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

The Avengers “The Hour That Never Was” #4.9 (1966) (TV)

“Filthy habit, collecting stamps.  All that saliva.”  30 July 2021

Steed and Mrs Peel are invited to an RAF base to celebrate / commemorate its closing.  But when they arrive, there’s no one to be found.  The base appears to be completely empty.  The only clues our heroes can find are a dead milkman and an unconscious rabbit.  How do 30 servicemen disappear?

I’ve always enjoyed The Hour That Never Was.  Watching Steed and Mrs Peel search the empty airbase is so much fun - and creepy.  Every time I watch this episode, I’m reminded of the abandoned pavilion in the film Carnival of Souls.  You know this episode won’t be quite as scary as that, but the spooky vibe is definitely prominent. 

I also enjoy the acting in this episode. Given the limited action and dialogue, Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg get a chance to show their true abilities. The fact that there’s really not much going on for a huge portion of the runtime, yet I never once got bored, demonstrates how engaging the pair were.  Also, I got a kick out of Roy Kinnear’s small part.  He stole the show from Macnee in their scenes together.  

The only thing that bothers me about The Hour That Never Was is the explanation behind all the mystery.  Sure, some of it I understand, but not the part about the clocks.  Why do all of the clocks, even those not on the base, stop?  It makes no sense.

8/10

The Fog (1980)

“There’s something in the fog!”  29 July 2021

A mysterious, thick fog rolls into a small seaside community.  However, this is no ordinary fog.  This fog brings death in the form of ghostly apparitions.  A century ago, the townsfolk of Antonio Bay deliberately lured a ship too close to shore.  The dead are out for revenge.  

I re-watched John Carpenter's The Fog yesterday and found it as effective as I did 40 years ago.  Whether it’s the actors (what a cast!), the music, or Dean Cundy’s cinematography,, it all works.  But for me, it’s the atmosphere Carpenter created that’s key to the movie’s effectiveness.  There’s a real sense of dread and menace in the ever encroaching fog that makes this one super creepy.  While there are a few well placed jump scares, the foreboding atmosphere of The Fog is what I remember.  While it’s not my favorite movie in Carpenter’s filmography, it’s a solid entry.

A few random thoughts about The Fog:

1. I love Carpenter’s score.  It’s like a mixture of his brilliant music from Halloween with a touch of Goblin’s Suspiria score.  

2. When Adrienne Barbeau’s character, Stevie (who never appears on-screen with the rest of the main cast), starts alerting the town to the danger of the fog - why?  She’s got no firsthand knowledge of any danger.  It’s all wild speculation.  This is one of my biggest complaints with The Fog.

3. It only takes Tom Atkins’ character, Nick Castle (I love Carpenter’s use of these names), 45 minutes to end up in the sack with Jamie Lee Curtis.  Nice work if you can get it.

4. The fog (and other practical effects) in The Fog is impressive.  I’m not sure how they actually made that much fog.  There are literal walls of thick fog.  It reminded me of that episode of Scooby Doo when they use a knife to cut a hole in the fog.  

7/10

Account Rendered (1957)

Okay little British mystery,  27 July 2021

When a wealthy woman with a closet full of skeletons is murdered, there are no shortage of suspects. From a jealous husband to secret lovers, Lucille Ainsworth’s death leaves the police with several paths they’ll need to go down to find the killer.  

Overall, Account Rendered is a decent little British mystery, but doesn’t have enough gong for it to call it much more than average.  While several plot twists work quite well, there are instances where the film can get a bit dull.  It’s all filmed in a matter-of-fact style that, while efficient, doesn’t allow for much story or character development.  It may have been a product of the film’s age or the transfer I watched, but it’s not a very good looking movie either.  Drab would be the word I’d use to describe it.  The movie was released in 1957 , but it looks more like 1937. Finally, Account Rendered ends with a satisfactory conclusion, which is always nice in a mystery.

Just as I described the film, I’d also call the film's group of unknown actors (well, unknown to me)  “efficient”.  The only real name in the cast is Honor Blackman.  She does fine in a small role.  The standout performance is Ewen Solon as Inspector Marshall.  He easily brings the most life to the proceedings.  

5/10

The Crooked Web (1955)

Starts off great - loses steam,  26 July 2021

The Crooked Web is impossible to discuss without spoiling key plot points, so I'm not even going to try ---  SPOILER WARNING

The Crooked Web gets off to a flying start.  It’s got a good set-up straight out of the film noir handbook.  Stan (Frank Lovejoy) doesn’t know it yet, but he’s about to be taken for a ride.  He “accidentally” overhears his girl Joanie’s (Mari Blanchard) brother (Richard Denning) discussing a business opportunity.  It’s pretty clear that it’s all a scam, just not the kind we think it’s going to be.  Being a sap, Frank goes along for the ride.  Up to this point, The Crooked Web is outstanding.  But once things move to Germany, the plot gets confusing and changes tone from a film noir to some sort of spy/espionage type thing.  There are still some thrills and nervous moments as Frank almost stumbles on the truth, but the entertaining, dark noir is gone.    

As I indicated, the film sort of loses its way once our main characters arrive in Germany.  Maybe I missed something, but all the scheming and plotting in Germany seems designed  to get Stan to confess to a war crime - right?  How is that supposed to work?  How is making him think they’re about to come into thousands of dollars in gold supposed to make him suddenly decide to do what’s right and admit to what he did?  Even when he finally does confess, it makes no sense.  Why would he do it?  All he had to do was keep his yapper shut.  It’s not like Joanie had anything concrete on him.  Ridiculous. 

Lovejoy and Denning are fine as the two male leads, but Blanchard is terrible.  She’s horribly unconvincing as the “young, naive” thing she’s supposed to be playing.  The film looks terrific.  For what is unmistakably a B film, the technical aspects exceed what you’d expect.  And that gorgeous opening shot of Stan’s Drive-In is like a work of art - stunning!

In the end, I’m going to call The Crooked Web bang-on average.  It looks good, it’s mostly well acted, and about half the plot works well.  But when the film changes gears, it lost me.  

5/10

Johnny O’Clock (1947)

“What do I do now, Johnny?”,  25 July 2021

The plot in Johnny O’Clock isn’t very straightforward and a bit difficult to summarize.  O’Clock is part owner in a casino.  His partners are looking to squeeze him out.  At the same time, O’Clock is constantly rebuffing the advances of a partner’s wife.  In addition, O’Clock is trying to help the casino’s hatcheck girl who’s involved in a bad marriage.  A murder and a dogged detective only add to O’Clock’s headaches.

On the face of it, you’d think that Johnny O’Clock would be a much better film.  I mean it’s got almost all you could ask for in a film noir - a smart talking lead, a crooked cop, murder, a jealous casino owner, sharp dialogue, a cheating wife, and a beautiful love interest for our hero.  All the pieces are there, but it's like window dressing designed to hide a poor plot.  It's all talk and show with no substance at the center of the film.  I’m not sure how to put this, but the movie never drew me in.  The story lacked a focus on a single plot idea for me to get behind.  There were several different things going on at once, but none of it fit together to form a cohesive story (much like what I'm writing).  I guess it’s a case of the parts being greater than the sum.  

Two other things that bothered me:  First, at about the halfway mark of the film, our hero finds a piece of evidence that so clearly points to the killer, it eliminates the mystery.  Had he just turned it over to the police, the subsequent pain and suffering could have been eliminated.  Second, I really hated the name “Johnny O’Clock”.  I got tired of hearing people say “Mr O”Clock”.  It might have seemed like a good title, but the name O’Clock gets annoying.  

5/10