Switch "Las Vegas Roundabout" #1.0 (1975)

Not as inventive as I had hoped, 1 July 2017

A reformed safe cracker is framed for a diamond heist he had nothing to do with. His lawyer suggests hiring a couple of private detective with some unique abilities - Frank MacBride (Eddie Albert), a recently retired policeman, and Pete Ryan (Robert Wagner), a reformed conman himself. The detective quickly identify the real criminal, but he's also a cop. The pair decide to run a con on their target to get him. Their hoping they can force the bad cop to commit another robbery. Will it work?

Being in something of a "show hole", I decided to give Switch a try. I vaguely remember the show from it's original airing, but can't remember much about it. The premise sounded good and I've always been a fan of both Eddie Albert and Robert Wagner. Seemed like a sure-fired winner.

Unfortunately, the pilot, Las Vegas Roundabout, wasn't as good as I had hoped. In fact, some of it was boring. The problem is that the con the guys come up with isn't very clever. It's fairly standard and predictable. At least of third of the episode is spent in Vegas. Why? Well, I suppose it sounded sexy or exotic, but it ended up being unnecessary and a waste of time. Nothing that happened in Vegas had much of a bearing on the final outcome. So, unoriginal, too long, and dull in places. Not a great way to get a series started. Don't misunderstand, it's not horrible. My 5/10 means it's an average piece of entertainment. I was just hoping more from the pilot to draw me in. Sill, I will most likely watch a couple more episodes before I throw in the towel altogether.

One bit I really enjoyed was seeing a pre-Charlie's Angels Jaclyn Smith. Always a welcome sight.

5/10

Operation Gold (1966)

- Balearic Caper
Better than I was led to believe, 29 June 2017

When a jewel encrusted gold scepter is found off the coast of Ibiza, it attracts a lot of attention from some unsavory characters. There are several groups of would-be thieves who want to steal the valuable artifact from the local museum. As luck would have it, all of the people vying to steal the scepter just happen to plan their robberies for the same night. Before sunrise, there will be multiple fake scepters in play, only adding to the confusion.

While I would never call Operation Gold (or Baleric Caper) a great movie, I had a pretty good time with it. It's the kind of movie that can be fun if you don't take things overly serious. It's basically a Euro-heist film with a comedic twist. I enjoy most heist films, but generally don't care for 60s Euro-comedies. I find many of these films too broad and slapstick for my taste. You need look no further than Secret Agent Black Forest (I think that was his name) in Operation Gold for an example of what I'm talking about. But I'm happy to say that a lot of the comedy here actually worked on me. I laughed out loud a time or two when the scepters were changing hands every few minutes in the final act. Fortunately, when the comedy doesn't work, there's enough action to keep things moving along. The pacing is good with very few moments that I would call dull. There are also plenty of spy-type gadgets to keep things interesting. The self-driving smart car and the levitating crate were a bit much, but I did get a kick out of the magnetic boots. The Ibiza scenery is another plus. Mediterranean locations always work on me. Finally, the cast was better than I expected. Bond alum Daniela Bianchi may be the name, but she's not in the movie long enough to be the real star. Venantino Venantini, Mirelle Darc, and Marilu Tolo stand out and make the film for me.

6/10

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012)

Wonderfully entertaining, 28 June 2017

Earlier today, I wrote a long-winded narrative where I broke down everything I like about Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (or MFMM for the rest of this). But I decided to scrap it because there's really no point in posting it here. I've already beat that horse to death with what I've written and posted on the individual episodes. So I'll shorten it to this – I had more fun watching MFMM than I have any series in a long time. The show has style, humor, drama, mystery, action, romance – it's got it all. MFMM is wildly entertaining. And that's what it's all about for me – entertainment.

While I've deleted most of what I wrote earlier, I still want to single out Essie Davis. She's beyond brilliant in the role of Phryne Fisher. Her Phryne is cool, smart, resourceful, sexy, and fearless. I honestly don't remember seeing Ms Davis in anything else, but here, she's amazing. I knew I was in for a treat in the opening moments of the first episode as Phryne sashayed off that ship, sunglasses on, scarf whipping in the breeze, full of confidence. What an actress and what a character!

While I'd call most every episode a winner, there are three that really stand out to me. My favorites are: S1E12 – Murder in the Dark, S2E11 – Dead Air, and S3E8 – Death Do Us Part. As far as my least favorite episode, S1E4 – Blood and Circuses. However, I think I may need to go back and re-watch it. I must have been in a bad mood, because looking back, I can't imagine any episode so bad it deserves a 4/10 rating.

Overall, I do not hesitate in rating MFMM a 10/10. Even though I didn't rate any individual episode that high, in this case, the sum is greater than the parts. I can't wait to watch it all again. In fact, last night I finished my second go-round with Episode 2.

10/10

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries "Death Do Us Part" #3.8 (2015)

What a finale!, 27 June 2017

Instead of my usual poorly written plot summary, I'm going to go with the one on IMDb for this episode – "The man intent on killing Phryne's father escapes form the hospital on the same night that a prominent scientist is murdered. As Phryne and Jack race the clock to save Baron Fisher, Hugh and Dot make final wedding preparations."

What a finale! If this is truly the end of Miss Fisher and there is never another new episode, I'm as happy about it as I possibly could be. Death Do Us Part wraps-up things as nicely as I could have hoped. Even though I want more, at least this episode provides some degree of closure. And what about that final scene with Phryne and Jack! I refuse to go into detail and spoil things. I'll just say that it's perfect. My 9/10 rating would have most likely been the usual 8/10 if it weren't for that final scene. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Death Do Us Part has a couple of other big pluses. First, as with Death at the Grand, we know who the killer is (it's the same dude), so there's no mystery there. However, the killer's brutality and total disregard for human life is quite shocking. He's not the "polite" killer you find in most episodes. Second, Death Do Us Part as more than its share of action. With a couple of murders, the Baron taken hostage, Dot hiding from the killer under a table, and Father O'Leary in a fistfight, it's a full episode.

