Crossword Mysteries “Proposing Murder” #1.2 (2019) (TV)

Doesn’t play fair,  7 August 2021

In this Hallmark mystery movie, crossword editor Tess Harper (Lacey Chabert) is once again set on helping Detective Logan (Brennan Elliot) with a murder investigation.  Tess feels she must get involved as the victim was a friend.  The clues lead to a valuable ring, a code cipher, an elusive children’s book, and at least one attempt on Tess’ life.    

For the first time since I began watching these Hallmark movies, I found one that failed to entertain.  I can and have overlooked a lot of shortcomings with these films as long as I enjoy the experience.  But with clues that go nowhere, police that act like idiots, and the forced chemistry between the two main leads, Proposing Murder just didn’t work for me.  But my main complaint comes in the film’s last act.  One of the things that bothers me most about a mystery is one that doesn’t play fair with the viewer.  You know, the ones that present vital clues in the final scene that lead to unmasking the killer.  The kind of clues that the viewer would have no way of knowing anything about.  Well, Proposing Murder commits this sin.  While most of these Hallmark mysteries are guilty of this to some degree, this one is the worst I’ve run across so far.  

  

4/10

Mystery 101 “Dead Talk” #1.4 (2019) (TV)

Entertaining,  5 August 2021

Dead Talk makes the fifth Hallmark mystery movie I’ve watched recently.  In Dead Talk Professor Amy Winslow (Jill Wagner) is invited to speak at a TED Talk like event.  But when one of the other participants, a software developer, falls from the roof of the event building, Winslow’s focus switches to solving a murder. 

Thus far, Dead Talk is easily my favorite movie in the Mystery 101 series.  The writing here is the star.  Dead Talk features a wonderfully convoluted story.  What starts out as a fairly straightforward mystery with a few obvious suspects transforms into something completely different.  There are plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting.  I was guessing (wrong) until the very end.  Watching the plot unfold to a nice conclusion was incredibly entertaining.  I was also impressed that the plot was fairly straightforward in presenting clues to the viewer. It’s a fun one to play along with.

Jill Wagner and Kristoffer Polaha continue to shine.  And I really like the continuing storyline involving Winslow and Burke’s evolving relationship.   It’s a small moment, but I really enjoyed the scene where Burke is doing everything he can to be invited to go to Seattle with Winslow’s father.  Polaha does a particularly nice job of acting.

Overall, no real complaints from me.  A nice story, some good acting, and a satisfactory conclusion to the mystery.  Dead Talk is solid entertainment.

  

8/10

Mystery 101 “Words Can Kill” #1.3 (2019) (TV)

These movies just keep getting better,  4 August 2021

Words Can Kill is the fourth Hallmark mystery movie I’ve watched recently.  In Words Can Kill, Professor Amy Winslow (Jill Wagner) is responsible for putting together a mystery writers’ convention.  Her father, Graham Winslow (Robin Thomas), Is set to be the star of the show.  But when his previous publisher is found dead, Graham becomes a key suspect.  Amy will move mountains to prove her father is innocent.  

As I continue to roll through these Hallmark mysteries, they just keep getting better and better.  Maybe I’ve gotten lucky and accidentally picked the good ones, but whatever, I’m really enjoying the movie journey I’m on.  I had great fun with Words Can Kill.  The plot has some nice twists and turns, culminating in a very satisfactory conclusion.  This one kept me guessing right up to the end (even though I really should have spotted the killer from a mile away).  The growing relationship between Amy and Detective Burke is another highlight.  Jill Wagner and Kristoffer Polaha are solid.  And I was impressed with Robin Thomas as Amy’s father.  Given a larger role in this film, he excelled.  

I can’t write one of these without listing a few of the problems I had with the movie.  Without going into detail:  several one dimensional characters, standard mystery tropes, and some iffy acting.  But it’s easy for me to overlook these weaknesses given how much I enjoyed the rest.

Finally, one of the things I like about these movies is how much they remind me of the mystery novels I grew up reading, with similar plots, similar pacing, and similar reveals.   The movies have that mystery novel “feeling” - nothing heavy or groundbreaking, just entertainment and escape.  

  

7/10

Mystery 101 “Playing Dead” #1.2 (2019) (TV)

Even better than the first,  3 August 2021

Playing Dead is the third Hallmark mystery movie I’ve watched recently.  In this one, Professor Amy Winslow (Jill Wagner) is helping the local theater group put on a play.  During rehearsal, a prop gun is seemingly replaced with the real thing.  Fortunately, no one was hit by the bullet, but the police suspect the lead actress may be in danger.  However, while under police protection, the actress dies - from an apparent heart attack.  Amy’s not so sure and joins Detective Burke’s (Kristoffer Polaha) investigation - whether he likes it or not.

If anything, I enjoyed Playing Dead a bit more than the first film in the series.  Without the need to introduce the main characters, more time was available for the actual mystery.  And that’s a good thing because the mystery here is fun.  With a seemingly random attack on Burke’s partner, a toy monkey, secret love letters, and suspects everywhere you look, there’s plenty here to unpack.  Admittedly, I once again pretty much figured out who well before the culprit was unmasked.  However, I still enjoyed learning the why and how.  Overall, good stuff.  

