The Henry Tibbett Series By Patricia Moyes.

The Henry Tibbett series by Patricia Moyes.

We meet mild-mannered Chief Superintendent Henry Tibbett who tends to solve a lot of murders while on vacation or coming back from vacation. He’s not as flashy as some detectives and it’s his famous “nose” (or instinct) that helps him solve the mysteries. Another difference from most detectives is that his wife, Emmy, comes along for the ride. Sometimes she’s more help than in other cases, but she and Henry have a nice chemistry. 

I’ve only read a handful of the mysteries and Murder Fantastical was the first one. Most feature interesting, though sometimes down right bitchy suspects. Drugs play a part in a lot of cases. The actual mysteries aren’t as tricky as say Christie or Marsh, but they’re still entertaining. Tibbett at least seems to travel more than other detectives. I’ve noticed that poison plays a part in a lot of the mysteries, but shootings or stabbings can also occur.  In Who Saw Her Die? the cause of death is so obsure and bizarre, only a doctor could really appreciate the details. 

For the most part, I’ve enjoyed the series. I’m not really reading them in order and you don’t really need to. I enjoy the dynamic of Henry and Emmy. They make a super sweet couple - though I think sometimes Henry takes advantage or under appreciates Emmy. In Night Ferry to Death, Henry uses Emmy as bait for a thief looking for stolen jewels. It’s only when she’s attacked that he finally changes track. Yes, Emmy’s pretty tough and can take care of herself, but it would be nice to be a little protective of her. He does show his appreciation later.  In Who Saw Her Die?, he flirts with a young female doctor right under Emmy’s nose. Sure, the doctor is a big help on the case, and I don’t think he really means anything by it, but it’s still makes him kind of an ass to Emmy. I find that I don’t like drama between these two - they work better as partners, not adversaries. 

When reading the books, I picture Daniel Craig (probably due to the excellent Knives Out) as Tibbett and Rachel Weisz as Emmy. It would be more of a mellow Craig and Weisz isn’t as plump as Emmy, but I still love these two as Henry and Emmy. 

I can’t wait to read more in the series, and some sound better than others. I’m just continuing my search through my local library for random vintage mysteries that I haven’t heard of. I hope I find more soon.  

Matthew Goode and Vanessa Kirby were so electrifying as Tony Armstrong-Jones and Princess Margaret in The Crown (2016-). 

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). It’s the opening line of a fairy tale or fable and that’s what this movie certainly is. It’s a myth of what the 1960′s were like for LA, the movie business, TV, etc. It even has a happy ending - if only real life could have such a happy ending.

Leonardo DiCaprio is Rick Dalton, a former TV star that’s slowly fading into a round of guest spots on other hit shows. He’s in despair of his career and wondering how to recapture it - is the part in a Spaghetti Western the way to go? 

Brad Pitt is stunt man Cliff Booth. He’s Rick’s right-hand man, best friend, driver, dogsbody. They’ve got a great bromance going between them. Cliff tries to keep Rick out of trouble and keep his hopes alive. Meanwhile, Cliff lives in a trailer behind a run-down drive-in theater with only a dog for company. He’s got some nasty skeletons in his closet that may or may not be his fault. He’s a loyal friend that doesn’t seem to let it worry him that Rick’s golden ticket days are almost over - just like the 60′s. 

Margot Robbie is Sharon Tate. We meet her as she’s preparing to leave for Europe with husband Roman Polanski. She’s fun, girlie, giddie. She loves to party and dance to Paul Revere and the Raiders. She’s just loving life. If Rick’s on the way down, Sharon is on the way up. She even goes to a theater showing one of her films (Don’t Make Waves - in which we marvel along with Robbie and watch actual footage of the film with the real Sharon Tate). It’s a Sharon Tate that the world never really knew and it’s a refreshing sight.

The movie is a fairy tale with long takes of people driving through LA, just listening to the radio. And I’m ok with that! I could watch Brad Pitt or Margot Robbie drive around town listening to classic rock as the California wind flows through their hair. Seeing the vintage signs and buildings was a real trip. It’s a myth of what LA was - minus, I suppose, the smog and garbage, etc. 

It’s a pretty narrow fairy tale that really only focuses on the lives of three people. We don’t see what else was going on during that time - some mentions of Vietnam. No mention of civil rights, Nixon, the space program, etc. 

Also, this may be the first Tarantino film in quite awhile, without Samuel L Jackson. He’s not even doing the voice-over like he did briefly in Inglourious Basterds (2009). 

Is this the best Tarantino film? My heart always goes out to Jackie Brown (1997) or the Kill Bills (2003-4). But it’s still pretty good. It’s probably DiCaprio’s best work - it’s a real show part for him. There’re long scenes of him just acting in the TV show within the movie and you forget you actually paid to watch a different film. Brad Pitt’s refreshingly good and brings a sexy cool to the role of put-upon Cliff. Robbie does well as Tate, but doesn’t have much to do but be a shining bright 60′s star on the rise. 

