Tag Archives: Lisa Marie Bowman

Here Are The 2023 Nominations of the Set Decorators Society!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

On January 5th, the Set Decorators Society of America announced their nominations for the best of 2024!  The winners will be announced on February 13th!

Best Achievement In Décor/Design Of A Contemporary Feature Film
THE KILLER – Set Decoration by Brandi Kalish SDSA with Production Design by Donald Graham Burt
LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND – Set Decoration by David Schlesinger SDSA with Production Design by Anastasia White
MAY DECEMBER – Set Decoration by Jess Royal with Production Design by Sam Lisenco
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE – Set Decoration by Raffaella Giovannetti SDSA with Production Design by Gary Freeman
SALTBURN – Set Decoration by Charlotte Dirickx SDSA with Production Design by Suzie Davies

Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Period Feature Film
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Set Decoration by Adam Willis with Production Design by Jack Fisk
MAESTRO – Set Decoration by Rena DeAngelo SDSA with Production Design by Kevin Thompson
NAPOLEON – Set Decoration by Elli Griff with Production Design by Arthur Max
OPPENHEIMER – Set Decoration by Claire Kaufman SDSA with Production Design by Ruth De Jong
POOR THINGS – Set Decoration by Zsuzsa Mihalek with Production Design by James Price & Shona Heath

Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Fantasy or Science Fiction Film
BARBIE – Set Decoration by Katie Spencer SDSA with Production Design by Sarah Greenwood
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 – Set Decoration by Rosemary Brandenburg SDSA with Production Design by Beth Mickle
THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES – Set Decoration by Sabine Schaaf with Production Design by Uli Hanisch
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY – Set Decoration by Anna Pinnock with Production Design by Adam Stockhausen
WONKA – Set Decoration by Lee Sandales with Production Design by Nathan Crowley

Best Achievement in Décor / Design of a Comedy or Musical Feature Film
AMERICAN FICTION – Set Decoration by Kyra Friedman Curcio SDSA with Production Design by Jonathan Guggenheim
ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET – Set Decoration by Selina M. Van den Brink SDSA with Production Design by Steve Saklad
ASTEROID CITY – Set Decoration by Kris Moran with Production Design by Adam Stockhausen
CANDY CANE LANE – Set Decoration by Jan Pascale SDSA with Production Design by Aaron Osborne
THE LITTLE MERMAID – Set Decoration by Gordon Sim SDSA with Production Design by John Myhre

The Columbus Film Critics Circle Honors Killers of the Flower Moon!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Way back on January 4th, the Columbus Film Critics Circle announced their picks for the best of 2023!

And here they are, with the winners in bold!

Best Film
American Fiction
Barbie
Godzilla Minus One
The Holdovers
The Iron Claw
Killers of the Flower Moon
May December
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The Zone of Interest

Best Director
Greta Gerwig – Barbie
Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things
Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer
Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon
Celine Song – Past Lives

Best Lead Performance
Bradley Cooper – Maestro
Leonardo DiCaprio – Killers of the Flower Moon
Colman Domingo – Rustin
Zac Efron – The Iron Claw
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
Greta Lee – Past Lives
Carey Mulligan – Maestro
Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
Margot Robbie – Barbie
Andrew Scott – All Of Us Strangers
Emma Stone – Poor Things
Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction

Best Supporting Performance
Penélope Cruz – Ferrari
Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer
Jodie Foster – Nyad
Ryan Gosling – Barbie
Glenn Howerton – BlackBerry
Charles Melton – May December
Julianne Moore – May December
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things
Dominic Sessa – The Holdovers

Best Ensemble
Asteroid City
Barbie
The Color Purple
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work)
Willem Dafoe – Asteroid City, The Boy & The Heron, Inside, and Poor Things
Matt Damon – Air and Oppenheimer
Colman Domingo – The Color Purple, Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken, Rustin, and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Sandra Hüller – Anatomy Of A Fall and The Zone of Interest
Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction, Asteroid City, and Rustin

