help a young woman prove her mother's innocence, 14 years after being sent to the gallows.THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN: When the daughter of an oil magnate is found dead on the famous Blue Train to the French Riviera, Poirot must investigate the past to reveal the killer.TAKEN AT THE FLOOD: Mystery surrounds a young woman after her new husband is killed in the London Blitz, and the mystery deepens when a man who may be her first husband shows up dead.AFTER THE FUNERAL: Following the murder of a wealthy patriarch, Poirot is called upon to begin an investigation. The case takes a wild twist however, when his prime suspect turns up dead.CARDS ON THE TABLE: When a woman is found dead at a card game, four investigators--including Poirot himself set out to discover which guest is the killer.

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Inspector Lewis Complete Set: Pilot, Series 1 & 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I absolutely love this show! I am one of perhaps a dozen people on the planet who enjoyed watching 'Inspector Morse' more for the character of Sergeant Lewis than for Morse. I am angered, however, by the shameful way 'Lewis' is treated by PBS.
Have you ever watched an episode and wondered 'How did Hathaway know about that film deal?' or 'Why are they suspecting so-and-so all of a sudden?'; not to mention some incongruous, apparently midday, wardrobe changes? I'll tell you why this happens: these DVDs do NOT have the complete version of the episodes; PBS has done a hatchet job on them. They cut even more scenes from the versions they air on Masterpiece Mystery.
The only complete versions are those on the ITV DVDs which you'll need a region-free DVD player to watch. On the bright side, you can get the ITV versions of the pilot and series 1 through 3 (12 episodes) and a Behind-the-Scenes bonus disc for about the same price as incomplete versions of the pilot and series 1 and 2 (11 episodes - what PBS calls series 1-2 includes all the series 1 and 2 episodes and three series 3 episodes; excluding only the episode 'Counter Culture Blues' from series 3. Don't ask me why.). Oh, and the British DVDs have subtitles, too.
American license-holders: Stop giving us an inferior product for an increased price!!

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Inspector Robert Lewis (Kevin Whately) is back on familiar ground-Oxford, England-though not all is as it was. Five years after the death of his long-time partner, the legendary Inspector Morse (John Thaw), Lewis is trying to prove himself to his dubious new boss while rebuilding his life following the hit-and-run death of his wife. To do that, he must confront his past, his future, and his new younger partner, the brilliant and distant Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox). Fortunately for Lewis, his most compelling cases haven't changed much at all; they still revolve around the secrets and lies of the Oxford elite he knows so well. This set contains 11 mysteries: the series pilot, Whom the Gods Would Destroy, Old School Ties, Expiation, And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea, Music to Die For, Life Born of Fire, The Great and the Good, Allegory of Love, The Quality of Mercy, and The Point of Vanishing.

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Inspector Lynley - A Great Deliverance (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)This wasn't exactly the story I was expecting to see after reading the novel (some aspects of the solution to the mystery were changed), but it still stood beautifully on its own. This program introduces the odd couple detective team of the aristocratic Thomas Lynley and the working class Barbara Havers, investigating the beheading of a farmer in a small English town. The locales were stunning, and the casting was true to the spirit of the characters in the books, although the dark-haired actor playing Lynley was a little hard to get used to. Sharon Small as the angry, defensive, beleaguered, vulnerable, good-hearted Havers was fantastic. Havers has always been the key character to me, the one I keep reading the mysteries for, and it was such a pleasure to see an actress capture who she was so beautifully. Everything important about the character was there: everything from her family problems to her budget clothing, her inferiority complex, her temper, her capability, her gentleness, and examples of the humorous situations that she keeps finding herself in. The actress was absolutely captivating. This is a wonderful start to this new line of video mysteries. I can't wait to see Havers on the screen again. This fan of Elizabeth George mysteries, for one, is absolutely thrilled.

