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As a huge Trevor Eve fan I missed out on this one in the 90s, notably one of his few tv dramas that received awards. Coming around after a personal re-run of his Peter Boyd police work, this was very dissapointing. It's basicly a revenge story, appropriate for female viewers who are recently divorced. In the end I did not know which character I disliked more. Eve's acting is good as always although he does not have much fine material to work with. Stevenson has a limited supply of facial expressions and we see them all, numerous times. It's an 80's story with 90's nudity. Dissapointing. The Morse-like music did not help nor did the abysmal dvd release.

Revisiting this series in 2022 I had truly forgotten about this one. It has everything: a great cast, tight direction (the scenes from the past work very well) a brilliant script (those Boyd lines always make me smile) and what seems like a "False Flag" episode at first is actually much more than that. Great teamwork. Why doesn't this count as a perfect 10? Stating it is great stuff and scoring it 7/10 is weird. The series lost a bit of momentum after the Claire Goose years, despite Tara's entry. But season 8 and 9, which I only saw once before, are top notch. Trevor Eve is one of the best actors around.

The first season of this Netflix original from Belgium was a nice watch even though we have seen this sort of series a zillion times by now. The undercover pairing was interesting and Dutch actress Elise Schaap was outstanding. Dutch actor Frank Lammers as Ferry was okay if very one-dimensional. I liked him much better in the prequel that carries his name. And Raymond Thiry reprised his role from Dutch series Penoza, which was by far superior to Undercover. First season had an interesting setting. Binge watching I landed in season 2. That was an awful experience. Without the leads from season 1, the scene changes from narcos to weapons. And to Wim Willaert, who acts like he is a crook in a Studio 100 production. If you want to sleep easily stay tuned for season 2. Or be wise and quit after the first series.

Watching all those great episodes of a brilliant series again I find this one of the best of them all, certainly where season 6 is concerned and the shows after Mel's death. The team are focused, there are the jokes, team spirit. And a very clever story. Why others think it's great and only give it 7/10 is beyond me. Capaldi is great but so is the journalist Lisa Tobin, played by Catherine Walker, an actress whe should have seen much more of. WTD is my favourite show of all time, this episode is an example why.

Even after multiple viewings and over 20 years after it was released this remains a solid story, one of Van Gogh's best movies. In fact the story is so complex that more than one viewing will make you appreciate it even more. The cast is in great form, with nice supporting roles. Although seemingly moving rather slow in the first half, this is the part where you have to pay attention to get the rewards in the second hour. Beautifully shot and well directed this is easily one of my favourite Dutch movies ever made.

As the French movie "La Piscine" ("The Swimming Pool") is a firm favourite of mine I started on "A bigger Splash" with high hopes, the title being borrowed from a David Hockney painting. And let me say it is an intruiging movie with solid acting (although Fiennes' character is very annoying - but his Rolling Stones scene is great!), beautiful vistas (I even had a flashback to Antonioni's "Profession Reporter" in one or two scenes - always a good thing) and good music score. But it misses some of the subtlety the gorgeous Romy Schneider and her co-lead Alain Delon gave the original version. The movie should have benefited from more editing in length and could easily have been 15-20 minutes shorter and gain momentum. And why is Fiennes' Harry Hawkes complaining about "that horrible island", yet knows all the fancy restaurants, cheese makers and festivals? An even higher rating is lost because of the silly ending.

I actually liked season 1. Though it is a strange sensation to watch two people who are both as bad as that. And after the day is done feel very good about themselves. With all their manipulation they achieve nothing except a growing amount of people around them who hate them for it. But soon enough the political talks seemed to be computer made and the events clear for almost everyone to see. Season 2 was already totally uninteresting and took ages. Just before the ending of this season I gave up. All the hail and praise and admiration feels like one big marketing event from Netflix themselves. Ultimately, it is a no brainer. And Spacey plays yet another unlikable person as he did in films like American Beauty (talk about overrated). Spend your time wisely and watch something else.

The problem with most shows about married couples is that these couples bicker so much. And it is hard to believe that they are actually a couple. The King of Queens was very funny. But never for one moment did I see the two leads as partners with romantic feelings for each other. Let alone have such a history together. With this show that problem does not occur. Yes, they argue like normal people do. But the verbal fights are mostly done with the supporting characters: parents, colleagues, friends. That works very well. The dialogue is sometimes hilarious, especially when Mike and his police partner are in the car or visiting the restaurant.

