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Vincent Van Goatse posted:I haven't hit the Ed McBain ones yet but I say the worst Columbo is "Murder in Malibu", which was so bad I didn't believe the murderer did it even after he confessed. At least Commodore tried to shake things up a bit even if it completely failed, and the last scene with Columbo in the rowboat is pretty drat good. It is in my eyes definitely the worst one. Was rewatching some of it on TV the other day, and I just....do not understand the casting choices. Andrew Stevens is a complete dud, no charisma at all, Brenda Vaccaro seems fine, but the twist of them falling for each other, just comes out of nowhere, zero sexual tension between them at any point. The whole episode is just off, none of it feels right. Not a single line feels convincing, by anyone (except Falk). Yeah yeah the 90s seasons have some duds and problems throughout, but this is the same season that has a Patrick McGoohan, and Ian McShane in the unique "Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo". Next season kicks off with "Columbo Goes To College", then you have George Hamilton, Dabney Coleman, Rip Torn, Faye Dunaway, the Shat, Ed Begley Jr. etc. Just what the hell were they doing with Stevens and Vaccaro. piratepilates fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Aug 25, 2023 |
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Aug 25, 2023 23:15
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Might be a controversial take but I think the Ed McBain episodes are fine. .....Except No Time To Die, that one is bad. Hard to judge it, because its as you said, not really a Columbo episode. It's an episode of a show called Columbo, but the main driving point of the action is Columbo's spontaneously invented Nephew. The plot is driven by constant tension in the form of a bride being captured and held at extreme risk of violence. There's no levity that you get in other episodes of Columbo, the plot doesn't have any capacity for it. Undercover is a lot better because it's such a low-stakes plot that the humour can come through, not just with Falk, but with Ed Begly Jr. and the assorted members of Mafia too. It's a fun little mystery plot with a great opening scene, delivered in the safety of the situation that the rest of Columbo provides, while still setting you forward to the resolution of it by way of revealing the mystery. And now I'm realizing there's only two Ed McBain episodes of Columbo, always figured there were more. In either case, .500 isn't a bad batting average in my eyes.
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Sep 1, 2023 06:01
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My hands down favourite ending to an episode has to be "Suitable for Framing", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPkMyCdkrn8 Just the way he pulls out those hands, that pose of them, his expression. Cut to that guy absolutely making GBS threads his pants. Freeze frame, show credits, we're done. No need to let it play out, we got the moneyshot and we're done. Takes No Damage posted:
Very well said.
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Oct 1, 2023 02:31
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Old Swerdlow posted:Just a fun anecdote. I think there's only like 3 or 4 episodes of the show I consider actually bad, and most of those are in the tail end of the 90s revival. I think you're good for the next few seasons until you hit Last Salute to the Commodore. Which ones do I think are just bad? Last Salute, Murder in Malibu (by far the worst), Columbo Cries Wolf is just on the precipice (but I think its still more good than it is bad), maybe Death Hits the Jackpot, No Time to Die, maybe Strange Bedfellows but I find Norm funny, piratepilates fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Jan 22, 2024 |
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Jan 22, 2024 20:50
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Snooze Cruise posted:IMO, rather take the corniness of Murder in Malibu than the tasteless sexual menace of No Time To Die. I think I don't pay No Time To Die any mind because it feels like a completely different show that Columbo happens to be in, so I just write it off. Murder in Malibu is definitely an episode of Columbo, in the same vein as all the others, it's just so incompetently made on every level that it staggers me. It's not just a poor showing, it bothers me how bad it is. Although No Time To Die is definitely sleazy and I don't think I'll ever rewatch it, I can't stand that whole kidnapper weird sexual menace weird guy villain in it, and with no pay-off or arc to it. Dude's just an evil dude who barely shows up in it.
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Jan 22, 2024 23:58
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