Breakthrough Film Artist
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon – (for acting)
Cord Jefferson, American Fiction – (for directing and screenwriting)
Charles Melton, May December – (for acting)
Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers – (for acting)
Celine Song, Past Lives – (for directing and screenwriting)

Best Cinematography
Matthew Libatique – Maestro
Rodrigo Prieto – Barbie
Rodrigo Prieto – Killers of the Flower Moon
Robbie Ryan – Poor Things
Hoyte Van Hoytema – Oppenheimer

Best Film Editing
Michael Andrews – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Kirk Baxter – The Killer
Nick Houy – Barbie
Jennifer Lame – Oppenheimer
Yorgos Mavropsaridis – Poor Things
Thelma Schoonmaker – Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Adapted Screenplay
Kelly Fremon Craig – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Cord Jefferson – American Fiction
Tony McNamara – Poor Things
Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer
Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Original Screenplay
Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola – Asteroid City
Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik – May December
Sean Durkin – The Iron Claw
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach – Barbie
David Hemingson – The Holdovers
Celine Song – Past Lives
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari – Anatomy Of A Fall

Best Score
Jerskin Fendrix – Poor Things
Ludwig Göransson – Oppenheimer
Laura Karpman – American Fiction
Robbie Robertson – Killers of the Flower Moon
Naoki Satô – Godzilla Minus One

Best Documentary
20 Days in Mariupol
32 Sounds
American Symphony
Anselm (TIE)
Kokomo City (TIE)
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

Best Foreign Language Film
Afire
Anatomy Of A Fall
The Boy & The Heron
Godzilla Minus One
Perfect Days
The Zone of Interest

Best Animated Film
The Boy & The Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Frank Gabrenya Award for Best Comedy
American Fiction
Asteroid City
Barbie
Bottoms
The Holdovers
No Hard Feelings
You Hurt My Feelings

Best Overlooked Film
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
BlackBerry
Rye Lane
Showing Up
Theater Camp
You Hurt My Feelings

Belatedly, Here’s What Won At The Golden Globes

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Mostly because I felt like crap on Sunday night, I did not watch the Golden Globes.  In fact, I was pretty much passed out during the majority of their run time.  I woke up a few times and, whenever I checked social media, people were complaining about the host.  Apparently, he made a mild joke about Taylor Swift that Taylor didn’t like and the Swifties came for him.  Or something.  Like I said, I was sick and I was running a fever and I really wasn’t sure what day it was.

Anyway, only now have I really gotten a chance to look at the winners.  It was a good night for Oppenheimer and Poor Things, though who really knows how much influence the Globes have anymore.  I mean, last year, they weren’t even aired and no one cared.  The show has gone from being hosted by Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey to some guy who was occasionally a part of the Chelsea Lately panel. He should have known better than to make a joke about Taylor Swift.  Not even I have the guts to do that and I actually enjoy being a contrarian.

Belatedly, here are the Globe winners!

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Anatomy Of A Fall
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
The Zone Of Interest

BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Air
American Fiction
Barbie
The Holdovers
May December
Poor Things

BEST DIRECTOR, MOTION PICTURE
Bradley Cooper – Maestro
Greta Gerwig – Barbie
Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things
Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer
Martin Scorsese – Killers Of The Flower Moon
Celine Song – Past Lives

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Annette Bening – Nyad
Lily Gladstone – Killers Of The Flower Moon
Sandra Huller – Anatomy Of A Fall
Greta Lee – Past Lives
Carey Mulligan – Maestro
Cailee Spaeny – Priscilla

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL, OR COMEDY
Fantasia Barrino – The Color Purple
Jennifer Lawrence – No Hard Feelings
Natalie Portman – May December
Alma Pöysti – Fallen Leaves
Margot Robbie – Barbie
Emma Stone – Poor Things

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple
Jodie Foster – Nyad
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Julianne Moore – May December
Rosamund Pike – Saltburn

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Bradley Cooper – Maestro
Colman Domingo – Rustin
Leonardo DiCaprio – Killers Of The Flower Moon
Barry Keoghan – Saltburn
Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
Andrew Scott – All Of Us Strangers