As for Manson and his followers - we briefly see Manson (as he creeps on Jay Sebring), but we mainly meet the girls and Tex as they sponge off George Spahn and his ranch. They’re all as crazy as you’d think, (especially Squeaky played by Dakota Fanning) and you do get a sense of evil from the place. But if you know the history of Manson and the murders, the countdown to the end sends chills. I had a feeling a different outcome would come about - a nice fairy tale ending with the good guys winning and the bad guys ending up shot, stabbed, beat to death and/or torched in a pool. If you want a more in-depth view of Hollywood, Manson and Sharon Tate - listen to the riveting You Must Remember This podcast, Charlie Manson’s Hollywood. You learn all about Manson and his family, how he affected Terry Melcher, Dennis Wilson and others. You learn about Sharon, Sebring and Polanski and you learn about what really happened that horrible night of the Tate Murders. Some say that is what really killed the 60′s. 

The movie is a brief minute in the lives a few folks at the end of the 60′s. The end of the studio system - even the end of the hippie era. Some say the end of innocence before the jaded 70′s hit us with Nixon, Watergate, Vietnam, the economy tanking and all the rest of it. 

The Crown (2016-)

Season three picks up with a new cast as it covers from the mid-60′s to the mid-70′s. I”ve heard said this season is more filler until we get to season four which will feature Margaret Thatcher and Charles and Diana. 

Stand outs for me are Erin Doherty as Princess Anne and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles. Growing up Windsor could not have been easy at all. Charles had enough baggage and then to fall in love with someone his family didn’t approve of - oh, my. Anyway, O’Connor does a great job as the awkward, troubled Prince of Wales - complete with awkward, slouching posture.

Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies portray a kind of more mellow Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. It’s hard not compare them to Claire Foy and Matt Smith from the first two seasons. I think Tobias does a better job playing Prince Phillip - the Apollo episode is one of the best episodes of the season. Olivia does well as the Queen, but is maybe not as flashy as Foy. 

Helena Bonham Carter and Ben Daniels replace Vanessa Kirby and Matthew Goode as Princess Margaret and her husband, Lord Snowdon. I’m a bit biased, but I missed seeing Matthew Goode as Tony - especially since we only saw him for a handful of episodes in season 2. Both do great jobs though as Margaret and Snowdon. It was quite the dramatic relationship. 

Can’t wait to see what happens in season four!

My thoughts on Little Women (2019)

Brilliant film and I’m not a huge fan of the Little Women story. It jumps around in time which actually works quite well. The acting here is lovely - each sister gets her own moment - not just Jo, even though this is very much Jo’s story. Eliza Scanlen as Beth is heartbreaking. Timothee Chalamet isn’t as good a Laurie as Christian Bale in the ‘94 version (still probably the best version) but his romance with Amy is more believable. Florence Pugh’s Amy is less annoying as in other versions and we get to know her better since she’s plays both young and older Amy. Florence makes Amy spoiled, but not heartless. Emma Watson has some lovely scenes as the more-overlooked Meg. Saoirse Ronan as Jo owns the film, and she carries it with ease. I’ve loved watching more work from Florence Pugh (she’s brilliant in Little Drummer Girl) and it was nice to discover Eliza Scanlen. The film also features great supporting performances by Meryl Streep as Aunt March and Laura Dern and Bob Odenkirk as the Marmie and Father March. Greta Gerwig has done a marvelous job. 

The movie resonated for me on a personal level in so many ways. Jo has a speech about women only being good for loving and marriage and not for thinking. I know exactly how she feels. I’m used to people thinking I’m an idiot. Since I don’t talk about football or hunting or cars or politics, nobody ever asks my opinion on anything. And when I give it, no one really listens anyway. All I want to talk about are the books I’m reading, the films I’ve seen, the great thing I baked the other day. The only compliment my father ever gave me (he doesn’t really give compliments to anyone in general) was that since I was a good cook, I’d make a good wife some day. Because, apparently, that is all I”m good for. It is nice to be independent but it would be nice to love and be loved. Because it is so lonely sometimes. 

Also, like Jo, I know what it’s like to live on your own with no hopes, no prospects. I don’t have a husband/partner/whatever. I don’t have anyone to help pay the rent, etc. I don’t have any savings. I have nothing. And when you have no prospects or hopes, that makes you feel even more alone.

And finally, during the ending when Jo watches her book being published, I cried. That is what I want - I want to be a writer. I want to create a world and characters. I have characters in my head, but I can’t see what they’re doing yet. The books may be more whodunits, rather than great novels, but I want to write them. I wish I could spend all day just creating, but I can’t. I have to work at jobs that i despise that take all my time. By the time I get home, I’m too tired to do anything else. I just wish I had the courage and the time and the ability to be as brilliant and smart as Jo. Instead, I just muddle through life. I wish I had a supportive and loving family like Jo. I’ve never gotten along with my sister. My family doesn’t really show any emotions and look down on you if you even cry. Plus, they rarely have any advice to give. They rarely offer any support. A big family like the March family might drive me nuts, but I do miss I had that support and love. 

So I was just weeping my heart out throughout the film. I wasn’t the only one. There were quite a few sniffles in the theater!  

Just a quick hello.

First time post. Just a quick wave to the universe. I’m a big fan of classic films, classic rock, classic TV, Doctor Who, all things British. Am a huge reader - mysteries are my true love - but add a romance and I’m lost. My current obsession is A Discovery of Witches by Deb Harkness - it has it all - suspense, mystery, fantasy, romance. I’ve read all the books and binged the first season of the show so many times. 

Anyway, I’m still new to this universe, but hopefully I can post my thoughts and dreams without fear. I’d like to watch them fly to the stars and see how how they can soar.