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Rating:  -
Columbo "purists" have a slight disdain for the 80's revival of the series for many reasons: lack of BIG guest stars, the two-hour running time, and a slight change in the Falk character. However, these five installments from the first season of the "resurrection" have their moments.
Fortunately, the lesser of the episodes kicks off first, "Columbo Goes to the Guillotine," a rather lackluster entry with a ho-hum performance from guest star Anthony Andrews. This one is saved only by the appearance of the always-dependable Anthony Zerbe as Andrews' antagonist and murder victim.
That leaves the remaining four episodes to save the set. "Murder, Smoke, and Shadows" makes great use of the Universal lot (where "Columbo" is filmed) and has a sly tongue-in-cheek flavor as it deftly has a murderer that bears a striking similarity to the studio's wunderkind, a guy by the name of Spielberg.
"Sex and the Married Detective" features Lindsay Crouse as a sex therapist that uses some of her own techniques to dispose of an unfaithful lover. Composer Patrick Williams offers up a brilliant and rather sexy score.
"Grand Deceptions," with its military setting, is somewhat reminiscent of the 70's episode "By Dawn's Early Light" starring Emmy-winner Patrick McGoohan. Robert Foxworth is no McGoohan but affords himself well as a murderous army colonel.
And the most artistic of the bunch, appropriately, is "Murder: A Self-Portrait" with Patick Bauchau as a painter that murders his ex-wife to protect himself from a secret that she holds. The installment features Shera Danese, the real-life wife of star Falk, as the present wife and also has Vito Scotti, a frequent guest performer on "Columbo." Patrick Williams provides another wonderful musical accompaniment and there is intriguing Dali-esque camerawork for three different dream sequences.
The episodes originally aired on ABC and the color is not as sharp as the earlier episodes, aired on NBC.
The bonus extra is a Sleuth TV documentary on television's greatest detectives. Unfortunately, the list of the top ten is rather biased, considering that most are from Universal productions, the company that backs the television network and "Columbo."
Rating: -
The new DVD release of several additional Columbo plots on a 3 disc set are of course well written and acted. The sets are the usual material of rich peoples houses and hobbies and there are some interesting moments where Columbo is in personal situations having his portrait painted by the great Barsini or entering his "DOG" in the Bassett Hound show. However, if we really examine the plots, they are re-hashes of earlier ideas presented in the original Columbo mystery movie episodes of the past. We have seen magic acts before by Jack Cassidy, Art murder before by Ross Martin, beautiful women killing their co-workers before (remember Martin Sheen?), film murders before by Robert Culp and Military murder before by Patrick McGoohan. The really painful part, in my opinion, is that Peter Falk is too old to still be a Lieutenant in Homicide. In terms of real time, he would have been a dinosaur, replaced sometime around 1982. In terms of rank it would have taken a considerable amount of time to get him to Lieutenant, so our hero would have over 30 years of service by that time. Despite brilliance and an ability to nail the rich in the crime of murder, Columbo should be long retired and frankly, if we look at this series of shows honestly, he looks like he is way overdue. I am a big Columbo fan and I love the work by Levinson and Link, but this jewel from the Golden age of Television Detectives belongs in the 70's and should stay there. In 1989, he seems to be an icon of an age long past. Still driving that Peugeot? THE MILEAGE! Where are his antique tags for this car? and "He be roadmappin'" with that old raincoat!
Rating:  -
This is what a real sleuth is all about. When you think it is impossible, when you think that you have the plan down, Columbo will show you what real thinking is all about. He keeps you on the edge and entertains in the process. Most enjoyable! I wish he were still on the tube and thank God I can get him on the DVDs. What a way to sit back and enjoy what is on my screen without depending on the foolishness they show today! Thank you again!
Rating: -
I LOVE ALL THE COLUMBO DVDS THAT I HAVE ORDERED
Rating: -
Peter Falk is great. I have all seasons of Columbo . I am a hugh fan.
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