frieda-92366 Reviews

Crimes That Shook Britain (2008– )

lackluster

[2/10 · 14 August 2024]

This show majors on interviewing various people associated with the crimes, but minors on the details. Way too many filler bits, like a woman walking along a path (that they show multiple times in the same episode - boring) or scenery they make no effort to link to the crimes. Was that fence where they found a victim? Is it merely more filler? Plus many of the lead "experts" speak in a monotone, totally flat, with nothing in the background except light. It would have been nice with a little dressing up of the set, like do it in an interesting pub, or some effort made to at least coach the experts on how to add emotion to their performance. What a snore. I did appreciate that they showed childhood photos of some of the subjects that I had not seen before. Like Joanna Dennehy. It must be a popular show since there are so many seasons, but I wouldn't sit down and watch it for entertainment.

Inside the Criminal Mind (2017–2018)

Awful, awful, awful, and repetitively awful

[1/10 · 6 August 2024]

What struck me right off (episode #1) was how inarticulate, or else just badly scripted, the crime professionals were. From FBI profilers and others, we hear profound phrases like, "There are many different reasons why a person may become evil." Then two minutes later it is the same guy saying the same thing. And when he elaborates it is as if he were half asleep and reading from a teleprompter. It is unoriginal, grasping, and impossibly dull compared to most of the true crime shows out there in abundance. Then the narrator or voiceover makes equally as gripping statements like how "Son of Sam" is a terrifying moniker for a serial killer. What? Nothing I see in episode #1 gives me any hope for the rest of the show.

Deadly Women (2008–2021)

Candice DeLong is a great Master of Ceremonies

[8/10 · 15 July 2024]

This is almost a circus freak show production of female murderers. As such, I found it very entertaining. Should murder be entertaining? The format, where many episodes touch on 3 different murderers and their victims in 22 minutes, is necessarily boiled down to just the facts, ma'am. It spares no detail, no bloody reinactments, no horror. But what does bother me is almost none of them show actual pictures of the real victims. So we only get to see pretty actors playing the parts, and this makes it all seem rather vacuous and stagey. Nevertheless, I like true crime and the series introduced me to criminals I had not heard of before. And it was daunting to realize how deadly the female of the species can be. Also it is blatantly obvious and a little disturbing how DeLong has the time of her life making witty comments and double intendres while wearing a variety of wigs and cosmetics. Kinda weird.

This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper (2000)

Enjoyable but lacking details

[6/10 · 15 July 2024]

Alun Armstrong was admirable in his role as Oldfield, of course. To be expected. Unfortunately, the whole series focused almost entirely on him. Like they got a well-known actor so they wrote the entire script to revolve around his feelings, his expectations as an inspector, his family at home, and each emotion that flitted across his face. Plus his character's development of congestive heart failure. That was the story. Forget watching if you want to know anything about Peter Sutcliffe. He was convicted for killing 13 women, and to their credit they did flash the names of the victims up on the screen. But it was not until the very end that we saw anything of Sutcliffe but the back of his head or a shadowy figure. It would have been more interesting if there had been a parallel exploration of Sutcliffe's psychological makeup, what his life was like, and possible reasons for his terrible crimes. And more effort to humanize the victims besides their names. Plus to me, I know maybe they were trying to represent the sexism of the times but there really was little respect for any of the female characters whether they were working for the police or were murder victims. Also, the guy who played the police chief or whatever the British call the top guy over Oldfield WAY overacted his smarmy almost gleeful role in removing Oldfield from the team. This detracted from the seriousness of the subject.

