Hard-boiled San Francisco private eye Sam Spade is a man with questionable morals but is unquestionably good at what he does. One day, Spade is approached by Miss Wonderly, who offers him considerable money in exchange for locating her younger sister, who allegedly ran away with a man named Floyd Thursby. What follows is a series of murders, corruption and uncertainty, all tied up in a classic web of mystery and deceit, all leading back to the fabled Maltese falcon statuette. The Maltese Falcon is one of, if not, the most integral pictures to come out in the film-noir genre. It would certainly go on to inspire and create a template and standard for later films of the same genre. Funnily enough, this is not the first theatrical depiction of this novel with The Maltese Falcon (1931) released 10 years prior. Although, that variation hasn't nearly held the same lasting impact as this depiction. This iteration may very well be one of the greatest remakes in cinematic history as John Huston (who makes his directorial debut here) delivers a truly faithful adaptation. I was simply blown away by the presence this film holds. From exceptional cinematography, atmospheric scenery, clever witty dialogue and an experienced cast, there is a great deal at play here to captivate audiences and glue them to the screen. I have always been fascinated by detective stories and I feel their best depictions are in the dark, gritty noir films, with no exception here. The beginning alone sets the scene with what appears to be a fairly straightforward case laid out like your typical P.I. detective mystery, however, things take a drastic turn with a more complicated plot taking hold. I certainly found myself frequently guessing from start to end and whilst I am sure this can be said for any mystery-related project, I found questions popping up at every corner in such frequent successions. Also, I found the pacing of this film to be somewhat fast, almost like being just ever so slightly sped up, which comes in the way of the dialogue delivery. It was sharp, to the point and darted right off the tongue at excessive rates with certainly a lot of exposition at play, but it was not hard to follow. With talking pictures becoming so prevalent, I'm certain this film decided to take this opportunity to its fullest. Our leading protagonist is Sam Spade (played by the master of P.I. noir, Humphrey Bogart) who is portrayed as something of an antihero. He may be an investigator working on the side of the law but he appears to take matters more into his own hands, having no issue with keeping the police out unless it suits him. There are plenty of insinuations throughout that blur his character between the lines and make him difficult to anticipate. He is competent and always steps ahead of everyone else, including the multiple parties after the Falcon. These members consist of Cairo, Gutman and O'Shaughnessy, who come from varying backgrounds but are equally fascinating to watch as their shared desire for the bird shows the extremity of their obsessive natures to obtain it. Whilst a serious story there can still be found a level of comedy like in my favourite scene where Mr Cairo calls upon Spade to offer a large sum for the item before pulling a gun on him, ordering to search his office. Spade effortlessly disarms, knocks out and searches him and when he awakens he's questioned and given back his gun before leaving only to attempt the whole procedure again word for word. I howled with laughter it was phenomenal. Things are much more serious going forward, as the case grows closer to a conclusion, with every word told a lie, tailing hitmen and further bodies turning up around our investigator. It is particularly hard to guess anyone's next move especially Spade's as he works tirelessly to solve this bizarre case. Overall, The Maltese Falcon is the best of the best within the crime, mystery and film-noir genres. It is a perfect product that delivers everything you have come to expect and much more. It practically set the foundations for these types of movies and its influence continues to be ever-present. The cast is marvellous, direction stupendous, and story captivating. This is as classic as they come, a must-see.