This series started of brilliantly. Especially Alfred van den Heuvel was a treat to watch. The producers got over confident and thought that adding famous people was enough to carry episodes. And the last seasons were very poor indeed. Biggest problem is what we see in too many shows about couples. How did this couple ever begin to have a relationship? In over 90% of the episodes Maud is a real bitch to Gerard who is always the loser. That felt very uncomforting in watching this show. Show should have done more outdoor work as this delivers their best episodes. For instance the time When Daan takes driving lessons from his dad. And my all time favorite: the double episode when the couple goes camping in Renesse. And where Gerard finally has some good times.

Le tatoué starts of with a lot of funny details and scenes but after about half an hour the pace drops. Lots of banter and outright crazy nonsense. Racist at times (it is hard to imagine this was considered bon ton in 1968), funny when De Funès is at his usual best. And the weird sensation at one moment when we clearly hear the soundtrack from the Pink Panther movies in the soundtrack. And the ending goes nowhere at all. It is difficult to imagine that 60s movie public was okay with this sort of plot less craziness that you expect 30 years earlier with Laurel and Hardy. A nice film for LdF fans, but when you are not: don't bother with it.

I like a lot of the movies made by Louis DE Funès. The Gendarmes movies and quite a lot of his 60's en 70's repertoire. But I was very disappointed with this silly farce. Not in the least after reading all those positive reviews here. A comedy of errors. But it is an error to call it a comedy. A dull affair. And very hard to keep your eyes open while watching. Luckily it was part of a 25 film set with De Funès films. And all of them are better than this one. With Yves Montand who could not be more out of place than in the Spanish court. What does not help (although you cannot blame the makers for this) is that in 1971 it was considered funny to be sent to an Arab country and have locals with swords deal with you. Hmm.

This really must be the most stupid show on Fox these days. And it gives us a horrifying insight in how business is done on the ground in Dubai. Whilst all the time trying to be a commercial, it annoys me 100%. Not one subject can be mentioned without adding stuff like "the biggest in the world", "the largest on the planet". Then there is the unhealthy expansion. Planes are ordered while there are no terminals to park them, everything has to go in a very unhealthy hurry, people are stressed to the extreme because everything has to be ready yesterday. Time is always running late for everyone. And all the time we are told that everything is only measured in money. Not in happy employees, satisfied customers or in trying to be a little sensible with our environment. In the end passengers will have to walk ten miles to catch their connecting flight, because they are the biggest... o whatever.

De Verbouwing is a nice, not too complicated Dutch thriller. With a lot of familiar faces from television dramas like Goede Tijden, Vuurzee, Gooische Vrouwen. Having said that, the film also feels like a television drama. It is smooth, well acted, not much action, but tense at times. The music reminded me very much of the soundtrack of "Basic Instinct'. Tjitske has a lot of screen time and handles it very well. No Oscar material but very worth watching. From the book by Saskia Noort with the same title. Save it for a rainy afternoon and you will have a good time. And for foreign viewers remember: Dutch viewers very much like to trash their own movies, so the average rating and criticism seem rather typical but says more about the viewers than the movie.

This is one of those Magnum episodes without the usual banter between the guys and one where the somewhat darker storyline is enhanced by the exceptionally bad weather. Because usually even the most serious problems are dealt with in blue skies and sunny weather. Cynthia Sikes is wonderful and one of the few ladies that Magnum really falls for. Director Jerry Jameson brings along a huge amount of experience for this sort of stories having directed episodes of Cannon, McCloud, Six Million Dollar Man, BL Stryker and would continue to do so in several Magnum episodes, Murder She wrote and Jake and the Fatman. One of those episodes fit for repeated viewing.

The first Hanni & Nanni film was a bit of a surprise success in cinemas. Not a spectacular film, but old fashioned (Blyton) fun with a plot as thick as a needle and a nice cast of characters. The second installment is a much darker affair. This time around the girls seem to go from worry to worry. Money problems, divorces. And a pair of crooks you expect to see in a film for toddlers. A complete mess, salvaged only in a couple of scenes where blasts of happy music set the tone, rather than the actors. With the exception of Susanne von Borody, who gives a good performance. We should have known: this one was out of cinemas within a week. And number 3 is in the making.

