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[Captain Audio]

Found an interesting Lord Peter Wimsey four parter on you tube. "Have his Carcass" a title which peaked my curiosity.

[bowers]

An absolutely ripping choice, Cap! PBS Mystery/Masterpiece broadcast two separate seasons of Lord Peter Wimsey, each with a different Wimsey. Your episodes are from the second season (1987) with Edward Petherbridge as Wimsey. The first series (1973) featured Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter. Both seasons were witty, urbane and such a lot of fun to watch! I did slightly prefer the first season. If you ever watch any of the Carmichael episodes, be sure to pay attention to the props displayed during the opening credits! While not actually clues, they are all vital to the plot. I was lucky to find all the episodes in our city library system and watched them all last year. Enjoy! Cheers, Bowers

[crashryan]

Ian Carmichael's Lord Peter appeared in the USA on the Public Broadcasting System's Masterpiece Theater. It was my introduction to Wimsey. I'd never read any of the novels. I loved the series. Having no preconception of Lord Peter's appearance, it didn't bother me that Carmichael was old for the role. Pity he didn't play Wimsey during his Boulting days. Anyway, the acting was great, the mysteries convoluted and fascinating, and the period color nice.

Alastair Cooke introduced each episode of Masterpiece Theater. In the 70s PBS figured Yanks needed a distinguished Brit interlocutor to ease the shock of watching BBC programming. In the Wimsey mysteries, Cooke opened with a detailed synopsis of the previous week's chapter. As the mystery progressed these synopses became increasingly complex. I don't remember which mystery was being featured the time Cooke finally met his match. It was the last chapter of a particularly intricate story. As usual, the camera faded in on Cooke's study, the Great Man seated in his comfy chair, turning to the camera to address the viewer. On this memorable occasion Cooke just stared woefully into the camera for a long beat, heaved a deep, deep sigh, and then rolled into the introduction. It was priceless.

[MarkWarner]

Ian Carmichael was a very "comforting" actor, he was in loads of 50s British films. If you have not see it Lucky Jim is a must.

I recently listened to some Lord Peter audio books (there should be some on YouTube). He really did get VERY insufferable. A right bore. You name it, he could do it. I read somewhere that he was Dorothy L Sayers fantasy male.

But as there is no way Ian Carmichael could ever be called insufferable, his Wimsey worked well!

 

[paw broon]

Lord Peter Wimsey was a good tv show, although whether I prefer Carmichael or Petherbridge I'm not sure.  Mark mentions the audios and while I can understand him finding that Wimsey insufferable, I have to admit, surprisingly, that I enjoy the audio plays. 
Many years ago there was a second audio version on BBC radio of The Nine Tailors, with a different actor - can't remember who - and I prefer it to the Carmichael version.  I have recently listened to, then read, Busman's Honeyman - there is a film version with Robert Montgomery,
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busman%27s_Honeymoon_(film)
and enjoyed both versions.  But in the book, Wimsey, at times, does become  slightly annoying.

[Captain Audio]

Cool short
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cngWdz7yhCM

[paw broon]

I enjoyed that.  Thank you.  And thanks to Mr. Petherbridge for putting into words what I and many others feel about these big coffee shop chains. Even in the hallowed High Street of Linlithgow, where there are some really good local cafes serving pretty good coffee and buns, Costa has opened.  Many locals and visitors like me shun it.  Shop local.  Drink coffee local.

[The Australian Panther]

Gonna put this here since it does involve watching, but we are talking Movies, to wit, SHAZAM. I saw this yesterday and quite enjoyed it. It was a refreshing change from all the super serious Superhero movies  from Marvel and DC. Some perspective. This year it's 2019, 80 years since the character we know and love was created. To make the character viable for an audience that is basically the great-grand children of its original audience there would have to be changes, Many of us here will be uncomfortable with any change, but changes were necessary. We need to be thankful that the movie version is surprisingly faithful to the original. Billy is 14 and pretty much behaves as you would expect a fourteen-year old to behave. Freddy is central to the story and that works well. It's a a very human level story and is all about the importance of family. There are plenty of easter eggs and references throughout the movie, to Fawcett icons, DC icons and to other movies made in Philadelphia and to the movie 'Big'. Spoiler but you can't miss it. Stay for the two short bits in the credits, one right at the very end. The villain mooted for the next movie is actually revealed close to the beginning. Fawcett fans won't have any trouble spotting it.
I think this movie will be a sleeper, the character is currently not that well known and it started slow. I think word of mouth will get people to go see it. 
If you have children, (or Grandchildren) take them to see it. You'll have a good day out. And you can tell them all about Billy Batson!             

[bowers]

Just finished watching Hollywood's take on Lord Peter Wimsey, "Haunted Honeymoon", c.1940. Robert Montgomery was very miscast in the part, but he tried. The rest of the film was entertaining with a fun twist on the ever-popular "blunt item". Cheers, Bowers

[crashryan]

After recent discussion about Master of the World, I watched the 1961 Vincent Price film on YouTube. I confess an admiration for older s-f films that get by on sheer chutzpah. Richard Matheson's script demanded an A-movie budget, which American-International didn't have. But they went ahead and made the movie as if they did have an A-movie budget. Inevitably the production has many problems, but the overall effect is quite enjoyable.

The special effects consist mainly of shots of Robur's airship superimposed over grainy footage lifted from decades-old movies. The model of the Albatross is great, though, and this makes up for the clunky effects. Interior sets also betray the low budget. The designs are good but the execution is on the level of 60s TV sets.

