Trenchcoat

[audio:/podcasts/pdm11.mp3]
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Story: A mystery writer goes to Malta to experience danger, and finds it.

Detective: Mickey Raymond/Terry Leonard

Release Date: March 11, 1983

Writer: Jeffrey Price, Peter Seaman

Mystery Analysis:
Detective as protagonist?
Jenny: Yes, it starts with her voiceover and she pretty much owns the movie all the way through.  Almost all the scenes are in her POV.
Lani: Yes; she sees herself as a detective, and even though she’s smart enough to turn to the police when things go wrong, when they refuse to help, she steps in and figures it out on her own.

Murderer as antagonist?
Jenny: Yes.  The first body pops up early, so you know they’re on the job.
Lani: Yes, and physically present from very early in.

Conflict created by murder?
Jenny: Yes.  Micky really doesn’t have much choice since she’s suspected of the crime.  I love her answer to Terry’s “What made you decide to play detective” question: “I got tired of being the victim.”
Lani: Yes, and Micky’s desire to figure out who the bad guy is.

Fair play with all the clues given?
Jenny: Yes.
Lani: Yes, with nice surprises all the way through.

Solved using deduction, not luck?
Jenny: Yes.  It’s something Micky needs to do to feel important, I think.  The look on her face when Terry tells she did a good job figuring things out is wonderful.
Lani: Well, if you don’t consider them being tied up by the bad Irish couple “luck,” since they didn’t realize they were the bad guys until then.

Story Analysis & Ratings:

Jenny says: 5 Pops
Mystery: 5, Craft: 5, Suspense: 5, Romance: 5

Lani says: 5 Pops
Mystery: 5, Craft: 5, Suspense: 5, Romance: 5

Lani

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5 responses to “Trenchcoat”

  1. Roger Ebert was wrong. I figured this would be the movie equivalent of MacArthur Park – which is the worst song ever. No question. I think the humor is a lot like Murder By Death and I LOVE that movie so much.

    Oh, I did guess who it was. They were way to interested in her life to not be the bad guys;) And they were always popping up when the plot needed them to, so they had to be the bad guys.

  2. LOL, Stephanie. You are obviously way smarter than me! Still, I’m glad, because I really enjoyed being surprised. 🙂

    And I’m so glad you liked it! Jenny and I spent so much of this podcast sounding really shocked that we liked it, and still feeling apologetic for inflicting it on you guys. But I really do think it’s good! I made Alastair watch it and he liked it, too. So it’s not a fluke – it’s a good movie! 🙂 Yay!

  3. But I never guess who did it. Really. This was just a fluke and because everyone else kept dying:)

  4. This was fun. The ’80s had awful clothes and awful music, but so many good movies. Unfortunately, Amazon chose to make a clip from the end chase scene their trailer, and it ruined the Irish couple for me before I even watched it. Don’t know if I would have figured it out.