A lot has been said about this film not really being part of the Ludlum legacy, not fitting in with the Damon movies and that is was actually made 'just to make money'. It's like 60s fans reactions to Rolling Stones records beyond 1969. And because of all that, and more, people did not like it even without actually watching it. But I did and I'm glad for doing so. "The Bourne Legacy" is actually a very good, tight thriller that only loses momentum towards the end. The first gripping and superbly filmed hour rushes by in great action style. Adding touches of previous films is precisely what I would have expected Tony Gilroy to do. I mean, he has never delivered a bad scenario and takes viewers seriously. Leaving the glamor locations from previous outings to instead add Alaska, Maryland and Manila is a nice touch. But it is on that last location that the plot leaves something interesting, something intelligent to be desired. As if Gilroy did not finish the script but just wanted to end with some action scenes. Or the studio did.

All in all, studios always make movies to make money and anybody who has even in this day and age not got a grip on that fact should move to unknown planets. Whether or not a sequel becomes part of a legacy is impossible to say right now. James Bond did a good job at it… Jeremy Renner is excellent as our action hero and Edward Norton fits in pretty good even though he hasn't got much to go with. That the film looks much calmer (and maybe therefore somewhat more boring to audiences that can't sit still for two seconds) also has to do with the fact that this Bourne did not get the Greengrass treatment. For pace and editing it would be much more useful to compare this number 4 to the original Damon film. And even then these parts may differ as much as any director likes.

9/10 And if there comes a number 5, I'll watch that one as well.

A president's rise to power. But I don't think it is very typical for Sarkozy. These are the motions for all political flyer's. (Obama is probably the same kind of bitch when the lights and cameras are off) Therefore it is very easy to ridicule especially Sarkozy. And besides bringing us actors who look like and act like factual persons we never know whether the dialogs is truthful or whether all actions really took place. That makes this film an easy way out for all parties: makers and viewers. But it also provides us with a film that is no drama. It is all puppet play. Having said that, the acting is good and the film is funny at times. With some nice camera-work, especially during the big election events.

The raving reviews for this episode make me feel as though I didn't watch the same episode. I'll give it 6/10 for Peter Falk's sake and the brilliant scene at the posh restaurant where Columbo orders a sandwich. Other than that (& and after watching episodes of this series multiple times for over 35 years now) I think this is the worst episode ever. So much song and dance has to come from the final act that the build up to it is one long yawn. The Helen Shaver role is ridiculous in the obscene. The one and only episode that almost made me fall asleep 4 times. This material needed a much better crook. I need a strong dose of Robert Culp episodes now.

The second run of Columbo episodes starting in 1989 and ending in 2003 has it's ups and downs. Generally speaking, they can't beat the originals. But still a lot of enjoyment comes from the Falk character. This episode is one the weaker ones, despite me giving it a 7/10. The problem with Grand Deceptions lies with Robert Foxworth (your typical 80s male) who is totally uninteresting as a villain (where was Robert Culp when you needed him most?) and the abysmal performance of Janet Eilber as the married woman who fancies him. As to the final clue with the boxes there is one thing that bothers me: the books don't fit in the soldiers box, but Foxworth could have easily stated that he used several soldiers boxes and simply threw most of them away.

I watched it when I was 9 years old and I bought the DVD's to watch with my children. Season 1 was a success for all involved. The pace is somewhat slower than in these days, but that's not a bad thing.Hurgas is terrific and scary as the bad guy. When I saw him in other shows over the years, I always thought back to his Zanek role. As a grown up I could enjoy more the roles from Bob de Lange, Cor van den Brink and Riet Wieland Los. Especially De Lange's humor is much more appreciated as an adult viewer. The second season is more troublesome, although the three already mentioned adults were great yet again. The plot, well two plots actually who appear to have nothing in common, is a bit difficult for children. Way to much time is wasted on the rehearsal of a play of which we never see the end result. The young actors had already lost their spontaneity and were much more directed, leading to wooden performances. Adding child actress Tamar Baruch was a nice touch, but her lines made it seem she was 26 instead of 11 or 12, with her talks about emancipation of women. It is said that KRO television never repeated this season because of problems with the audio track. Seeing it now I wonder whether it had anything to do with some swearing by the adult actors and maybe the fact that the network was not so pleased with the end result. After all, a third season was never even considered which was strange, given the series extreme high ratings. If you want to remember this for all it's sweetness and nice memories, stick to the first series.