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Talk about a puzzling case. Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard (Nathaniel Parker, Far from the Maddding Crowd) is assigned to investigate the gruesome murder of a farmer in a seemingly peaceful country village, but it’s his new partner, Sgt. Barbara Havers (Sharon Small, About a Boy), whom he’s finding indecipherable. Havers is as gritty, rumpled, and working-class as the Inspector is refined, well-heeled, and sophisticated. Is the murderer the farmer’s shy daughter who was found next to her father’s decapitated corpse? The nephew who stands to inherit the farm? The estranged wife who’s protecting her new family from an unsightly past? Or is it a suspicious village resident with a shady past and a weak alibi? Based on the best-selling mystery by Elizabeth George, A Great Deliverance introduces Inspector Lynley with first-rate performances and abundant amounts of nail-biting suspense.Special DVD features include: virtual tour of the Mystery! studio; Q&A with Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small; selected cast filmographies; selected cast list; biography for Diana Rigg, host of Mystery!; bibliography for Elizabeth George; selected cast list; link to the Mystery! Web site; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.On one DVD9 disc.Region coding: All regions.Audio: Dolby stereo.Screen format: Letterboxed.

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The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Volume One (Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror /Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon /Sherlock Holmes In Washington /Sherlock Holmes Faces Death) (1943) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a real affection for these Sherlock Holmes films. I'm a fan of Sherlock Holmes in general, but I think this pairing of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce is my favorite screen combination. Yes, I realize that such offerings may horrify the average Holmes scholar, but I can't help my tastes. What they lose in deviation from the original source, they more than make up for in style.
The first thing to be mentioned is how clear the picture and sound are on these restorations. Films of this age can be hit or miss when released on DVD, but these prints are in remarkably good shape.
I'll now quickly offer an opinion on each of the four movies. Note that these are the first four films in the series. When Universal bought the rights to Holmes, they decided to update the great detective. They not only brought him to the then-current time, they also decided that he should face what was the greatest threat of the day. So, for the first three movies, Holmes is aiding the Allies during WWII, a setting that he seems (at least to me) to fit into comfortably.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR is the first "spy catcher" that Holmes is involved in. It works. However, it attempts to be a triumph of style over substance and that's fine until one starts looking at the plot too closely. Still, it's a fiendishly stylish production with the fine lighting and careful choreography that would be a hallmark of the series.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON is based upon Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" and the code-breaking aspect of the original fits very comfortably into the WWII setting. This was one of my favorites as a child and I am happy to see that its just as much fun now.
SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON features Holmes and Watson being driven around back-projected images of Washington, DC stock footage. Notable more for Watson's attempts at going native than for actual plot. It's fun if nothing else.
SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH is the first one which places Holmes and Watson back into their familiar roles of detectives rather than spy-catchers. I enjoyed the first three movies, but it's nice to get back to basics. The story and its resolution are rather clever.
The front of the DVD case proclaims that it is "Loaded with DVD extras", which is stretching the definition of "loaded" quite a bit. Photo galleries don't really confer "must-own" status, and the only additional DVD extra is a commentary track which is only available on one of the four movies. "Loaded"? That's a bit strong.
That said, the commentary track for SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH is really excellent. Given by David Stuart Davies (according to the cover, a renowned British author), this offers a lot of trivial insight and critical observation. Realizing perhaps that listeners would not be viewing this commentary in isolation, Davies also makes comments particular to other films in this same box set. He offers a lot of comparisons between the original stories/characters and how they ended up being presented on film. He goes into a lot of detail concerning the history of this film series, as well as pointing out the actors who had appeared in others of this series. I found this a hugely enjoyable and informative commentary. (Beware that the commentary track does contain spoilers, so make sure you watch the films first.)
I'm very happy that these films have finally been cleaned up and released on DVD. I'm also thrilled to see that I can enjoy them as an adult as much as I did as a child. I'm definitely confident enough to order the next two box sets.

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Contains four classic feature films: SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR (1942) - When taunting saboteurs warn of a Nazi invasion of the British Isles through a horrific radio menace, the British Intelligence's Inner Council calls in Sherlock Holmes to help in the crisis.SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (1942) – The great detective must stop the Nazis from getting their hands on a new bombsight, wrapped in a code of dancing men.SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (1943) – Top-secret documents are missing and a British secret service agent is dead.Holmes and Watson go to Washington to recover the documents before they fall into the wrong hands.SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH (1943) - Holmes and Watson are summoned to Musgrave Manor to investigate a murder. Holmes solves a complicated puzzle of an ancient family ritual to expose the murderer.BONUS MATERIAL Commentary from renowned British author David Stuart Davies Photo Gallery Original Movie Posters