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL, OR COMEDY
Nicolas Cage – Dream Scenario
Timothee Chalamet – Wonka
Matt Damon – Air
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
Joaquin Phoenix – Beau Is Afraid
Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Willem Dafoe – Poor Things
Robert De Niro – Killers Of The Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling – Barbie
Charles Melton – May December
Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things

BEST SCREENPLAY, MOTION PICTURE
Anatomy Of A Fall
Barbie
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, MOTION PICTURE
The Boy And The Heron
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
The Zone Of Interest

BEST ORIGINAL SONG, MOTION PICTURE
“What Was I Made For?” – Barbie
“I’m Just Ken” – Barbie
“Dance The Night” – Barbie
“Road To Freedom” – Rustin
“Addicted To Romance” – She Came To Me
“Peaches” – The Super Mario Bros. Movie

BEST MOTION PICTURE, ANIMATED
The Boy And The Heron
Elemental
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Suzume
Wish

BEST MOTION PICTURE, FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Anatomy Of A Fall
Fallen Leaves
Io Capitano
Past Lives
Society Of The Snow
The Zone Of Interest

GOLDEN GLOBE FOR CINEMATIC & BOX OFFICE ACHIEVEMENT
Barbie
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
John Wick: Chapter 4
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA
1923
The Crown
The Diplomat
The Last of Us
The Morning Show
Succession

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, MUSICAL, OR COMEDY
Abbott Elementary
Barry
The Bear
Jury Duty
Only Murders in the Building
Ted Lasso

BEST LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
All The Light We Cannot See
Beef
Daisy Jones and the Six
Fargo
Fellow Travelers
Lessons in Chemistry

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA
Helen Mirren – 1923
Bella Ramey – The Last Of Us
Keri Russell – The Diplomat
Sarah Snook – Succession
Imelda Staunton – The Crown
Emma Stone – The Curse

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
Elle Fanning – The Great
Selena Gomez – Only Murders In The Building
Natasha Lyonne – Poker Face

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Riley Keough – Daisy Jones and the Six
Brie Larson – Lessons in Chemistry
Elizabeth Olsen – Love And Death
Juno Temple – Fargo
Rachel Weisz – Dead Ringers
Ali Wong – Beef

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES, MUSICAL/COMEDY, OR DRAMA
Elizabeth Debicki – The Crown
Abby Elliot – The Bear
Christina Ricci – Yellowjackets
J. Smith-Cameron – Succession
Meryl Streep – Only Murders in the Building
Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA
Brian Cox – Succession
Kieran Culkin – Succession
Gary Oldman – Slow Horses
Pedro Pascal – The Last of Us
Jeremy Strong – Succession
Dominic West – The Crown

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Bill Hader – Barry
Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building
Jason Segel – Shrinking
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building
Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso
Jeremy Allen White – The Bear

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Matt Bomer – Fellow Travelers
Sam Claflin – Daisy Jones and the Six
Jon Hamm – Fargo
Woody Harrelson – White House Plumbers
David Oyelowo – Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Steven Yeun – Beef

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES, MUSICAL/COMEDY, OR DRAMA
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show
Matthew Macfadyen – Succession
James Marsden – Jury Duty
Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear
Alan Ruck – Succession
Alexander Skarsgård – Succession

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A STAND-UP COMEDY ON TELEVISION
Ricky Gervais – Ricky Gervais: Armageddon
Trevor Noah – Trevor Noah: Where Was I
Chris Rock – Chris Rock: Selective Outrage
Amy Schumer – Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact
Sarah Silverman – Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love
Wanda Sykes – Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer

Late Night Retro Television Reviews: CHiPs 1.9 “Hustle”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Mondays, I will be reviewing CHiPs, which ran on NBC from 1977 to 1983.  The entire show is currently streaming on Freevee!

This week, Ponch gets bowling fever!

Episode 1.9 “Hustle”

(Dir by Georg Fenady, originally aired on November 24th, 1977)

Life is a hustle when you work for the California Highway Patrol.