I like Charles Bronson. In some film fan circles this is considered a crime, but I've learned to live with it. Ánd then there is "Love and Bullets". Considering the production values this must have been a major release in it's day. And watching the trailer you could guess why people went to the cinema for it. Seeing it in the day and age of Jason Bourne is a different story: A crook is on the phone. He calls his boss who is outside. We hear the phone ring, the boss hears it, walks into the house and after an excruciating long period of time reaches the phone. In a Matt Damon outing this scene would probably take 15 seconds, even if he had to use the 1979 model of a phone used here. Look at the geographical distance covered in the film. Bourne, Bond or any given thriller hero might cover this mileage in 2 minutes. Bronson takes about an hour. He walks, he sleeps and has to deal with Mrs Jill Bronson again. And as I've said before: she was an acting disaster. I hope their marriage was okay, she nearly ruined some Bronson movies all by herself. Lalo Schifrin's music is intriguing, but the very short motive is overused a zillion different times. But overall Charlie is okay, Rod Steiger is ridiculous (but hopefully on purpose), the scenery helps and the final scene makes you smile as you do in most classic Bronson outings. And as opposed to other reviewers: it is on DVD and has been for a long, long time through Carlton Entertainment in Europe. Sound of outdoor scenes is awful. All in all, this was the last big budget film for Bronson. It should have been slightly better. It could have been.

It had been a long time since I saw this episode for the last time, but yesterday it happened again: right from the moment Kay Freestone enters the scene to the final moments at the carousel I was completely in love with Trish van Devere. What a sad story for a strong woman. (for me she is indeed one of those murderers I quite like) And absolutely nothing in the story and the time it takes to unravel is out of place or out of balance. Even the much criticized scene in Kay's old house has a necessary purpose. The film builds it's own case for (and against!) this beautiful woman. A strong cast and delightful music also play their part. One of the best sequences in the entire Columbo-series is Kay in the elevator, trying to get hold of the murder weapon. She's a small woman, but determined like no other. Just watch what she does and listen to the music that gives total and functional support. And finally, when everything falls to pieces and there's absolutely no way out anymore, she says "I'll survive, I'll fight, I might even win".

Why have we never seen significantly more of this talented and ravishing woman?

"Last Salute" is an episode directed by Falk's friend McGoohan and from start to finish the viewer can enjoy what is almost a pastiche of a crime mystery. Columbo lingers in the harbor, in no hurry at all, works together with Mac (because his boss insists), makes him drive his car, gets entangled with Robert Vaughn in the car, with the telephone, tries TM on the deck of the boat. He seems in a jolly mood all the time. Note how he touches and lays his arms around everyone in this episode. It is an episode as calming as the waterfront itself. And it probably isn't up to what most viewers expect. But that always is a problem. We need to accept it as a creative thing too. And Columbo always had it's own patterns and in-jokes, but because of many different directors as well as guest stars and considering the fact that the show ran for 35 years, there is no such thing as the one formula it sticks to. So it is really quite sad that there are always these remarks 'the last of the real Columbo's', 'the final good episode', 'here's where episodes became to long', 'here's where Falk was too old', etc, etc. Enjoy every episode for its own merits. "Last Salute" is in no way possible to be compared with outings like "Double Exposure" of "A Stitch in Crime". So don't. Just sit, relax and watch this episode. And there is no episode like it, it is beyond comparison.

A lot of user comments rank this episode as good or even better than that. I'm a big fan of the show, for all it's episodes from the late 60s to the very last ones. And me giving this episode even a 7/10 will say something about that. But for me, it is a lesser entry. For one thing it tries to deal with some sort of political situation that has dated the episode quite quickly. (and yes, one of my other sub par Columbo's is The Conspirators). Besides that it nowadays looks totally ridiculous to have American actors play the Arab roles, which to me makes it more of a fancy dress party than an edge of seat crime story. And they don't have any real Arab ways of dealing or behaving, they behave very American, but with different clothes on. Check the interior of the study of the main suspect. Apart from the special items especially arranged for Falk to nearly drop them, the walls are covered with western paintings and every time they're near a bookshelf I find myself trying to read all the western titles. They just used an office on the Universal grounds and declared it Arabic. Having said that, there are some good moments and nice dialog. But if you want excellent episodes, look elsewhere.

After repeated viewing I still wonder what the fuzz is all about considering Straw Dogs. An unpleasant movie about an English village full of loonies behaving badly. Too much is so over the top, there isn't a normal person in sight, the acting is below par for several leads and as a viewer you are left with three major questions: 1. whatever did Dustin Hoffman see in Susan George as a wife? 2. as for the grand finale of this movie: how many windows does this house have? 3. how many whiskies can a man drink and still behave at all?

And when it does work it resembles the original Wicker Man film in all its dark sides.