See No Evil: The Moors Murders (2006)

it should be called See No More

[1/10 · 15 July 2024]

It was all I could do to grit my teeth and make it through the first of 3 episodes. Because nothing happened. There were 2 young British couples sitting in a living room in the 60's, doing what you would expect normal couples to do. If their character had been explored, if any hint had been dropped about what was coming, if there had actually been a plot unfolding, I would have been willing to watch more. But none of that occurred. It was like watching paint dry or grass grow, and I thought maybe I had clicked on the wrong program by mistake. There is so much to tell about the Moors Murders, so much dynamic action that could be thoughtfully explored, why spend the whole first episode showing nothing? It was one of the worst true crime re-tellings I've ever tried to watch. Even if the other 2 episodes were any better, they had already wasted too much of my time. There are no spoilers here because there was nothing to spoil.

Shetland (2013– )

Jensen deserved a better script for her role

[8/10 · 6 July 2024]

This is about Season 8 only. I expected a flop after watching Ashley Jensen in Agatha Raisin. But I really enjoyed her in Season 8 of Shetland. I think the writers did her a disservice and undermined the role by having her sleep with an old boyfriend as soon as she gets back to her old stomping grounds. And by implying she (as a woman, of course) should have compassion for grieving families. It's not a policeman's job to have compassion, it is their job to collect evidence and root out suspects and solve crimes. They also filmed way too many shots of Jensen (Calder) mugging for the camera. Still, I found her more palatable as team leader than Henshall ever was. Anyway, other than that the plot was fantastic -- replete with lots of red herrings and unexpected twists and a fine ending. Especially enjoyable was seeing Phyllis Logan as the elder Bain. I almost didn't recognize her face, but the voice cued me in. They did a great job of disguising her usual look with the short gray wig and cane, and spiced up her character with some salty language. She was excellent, as always. I watched all 6 episodes of Season 8 today and may watch it again in the future. Not as pensive as the episodes with Henshall moping around his house.

Marple: The Body in the Library (2004) Season 1, Episode 1

Agatha C is turning in her grave

[6/10 · 30 June 2024]

I loved the energetic music, the delicious overacting by Lumley, McEwan's elfin smile and weird hairdo's, and the lovely hotel interiors. But why oh why was it necessary to be false to Christie's nicely told tale by flipping it into a lesbian relationship at the end. What a downer. If that had been the author's original intent, I would have understood. But it wasn't. If the story had been set in 2024, I would have understood. But it wasn't. This is gratuitous pandering to modern sexual proclivities that were not even hinted at in the story line. It is pulling a stupid stunt that doesn't work in any way, shape or form, and it ruined the episode. Now I don't want to see the other episodes for fear the producers will find equally odd and unfitting ways to play with old faves.

Signs of a Psychopath (2020– )

a little dab'll do ya

[8/10 · 24 June 2024]

Although I watched every episode, one season would have been enough to tell me all I needed to know: suss out the psychopaths and stay out of reach. These killers put to shame all the videos I have watched on narcissism. What I found surreal was the way someone who had just killed a whole family or a pregnant girlfriend could shrug their shoulders and laugh, then try to wriggle out of the charges. I subtracted 2 stars from a possible 10 because a couple of the female experts seemed not to have watched the actual interviews of the killers and were just talking off the tops of their heads. Instead of addressing individual psychopathy they would just toss off the exact same "observations" each episode -- "this guy is devoid of emotion" or "this person treats people like objects" or "they are trying to hint at an insanity defense." I would have liked more in-depth analysis of particular cases. It was too facile and repetitive in many instances. I started feeling sorry for the cops who have to put up with these murderous, lazy, self-indulgent criminals every day who sit there and lie.

Death of the Party (2023– )

loud background drowns out the voices - major crime!

[1/10 · 13 May 2024]

First of all, most of all, the series is encumbered by overwhemingly loud background music and sound effects. On top of that, at least in the first episode, the woman's voice is so soft and unemphatic that I had to turn on the closed captions to read along. So I could understand what was happening. I really couldn't get any further because I don't like subtitles, and I don't like it when producers/directors put out whole series where the viewer must struggle to even understand what is said. You can't always read lips, because the person's face is not always shown. So many true crime shows are guilty of this crime. I tried a couple of episodes, and they both had this same flaw. Hence, one star.

