Displaying items by tag: Johnny Vargas

DIAL M FOR MIDDLESBOROUGH

UK, 2019, 88 minutes, Colour.

Johnny Vargas, Sian Gibson, Anette Crosby, Phil Davis, Sally Lindsay, John McMillan, Joanna Page, Jason Donovan, Georgie Glen, Sheila Reid.

Directed by Ed Bye.

This is the third in a series of three lightweight comedy murder mysteries, the first, Murder on the Blackpool Express, the second, Death on the Time. They can be described as very broad both in their comedy and in the murders and detecting.

As with the other films, the focus is on bus driver, Terry, comedian Johnny Vargas, and his co-worker, fiance, Gemma, Sian Gibson. By the time of the third film, audiences have accepted them and become used to their style, she very forward, he somewhat dithering but always trying to solve the murders.

This film goes slightly upmarket with the inclusion of Anette Crosby, Phil Davis and Jason Donovan in the cast.

While the murders in the previous films were on trains and on ferries, this time they are at a caravan park isolated by floodwaters, Terry and Jim is than breaking down and their being stranded. The cast is limited to those at the caravan park, a bird watcher who is about to make a discovery of a rare sighting and nesting, and the Prof in charge of the research. There is a couple where she does all the talking incessantly, he silent until he asked the murderer to kill off his wife first and give him 10 seconds of peace before his own death! There is an elderly lady, permanent resident, fortuneteller, played by Annette Crosbie. And, because Gemma came to the caravan park for holidays in the park, there is an admirer, Jason Donovan. There is the issue of selling the caravan park, differences of opinion between the owner, Phil Davis, and his wife, Sally Lindsay, and their put upon cook, Joanna Page.

It must be said that several of the murders are particularly gruesome, especially the opening killing of the birdwatching woman. There is a complication of an African-American mysteriously present – and revealed to be a hitman for an American gang.

So, the murders, the mixed motivations, Terry and Jim is banned die up in flames, sunlight, graffiti threats about deaths on the caravans… And, an ultimate revelation of the murderer and the motivations.

A bit better than Death on the Tyne.

DEATH ON THE TYNE

UK, 2018, 87 minutes, Colour.

Johnny Vargas, Sion Gibson, Tony Gardner, Don Gilet, Georgie Glen, Sue Johnston, Sheila Reid, Doon Mackichan, Felicity Montagu, James Fleet.

Directed by Ed Bye.

This is the second in a trilogy of murder mysteries featuring Johnny Vargas and Sion Gibson. Murder on the Blackpool Express the first, Dial M for Middlesbrough the third.

Movies and television have reminded us of the various levels of comedy in the British repertoire. In fact, there have been some brilliant comic personalities in screen presence, performance, verbal dexterity, wit, a worldwide reputation.

On the other hand, thinking of the range of broad comedies, geared especially to the popular television audience, they are pretty straightforward, not particularly subtle, enjoyment for the moment.

This series has been compared by some to the Carry On films. When they first appeared in the 1950s, the Carry On films were very popular but dismissed by many as too lowbrow. But, time has been very kind in the reassessment of the Carry On films and the talent of their casts.

Probably not so for this film. The characters are more or less as expected, talk and behave directly, not much nuance or subtlety. Johnny Vargas and Sion Gibson own a tour agency, not many customers, here just three elderly ladies, all set for a ferry trip from Newcastle to Amsterdam. They have a secret – which involves their inheriting a great deal of money from a dead friend.

The other characters are the range of people found on the ferry, the captain, his assistant about to take over, his fiancee the ship’s entertainer, her lover smuggling himself on board, and the manager of the passengers.

Some deaths, the unmasking of the unlikely killer, some silly complications with the elderly ladies and the death of one of them (by mistake!), Attempts at detection, some comic moments, many corny moments, an 87 minutes’ rather lowbrow British entertainment.