A final plus has to be the Hugh / Dot wedding. I don't consider this much of a spoiler because we all knew it was coming. I'm just glad they squeezed it in here instead of waiting for the (doubtful) fourth season. As I so often say when writing about Miss Fisher, it's good stuff!

Overall, I consider Death Do Us Part as one of the two or three best episodes of the entire series. A strong 9/10 from me.

9/10

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries "Game, Set & Murder" #3.7 (2015)

Period detail really stands out in this one, 27 June 2017

Phryne hosts a women's tennis exhibition. When one of the participants is found dead, Phryne does what Phryne usually does – she investigates. Before she can find the killer, however, she has to determine whether or not the victim was the intended target. She must also weave her way through a labyrinth of backstory to arrive at the answer to the mystery.

Season 3 is turning out to be exceptionally strong. Game, Set, and Murder is another in a long line of outstanding episodes. I've commented numerous times on the period detail in these episodes and that holds especially true here with the period rackets, tennis outfits, and shoes. However, I was most impressed with the actual tennis court. The fact that a championship level tennis match could take place on Phyrne's lawn is something you wouldn't see today.

Another big plus for this episode is all the plot twists and turns. It's always fun to watch when Phryne is presented with a bunch of clues to work through. Here, there are plenty of red herrings and false leads that have to be resolved. Game, Set, and Murder also features several interesting characters for Phryne to play with. From the over-sexed American tennis player to the ever-present photographer with pornography in his closet to the jilted ex-lover – there's no shortage of suspects. Fun stuff.

The final solution does seem a bit out of left field, but with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, I really never care. The fun in this series comes from watching Phryne and Co go about their work – not necessarily in the mystery's solution.

8/10

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries "Death at the Grand" #3.6 (2015)

A menacing killer, 26 June 2017

A man is found dead outside the Grand Hotel. He either jumped or was pushed off the roof. Jack thinks the case might interest Phryne as the dead man was holding one of her bags – it even has her name in it. Phryne also finds her father at the Grand and in the middle of the mystery.

To absolutely no one's surprise, Death at the Grand is yet another fantastic episode. All the usual good stuff is here, so I won't bother going into it all again. Instead, I'll focus on two things that were different and made this episode stand out.

First, the new constable, Neville Martin, expresses his true feelings for Dot. While it's easy to see she flattered by the attention, her feelings for Hugh are strong. One of the best scenes has to be when Dot and Neville are about to be discovered snooping in an office. To cover, Neville grabs Dot and gives her a long, passionate kiss. Good stuff.

Second, we know who the killer is right from the opening. We see him commit the crime. We might not know his name or his motive, be we know him when we see him. It make things edge of the seat kind of suspenseful anytime he's on screen and one of our heroes is nearby. He's menacing and there's a real sense of danger. The only comparison in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries would be to Murdoch Foyle from Season 1. Again, good stuff.

8/10

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries "Death & Hysteria" #3.5 (2015)

There are only so many ways I can find to praise this series., 26 June 2017

Still grieving over the death of her son, Aunt Prudence seeks the help of a psychiatrist. Before she realizes what's going on, her house is turned into a sanatorium for "hysterical" women. When one of the women is found dead, Aunt Pru calls Phryne for help. Not only must Phryne find the killer, but she also needs to determine what exactly killed the poor woman.

This is starting to get redundant. There are only so many ways I can find to praise this series. Death and Hysteria continues the long run of fantastic Season 3 episodes. This one has everything I've come to expect – great period detail, fine acting, nice looking locations, and a wonderfully entertaining, well-written mystery with a satisfactory conclusion. But this one has a bit more comedy than some of the other episodes. I'll tip-toe around it similar to the way Phryne did and describe the murder weapon as a device used by women for self-gratification. Add to that a patient who insists on regularly taking off her clothes regardless of the situation and Jack's bumbling temporary constable and you've got some funny stuff. In the end, however, the comedy is dropped and the characters come together, led by Bert of all people, to help Aunt Pru in her time of need. Very touching.

I've watched enough television, movies, and sporting events from Australia over the years that the accent doesn't bother me. But in Death and Hysteria, the characters use a word that I would not have understood had they not literally spelled it out – P A T E N T. With the long A, it sounds completely different. This has absolutely no bearing on the episode – just thought it was interesting.

8/10

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries "Blood & Money" #3.4 (2015)

"I'm sure he's not the first man to want to wring my neck.", 25 June 2017

Phryne is approached by a young homeless boy named Paddy to help find his lost brother. Through her investigations, Phryne uncovers a string of dead boys.

The mystery elements in Blood & Money are as enjoyable as ever. Even though a viewer has little actual evidence to solve the crimes, it's still fun to watch Phryne and Co do their thing. It's not hard to see who the guilty person is, but the proof isn't available. The murders in this one are particularly grisly to me, with the boys' bodies being mutilated. The opening scene of the limp boy's body being dragged to a shallow grave set the tone nicely. The period detail looked perfect to my untrained eyes. The alleyways and streets look as dirty and frightening as you'd expect. Finally, I was impressed with the acting on the part of Jarin Towney as Paddy. I thought he might become a semi-regular character in Jane fashion, but I see that was not to be.

Blood & Money doesn't feature many new developments with the Phryne / Jack relationship, but there is a lot going on with Hugh / Dot. We learn that Hugh's family isn't happy with his conversion and have thrown him out of the house. He's worried that he won't be able to provide the home he envisions for Dot. Lots of drama!

8/10