"Ray" is a shadowy, enigmatic character with no traceable past. People in trouble often come to him for help, since he has a lot of important and powerful contacts. He refuses to be paid for his services; however, those seeking his assistance must promise him a favour. Sometime in the future, Ray will come to collect on that favor usually to aid him in another case. Stingray is a show that quite frankly took me by surprise and left me completely amazed. As I have stated many times I am a huge fan of the 1980s so naturally this show came up on my radar and it was no exception to fueling my admiration for the decade. The show shares plenty of similarities or themes recognisable in other 80s products such as Knight Rider (TV Series 1982-1986) being a man with no identity with a sleek black car or The A-Team (TV Series 1983-1987) being an aid for hire to those in need. All the while sharing similar elements Stingray holds its own identity, which it has undoubtedly ascertained over a plethora of attributes, starting with our lead. Despite having no official name, everyone refers to him as Ray on account of his car a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and even at times people simply call him Stingray. Ray is a man of many skills that he relies on to complete his mission, like for instance, his competence in martial arts, which he uses against the countless oppositions he faces. He is equally an exceptional driver and has a knack for hiding his true identity, especially from officials like police or other members of the government. Being so highly trained, Ray can adaptively overcome the struggles placed before him and persevere till he helps his clients with their unique problems. One of the most engaging aspects of the show was the problems Ray is called upon for. There are many varying situations throughout the show that Ray must overcome from rescuing kidnapped individuals, locating missing people, investigating strange activities, infiltrating dangerous areas, stopping murderers and so on. In most cases it sounds pretty by-the-mill type scenarios to get hired for however this show makes them feel fresh and different. Although intersected among those styles of episodes are ones that are so unique and out-of-the-box crazy that it hooks you immediately before anything is even laid out. From a young client flipping like a switch and trying to kill Ray at the start of an episode, an infected man dying at Ray's house dragging him into a near horrific virus outbreak or someone driving a similar Stingray model car killing Ray's potential clients pretending to be him. These episodes where someone doesn't even hire him and he is drawn unwillingly into a perilous mystery are utterly thrilling. Equally, some episodes take new approaches in their storytelling like an episode where an old lady novelist writes a story that perfectly details the events of Ray's current mission. Just as the episodes take a fresh and out-of-the-box approach, so does every other department in its construction. I am mainly referring to the style of directing and cinematography on display. Throughout this show I was frankly entranced by the experimental camera angles, shots and editing present that was like something I had never seen before. It felt different almost like a student testing and experimenting with their methods on a project and I was intrigued. I would sit in awe as the directors took me on a journey to new heights in filmmaking. Be that as it may, some pieces can be a bit disorienting but even they lended to this distinctive style. Finally, I have to talk about the theme tune and intro. It is phenomenal. It is extreme 80s at its finest with a catchy tune to boot and a fantastic lineup of flashy imagery to get you pumped. Overall, I absolutely adore Stingray and I simply can't believe how many people haven't seen or heard of it before. I was thoroughly gripped by this series and consider myself so fortunate to have stumbled upon it. Everything on display from Ray to the car, the intro, the fighting, the action, is all extremely cool and just awesome. Plus all 25 episodes of the show are available on YouTube for free, making for some ideal and accessible viewing thanks to FilmRise Television.
Single mother to daughter Molly, DI Alex Drake has rapidly risen through the ranks of the Met and, in the modern world of 2008, skillfully uses psychological profiling to capture suspects. However, Alex is shot in the head by a mad gunman, suddenly awakening in 1981. Interacting with familiar characters, not just from her lifetime, but also from the detailed reports logged by none other than Sam Tyler. DCI Gene Hunt is back, flanked by his faithful sidekicks, Ray Carling and Chris Skelton, but will he be able to get on with Alex? Following on from the phenomenal show, Life On Mars (TV Series 2006-2007), we are brought an equally exceptional addition to this fascinating world that sees fatally injured cops transported into the past with no idea as to its reality or not. This time we are in 1981, where Hunt and team have vacated from Manchester to London and Sam Tyler has mysteriously disappeared. Thrown into the mix is our new protagonist, DI Alex Drake, who like us, is craving answers to this phenomenon as she is ripped from her world and daughter into a peculiar, alien land. Alex has an arguably greater affinity for getting back than Sam being a single mother who needs to get back to her young child. Alex equally has more going in her favour when hurtled into this setting having studied Sam's report of his experience when he temporerily returned to the modern day leaving all his findings and experiences to be analysed. She knows all about the characters like Gene as well as all the