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Agatha Christie's Marple Series 3 (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Now, I have to say right off, that, even though I appreciated Geraldine McEwen's portrayal much more, the scriptwriters had her saying the most hilariously inane things--unfortunately the viewer is tempted to laugh in all the wrong places, despite her excellent performance. No one on the production staff seemed the least bit concerned with historical or literary accuracy. It makes you sigh for what could have been.
Also ironic is the appearance of perhaps an anti-clergy slant, since Miss Marple was the daughter of an Anglican vicar. Earlier we saw at least one alcoholic rector, and now we have presented to us a), a society matron in the book Nemesis changed into a murderously obsessed nun for television; and b), a character changed from the kind, gentle Canon Pennyfather in the novel of At Bertram's Hotel to a crazed Nazi war criminal masquerading as an Anglican priest.
Nor is the QUIET, efficiently run establishment of understated elegance in the novel anywhere to be seen; it is a place of utter chaos invaded by an American jazz band (which Miss Marple seems to relish; she's almost snapping her finger to the beat--"Yeah man"). Yikes! By changing and inventing all the characters for the TV series while keeping some basic thread of the original plot, the viewer gets the worst of both worlds: Everything but the ending is now a surprise.
Which brings us to the most hilarious bit of all: In Bertram's Hotel, when Miss Marple asks Jane, the chambermaid, if she and the chief inspector are going to get married after discovering romance, the young woman says, "Oh no, we're just going to live together; that's how it's done these days" (remember, this is 1952); and even more roll-on-the-floor funny is Miss Marple's reply: "That's not what I would have done at your age, but I probably would now."
Oh yes. Little ladylike Miss Marple shacking up with the (not even very handsome) chief inspector. Good lord--where will the scriptwriters go from there? That's the REAL mystery.

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As seen on the PBS Mystery! series Though they might be fooled by her delicate exterior, criminals underestimate Agatha Christie's mild-mannered spinster sleuth at their peril! In the expert care of acclaimed actress Geraldine McEwan (Vanity Fair, The Magdalene Sisters), the beloved Miss Marple takes on new vibrance as a "worldly lady with a past, full of fun and mischief" (London Times). In her golden years, Miss Marple blends into the scenery of her elegant surroundings. All the better to observe the foibles of human nature that lead to evil -- and to surprise one and all when she solves crimes that baffle the professionals. Rich with period detail, these all-new adaptations feature stellar supporting casts, including Richard E. Grant, Amanda Burton, Eileen Atkins, Saffron Burrows, Greg Wise, Martine McCutcheon, Francesca Annis, Peter Davison, Jane Seymour, and Juliet Stevenson. "Spectacular" -- DVD Talk The Mysteries Nemesis Towards Zero At Bertram’s Hotel Ordeal by Innocence DVD SPECIAL FEATURES include photo galleries, Agatha Christie bio, and cast filmographies.

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The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2 (The House of Fear/The Spider Woman/Pearl of Death/The Scarlet Claw) (1944) Review

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(More customer reviews)Lets be thankful that we are going to soon be treated to restored versions of these classics. I have purchased versions of the Scarlet Claw that were nearly inaudible and blurred. And it has been out of print for some time.
So I am writing this pre-review to express my Great Expectations and excitement over the upcoming DVD release of the 14 Sherlock Holmes movies made by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
For those of us who have loved and worn out our VHS versions of these films, I am sure that I speak for many of us in expressing incredible anticipation and near shock that someone has finally recognized the need to release a "restored version" of these timeless classics.
We are told that they have been "Preserved and restored in 35mm by the UCLA Film and Television Archive." This is marvelous and I have already pre-ordered Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 from MPI Home Video.
I so hope that the entire 14 movies, are ultimately released in restored condition. Especially the rarest of them, "The Scarlet Claw" which has rarely been shown on televison and only been available on VHS sporadically.
To me and many others I know, Basil Rathbone is the definative Holmes. Not just because he looks alarmingly similar -as much as is humanly possible- to Sidney Pagets drawings of Holmes from the Strand Magazine illustrations, but mostly we love Rathbone because he portrayed the same Holmes that we as readers get through the buffer of Dr. Watson explaining away not magnifying Holmes' shortcomings.
Jeremy Brett chose to amplify every negative aspect of Holmes' personality that in the written versions Watson explained away. Rathbone's Holmes has been demeaned visciously over the past years and hopefully the respect and dignity that he gave his portrayals will be seen in all their accuracy and glory with these new digitally restored releases. ... these will have to be the best quality versions of these classics ever released...so for all of us who have cursed the incomprehensibly awful releases of these films over the years...our time has almost come. Show your support for this effort by ordering a restored version of American Film Histroy.
Much Thanks to UCLA, MPI, and Whoever was ultimately responsible for the idea of doing this!!!!