Ponch and Baker deal with a lot of things over the course of this episode.  While pursuing two motorcycle riders who are suspected of holding up a grocery store, Ponch gets a cigarette tossed on him by a passing motorist.  The suspects turn out to be two women who were just out for an afternoon ride.  They seem to be pretty amused by the whole thing, despite the fact that Baker roughly frisked them as soon as they pulled over.  Luckily, the sight of the hole that was left on Ponch’s uniform by the cigarette (and the boxers underneath) gives everyone an excuse to laugh.

This is not the best time for Ponch to have a wardrobe malfunction because he’s due in court.  Ponch gave a ticket to Sidney Engelhart (Marty Ingels) but Sidney claims that the only person who is guilty of reckless driving is Ponch.  Sidney tries to prove his point by basically stalking Ponch while he does his job.

While Ponch deals with his stalker, Baker pulls over a car being driven by veteran screen actor Broderick Crawford.  Ponch is totally excited to see Crawford but Baker is fairly nonchalant about the whole thing.  When his pen runs out of ink, Baker borrows Crawford’s gold fountain pen and then forgets to return it to the actor, which leads to Baker getting called out at the next morning briefing.

Meanwhile, there’s a huge car accident that leads to Ponch and Baker saving a mother and her baby from a live electrical wire.  Baker also pulls over a man driving a car that only has three wheels and, of course, there are the grocery store robbers to deal with.

And yet, for everything going on, Ponch’s main concern remains the department’s bowling tournament.  As has been a consistent theme so far during the first season of CHiPs, Ponch’s main concern continues to be doing things that don’t have much to do with his actual job.  Whereas Baker comes across as if nothing makes him happier than writing a speeding ticket, Ponch often seems to view policework as something to do until something better comes along.  On the one hand, this does not make Ponch a particularly effective cop.  We’re only 9 episodes into the series and I’ve lost count of the number of times that he’s had to go back to the trailer park to change his uniform.  On the other hand, it is probably a realistic portrayal of how most people view their jobs.  Ponch does enough to get by.

As for the episode itself, this was another “day-in-the-life” style episode.  So far, the first season of CHiPs has been dominated by rather loose plotting.  Ponch and Baker just ride and see what type of trouble they can find on the highways.  As for the bowling subplot, Baker turns out to be a surprisingly competent bowler and Ponch plots to win a lot of money from his fellow officers.  But then Baker sprains his bowling fingers and it looks like Ponch is once again out of a small fortune.  Poor Ponch, he is fortune’s fool!

(I actually have gone bowling a few times.  I’m not any good at it but I’ve been told that the important thing is to jump up and down regardless of what happens.)

This Hustle, I would give a solid B.  The scenery was nice.  There was an exciting motorcycle chase at the start of the show.  The episode was a pleasant-enough diversion, albeit not one that leaves a huge impression afterwards.

Retro Television Review: Miami Vice 1.17 “The Maze”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Mondays, I will be reviewing Miami Vice, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.  The entire show is currently streaming on Tubi!

It was not easy but I managed to rouse myself from my sickbed long enough to stumble into my home office so I could watch and review this week’s episode of Miami Vice!

Episode 1.17 “The Maze”

(Dir by Tim Zinnemann, originally aired on February 22nd, 1985)

This episode of Miami Vice gets off to a good start, with an exciting and, even by the standards of today, surprisingly violent shoot-out in downtown Miami.  The shoot-out leaves one cop dead, one partner embittered, and Crockett and Tubbs looking for the perpetrators, the Escobars.  As Tubbs explains it, the Escobars were strictly small-timers but it appears that they’ve recently gotten out of prison and now they are trying to make a name for themselves in Miami.

The search for the Escobars leads Crockett and Tubbs to a seemingly abandoned apartment building that has been nicknamed “The Maze.”  The Escobars have taken over the building and now, the handful of people who were previously living in the Maze are virtual hostages.  With the police surrounding the Maze, Tubbs decides to go undercover as a drifter who just happens to drop by the Maze in search of a place to stay.  Of course, no sooner has Tubbs entered into the Maze then a renegade cop named Duryea (Jay O. Sanders) decides to rush the building himself and the police are forced to reveal themselves.  Realizing that they’re surrounded, the Escobars demand a helicopter to the Bahamas and $10,000.  (Personally, I think they should have just asked for the helicopter.  People will give up helicopters much quicker than money.)  They hold every person in the building hostage, including Tubbs.