Forensics: Catching the Killer (2021– )

very enjoyable

[10/10 · 3 May 2024]

I enjoy watching this. They don't do a reconstruction of the crime. Probably made during pandemic...not sure. People are interviewed one at a time either outside or totally alone inside. Courtroom scenes are totally empty courtrooms with a voice-over. This is more about the effect on the community, rather light on forensics considering the title. Liked the 30-yr old cold cases solved by familial DNA searches. Also interesting to hear what the original detectives looked for on the scene. And families interviewed about murderers found among their members. There is quite a bit of repeated scenes like swabbing blood stains on fabric that they used in multiple episodes. I was familiar with many of these crimes, but this was just enough of a different point of view that it was well worth watching.

35 Serial Killers the World Wants to Forget (2018)

a serial killer show the world wants to forget

[2/10 · 21 April 2024]

This looks like a show that AI put together on a low budget, using scraps of interviews that presented nothing new about well-known cases, accompanied by washed-out overexposed video sequences that appeared to all be shot out the window on "anywhere streets." There seems to be little thought or intelligence applied to script or story-telling. No gripping tales of clues followed to find the killers, no insight into the lives of victims outside one-line repetitive depictions of streetwalkers while the lower legs of a woman walking down the street are shown. Stupid. Time waster. Anecdotes from journalists and a few detectives thrown in saying how scary the killers were...over and over. A forgettable show about the killers, that despite this show, can never be forgotten. Now I know how it could have been made 6 years ago, was first presented 4 years ago, and yet this is the first time I have heard of it. A way for the streaming services to pad their true crime with tripe.

Cold Case Files (2017– )

revenge is not best served cold

[2/10 · 17 April 2024]

I have watched thousands of true crime shows. So I know what makes an informative and engaging story. The reason I give this series 2 stars is, first of all, the visual experience. There is too much shifting between dozens of shots that do not advance the plot or even flesh out the setting for viewers. Many of them are blurry backgrounds with some random object in the foreground. Or vehicles driving nowhere. And I find that true crime told from the perspective of one or two people and a detective is the most effective, because it helps create intimacy with what the viewer is seeing and hearing. And it helps develop a sense of compassion for the victims, which is missing here. This is not a series of well-told true tales. It is a mishmash of visual clips and audio sound bites. Maybe since these were cold cases, many years in the solving, those left behind were left to stew in their own rage -- and they seem to be at the center of these stories. Episodes are drenched in that sense of futility, even though all of the cases have now been solved. Wasn't to my liking, but many of the other reviewers think the show is excellent. Maybe I should stick to podcasts where there are only one or two narrators.

35 Diwrnod (2014– )

Great engrossing drama with many twists

[9/10 · 14 April 2024]

I just finished bingeing all four seasons. The first season is the best. It was a great change from the usual detective story -- by showing the murder victim die to begin with, then working up to it over the previous 35 days. Be ready for almost every character to have a definite dark and deceitful core. Even the "best" of them are revealed as the unpredictable chain of events unwinds. I have never seen a show with so many side plots, yet they don't interfere with the main story. Except in the last season which is a bit helterskelter to say the least. In an effort to add humor, they lost the plot a few times. And the way that it ended was unsatisfactory -- other characters were far more deserving of his fate. Also, Season 4 starts slow and moves at an erratic pace. Seasons 1 and 3 are the most watchable. Although I see reviews complaining about the white subtitles disapppearing against the background? I didn't have that problem at all. I could read everything clearly. You do have to stay glued to the screen, however. It's worth it.