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The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithfulcohort Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm tooriginal condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This newly restoredversion of the classic film includes the period war bond tag and studio logo and creditsfrom its original theatrical release. Filled with ominous shadows and interesting cameraangles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning. Includes: Sherlock Holmes and The Scarlet Claw Sherlock Holmes and The Spider Woman Sherlock Holmes and The House of Fear Sherlock Holmes and the Pearl of Death

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Murphy's Law: Series Two Review

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(More customer reviews)You will find it hard to take your eyes away, even with all the blood & violence because of the intriguing stories and action. Murphy (James Nesbitt), the wild Irish copper, who sometimes reacts in a rather volatile fashion, yet experiences personal mental anguish over his daughter's murder and his own part in that past event. Now in London, he serves as an undercover investigator in all kinds of situations, playing whatever lowlife role is needed, and so convincingly, but not always by the books. This covert series is unrated but very adult, with violence, blood, earthy language, nudity, and the disturbing life you'd expect to see the undercover cops enter to find the lowest of criminals.
DS Tommy Murphy (undercover cop with a haunting past) has a rugged body that takes abuse frequently, a mind always a step ahead of the people around him (be they the low-life he's undercover to investigate or other coppers), and he's funny. He has a smart mouth, quick wit that generally opens with a biting comment at just the wrong time, getting himself a fist or other injury, or when he's getting close to a romantic moment, which usually ices all inspiration.
Carter (Del Synnott) another copper, is a regular as is Father McBride(Mark Benton) an old Irish friend of Murphy's who tries to help, but can compound a decision. Clarke (Sarah Berger) is now the leading female cop.
All 6 episodes come with the available SUBTITLE option, which also helps those who struggle with the thick Irish brogue of Nesbitt. It's a strong accent but quite lovable.
Non-spoiler details of individual episodes:
1 JACK'S BACK DI Guthrie (Claudia Harrison, a regular in Series 1)is stabbed to death while doing a covert homeless gig. Murphy takes a turn as homeless (and humorously) to find a serial killer. A shelter's counselor/preacher, Rev. Norris (Andrew Bicknell) seems suspect. A surprise violent ending.
2 BENT MOON N THE RISE Reassigned to a drug squad after a cop suicide, Murphy looks at an inside police racial problem. Another insider problem may be the real factor, and another DC dies. Murphy includes within his cop-squad investigation a close check of beautiful DC Mel Kovacs (Kristy Mitchell), up-close and personally.
3 RINGERS Murphy goes undercover with INTERPOL officer Benoit (William Nadylam) in a car smuggling ring headed by Raines (Raad Rawi.) Quick success but Raines avoids arrest. Something is fishy in car theft dealings. What's the bigger prize?
4 GO ASK ALICE A drowned child case, claimed by mother to have been poisoned by chemical waste, has evidence she may have been right. For proof, Murphy is sent undercover as a 'cleaning man'. Seems to be plenty of cover-up to uncover by this undercover cop in coveralls. 6 dead but a good ending.
5 CONVENT DS Murphy goes undercover in a convent--Oh sure! right! Holy unbelievable. A suicide nun? Is the convent shower scene necessary? Drugs & nuns seems to be a comedy episode but the bodies prove otherwise. PRAY 'Father' Murphy (this episode's covert gig) solves the mystery fast.
6 THE GROUP Undercover in a psychologist's treatment/support group, Murphy discovers the name and location of his daughter's IRA murderer. How will the explosive characteristic of Murphy's personality cause him to react? ...well, besides sleeping with the gorgeous married female support group's member? Murphy's emotional heart bleeds in this episode.
Made for BBC Northern Ireland, seen on BBC America, not on DVD and worth it for adult viewing, not for children. A strong British crime drama series.