As I previously mentioned while reviewing T and T, I’m not a fan of shows that center around hostage situations, largely because they almost always end up being dramatically inert.  There’s only so many times that you can watch a sweaty criminal demand a helicopter before you get bored with listening to him.  That is certainly the case here.  The show gets off to a good start and even the scenes with Tubbs breaking into the Maze and pretending to be a Jamaican drifter had some flair to them.  But once the tense hostage situation started up, I got bored.  I appreciated the fact that the Escobars, as opposes to being hardened criminals, were really just as scared as the people they were holding hostage but otherwise, this episode was just a bit too slow for me.

That said, this episode does feature Breakin 2‘s Adolfo ‘Shabba-Doo’ Quinones as a dancing informant, early performances from Joe Morton and Ving Rahmes, and a really cool moment where Tubbs smirks and says, “Nobody’s going to the Bahamas.”  Even a lesser episode of Miami Vice still had style to burn.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 1/1/24 — 1/7/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Ugh.  I got really, really sick this evening so I apologize because I’m only going to be able to do a bare bones week in review this week.  I’ll be back at full strength next week Sunday!

Films I Watched:

  1. The Believers (1987)
  2. Death Cruise (1974)
  3. Gran Turismo (2023)
  4. Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare (2023)
  5. Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)
  6. M*A*S*H (1970)
  7. May December (2023)
  8. Mean Streets (1973)
  9. Patton (1970)

Television Shows I Watched:

  1. Baywatch Nights
  2. Check It Out
  3. Degrassi Junior High
  4. Dr. Phil
  5. Fantasy Island
  6. Forgive or Forget
  7. Friday the 13th: The Series
  8. Highway to Heaven
  9. The Love Boat
  10. Monsters
  11. Night Flight
  12. Password
  13. Saved By The Bell
  14. Tattletales
  15. Turn-On!
  16. The Twilight Zone
  17. Welcome Back, Kotter

Links From Last Week:

  1. A Theater Puts Out A “James Bond” Warning! That Story + My 2024 “007” Review-A-Thon!
  2. Tater’s Week in Review 1/6/24
  3. Are you paying attention?
  4. Be sure to check out Leonard’s review of Godzilla Minus One!
  5. Be sure to check out Jeff’s review of Death Warrant!

Click here for last week!

Retro Television Reviews: Death Cruise (dir by Ralph Senesky)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Sundays, I will be reviewing the made-for-television movies that used to be a primetime mainstay.  Today’s film is 1977’s Death Cruise!  It  can be viewed on Tubi and YouTube.

The thing with the Love Boat is that it promises something for everyone.  It’s a place where you set a course for adventure and put your mind on a new romance.

The same cannot be said of the Death Cruise.

Death Cruise opens with three couples winning an all-expenses paid trip on a luxury liner.  None of the couples are in a happy marriage.  Sylvia Carter (Polly Bergen) is tired of her husband, Jerry (Richard Long), and his philandering ways.  Elizabeth Mason (Celeste Holm) is frustrated with David Mason (Tom Bosley) and his loud dinner jackets.  Mary Frances Radney (Kate Jackson) is fed up with James (Edward Albert) and his smug refusal to start a family.  Of course, it’s not just martial problems that connects these passengers.  It’s also the fact that someone on the boat is stalking and killing them, one-by-one.  Can Dr. Burke (Michael Constantine) and Captain Vettori (Cesare Danova) track down the killer before it’s too late?

Death Cruise is an enjoyably twisty little murder mystery.  It aired in 1974, a good two years before the first Love Boat pilot film appeared on television.  However, both Death Cruise and The Love Boat were produced by Aaron Spelling so the two productions definitely have a shared DNA.  The Love Boat is basically Death Cruise with the addition of a laugh track and considerably less murder.  That said, I have my doubts as to whether Doc Bricker would have been as effective a detective as Dr. Burke.

