Film Flam

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

"Film Flam" is not just the best episode since "Murder By Twos" but it is also one of the best episodes of Season 11. Was starting to lose faith in the season and 'Murder She Wrote' in general, with "Murder in High C" and "Twice Dead" being such a let down, but "Film Flam" thankfully restored that faith. It's not quite a 'Murder She Wrote' high-point or one of the show's classics, not because there is anything specifically wrong with it but just like it's one of those episodes that lacks the extra something.

It is lovely seeing Kim Darby and John Astin making appearances since the first and second seasons respectively, and both are good, very good even. Their character screen time, especially Astin, is not particularly large though and one does wish they were in the episode more. The victim also could have been slightly more developed.

Angela Lansbury is terrific as always, and "Film Flam" is unusually uniformly well-cast for Season 11. Seeing Jim Caviezel so young in a very early role was interesting.

The mystery is clever and atmospheric, with a unusually, for Season 11, surprising identity for the person behind the goings on. This was also refreshing after the obvious denouements of the previous episodes. The energy is apparent throughout and is great and the past and present crimes were handled well.

Production values are slick and stylish with a very atmospheric foggy setting in places. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune. The writing is thoughtful and amiable, and it is one of not many latter season episodes to harken back to the spirit of the early seasons.

Overall, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Thirty-five years ago, a famous director was working on a movie when he died. Now, recently, a copy of this unfinished movie has been discovered and the studio is planning on finishing it and releasing it. They anticipate they'll make many millions on this film. And, as you'd expect, Jessica Fletcher just happens to be there. And, as you'd ALSO expect, someone is killed. Can Jessica figure out this crime. And, what about the OTHER crime going on at the same time?

This is a generally good episode of "Murder, She Wrote". The ending, however, seemed weak, as the killer's identity seemed to come out of no where and they weren't a major character in the show. Worth seeing...but far from a great episode from the series.

The plot here was intriguing, but a bit too scattered. We have an unfinished film from 30 years before suddenly finished. It had remained unfinished because the director died while it was being made.

We have his surprise adopted daughter show up to claim ownership of the film.

We have a mysterious young man who seems to appear and disappear from nowhere.

We have the possibility of a movie bootlegging operation getting access to finished reels and dubbing to bootlegged VHS tapes. Yes, that was THAT far back. LOL

We have a former child star trying to make a comeback.

And then we have the expert on the murdered director suddenly murdered himself ... at the screening of the completed film.

This is simply too many subplots for an hour-long screenplay to properly support, and it doesn't. Nothing much is really made of the appearing and disappearing man (Jim Caviezel). The bootlegging operation is never really tied to the murder, though it would have been easy to do so.

However, I watched the episode because of Mike Conners, as I was a big Mannix fan. He never disappoints, and his scenes with Angela Lansbury are a delight.

And my tried-and-true method of determining the killer worked yet again. Find the big-name guest start with no other good reason for appearing in the episode. LOL.

Homicide plagues the release of a restored movie, and Jessica investigates the current crime and the 1960 murder that prevented the original release. Another of those film-set murders, and this isn't a bad one. Just a little mediocre in places, but gets better towards the end.

A studio are busy restoring a movie, and planning to re release it, however, bootleggers are keen to get hold of it, and willing to pay handsomely for it. Murder strikes at The Studio, but Jessica is on hand.

The saying less is more seems appropriate here somehow, if only they'd stuck with the film thread, that worked, some of the sub plots just don't work.

Some really nice ideas here, some really cracking ideas, the trouble with them, is that they don't particularly gel with one another, it's just a little. It messy.

Not the most difficult one to solve, quite easy to work out who, the why follows later on.

It looks great, I loved the sets and various items of Hollywood memorabilia draped around the place. What did make me chuckle the whole way through, was that mobile phone, he could have had someone's eye out.

Great to see John Astin, what a lovely actor.

6/10.