Unforgotten (2015– )

the best detective show ever

[8/10 · 2 April 2024]

If it had not been for the awful ending of Season 4, I would give it 20 stars. There is obviously much care given to each character, each scene, each setting chosen. It is not the usual hard-driving or neurotic group of detectives knocking each others' heads and those of the suspects. Nor it is a deep psychological dig. This show presents somewhat average people who show greater than average compassion on the job. The lead detective and her partner work so well together as actors and as characters that they do an almost seamless job of sorting through the clues and solving old murders. The other side of the coin is the lives of those who were part of the original murder and/or coverup who have lived for decades waiting for the police to show up, or waiting for the missing loved one to walk through the door. It is all done with building tension in the lives of the two main detectives, over the four seasons. Both on the job and at home. Nicola Walker is incredible as the lead. Each story ends as such stories do in real life, with some relationships reborn and some destroyed. But there was always enough hope at the end that I kept wanting to watch the next season. Until the end of Season Four. I almost wished I had never started watching at all. Why kill the one person off who guided every investigation and stayed true to her purpose? It was certainly possible to end the series and let her finally retire. But no, the whole tone of the program went in the dumpster at that point. It wasn't sweet that she was remembered fondly, it was a travesty. It was like she gave hope and justice to others, but was stripped of it herself. A stupid script. Why not end on a high note? Realism was the driving force of the writer, but realism doesn't have to be a depressing ending. It could have been triumphant.

Most Evil (2006–2015)

confusing

[2/10 · 25 March 2024]

The voiceovers were confusing. The guy who is supposedly rating these killers hardly says anything. And the other professionals who experiment, observe and draw conclusions about raw human emotion sound neither scientific nor excited about their work. Instead, a jumble of phrases, crime scenes (old/new/blurry/unidentified), and interior settings are strung together in such a way that I honesly couldn't figure out what the point was. Crime documentaries should draw the viewer in by setting up a mystery, whether that is a scientific mystery, a social conundrum, or a murder on the street. Then provide clues that lead to an aha! Moment. This show is anticlimactic from the first to the last scene of each episode. I have watched many, many excellent crime shows -- this is not among them.

Sparkling Cyanide (2003 TV Movie)

Pass the Cyanide, Please

[5/10 · 18 March 2024]

Halfway through this mess, I took a moment to read the reviews. Because I wondered if I had misunderstood who had authored the story. Surely it wasn't A. Christie. I have read most of her work and seen dozens of adaptations, and this lackluster flavorless version certainly did her no credit. What is lacking is: the story. There is too much emphasis on grousing old men and totally unconvincing spies and women in their underwear. It doesn't hold together. With such a great cast, I thought how can it NOT be at least entertaining for 90 minutes. But weaving through unlikely affairs and abortions and what could not possibly pass for political intrigue (even in the capable hands of Pauline Collins & Oliver Ford Davies) left me with no appetite for more by the time the second party fare was laid out. I'm going to go back, read the book, and see what Christie's story was really about. Because I don't see how this could be it.

Spectre (I) (2015)

bond again

[7/10 · 17 March 2024]

Bond has never been and never pretended to be high-quality art. It has always been posturing males, sexy females, lots of boys-and-their-toys make-believe, and fun. I have enjoyed all of them. I don't understand why so many people hate this one, citing bad CGI and overdone gnarly fist fights -- this is classic Bond. The opening minutes with the helicopter was absolutely fantastic. I would have paid the price of a theater ticket just to watch that. I also found the sepia tones a pleasant change from the hyper-colored fare of so many other recent movies. This was in keeping with the title. I am growing tired of suicides depicted in so much of what I've seen lately, however. I didn't like Craig as a choice for Bond from the first of his 007 movies because he was too baby faced. But now he has aged into the part nicely. Of course, it has been 9 years sinced it premiered, and I just saw it for the first time. But I thought it was great with popcorn, on the sofa, in my living room, on a Friday night.

Ruth Rendell Mysteries: Vanity Dies Hard: Part 3 (1994) Season 8, Episode 3

Three hours wasted.