One of the most interesting things about Death Cruise is how little anyone on the boat really seems to care about the fact that the passengers are turning up dead.  In fact, one widower is asking a widow to be his date to dinner within a few hours of the deaths of their spouses.  Of course, the murderer makes sure that dinner date is canceled but it’s still hard not to wonder whatever happened to an appropriate time of grieving.  Then again, I guess if you’re on a boat for a weekend, you just do whatever feels right at the moment.

(And certainly, if they were on The Love Boat, the walking HR nightmares that was Doc Bricker wouldn’t have wasted any time asking the widows to come by his office for a examination.)

Of the victims and suspects, Richard Long and Edward Albert are memorably sleazy while Tom Bosley plays up just how annoyed he is with the whole situation.  Michael Constantine is a good detective and the movie’s final twist is nicely executed.  Personally, when it comes to cruises, I will always prefer the safety and romance of The Love Boat but Death Cruise was an entertaining nautical diversion.

Late Night Retro Television Reviews: Check It Out! 1.13 “Love Is A Many Splendored Alf”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Saturdays, I will be reviewing the Canadian sitcom, Check it Out, which ran in syndication from 1985 to 1988.  The entire show is currently streaming on Tubi!

This week, my favorite character returns!

Episode 1.13 “Love Is A Many Splendored Alf”

(Dir by John Bell, originally aired on January 8th, 1986)

Viker’s back!

Played by Gordon Clapp, Viker is the store’s electrician.  He’s only appeared in a handful of episodes this season, though Wikipedia says that he’ll become a regular during season 2.  Viker is one of the best characters on the show.  Technically, he’s the goofy dumb guy but what makes Viker special is that, while he’s definitely goofy, he’s not really that dumb.  Viker can put his thoughts together, it’s just that he put them together differently than everyone around him.  Viker lives in a world of his own, one that has its own peculiar set of rules.  Alone amongst all the characters on the show, Viker is always honest and tries to directly answer every question that he’s asked.  For instance, when Howard asks him if he has an idea as to what is making the store’s light flicker on and off, Viker replies, “Yes,” and leaves it at that.  Howard, after all, didn’t ask him what the idea is.

Viker is at the store because Cobb’s is having electrical problems.  The lights are flickering on and off.  (It takes Viker a few minutes to notice because, as he explains, his blinking his synchronized with the flickering.)  The cash registers are humming.  The refrigerator in the break room has broken down.  The store’s freezer also breaks down, leading 800 pounds of melted ice cream and a bunch of TV dinner rotting in an alley.  Can Viker figure out what the problem is?

No, of course, he can’t.  Fortunately, Alf the Security Guard can.  When Alf gives the broken refrigerator a good slap, the refrigerator comes back to life and the lights stop flickering.  So, I guess it was all the refrigerator’s fault!  To be honest, I don’t know much about how things are wired in most stores but …. well, let’s just go with it.

Alf …. poor Alf!  Alf has a tough week in this episode.  Edna sets Alf up on a date with her friend Helen (Nonnie Griffith).  Helen likes that Alf is a plain-spoken, blue collar guy.  Helen is less impressed when Alf gets drunk on their date and tries to crack open his escargot.  She is especially not happy when he pours a pitcher of water on the flambé.  After the disastrous date, Alf is convinced that he’ll never see Helen again.  Fortunately, for Alf, Helen just happens to be in the store when he gets the refrigerator working and basically saves everyone’s job.  Helen is impressed enough to give Alf a second chance.  Awwwww!

(In other words, it’s a good thing Viker couldn’t figure out what the problem was!)

As far as this episode goes, I never really believed that Helen would have been attracted to Alf in the first place so that story kind of fell flat.  And seriously, if you’re dating a guy because you like how direct and blue collar he is, what are you thinking serving him escargot and flambé?  But I was happy to see Viker again and I appreciated that this was an episode where everyone in the store acted as eccentrically as possible.  Check It Out! works best when it leans into absurdism.