[audio:/podcasts/pdm14.mp3]
Download Episode | Subscribe via iTunes | Subscribe via RSS
Story: PI Reardon is hired by a beautiful woman to investigate her father’s death and finds himself in a web of betrayal, violence, and old movies. That’s noir, Jack.
Detective: Rigby Reardon
Release Date: May 21, 1982
Writer: Carl Reiner, George Gipe, and Steve Martin
Source: Every noir mystery ever filmed.
Mystery Analysis:
Detective as protagonist?
Jenny:
Lani: Sure.
Murderer as antagonist?
Jenny: Yes, at least he’s the guy sending out henchmen.
Lani: I… suppose? Still not clear on what role he actually played. Usually that’s my fault for not paying close enough attention, but this time, I’m willing to blame the movie.
Conflict created by murder?
Jenny: The story is so badly handled I have no idea why a lot of that stuff was happening. The plot was just an excuse to be cute with old movies, so there wan’t much coherent conflict.
Lani: The conflict was created by staying true to a gimmick, rather than the story.
Fair play with all the clues given?
Jenny: Well, we knew everything Rigby knew, but Rigby is an idiot.
Lani: Were there clues? If I have to ask that question, I think maybe… not?
Solved using deduction, not luck?
Jenny: Solved using old movie clips. But yes, he gets to the final scene by deducton.
Lani: He followed clue to clue in a straight line, and he had to put the puzzle pieces together in order to do that so I’d give a provisional yes.
Story Analysis & Ratings:
Jenny says: 2Pops
Mystery: 1, Craft: 1, Suspense: 1, Romance: 1, Comedy: 1 I’d give zeros if I could, and for the romance I’d go into nedgative numbers for the date-rape intro. Bleah.
Lani says: 0 Pops
Mystery: 0, Craft: 0, Suspense: 0, Romance: 0, Comedy: 0