speculations of Sam's experience. Her skills in psychological profiling make her a force to reckon with as she fundamentally aids the team in cracking some of the harder cases. Upon her immediate arrival to this world, we are greeted with a marvellous introduction from none other than Gene Hunt himself who speeds onto the scene in his bright, gleaming red Quattro accompanied by Ray and Chris. The return of these characters from Life on Mars was simply awesome with each having slightly altered looks matching the times but with their same unaltered mannerisms. Gene is still arguably the best character across both shows with his frequent witty dialogue and unrivalled temper that is frequently put to use on criminals. Ray and Chris have grown too that only further develops throughout the seasons. I'd have to say I much preferred Ray in this series as whilst he was great, his 'rivalry' with Sam made him a bit unlikable, whereas he is extremely fleshed out here and given many occasions to show a more human side. Chris still has a childish naivety, larking about, offering plenty of spectacular gags. We are introduced to new members of the crew too, WPC Shaz and Sergeant Viv. Shaz represents the female side of the law during the time and she looks up to Alex, who takes charge, not taking the behaviour or comments of her peers. Viv works on the front desk delivering news to the Gov and overseeing any who come and go in the department from prisoners to contraband, etc. With each season, Alex undergoes new challenges from trying to save her parents from a car explosion whilst haunted by a creepy clown. Uncovering corruption in the workplace under the mysterious 'Operation Rose' whilst a man who knows all about Alex and what is truly happening in this reality lingers in the shadows. Or the investigation into Gene Hunt and his office by DCI Jim Keats who attempts to twist Alex's judgement to undo Hunt, uncovering what happened to Sam. Each season got progressively better with a slow start that picked up into a running speed. I loved how each season focused on one new narrative and 'bad guy' whilst keeping it overarching. I also love that the show's final season managed to wrap up the story of not only this series but Mars too, answering what this world is and who Hunt is in an outstanding finale that is unbelievably magnificent. Overall, Ashes to Ashes was a beautifully crafted continuation and conclusion to the plot line laid out in Life on Mars. The characters are equally entertaining as before and the new members stand beside them, delivering equal levels of quality. I was incredibly hooked and so glad to witness something so fresh and unique. So worth watching!
(Unfortunatly only the 2nd Season intro is available on YouTube so I cannot show the 1st and 3rd versions)
Series Trailers:
Hilarious 'Uptown Girl' Dream Sequence:
During the show, Alex sees many strange things but none so brilliant as the sequence where she dreams everyone performing a take on the 'Uptown Girl' music video. Absolutely hysterical!
Bodie and Doyle, top agents for Britain's CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5), and their controller, George Cowley fight terrorism and similar high-profile crimes. Cowley, a hard ex-MI5 operative, hand-picked each of his men. Bodie was a cynical ex-SAS paratrooper and mercenary, while his partner, Doyle, came to CI5 from the regular police force. They are the top men in their field and the ones to whom Cowley always assigns the toughest cases. The Professionals is a show like no other. Whilst it falls under a similar group of shows following action, police drama, and comedic elements like, for example, Starsky & Hutch (TV Series 1975-1979), it takes this miscellany of genres to a new height with a grittier and more realistic style, unmatched by other products of the time. It subsequently made shows like Starsky & Hutch feel more comical and in a way, tame, despite themselves having darker-themed episodes but nothing to the level of this series. I first watched this show with my family, which coincidently, coincided with our watching of Starsky and Hutch, where we could see the drastic differences between the American series and this British one. The professionals blew me away with its rich stories that varied from all sorts of crimes, terrorist acts, international incidents, personal vendettas, dangers of varying proportions and magnitudes, plus many more exciting plots. Such stories held many villainous antagonists that CI5 are pinned against from terrorists, hit-men, hate groups, gangsters, espionage suspects, gunmen and many more. But these episodes are only as good as those leading them and there are none finer than our main trio. We follow two of CI5's best operatives, William Bodie and Ray Doyle, as well as their boss and leader of the organisation, Major George Cowley, as they work to put a stop to all crimes in their country no matter the danger or risk. We spend a great deal of time with Bodie and Doyle through thick and thin throughout all sorts of complex and explosive missions. Their relationship may edge on the side of contentiousness, but they still care enough for one another and exchange plenty of delightful banter. I never got tired of their quick remarks that were flung back and forth through their adventures and their playful mannerisms (regardless of the current dangers they were in or around) are equally entertaining. They also come from different backgrounds as CI5 is made up of, well, professionals from all areas of her Royal Majesty's services with Bodie being from the army and Doyle from the police force, which gives them an edge in those fields and paired together, there is little they can't accomplish. Cowley keeps this