[2/10 · 15 March 2024]

Again, I am disappointed in a Rendell mystery. This is another one where the 3-episode yawner ends in suicide. He should have put himself out of our misery in the first 30 minutes and ended it there. "Vanity Dies Hard" starts well with a relationship between two women and jealousy over the man one is marrying. A fairly typical plot line. From there, it disintegrates into weird suspicions, possible poisonings, implied affairs of the heart, and doctors running to and fro. There is no rising tension, no great protagonist to root for, no murder that we are sure of, only musings of a rich woman and her pouting husband. Sound interesting? No? Then you would be correct. Find something better to do.

Ruth Rendell Mysteries: Master of the Moor: Part 1 (1994) Season 7, Episode 1

I can't believe it

[2/10 · 14 March 2024]

I sat and watched this entire multi-part story. I could guess where it was going. But this is the second show I've watched this week that ended in suicide. What is wrong with this world? Trash like this is certainly part of it. I have watched many Rendell shows and read a couple of her books. They are always rife with incest, pedophilia, strange perversions, and odd protagonists. So maybe it is my own fault for tuning in. Rendell never revealed what in her own history drove her to this subject matter. But I like Colin Firth. I like George Costigan. A host of familiar actors. I figured with all the palaver about the long blond hair of the missing mother, the murders must be a family affair. But with the 2 bullets loaded then distant gunfire out on the moor, I was extremely disappointed that the producer couldn't have found something to celebrate in the human spirit even in the midst of evil.

Vera: Fast Love (2024) Season 13, Episode 1

Hello, Joe; imagination lacking

[6/10 · 29 February 2024]

Enjoyed seeing Joe Ashworth butt heads with Vera. That was unexpected. But other than that the story itself was a tired one. They would have done better to have more character development and mystery, rather than lay it out so predictably. It's never a good sign for the series when they start linking suspects by rape, adoption, and sexual preference and using that to suddenly come up with the killer. It is too easy a "fix." Kenny was looking a bit rough. He looked 10 yrs older than the elderly Vera in this one. They depended too much on the usual cast of characters for it to be interesting. Plus they have the annoying habit of switching out female characters who have disabilities. I think putting a strong female in there with Vera would be better than bringing Joe back. The worst part was the cheer at the end as Vera smiles to herself, like all is well because she is doing a favor for Joe. He's a prat. I look forward to more episodes, since it beats the other shows by a mile. But PLEASE get some writers with imagination.

World's Most Evil Killers (2017– )

covers each killer from multiple perspectives

[10/10 · 8 February 2024]

I appreciate the sheer number of experts, input from detectives and almost-victims, and a number of family members and journalists -- they keep it varied and supply a lot of interesting facts on each killer, from childhood to imprisonment and death. Each episode makes a stand-alone documentary. I like Fred Dineage's background commentary -- his voice is clear and easy to follow. Unlike some of these true crime shows, they don't use the same shots over and over from one episode to the next. I've watched the first 7 seasons a couple of times, but can't find season 8. If you like true crime, this show will have many killers you've never heard of before.

Murderland (2009)

Wherefore art thou, Robbie?

[2/10 · 4 February 2024]

Ordinarily I love Robbie Coltrane. He looked (and was) way too old and used up for this part. I think they chose a big name like his because the writing was so bad, and an actor of his caliber might make it watchable. But it didn't happen. Before the 3-parter was half over it was already obvious who the killer was. The red herrings were sickly pink and rotting by that time. I can see where maybe the book was okay. The basic idea was okay. But the execution of script, filming, timing, flashbacking was absolutely terrible. The whole middle episode could have been deleted and not lost a beat. They basically just retold the first episode in the second one, same scenes rehashed. Then the third episode crash-landed (you'll see what I mean) into a 5-second revelation of what happened. Following that, nonsensical stupidity and gratuitous death. But it was a relief to get it all over with and go to bed. Not even anything that might keep me from getting a good night's sleep.

