Saturday, May 27, 2023

Colin Dexter - The Wench Is Dead








Colin Dexter is now most famous for Inspector Morse tv show, but his novels stand on their own. 
Morse is lying in hospital due to his alcoholism which would eventually lead to his death in final novel The Remorseful Day, and visitor give him book detailing early victorian account of murder of Joanna Franks by two boatman. 
Even in hospital Morse can't do without puzzles and as he reads about the case, he has some doubt about the truth of the ancient case. 

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Brainstorm (1965)


Worker in the scientific research facility stumbles upon a car in which unconscious woman is laying and he quickly saves her from oncoming train. He finds out she is a wife of facility director, and in subsequent events falls in love with her. Her husband is treating her like a prisoner and she tells him many people tried to save her, but they all died. But he continues in his quest to release her despite shenanigans from the staff to pull him off the job. In the end he decides to kill her husband and plead guilty on insanity, thus believing to be confined in mental hospital until he's proven safe to society. However things don't go so easily as he goes mad in institution, and his believed love is taken away by his ex-coworker. Ultra paranoid schizo noir movie and one of the best I've seen.

Murder By Contract (1958)



Professional hitman is hired by the organization to do some jobs for them; he proves very capable and cold-blooded but his only flaw is ambivalent feeling towards women which proves fatal to him in the end. Martin Scorcese praised the movie and rightfully so : witty dialogues, interesting situations, great lead actor and solid score make this movie quite enjoyable.

Agatha Christie - After The Funeral



Typical Christie novel in which she shows all greediness and corruption among relatives when the head of the family dies, all expecting something, but only one capable of murder to get what she wants. Mrs. Christie hated crowds and wrote exactly about them, in which she excels quite successfully.

George Sims - The Last Best Friend

Unusual crime novel about antiquarian Ned Balfour who finds out that his friend was murdered, and in unravelling of mystery gets skin deep i...