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A maverick Irish cop takes on the London crime world
"Clever and unsettling" --Entertainment Weekly "Outstanding series" --The Mirror (U.K.)
James Nesbitt (Cold Feet, Match Point) returns as undercover cop Tommy Murphy in this action-packed crime drama. In Series 2, the stakes are higher, the stories grittier, and Murphy even more tormented. He takes on six different personas as he hunts for a serial killer, investigates a young officer\'s death, joins an Interpol investigation, tracks down the truth about a biotech laboratory, solves a suicide in a convent, and has the chance to exact a very personal revenge.
"Nesbitt acts the hell out of the lead role" (San Francisco Chronicle), written especially for him by novelist Colin Bateman (Divorcing Jack). Death holds no fear for Murphy; the worst already happened when the IRA murdered his daughter years ago. He masks his troubled past with his Irish charm and wisecracking demeanor, but his demons can\'t stay buried forever.
As seen on BBC America.

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Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime - Tommy & Tuppence, Set 1 (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Tommy and Tuppence mysteries are frothier and lighter than the Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot mysteries, but it's their lightness that makes them unique. They're well translated into film in this delightful threepack of the first five mysteries.
"Secret Adversary" is the only movie-length episode: Tommy and Tuppence, childhood friends, reunite post WW1 in financially tight circumstances. To drum up some money, they decide to become adventurers. But their lighthearted venture becomes deadly serious when they become enmeshed in an international situation involving a packet of secret documents, a mysterious girl named Jane Finn, an American millionaire and an elusive mastermind called only "Mr. Brown."
"Affair of the Pink Pearl" takes place a while after "Adversary," and is definitelty frothier. Tommy finds the cure for Tuppence's boredom: a detective agency, which they take over and inject new life into. Soon they are called on to retrieve a stolen pink pearl.
"The House of Lurking Death" is the destination of T&T, when an appealing young woman comes to tell them that someone in her house sent her poisoned chocolates. At first it seems to be a straightforward case -- but nothing is as simple as it seems.
"Finessing the King" is a little more gruesome than its predecessors. Tuppence drags Tommy to a costume ball and then to the restaurant "Ace of Spades," where they find a woman in a Queen of Hearts costume, stabbed on the floor. All evidence points to her lover, including her dying words, but of course nothing is so simple.
"The Clergyman's Daughter" comes to T&T with her problems: She thinks that her house may be haunted, by a poltergeist that is scaring off the paying guests she has there. The two travel to the house to find out exactly what the source of the mayhem is.
If you are expecting the same level of complexity as a Poirot/Wimsey/Marple mystery, you will be disappointed. With the exception of "Adversary," these mysteries were all based on short stories, and so they can't afford to be too complex. Nevertheless, they are enormous fun and some of them will definitely keep you guessing. There's plenty of wry comedy in this series, including Tuppence's turn as a weird spiritualist, her array of hats ("there are... NUANCES to them!"), and Albert's obsession with movies. (His dying gangster act is especially funny)
Francesca Annis is enormous fun as Tuppence, with a delightfully flaky charm that covers a brain as brilliant -- if not more brilliant -- than Tommy's. Her 1920s wardrobe is definitely eye-catching; she is also one of the few women I've ever seen who could make Audrey Hepburn look buxom. James Warwick is as noticeable in a quieter way as Tommy, with his cute smile, delightfully confused attitude, and attempts at Sherlock-Holmesian suavity and brilliance. Reece Dinsdale is flawless as Albert, the loyal sidekick with a weakness for Rudolph Valentino movies.
Some of the secondary actors are not quite as good; almost the entire cast of "House of Lurking Death" (except the fanatic) is about as expressive as pine boards with painfully civil dialogue, the girl playing Lois overdoes the breathy damsel act, and the Esther actress is hammy, period. The title character of "Clergyman's Daughter" also has an annoying habit of starting every sentence with a strained "oh." The other supporting actors are very good, though.
This is a delightful collection, and well worth watching.

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A bored, wealthy socialite couple take over a defunct detective agency.Genre: MysteryRating: NRRelease Date: 8-APR-2003Media Type: DVD

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