Once again, the acting in Playing Dead is a mixed bag.  Some good, some less so.  But there’s no denying the ability of Wagner and Polaha.  Both are great in their roles and have some wonderful onscreen chemistry.  

One thing that has bugged me about these Hallmark films is the unrealistic nonsense the amateur sleuth is able to get away with.  Here, for example, Amy is able to rummage through a house to find a key piece of evidence.  There’s absolutely no way it would have been admissible in court.  But then again, I don’t think anyone is watching a Hallmark mystery for a look inside a real life criminal investigation.  Most just want to be entertained.  

7/10

Mystery 101 “Mystery 101” #1.1 (2019) (TV)

Where was this class when I was in school?  2 August 2021

Mystery 101 is the second Hallmark mystery movie I’ve watched in the last two days.  In this one, Professor Amy Winslow (Jill Wagner) becomes concerned when one of her students goes missing.  She is convinced the girl has met with foul play.  The problem is that the police don’t agree.  Winslow begins an investigation and uncovers clues that the police can’t dispute.  With Winslow's unwelcomed assistance, Detective Travis Burke (Kristoffer Polaha) determines the girl’s disappearance may be connected to other strange occurrences at the college. 

If anything, I enjoyed this, the pilot for Hallmark’s Mystery 101 series, more than the previous Hallmark movie I watched (Crossword Mysteries “A Puzzle to Die For”).  I found the mystery here more engaging for the viewer.  There were more opportunities to play along with the whodunnit.  And even though I spotted the killer almost immediately, I enjoyed discovering the “why” behind it all and watching Winslow piece it all together.  In addition, there’s something about the feel of the relatively small college campus in Mystery 101 that I found appealing, especially when compared with the big city of the other film.  

Being a Hallmark movie, you just know from the minute Winslow and Burke meet that it’s only a matter of time before they fall for each other.  Sure, it’s kind of predictable and a little cringey, but there was definite chemistry between the two actors that really added to the movie.  It helps that both gave solid performances.  With a couple of exceptions, the rest of the cast is decent enough in their supporting roles.  

Overall, these movies aren’t for everyone - in fact, they probably wouldn’t have worked for me 20 years ago.  But as I grow older, I appreciate the simple story structure with likeable characters and a mystery that’s not overly taxing.  Mystery 101 is entertaining enough for me to rate a 7/10.

7/10

The Crossword Mysteries “A Puzzle to Die For” #1.1 (2019) (TV)

Not as bad as I feared,  31 July 2021

Tess Harper (Lacey Chabert) is the crossword editor for a New York newspaper.  She discovers that someone may be hiding clues to a string of art thefts in the crossword puzzles the paper publishes.  The police think she’s a crank.  However, they change their opinion when one of Tess’ colleagues at the paper is murdered.  

I know I haven’t rated A Puzzle to Die For very highly, but honestly, it’s not as bad as I feared it would be.  There’s a reason I don’t watch Hallmark films - they usually don’t appeal to me.  But this one, the first in The Crossword Mysteries series, really isn’t half bad.  There’s a certain charm to the production that I enjoyed.  Plus, there were several aspects of the mystery that had me engaged.  Finally, I find it impossible to watch Chabert and not be drawn in by her screen presence - and that incudes her role in the dreadful Lost in Space.  Sure, she’s not going to win an Oscar, but she’s solid enough in this movie.

So, if A Puzzle to Die For isn’t half bad, that means it’s not half good also.  For starters, without naming names, I found some of the acting weak.  And, I found way too much of the dialogue childish.  There are several groan-including scenes where grown humans say the most ridiculous things.  Finally, I really didn’t care for the ending.  I found it completely unbelievable.  

Finally, even though I’ve only rated this a 5/10, I can see myself checking out the other films in the series.  While this one may not have completely worked on me, I see enough promise to watch more of The Crossword Mysteries.  

Edit: Since I finished writing this last night, I can't stop thinking about this silly film and how much fun I actually had watching it. I'm thinking I may have been too hard on it with my preconceived bias against Hallmark films. As a result, I think a bump in the rating is deserved.

6/10

Deadly Duo (1962)

I liked it a lot more than i should have,  31 July 2021

Attorney Preston Morgan (Craig Hill) is hired by a very wealthy woman to travel to Acapulco to collect her grandson and bring him back to her.  But when Morgan meets the boy's mother, Sabena (Marcia Henderson), he has a change of heart regarding his assignment.  Complicating matters is Sabena’s twin sister.  She sees this as her opportunity to strike it rich - regardless of who gets hurt.

I completely understand  that Deadly Duo is not what I’d generally call a good movie.  In fact, it's got a load of problems, including: Craig Hill’s acting, the Mexican accents, logic, the lack of real Mexican locations, and a look and feel of a 60s-era sitcom.  But, there’s just something about it that I found oddly appealing.  First, there are a few plot twists that I enjoyed.  This isn’t Oscar caliber writing, but there are still some fine moments.  Second, Marcia Henderson is very good in the roles of Sabena and her sister.  She has a definite presence that works.  And third, the scheming on the part of the twin and her husband.  How on earth did they think they’d get away with it?  Good stuff.

While Deadly Duo probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I found it weirdly and surprisingly enjoyable.  My rating may seem generous, but I rate primarily on entertainment value.  And I was definitely entertained.  

6/10