Dangerous Afternoon (1961)

Looks can be deceiving,  23 October 2019

Wheelchair-bound Letty Frost (Ruth Dunning) runs a boarding house for elderly women. But these aren’t the sweet old things they at first appear.  Each has a criminal past to hide (and some hide it better than others). It’s a quiet house, until a woman with a score to settle from Miss Frost’s past pays a visit.  How much can Miss Frost take until she snaps and her genteel facade crumbles?

Overall, Dangerous Afternoon is a nice little British crime/drama. You can find far better, more exciting films, but it’s a decent enough way to spend an hour.  The acting is really strong. Though I can’t say I’m overly familiar with any of them, Dunning and the rest of the old ladies obviously knew their way around a movie set.  The way they play against type (as in the opening shoplifting scene) is often quite funny. The plot is interesting enough. It does take some time to get going and much of the story can be fairly predictable, but at about an hour, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.  At first, I didn’t understand how the subplot featuring the niece fit in, but by the end, that plot thread becomes crucial to the whole story. However, I did not care for the final scene at all. But I suppose that in 1961, a murderer couldn’t go unpunished.

Finally, I can’t end this without mentioning the music playing over the opening credits.  It was eerily reminiscent of the bombastic, overwrought, melodramatic music featured in the soap operas my grandmother watched when I was a child.  It just about put me off the film before it even began.

5/10

Lovejoy “To Sleep No More” #1.6 (1986) (TV)

“Copyist! They’re only a forger when they’re caught.”  22 October 2019

When a local forger (I mean copyist) dies, his widow seeks Lovejoy’s assistance in retrieving a stolen silver snuff box.  The box is a worthless copy, so why would anyone want to steal it? Lovejoy discovers the box may be the key to valuable cache of antiques.  

If someone were to ask me for an episode that sums up what I love about Lovejoy, I might pick To Sleep No More.  The mystery is good and, as a viewer, we’re allowed to play along. If you’re paying attention, it’s not too difficult to figure out the solution, but it’s the journey that matters.  The episode takes its time to tell the story - there’s no rush here. We’re treated to pub scenes, English countryside scenes, and posh dinner party scenes. Throw in some comedy, a bit of history, and a secret treasure vault, and To Sleep No More has it all.  We also get to see many of the different aspects of the Lovejoy character, from the rascally conniver who’s taken advantage of an unsuspecting (but not undeserving) buyer to the benevolent do-gooder disguised as a priest in his efforts to help a widow. I don’t think I’ve written much about Ian McShane’s acting, but he’s capable of playing the many facets of Lovejoy with equal aplomb.  He’s really good in To Sleep No More.  

There are still a bunch of episodes that I need to rewatch, but I can’t imagine To Sleep No More won’t make my “Best of” list when I’m finished.  

8/10

Ice Cream Man (1995)

“I guess not every day is a happy, happy, happy day!”  21 October 2019

As a young child, Gregory Tudor was witness to the violent murder of his hero, the Ice Cream King.  Years later (and after much therapy and a stint in a sanitarium), Gregory has taken over the battered ice cream truck as the Ice Cream Prince.  All he wants to do is make children happy - even if that means committing a few murders and mixing body parts into his ice cream.   

Call it a guilty pleasure, call it “so bad it’s good”, call me crazy, call it whatever you want - but I had a great time watching Ice Cream Man.  By any traditional measure, Ice Cream Man isn’t what you’d call a “good” movie. But for me, the film has a quirky vibe to it that works. I think with a little more money and a bit more creativity, Ice Cream Man could have been something like Pee Wee’s Playhouse meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  Clint Howard (of all people) is fantastic as the titular Ice Cream Man. This has to be one of his best pieces of acting. He’s creepy, he’s funny, and he’s perfect for the role. Fortunately for us, Howard is in on the joke and plays the ridiculous requirements of the role with all the gusto required.  He looks like he’s having a blast. Nothing in Ice Cream Man should be taken seriously. For example, one of my favorite moments had to be the dismembered head puppet show. What a hoot! The special effects are cheap and gaudy, the murders are over-the-top, and the flashback scenes are a total trip. The supporting cast is interesting, with Olivia Hussey (of all people) being the standout.  Like Howard, she’s giving it her all. On the other end of the spectrum is Jan-Michael Vincent. You can pretty much see the disdain he has for the film written all over his face. I think he would have rather been anywhere than filming the sanitarium scene. Still, that’s just one more thing for me to enjoy.

6/10

It Takes a Thief “Get Me to the Revolution on Time” #2.5 (1968) (TV)

I can’t imagine an episode any worse than this one, 18 October 2019

The mission here is nothing special - Mundy is tasked with stealing a document from what is supposed to be an impregnable safe.  The safe has six keys held by six different individuals. Pretty routine stuff.

I never thought I’d find an episode of It Takes a Thief that I would dislike quite as much as I do Get Me to the Revolution on Time.  To sum up my feelings in one word, this episode is stupid. Where to begin? First, why not wait until the following morning to sign the contract - you know, right before the Swiss couriers arrive to pick it up?  You can’t steal a contract in the middle of the night if it hasn’t been signed. Second, why would Al try to break into the overly complicated safe? Why not steal the document AFTER the couriers have it? Third, Robert Wagner and Ivan Dixon’s attempts at accents are laughable.  You can hear Wagner’s accent change in mid-sentence. And fourth, Al’s cover is a cocktail mixologist? Huh? That’s about the stupidest thing imaginable.  

