Hart to Hart (1979) (TV)

"When they met... it was murder!", 19 February 2008

If you've read some of my other user comments, you'll quickly discover that Hart to Hart isn't the kind of thing I usually go for. But, surprisingly, the show works for me. A loving relationship, plenty of money, a wonderful house, nice cars, and a life filled with adventure and mystery – this is what has always drawn me to Hart to Hart.

At the heart of Hart to Hart is its two leads – Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Johnathan and Jennifer Hart. Has there ever been a more perfect television couple? It's easy to see that they were longtime friends in real life before the show started. They seem so natural together. Both are also accomplished actors and are capable of making even the most ridiculous of situations believable. And Lionel Stander as the butler, chauffeur, handyman, cook, and general do everything guy, Max, is also a real asset. Like Wagner and Powers, he came to the series with a long resume. It's a solid cast.

Looking back at some of the episodes, they may seem incredibly corny to those more accustomed to modern TV. Two people just don't find themselves in these kinds of predicaments week after week. One week you're running from drug smugglers, the next week your house is completely emptied by thieves, and the next you're recovering a priceless antique for a Buddhist temple. I could live a lifetime and never have one episode worth of the adventure the Harts experienced. And, you know what? – it's this implausibility that really makes the show work for me. I enjoy it because it is unrealistic and fanciful. Life is tough enough without having reality rear its ugly head disguised as entertainment on television. I love to turn on something like Hart to Hart (or Charlie's Angels or Wonder Woman or Banacek or whatever show you can name form this period) and be entertained, and, even for a brief moment, forget about the real problems we all face. I don't find today's reality-based television dramas entertaining – they're depressing to me.

7/10

The Mad Executioners (1963)

- Der Henker von London
Enjoyable in its own unique way, 19 February 2008

The Mad Executioners actually has two seemingly unrelated plot lines. The first involves a powerful, but secret society operating outside official channels that has set up its own court of sorts. They hold trials, render verdicts, and carry out sentencing. Their cases seem to focus on criminals who have slipped through the loopholes of the regular system. But even though these criminals are quite guilty, Scotland Yard tends to frown on hanging people. The second plot line involves a serial killer who dumps headless corpses around London. A desperate detective decides to use his girlfriend as bait. But can he get to her before she becomes the next victim?

Based on my limited experiences with these German-made thrillers, I would say The Mad Executioners is about average. When the film focuses on the secret trials and hangings, it's very good and quite interesting. The opening trial scene, for example, is very creepy with the unknown hooded judges and the foggy Thames hanging sight. But when the movie focuses on the serial killer, it doesn't work. The secret lab, for example, seems silly when compared with the serious tone of the rest of the movie. Not that cutting off someone's head isn't serious, but the serial killer's methods are overly elaborate. Until they converge in the end, these two disparate plot lines feel as if they're from different movies.

Another big plus for me is the soundtrack. The Mad Executioners has that jazzy, smokey score that I've come to expect and enjoy in these krimis. The music sets just the right tone.

While I've yet to find a German Edgar Wallace movie that knocks me off my feet, I think I'll keep looking. So far, I've found these movies enjoyable enough in their own unique way.

6/10