Favorite Detective Movies/TV Specials

[ShogunRua]

I'm curious what other users have in mind, but I have a few particular favorites;

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)- Hilarious take on the Sherlock Holmes stories. The cast is superb; Gene Wilder was at the peak of his comedic powers and the supporting cast of Marty Feldman (utterly brilliant) and Madeline Kahn are wonderful. Wilder wrote and directed, and although there is a definite Mel Brooks influence, it's distinct. There are relative lulls in the humor, but the hilarity of certain individual scenes makes up for it. Very much an under-looked and underrated gem these days.

The Columbo series. While seemingly simple, these television specials were great fun. In every case, we see how the murderer did it at the beginning, and along comes bumbling, confused Lieutenant Columbo to figure out. This a gimmick that the detective practically lives. He plays a cat-and-mouse game with the killers and uses his seeming foolishness to ensnare them. The murder mysteries themselves are frequently well-written and unique, with the killer seemingly getting away scot-free. There is also an outstanding string of veteran actors playing the role of villain. In each case, their personalities and how they react to Columbo differs markedly, which adds a fun variety to each installment.

Focus- As with other threads, I don't want this to be a mere list topic. Don't just mention some detective movie/TV special you enjoyed. Tell us why.

[Ocelot]

I loved the second season (or series, pip pip tally-ho) of Sherlock. Particularly the finale. It felt modern, but not in the Dark Knight sense of everyone being sad and depressed. Cell phones and the internet were utilized appropriately, and it still had a sense of absurdity which a lot of shows are afraid to employ these days. The third season is garbage, though. Tumblr pandering wink wink trash.

[ShogunRua]

I loved the second season (or series, pip pip tally-ho) of Sherlock. Particularly the finale. It felt modern, but not in the Dark Knight sense of everyone being sad and depressed. Cell phones and the internet were utilized appropriately, and it still had a sense of absurdity which a lot of shows are afraid to employ these days. The third season is garbage, though. Tumblr pandering wink wink trash.

I've definitely been meaning to check the series out, thanks. And yeah, Tumblr pandering is the worst kind.

[TheDenizen]

Anything starring Humphrey Bogart written by/adapted from Raymond Chandler. I dunno if it's the snappy patter or the way Bogey delivers it, but I could watch it all day.

I agree, Columbo is classic stuff. I don't recall many specific episodes but I remember watching it regularly in syndication when I was younger. I think I might appreciate some of the casting choices more now than I did then...most of the villains were unknowns to me at the time lol.

I've also heard nothing but excellent things about the series True Detective, I think it's next on my agenda.