There’s really not much in Get Me to the Revolution on Time that I found enjoyable.  The lone bright spot I can think of was Morgan Woodward as Ivor Phillips. He plays a fantastic baddie.

3/10

Lovejoy “The Judas Pair” #1.5 (1986) (TV)

“Only a man with the quirks of a collector would kill for a pair of bloody guns.” 17 October 2019

Lovejoy is asked to look into the murder of a man shot through the eye during the robbery of his antique flintlock dueling pistols.  Lovejoy puts his (and Lady Jane’s) life on the line to find the pistols and uncover a murderer.  

The Judas Pair is a solid episode that finds Lovejoy in more danger than usual.   Lovejoy often talks about greed when it comes to antiques and, in this episode, we see that greed manifest itself in murder.  Lovejoy’s not only shot at, but also trapped in a burning house by a desperate murderer. I’ll credit the writing and directing in The Judas Pair for presenting a number of credible suspects that add to the mystery.  While I’m not exactly sure how Lovejoy figures everything out, especially the secret of the pistols, it’s a fun watch. And there’s quite a bit of tension built up in that final showdown with the murderer.  

In most cases, I never really know how accurate the show is when it comes to history and antiques.  Is The Judas Pair a real thing? Did a gunsmith really make a pistol for the King like the one presented here?  I don’t know, but it certainly makes for interesting and entertaining television.  

Finally, I must mention Anthony Valentine in the role of Michael Seymour.  Of all the guest stars in the first five episodes, he’s the standout. It’s a shame he only came back to do one more episode.  I would have loved to see him join Lovejoy in a semi-regular recurring role.    

7/10

Lovejoy “Friends, Romans and Enemies” #1.4 (1986) (TV)

“You’ll never make the upper classes, Lovejoy; you’re too much of a snob.” 16 October 2019

To get Gimbert off his back, Lovejoy agrees to sort through some junk left over after an estate sale.  The dead man was something of an eccentric and, as Lovejoy discovers, a man who may have known the whereabouts of a treasure in Roman gold coins.  Lovejoy’s suspicions seem to be proven correct when a couple of long-lost American “relatives” turn up to collect their uncle’s possessions. Can Lovejoy solve the dead man’s riddles and find the treasure first?

As I’ve stated over and over, I love Lovejoy.  But, Friends, Romans and Enemies is not among my favorite episodes.  It’s still good - all Lovejoy episodes are worth watching - but it doesn’t work as well on me as most of the others.  I think my main problem is that there is too much plot for the 50+ minute runtime. The story here could have easily been stretched out into a two-parter.  When you squeeze it all down into one episode, a lot of the details get lost. How do all the dead man’s clues fit together? How did Lovejoy know to go to the Isle of Man?  How did Jane and Eric (and the baddies for that matter) know where to find Lovejoy? Every time I watch this episode, I’m left with a lot of questions. It’s not that I need plot points spoonfed to me, but I miss the leisurely pace of most Lovejoy episodes where discovering the details is part of the fun.  

Another issue I had with Friends, Romans and Enemies was some of the acting, particularly on the part of Catherine Strauss as Nicole - one of the American “relatives”.  She’s not horrible, but she’s not up the level of acting you find in the rest of the cast.  

6/10

Lovejoy “The Sting” #1.3 (1986) (TV)

“I need you, Lovejoy. Since my wife died, I need someone to hate.” 15 October 2019

Lovejoy agrees to help a woman retrieve a couple of small antique statues. But when Lovejoy’s nemesis, Gimbert, gets his hands on the figures, out of spite, he’s not about to turn them over.  Lovejoy concocts a con to get the statues from Gimbert.

The Sting is a perfect example of why I love Lovejoy.  First, there’s the unharmonious relationship between Gimbert and Lovejoy.  They feed off making the other miserable. When Gimbert says, “I need, you Lovejoy.  Since my wife died, I need someone to hate”, he means it. Second, Malcolm Tierney is so good at playing the vindictive Charlie Gimbert that it’s hard not to cheer for Lovejoy even when he’s doing things that skirt the law (or at least ethics).  It’s always a joy to watch Tierney’s face when Lovejoy gets the better of him. It’s a nice piece of underappreciated acting. Third, The Sting features one of those interesting cons that are always a pleasure to watch unfold. As a viewer, I’m usually lost when it comes to what Lovejoy is up to.  Fortunately, by the end of the episode, it all comes clear and we see just how brilliant the scheme really was. And fourth, all of the regular characters get a chance to shine and play a part in the plan. Tinker, Eric, and Lady Jane each have a role if they are to successfully put one over on Gimbert.  Really fun stuff.

I think I wrote a long time ago that, to me, Lovejoy was “comfortable” television.  And there’s no better example of that than The Sting. Grab a snack and get comfy on the couch - that’s the best way to enjoy Lovejoy.

8/10