duo and his many operatives in line as he governs for a safer neighbourhood, being up for anything thrown at him. Whilst he may send out his men to these extreme situations, he isn't afraid to get involved himself taking charge on the scene on many occasions (when not enjoying a malt Scotch whisky). The organisation of CI5 may be a fictitious one but they really sell you on the idea of such a force existing, one that uses uncustomary methods in cracking down on criminal groups. One of the all-time highlights of the show is the intros. The first season features Cowley conducting a test on his men on a trial course (sometimes with a voiceover) that is overwhelmingly exciting. Later seasons featured one singular intro featuring collective clips in a phenomenally energetic manner that really gets the blood pumping. If you could sit still without moving an inch to this magnificent piece, then there is something wrong! I personally, own a boxset that saw an overhaul in visual upscaling that has breathed new life into the show, making it look so much crisper (I've linked a video below comparing such visuals). Equally, there are loads of special features and an inclusion of the original banned episode 'Klansmen'. Overall, The Professionals is an outstanding piece of television and of a British one at that. Fast cars, explosions, gritty, realistic stories, a banter-filled duo and a killer theme. This show is undoubtedly worth watching. There isn't one episode that misses the mark with quality residing in each one.
After a near-fatal car accident, smart, savvy, sharp-suited detective Sam Tyler is mysteriously transported back 33 years to 1973. Confused by his new surroundings, Sam tries to return to the present, but the police force of long ago needs his help. Life on Mars is undoubtedly one of the most captivating shows I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing in recent memory. I was instantly blown away by its vast rich stories that culminate into one overarching narrative, its style, loveable and engrossing characters and above all, its bizarre and intriguing mystery. We follow Sam Tyler, a DCI (Detective Chief Inspector) in the then-current year of 2006 who is deep in a case that slowly becomes quite personal for him. However, he's hit by a car, awakening to find himself in the 1970s with his outfit, car and surroundings drastically altering. Is Sam Tyler dreaming, in a coma, or has he travelled back in time? If so, how does he get home? Upon his transportation, I was immediately hooked as the now DI Tyler fumbled around in confusion to everything around him. This jarring experience is as confusing to us as to Sam and his constant search for answers or discoveries only further puzzles us. To make matters worse, Sam is frequently experiencing visions, voices and feelings that are linked to the 'real world'. From the TV characters talking to him, and the radios changing mid-song, Sam experiences many unusual interactions that only make him look mad in front of his peers. Whilst in this '73 setting, Sam continues his policing work, under vastly different methods led by the equal highlight of the series, DCI (Guv) Gene Hunt. Of all the characters in this program, Gene Hunt is arguably the most popular and my favourite of the team. His lines are unmatched with plenty of comebacks, sayings and mannerisms that make him truly loveable and utterly hilarious despite essentially being a terrible person. He doesn't shy away from breaking down doors, beating up suspects or arresting anyone who gets in his way whether they are innocent or not. Me and my family love to quote him in our day-to-day lives and would wait with anticipation for his next line. The contrasting relationship between the rugged style of Hunt and the modern-day, more practical side of Tyler makes for some fantastic viewing. They bicker and differ but at the be-all and end-all, they always do what's right in the end, overcoming any obstacle and sharing a bit of banter. The other members of Hunt's CID (Criminal Investigation Department) include Ray Carling, Chris Skelton, Annie Cartwright, Phyllis Dobbs and plenty of non-speaking background characters who are ever-present. Each character shows an unswerving loyalty to the Guv and some do come to care for Sam, looking up to him as a role model, although some don't (most especially Ray). Sam hits it off well with Annie though, who during the first season is a WPC and is usually overlooked by the others, however, Sam always places his confidence in her and the two share some sparks over the show's run. Annie grows exponentially over the second season as Sam puts her forward to be a DC and join the crew in their more prominent missions. Each episode told a unique story that would vastly vary from a hostage crisis, bomb scare, murder, conspiracies, undercover operations, etc. Sam, having his future knowledge, offers much insight in solving cases and even uncovering criminals because it has already happened by his time. During each exciting adventure, there would be a tie to Sam's struggle of wanting to return home with the world showing signs from his 2006 life. The finale of the second season is certainly one of the most tense storylines with the will or won't he get back and I'm not going to spoil it here but the ending is gripping television. Overall, Life on Mars is a phenomenal series that captures the setting of the 70s with full force, hurtling not only Sam but, us the viewer, into 'another world'. Everything looks magnificent across the board and the music choices are brilliant. This is a pinnacle must-see show. If you loved it, check out the sequel Ashes to Ashes (TV Series 2008-2010) for a trip to the 1980s following Alex Drake's experience.
