Columbo - Season 8 (Remastered) (1989)

This review is sponsored by

BUY IT

General		Extras
Category	Crime Drama	None
Rating
Year Of Production	1989
Running Time	368
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (4)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Leo Penn James Frawley Sam Wanamaker
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Peter Falk Anthony Andrews Anthony Zerbe Fisher Stevens Molly Hagan Lindsay Crouse Stephen Elliott Steven Hill Robert Foxworth
Case	?
RPI	$39.95	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	Full Frame	English Dolby Digital 2.0 Isolated Score & Effects Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.33:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes, Columbo smokes cigars
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    At this stage, it seems wasteful to spend too much time introducing this gem of a show. Columbo stars Peter Falk as the titular homicide detective, who is always seen wearing his iconic rumpled raincoat, smoking a cigar. Lt. Columbo is a highly intelligent policeman who likes to let suspects believe that he’s dumb, when he is in fact one step ahead of them at all times. Each episode of Columbo is essentially a feature-length movie, running between 70 and 95 minutes, and it’s a far different type of show to the likes of Law & Order or NCIS since we see the murder taking place and the fun is derived from watching to find out how Columbo will get his man. It’s a nice change of pacing from the typical “whodunit” formula - it’s a “howcatchem,” instead.

    Columbo ran for seven seasons on NBC throughout the 1970s, but lay dormant for eleven years after the broadcast of the Season 7 closer “The Conspirators.” However, in 1989, ABC revived the series, and the show began to air more infrequently under the umbrella of The ABC Mystery Movie. Here we have a collection of the four Columbo telemovies which aired during 1989, with each episode being allotted its own disc. This is the selection:

Disc 1

Columbo Goes to the Guillotine (88:55)

    Elliott Blake (Anthony Andrews) is a renowned psychic, but he’s also a tremendous fraud who relies on simple parlour tricks. In a bid to secure a lucrative contract with the government, Blake conspires with magician Max Dyson (Anthony Zerbe) to prove his abilities to a committee. However, after the successful demonstration, Blake takes the opportunity to settle an old score with Dyson, tricking his former mentor into being beheaded by his own stage guillotine. Even though the accident looks like a suicide, Lt. Columbo is not easily swayed, and has a limited timeframe to prove Blake’s guilt before he enters the top-secret employ of the U.S. government.

    The first Columbo telemovie in eleven years, “Columbo Goes to the Guillotine” is a perfectly respectable comeback for the scruffy-looking detective, even if it falls short of being a genuine keeper. Helmed by long-time Columbo director Leo Penn, it does display a noticeable uptick in terms of production value and cinematographic flair compared to earlier seasons, yet it never loses sight of the things which we have come to love from this show. Falk slips back into the role as if no time has passed (he was in his sixties here), while Andrews is an effective antagonist, and the world of illusion and magic makes for a wonderful backdrop here. Of course, Columbo previously came up against a magician murderer in Season 5’s brilliant “Now You See Him,” yet this episode manages to provide something fresh and original.

Disc 2

Murder, Smoke and Shadows (90:37)

    Young filmmaker Alex Brady (Fisher Stevens) is Hollywood’s next big thing, but he’s hiding a secret. On the set of one of his amateur 16mm films prior to his success, Brady’s negligence led to the death of a young woman named Jenny Fisher in a motorcycle accident. To save their reputations, Brady and his second cameraman conspire to cover it up, claiming that Jenny never made it to set, leading the police to rule the death as accidental. However, Jenny’s brother Leonard (Jeff Perry) comes into possession of the reel of film which shows the true nature of Jenny’s death, revealing that Brady is to blame. Leonard vows to destroy Brady, prompting the egocentric director to murder his old friend. Things do not go exactly to plan, however, as Lt. Columbo instantly suspects that Brady has something to hide.

    “Murder, Smoke and Shadows” is my favourite of the Columbo revival episodes, and remains one of the best cases in the show’s thirty-five year history. Stevens is excellent as the murderer, clearly channelling Steven Spielberg - he’s highly charismatic, and it’s amusing to watch as his confidence fails around Columbo (played to perfection by Falk). Equally funny is Columbo’s first impression on Brady, too; indeed, the humour is marvellous here. The Universal Studios setting is terrific, gifting the episode with its own unique flavour, while composer Patrick Williams provides a playful score. The narrative builds wonderfully, with engaging dialogue and a frequently agreeable pace, culminating in a spectacular finale. Rumour has it that this episode was ghost-directed by Steven Spielberg himself (James Frawley is credited), which would probably explain why it’s so brisk, enjoyable and clever.

Columbo fans and newcomers alike should easily warm up to this one.

Disc 3

Sex and the Married Detective (90:07)

    Sex therapist Dr. Joan Allenby (Lindsay Crouse) has made a name for herself through her call-in radio show and a best-selling self-help manual. Allenby is romantically involved with her business partner David Kincaid (Stephen Macht), but when she unexpectedly stops at the office late one night, she finds her lover with another woman, which infuriates her. Allenby chooses to kill Kincaid, disguising herself as a high-class prostitute in black clothing, making it look as if the crime was committed by a mysterious woman. She pulls it off seemingly without a hitch, but her smarts are no match for the inimitable Lt. Columbo.

    Once again directed by James Frawley, “Sex and the Married Detective” is a more middle-of-the-road entry to the extensive Columbo oeuvre, and though it’s not bad by any stretch, it lacks the magic of the original episodes. But despite the weak plotting and a few odd scenes (including a peculiar interlude involving the lieutenant playing the tuba), there is still some fun to be had, with more of the show’s trademark humour (Columbo is uncomfortable/embarrassed when sex is brought up) and idiosyncrasies. This is a competent enough episode, but the finale is so-so, and it doesn’t come together as well as the better Columbo telemovies.

Disc 4

Grand Deceptions (90:31)

    Colonel Frank Brailie (Robert Foxworth) runs a successful paramilitary academy, and for years has been secretly siphoning money into “The Special Projects Fund,” which is used to finance illegal arms dealing. The school is owned by General Jack Padget (Stephen Elliott), who grows suspicious of Brailie, recruiting Sgt. Major Lester Keegan (Andy Romano) to investigate the matter. Keegan finds sufficient evidence to prove wrongdoings, but rather then reporting back to the General, he chooses to blackmail Brailie, asking for a sum of money in exchange for his silence. In response, Brailie kills Keegan during a training exercise, making it look like a simple accident. Lt. Columbo knows better, however.

    “Grand Deceptions” is the lesser telemovie of the eighth season, and it’s not worth watching unless you’re a Columbo completist. The military academy setting worked so well for the Season 4 episode “By Dawn’s Early Light,” yet it’s not as interesting here, and it doesn’t help that the proceedings are flat and dull on the whole. It’s not as entertaining as it should be, and it doesn’t hold a candle to the earlier Columbo telemovies from the show’s NBC golden years. Although not terrible, it is distinctly average and uninspired.

Video

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

    The Region 1 DVD release also contains a television special entitled America's Top Sleuths, on which Columbo places second. Since this isn't exactly show-specific and probably wouldn't be hard to track down, I wouldn't call this a massive loss, especially in the light of the new remastered video presentations here. Draw.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall