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Peter Gunn: The Briefcase (1959)
Pete visits "The Maltese Falcon"
This is a good one if only to spot the "homages" to Dashiell Hammett's novel and John Huston' film of "The Maltese Falcon". Pete gets to be Sam Spade. There's the Fat Man Kasper Gutman, Joel Cairo, Miss Wonderly, Wilmer and the rest are all here. It's a briefcase not a black statuette this time but you will recognize the plot. This version involves a train rather than a ship and Pete has no partner to be killed by Mis Wonderly but it follows the same course. It takes a lot to pack all the elements into thirty minute but they get it done. If you're going to plagiarize then do it from the best. A fun one!
The Gilded Age (2022)
Sadly not a success
Like most viewers I looked forward to this series. So it saddens me to say it is not very good. The writing and dialog are stilted and rarely sound like something human beings of any age might actually say. This problem results in acting which ranges from acceptable to dreadful. Some of th characters spew lines rather than speak or relate them. The weakest links is Louisa Jacobson, daughter of Meryl Streep. This is her first role and she simply and sadly is not up to the challenge. Her performance is wooden and on the level with a high school production. As her character is the focus of the early episodes the result is a poor performance which harms all the others and the story. The supporting characters suffer the same fate. Rapid fire delivery of clunky dialog. I was surprised by Cynthia Nixon who makes her character believable even sympathetic. Christine Baranski is saddled with lines which are supposed to be witty but come off as brittle and leaden. She offers then with great theatrically. The sets look great so enjoy the view, it's the best you can hope for.
Motel Makeover (2021)
Could have been good
Could have been good but the hosts (and those voices) will drive you away.
Lovejoy: The Prague Sun (1992)
A trip to Prague
A change of scenery at Christmas time for the entire crew. Prague makes for a great location and the story wanders over much of the city. Very enjoyable.
Untamed Frontier (1952)
Better than Average Western
You'll recognize the plot early, ranching family conflicts, a bit of soapy love stories and homesteaders changing Texas. The surprise is the number of Hispanic actors playing authentic Vaqueros.
Hell or High Water (2016)
A pale pastiche of better movies.
A tried story line and clunky dialog let some good acting go to waste.
Atlantic Crossing (2020)
A mess worth missing. Shame on PBS
A three part series stretched to many more. Poor script and soap opera sensibilities. Condolences to the actors who had to suffer through this mess.