I really love 4 am, because that's when Nero Wolfe movies turn up on Sky Satellite here in the UK. The logic of them is as impenetrable as the dialogue, the plots as murky as an old fog, but they're fun. Nero Wolfe, the character, absorbs me. He has wonderful taste in food, but likes canary yellow shirts, an impeccable library, a wonderful orchid room, and he lives totally in his head. I love the scenes where they show you all the delicious food and old Nero sets poor old Fritz impossible tasks - like finding Iranian coriander, or meat during the great meat shortage. I love old Cramer the detective and his sidekick, Curly. Those two are so full of malice, I'll bet they don't have to pull their guns out to kill anyone. Archie's pretty good too, though if he was my assistant I'd slap him for his cheek. The women are pretty exotic, along the lines of 'dames' or 'broads' in writers like James Hadley Chase.The sets are classy, the graphics incredible, the mis-en-scene terrific. But the best bit is the food. Only one thing, you never see old Nero drinking wine, his favorite tipple is beer. Personally, I like beer, I've got nothing against it, but for a real haute couture man, I feel red wine would be classier.John Olsson
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