Seasons & Episodes: 2 Seasons - 16 Episodes
Creators: Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan, Ashley Pharoah
Almost three years after their last adventure in Rush Hour 2 (2001), Carter is now working as a Los Angeles traffic officer, while his friend and ace Hong Kong Police inspector, Lee, escorts the Chinese Ambassador, Han, to the World Criminal Court, to disclose crucial information about the Triads. However, after a botched assassination attempt, the mismatched duo find themselves in Paris, struggling to retrieve a list of Triad leaders' names, as the murderous crime syndicate's henchmen try their best to stop them. We reunite with Lee and Carter for their third outing in this trilogy. This last entry is usually considered the weakest link in the series and whilst I can agree in some areas, overall, I still had an awesome time. It may be ranked lowest in my listing of the movies, but it is by no means bad. On the contrary, this film features plenty of phenomenal moments that may even be considered some of the finest in the whole series. One of the main issues I felt was the time gap between this and the last totalling 6 years. It is a bit noticeable during the opening segment however as the adventure continued, it did start to feel like the other films and part of the same product. The movie opens with Carter, now demoted to a traffic officer, doing his usual routines of singing and cutting slick dance moves whilst he directs the cars. He is of course distracted, causing all kinds of accidents meanwhile, Lee is protecting Ambassador Han, whose daughter was kidnapped in Rush Hour (1998), but everything goes awry after getting shot leading to a high-speed chase. Crossing paths once again, the duo work together to put a stop to any further attempts on the Ambassador's life at the request of his daughter, Soo Yung, now all grown up. The duo are a little shakey at first, not being on the best of terms after Carter nonfatally shot Isabela from the last film who Lee was interested in. However as the story plays out, the two of them start to become closer again. Some truly hilarious and incredible scenes take place from here on out like the martial arts studio where the pair get relentlessly beaten by a giant, followed swiftly by the most iconic part of the film with Carter's "Who are you?" back and forth with Yu. Then there is the shootout at the hospital, which features so many unbelievable stunts and fantastic banter, like bickering over the empty gun Lee threw Carter whilst in the line of fire. Also, the interrogation scene of the french French-speaking Chinese man with a nun as the translator was outstandingly funny with her having to repeat some of the bad language of the guy only for Carter to tell her equally bad responses. Upon travelling to France, they get in a taxi where Carter gets irritated with the driver, George, who is bashing Americans and proceeds to hold him at gunpoint making him sing the national anthem, which is very amusing. It doesn't stop there as they both make an impression on the driver after getting him in chases and gunfights making him feel like an American spy. The chase was insanely good with motorbikes flying everywhere and George getting invested in the action. He is unironically the greatest aspect of the film with so many scenes and he even plays an integral role in the finale in a shocking moment that had me in hysterics. Carter continues to attempt wooing women this time with Geneviève is targeted by the Triads and both Lee and Carter rescue her during a performance by doing their own singing routine. The main villain in this flick is Kenji who has a personal connection to Lee, which led to some tense moments during the remarkable sword fight on the Eiffel Tower that continued to display Jackie Chan's exceptional stunts as Lee climbs and fights on the beams of the tower. The pair have individual troublesome tasks to overcome in this climax, but they each come through in the end. They make their leave by dancing to 'War' one last time, which is practically their theme song. Overall, I still had a joyful time with this lesser-regarded entry. Yes, it may have problems, but overlooking them, this is just as much fun, if not more at times, as the first two. With talks of a fourth entry yet to come to fruition, this is still a great place to end the series.