The script is solid, albeit reminiscent of Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Vincent Price is excellent as Robur. I read somewhere this was one of Price's favorite roles. The rest of the cast is just serviceable. Surprisingly the hero is a young Charles Bronson, back before he took his ugly pills. He isn't awful but he often trips over Matheson's elaborate "Jules Vernian" dialogue. Funny, I'd never noticed how high Bronson's voice is. It detracts somewhat from his he-man role.

The one unbearable element is the insertion of a comic-relief French chef. His comedy scenes are totally extraneous as he takes no part in the rest of the narrative. Some online sources say Master of the World was A-I's attempt to emulate the 1956 blockbuster Around the World in 80 Days. This could explain the decision to add comic "relief."

Finally, while I still like Les Baxter's score musically, in the movie it often becomes overbearing, especially in the comedy scenes.

[Captain Audio]

One of Charles Bronson's memorable early roles was as Detective Krovitch in the ultra creepy and quite  disturbing  Alfred Hitchcock episode "And So Died Riabouchinska".
Claude Rains put in a very believable performance as the Puppeteer/Magician Fabian.
The real star was the Puppet itself, magnificent work.

[positronic1]

The one unbearable element is the insertion of a comic-relief French chef. His comedy scenes are totally extraneous as he takes no part in the rest of the narrative. Some online sources say Master of the World was A-I's attempt to emulate the 1956 blockbuster Around the World in 80 Days. This could explain the decision to add comic "relief."

And if you go back to Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea again, Peter Lorre was given a lot of comedy relief bits of business, too. The comic-relief sidekick was a staple trope of the 1930s & 40s film and comics (and was practically a requirement for movie cowboys). But that sort of 'corn' was already fading fast as film moved into the '50s, and was practically unheard of (at least in American films) by the mid-60s, even as westerns became 'adult westerns'. Even in 1961, it's a bit of a throwback to an era less sophisticated.

[BoldVenturePress]

Through the miracle of YouTube, I finally got to see TIGHTROPE and THE DEPUTY. These television shows both premiered in 1959

[paw broon]

I should have mentioned this earlier.  We've been watching the 3rd. series of the Danish thriller, "Follow The Money"  The 1st. 2 series were excellent with a great, complicated plot, intriguing characters, incl. The Swede, tension and a bit of violence here and there.  Sub titles of course but well worth it.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3638488/episodes?season=3&ref_=tt_eps_sn_3

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3638488/

[crashryan]

And both those Dell The Deputy comics featured lovely John Buscema artwork.

[misappear]

I just started

[paw broon]

Which series are you on?  We're on the 3rd. and it's coming to a big, big finale.
Line of Duty finished this weekend and it was the talk of the steamy this morning at our French group.  Can't say too much.  Spoilers!

[Captain Audio]

A very cool crime film is "Amsterdamned", Serial killer film that really shocked audiences when it first came out.

[paw broon]

For those of you who can find it or access it, we've been watching the 4 part dramatic, and pretty accurate, reconstruction of the Hatton Garden safe deposit vault robbery.  Great cast, well directed and highly enjoyable.

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-05-23/what-is-the-real-life-story-behind-itvs-heist-drama-hatton-garden/
This is the STV player and I think if you use a vpn you might be able to access it.
https://player.stv.tv/summary/hatton-garden/

[narfstar]

Has anyone tried BLOOD AND TREASURE? I have it on DVR but have not tried it yet

[Captain Audio]

Just binge watched the 1970's UK series "Survivors". Post pandemic survival story.
Pretty darn good for its day.

[The Australian Panther]

This post is primarily for Paw!
In a discussion elsewhere on the site, [Prof H's Wayback Machine] on the film of Jules Vernes Master of the World, Paw wrote,

"David Thomlinson's annoying character with the pet chicken"

Actually, I think he was always a bit annoying, with or without the chicken.

I was just over there and happened to read it again and a lightbulb went off.
I have just bingewatched the new series of 'Lost in Space' If you were a fan of the original series it takes a bit of getting used to. On balance, I have decided I like it. [Spoiler] Basically the first series ends at the point where they are actually Lost in Space. Origin Story.  Great cast tho, and there was a lot of attention to detail from the original series which isn't always obvious.
But I digress! The character of Don West [ Who is not -yet- married to Penny but we can see it coming.] Rescues a chicken and makes sure it goes with him. Don't tell me that somebody on the production team isn't making a reference to that movie. I can be slow sometimes!
Here is Don and his Chicken!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw4VzRBYb48
Cheers!       

[paw broon]

Just finished over here is the 4 part Guilt with Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives.  We thoroughly enjoyed it.  Some black humour, a story that changed or threw in curves just when you thought you had worked it out.  Set in Edinburgh though there are a lot of Glasgow locations.
The new version of War of The Worlds has started butvwe might not watch the rest.  The producers have decided to change a lot and it doesn't seem to work. But maybe I'm just an old stick in the mud.

[Captain Audio]

War of the Worlds is more difficult to translate to film than most realize.
The book is so full of detail enriched by Well's ability to draw the reader in that more takes place in the reader's mind than can be put on the screen.

The description of the Martian "handling" machine sticks in my mind. The constructive ability of the machine makes it a far more sophisticated device than the war machines. It gives the reader a bit of insight into the creatures themselves. DARPA would love to get their hands on one of these.

[Andrew999]

Guilt was the best thing I've seen this year - Mark Bonnar (Duncan in Shetland) was superb and Bill Paterson scared me to death.

Haven't watched War of the Worlds yet but did watch Vienna Blood which looks very promising. I read all six of the original books by Frank Tallis.