Tag: Murder Mystery

Guy Ritchie’s Young Sherlock is Boldly Changing What This Detective Hasn’t Done Before

Prime Video’s Young Sherlock looks like a confident new take on Holmes before the legend. The trailer teases action, Moriarty, and a mysterious royal played by Zine Tseng, with Guy Ritchie aiming to win over both new viewers and old-school fans.

Young Sherlock Poster\Whether we need another youthful take on iconic heroes before their prime may well depend on how Young Sherlock is received. With fond memories of the psychedelic mystery tale Young Sherlock Holmes still vivid in my mind, Guy Ritchie faces a challenge in winning over older fans.

The official trailer from Prime Video certainly looks promising. Fiennes Tiffin comes across as more enthusiastic than stagnant in the role of Sherlock Holmes, and overall the casting and reinterpretation work. It’s arguably more engaging than the Robert Downey Jr. version, though still a fair distance from what those raised on the Basil Rathbone classics might hold as definitive.

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Missing Persons and Grisly Murders. When Expedition Files Opens Up Old Case Files Once More.

It’s less about the destinations these days for Josh Gates, doing host duty for Discovery Channel’s latest, Expedition Files.

Expedition Files with Josh Gates as HostBetween Expedition Unknown, Expedition X and Expedition Files, it’s safe to say Josh Gates is keeping my interest in Discovery Channel‘s programming alive. When the latter offers deeper looks into cold cases rather than simply old which includes new theories on who is to blame, I’m hooked! In the first episode, Travis Walton’s alien abduction is explored. And I’m glad this series is not regurgitating the same ol’ material. What’s key to this segment is that Gates spoke to the man to see how he’s doing now.

As for Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr’s grisly death, speculation is still rampant. What’s offered here suggests his father was into eugenics! Revelations could tarnish this family’s legacy, but until conclusive evidence emerges, everything remains mere allegations.

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At Campton Manor, The Race is On to Find Whodunit

Technically, this movie has no relation to the folk tune about being at the races. Instead Campton Manor deals with something else that the hero has to find before time runs out!

Campton Manor Movie PosterAvailable on VOD (YouTube, Google Play & Apple)

A mystery is afoot at Campton Manor! It’s rare to feature a detective who admits he sees dead people. And when Cat Hostick‘s film is about such a hero, I was curious. What’s delivered is fairly engaging as the film switches back and forth from what he sees to how others watch him at work. The excellent lighting design lets viewers know when the tale is taking place.

Here, Teddy (Shawn Roberts) is a detective who also moonlights as a writer of cheap fiction. While I question his work ethics of taking inspiration from the cases he’s done, apparently the income is good. Unlike Murder She Wrote, what’s done here shows how nobody’s the wiser. He changes the names in the stories. As for how close he’s gotten to solving the crimes before writing it down depends on who you ask.

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Despite How Clichéd A Haunting in Venice is, A Horrifying Time in Isolation is Guaranteed!

Although not every aspect of the Spiritualism movement and its philosophy is explored in Kenneth Branagh’s film, A Haunting in Venice, there’s a few jolly moments to get your spook on (even though none of it was real according to the merry detective).

A Haunting in Venice Movie PosterIt’s easy to jump right into the world of Agatha Christie with the release of A Haunting in Venice last weekend. It’s based on her novel Hallowe’en Party and has the right amount of spooky ridden moments to sate fans of the paranormal. That’s because of where the story takes place, and I wanted to see what Director Kenneth Branagh and writer Michael Green‘s take on it would be like, since it’s all about rationalising what’s going on and saying whether life after death is indeed real.

This author does have an interest in it, but it’s nowhere like how other detective agencies approach the subject. I did not see this movie because it continues Hercule Poirot’s life as a detective on the silver screen. As much as I respect Branagh for remaking and delivering a modern polish to Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, just how he delivers that product when I have a fondness for the originals is not my cup of tea. Thankfully this one hasn’t been adapted before, and that’s enough reason for me to go see how spooky this filmmaker can deliver the goods.

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When All You Need is “Yaga,” You Better Be Ready to Fight Instead of take Flight

Halloween season has begun! And to get your early scares on, The Belfry is bringing the cross country hit, Yaga, to Victoria, BC!

Kat Sandler's Yaga Title Card
Playing at The Belfry, Victoria, BC
From Sept 14th, 2023 to Oct 8, 2023.
Tickets are available here

Please check Playwrights Canada for other regional performances.

The formula for what Kat Sandler‘s play, simply titled Yaga, is about may well be like an episode of Twin Peaks for some attendees, but for myself, I’m thinking Murder, She Wrote. But instead of solving mysteries from the perspective of a best-selling author, the point of view is from an omniscient presence needing more than the usual sustenance. Baba Yaga is an infamous Slavic witch known to eat children, but these days, she’s not picky.

Ever since this show’s debut in 2019, various theatre houses have put this play on across Canada. To kickstart Victoria, BC’s The Belfry 2023/24 season and get attendees ready for Halloween, it seems the director Jani Lauzon added an indigenous touch on top. We’re in a birch house to listen to the very beginnings of life. It’s told by a woman shaman (Tracey Nepinak) in a set that I believe was designed to resemble a traditional First Nation longhouse.

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Everyday can be a Scary Wednesday with this Addams Family Update

In this series, fans sadly won’t see much of the other members of Wednesday Addams clan until absolutely needed.

Netflix Wednesday PosterNow Streaming on Netflix
Spoiler Alert

Alfred Gough and Miles Miller‘s Wednesday update to what The Addams Family is to a modern generation is perfect for viewers wanting a horror drama similar to the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. After my interview with Glenn Taranto regarding adapting Charles Addams comic strip to the media, my appreciation for the kooky leans in respecting the source material. As a result, this new take is appropriate as an Archie Horror Comics product. But as for what I think the franchise creator may like, I’m sure he’d approve of how his characters are still bringing delight to fans today and agree to how his creation needs to change with the times.

I’m enjoying this take too. Unlike the comic strip where her look is regarded as simple and cute, this newest interpretation shows how she’s downright glamorous and deadly. And thankfully, Jenna Ortega is up to the task of delivering a “Shot of Poison,” Lita Ford style. Although she’s not always “Painting it Black,” the red lipstick throws me off and it’s a detail that bugs me. Additionally, even though her life as a miscreant is perfect, she winds up getting expelled from one high school only to eventually become a hero at another institution.

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