Lee and Carter are back! This time they're in Hong Kong. Carter wants a relaxing vacation, but Lee wants to carry on doing police work. At a nightclub, Lee spots the dangerous crime kingpin, Ricky Tan, who runs an evil gang of murderous Triads, and his partner is a woman who delivers explosive packages to unsuspecting parties. The duo find themselves neck-deep in trouble after one of the explosions is delivered to the American Embassy. Now, with the frequent threat of the Triads and their explosives, Lee and Carter must track down Ricky Tan, as the string of clues lead them back to Las Vegas. Following on from the highly successful, Rush Hour (1998) we join back with the loveable mismatched team in yet another crazy caper, however this time in Lee's territory. I was pleasantly surprised how this film followed on from the initial movie, picking up the story four days after the last scene where they board a plane to Hong Kong for a vacation. It feels like we never left (despite being made 3 years later) and I love how they continue many of the plot points and developments of the first flick, truly kidding you into thinking we never stopped watching them. The best example of this was seeing the pair singing to the Beach Boys in the car calling back to Lee's favouritism of the band, which was fantastic. Carter is in full vacation mode simply wanting to relax, chill and meet some women, unfortunately, Lee is having a hard time taking it easy as he keeps uncovering criminal behaviour and clues. It perfectly demonstrates their relationship and traits set up in the original. Lee takes on more cases ending up chasing gangs, battling them whilst climbing bamboo structures in yet another impressive display but almost gets the pair killed when one of the female members leaves them suspended at the top. Carter gets pretty mad with Lee over this fixation with working so Lee takes him to relax at a massage parlour much to Carter's satisfaction, however, it is owned by Ricky Tan, who Lee is currently investigating. It leads into one of the greatest fight sequences where Jackie Chan continues to display his impressive stunts as Lee who utilises his surroundings to beat his opponent. Tucker's Carter also displays some awesome fighting skills whilst only wearing a towel, delivering his usual banter and quick-fire lines that never fail to leave me in hysterics. It is such a fast-paced brawl that even Carter mistakingly punches Lee, which was hands down the funniest moment with Lee's expression of disbelief. The film features a great deal more twists and constantly leaves you guessing as to the motive of the Triads. Not only that, but a considerable amount of confusion lies with Isabella, who claims to be part of the Secret Service. Her loyalty always feels in flux making us weigh up whose side she is on, especially with Lee taking a fancy to her (as well as Carter) creating a difficulty in judgment for the Detectives. Whilst she does show evidence of counterfeit money existing she has an air of someone viable to double cross. There is equally more revealed about Lee's father and the link between him and Ricky that makes this mission all the more personal for Lee. As previously mentioned, the iconic duo still retain much of their friendship built in the first outing and they do honestly care for one another a great deal having each other's back in all their trials, even if they continue to bicker. There is no end to fights in this sequel with a hectic scrimmage at a casino in Vegas where Lee has a bomb tapped up in his mouth with the detonator being kicked about the floor creating a tense-filled piece. We also see Carter have a sword fight and the pair leap from an exploding building. Rush Hour 2 has no end to phenomenal, over-the-top action. Overall, like the first flick, I had an absolute ball with the second. I think it ties very closely with it in terms of enjoyment and everyone was in full force, catching just that same amount of magic in a bottle whilst delivering something new and fresh, not feeling like a complete rip. The duo have never been more engaging and the story was equally captivating. I'd highly recommend this as a worthy viewing, also check out the third title, Rush Hour 3 (2007).