True Detective (2014– )

b-o-r-i-n-g and s-l-o-o-o-w

[2/10 · 31 January 2024]

I tried to watch the first season of "True Detective" today. It gets higher ratings/reviews than any other show I've ever seen except for "The Sopranos." It is about 2 detectives in Louisiana and their personal lives, while they hunt for a deranged killer. The killing in the first episode reminds me way too much of "Hannibal," the TV series. It is not quite to that "Twin Peaks" weirdness level, but the same sense that more is wrong here than meets the eye. This first season stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson and other familiar faces.

It is brutishly heavy on the neo-noir and the pace is so slow I think the killer will die of old age before they find him. I thought I might also die of old age before the first episode finally ended. I think there are 8 episodes in that first season. Nope. Not for me. There is something to be said for slowing a cop story down for character development. But there is no development here. There are only flashbacks or flashfutures, so they are telling the story by jumping from one to the other. I hate a story being told this way. I say you should start at the beginning and work forward till you come to the end. Like life. Plus too many portraiture shots of the two main actors, like they were each promised 50 per episode.

I loved "The Sopranos" and have watched it beginning to end many times. "True Detective" has none of the great writing and wastes terrific actors in an effort to feature dark ambience and bizarre serial murder. It tries to hook in to something deep and meaningful, but only ends up boring.

Death on the Nile (2022)

Just because you can...

[3/10 · 14 January 2024]

Mr. Branagh, just because you CAN remake Death on the Nile does not mean you should. That goes for acting the part of Poirot as well. I have watched every adaptation of every Agatha Christie novel that has been made, after reading all of them. David Suchet comes nearest to my personal interpretation of how Christie intended Poirot's character to be played. Extremely self-assured, highly perceptive, very careful about his personal appearance, and never self-conscious about his eccentricities...as he goes about investigating murder. Branagh makes quite a show of being eccentric (like rearranging his tiny bowls of exquisite tasty bits in the intial dance scene) but it comes across as gross over-acting. And so it goes. Throughout the film, both he and the other actors ruin the story by scenes of this overacting interspersed with scenes of tepid underacting. And the garish color and lighting of a supposedly late 1930's cruise boat is so unrealistic it gives the whole thing the flavor of a masquerade ball. I felt seasick and heartsick as well as wholeheartedly disappointed. Especially at the last revelation that is always the highlight of these Christie stories, where everyone is gathered and fingers pointed and the murderer exposed. This revelation was just an awful mishmash of strangeness, and I was glad to see the end credits rolling. I understand Branagh WANTING to play Poirot, but apparently it is not meant for just anyone. If you would be thrilled to see a bizarre and rather fantastical twist to the usual Poirot, go ahead. But take any travel meds first to calm your tummy.

Detective (2005 TV Movie)

this production is the real crime

[3/10 · 11 January 2024]

At last a series I hadn't seen before that was made after 2000. When I saw the cast, I had high hopes. How could they lose with Berenger, Gish, and many, many other reputable actors. I'm not sure where the loss began -- maybe the writing (terrible dialogue), the musical score (frantically and annoyingly loud and adds nothing), the sameness of the crime scene victim staging (no serial killer sticks to a script that closely), and hokey use of the Bible for context.

All of the suspects the detectives are tailing are too psychologically disorganized or otherwise focused throughout to have committed these premeditated and carefully planned murders. The actors portraying detectives underact...like zombies rehearsing their lines. And the actors portraying the suspects are manically over-acting to the point it is ludicrous. Embarrassing even to watch all alone in my living room.

The part hardest to believe, however, were the homes of the detectives. Close to the beach, multi-million dollar mansions, every room stunningly decorated and scrupulously well-kept. And if Berenger's character was a priest before becoming a detective, there is not even a hint of this anywhere in his screen presence. I mean, he knew exactly where all the pertinent verses were in Revelations in an instant -- turned directly to them. But other than that, he seems more like a bored boss in a pants factory. How did he get Gish? And btw, no chemistry whatsoever between them.

This one is a snore/bore.