Columbo: Mystery Movie Collection, 1989

I’ve finished my collection of the series. It’s fun to watch the changes over the years of the difference in shows. I prefer the first seven seasons. They’re all enjoyable and interesting to watch columbo get his murderer

The best of the later Columbos are in this collection. They go down hill from here.

This latest boxed set of excellent DVD releases of the classic Columbo TV detective series represent the first of the later produced feature-lenghth episodes that were aired.Universal, which owns Columbo, has called this set "Columbo: Mystery Movie Collection 1989." Included are all of the episodes that fans consider comprise Season Eight, along with the first episode of Season Nine, which ultimately had six episodes. Those episodes apparently are going to be released in the next boxed set of these later movies.In addition to the episodes in 1990, the franchise churned out 13 more terrific episodes between 1991 and 2003 featuring the rumpled (and ultimately attractively graying) Peter Falk in the title role, which has truly and deservedly become an iconic TV character. Hopefully, the entire Columbo catalog will be released on DVD.This boxed set includes a cornucopia of great stories and stellar acting, a trademark of the series. The last episode included is my favorite episode of the entire series. This three-disc set includes:Disc 1: "Columbo goes to the Guillotine," which aired Feb. 9, 1989. Lt. Columbo delves into the world of magic, ESP and slight of hand as he investigates the death of a magician, Matt Dyson, who appears to have been beheaded by his own invention, a trick guillotine. There appears to be a tie to a prodigal psychic supported by a government founded institute on parapsychology. Primary Guest Star Anthony Andrews as Eliot Blake."Murder, Smoke, And Shadows," which aired Feb. 27, 1989. An egocentric film director resorts to his mastery of special effects to murder a vengeful friend who discovers the director's role in the movie-stunt death of the friend's sister years before. Filmed on University Studio's backlots. Primary Guest Star is Fisher Stevens as Alex Brady.Disc 2: "Sex and The Married Detective," which aired April 3, 1989. A radio personality billed as "The Sex Therapist of the Airwaves" finds she must counsel herself when her personal assistant ends up in bed with her business manager/lover. The scorned lady murders the cheating beau and tries to pin the blame on her assistant. Lt. Columbo smells a beautiful rat. Primary Guest Star Lindsay Crouse as Dr. Joan Allenby."Grand Deceptions," which aired June 1989. A man heads a private military think tank, First Foundation for American Thought, for for would-be soldiers. The foundation is owned by a wheel-chair-bound General, who has become suspicious because a large amount of money seems to be siphoned off into to a "Special Project Fund" that he knows nothing about. The General tell a close college to investigate, but instead of reporting the fraud he discovers, the "friend" decides to blackmail the foundation operator. Primary Guest Stars Robert Foxworth as Frank Braile and Stephen Elliott as General Padget.Disc 3: "Murder: A Self Portrait," which aired Nov. 25, 1989. A famous artist, lives very unconventionally with his wife and a beautiful live-in model at his beach house/studio. The artist's ex-wife lives in the beach house next door. Together, these women comprise Max's private little harem. He loves them all in different ways, but, more importantly, he likes to control them. In fact, Max derives a great deal of satisfaction from the fact that they all fight for his attention and are reliant upon him financially, emotionally and sexually. The competitive jealousy between the women reaches a crescendo at the dinner table one night when he asks each of them what they think of the other. Their answers prove the intense rivalry between the women, and one of them winds up murdered. Primary Guest Stars Patrick Bauchau as Artist Max Barsini, Fionnula Flanagan as Louise Barsini and Shera Danese as Vanessa Barsini.Patrick Bauchau is a familiar face on TV, having guest starred on numerous shows, and had been a regular on the cult classic The Pretender as Sidney. In an interview, Bauchau has called his role as Max Barsini his favorite in his long and successful career in the US and Europe. It is also my favorite Columbo episode ever produced. The cast is amazing and the story so compelling that it will stay with you long after the well-deserved credits have rolled.Shera Danese is Peter Falk's wife, and appeared in five other Columbo episodes during the run of the series.Fans should continue to thank Universal for releasing these episodes on DVD, helping new generations of viewers discover why is series was such a TV landmark.

My wife and I have collected everyone we could find! This one’s an important part of the tire collection we have accomplished. My wife especially love some of the episodes in this one. We both highly recommend this!Often times when we can’t think of anything to watch we go to war Colombo collection!

~ Growing up in the 70's was an awesome time in life and Columbo was a huge part of it. ~ When the series started up again in '89 I was glued to the TV set every time one aired. Frankly, I was disappointed. The episodes seemed to fall short of my expectations and the normal "twists" I was used to in the original series had become weak and predictable. Peter Fisher had moved on to newer and better things as a writer and story consultant and it showed. While this particular DVD contains more of the "newer" episodes than the other two available, I have to say it takes a while before they start getting interesting but they do starting with "Murder: A Self Portrait" (the fifth episode out of eleven total) From that point on the writing, directing and acting begins to improve significantly and Peter Falk begins to return to the character we're all use to seeing. (after I feel he failed to do so in the first five episodes of this dvd). Dick DeBenedictis, (the composer of the original series scores) is most often replaced with other composers who fall way short of creating the "mystery" and "intrigue" that complimented the original episodes so well and that DeBenedictis was so very, very good at. The addition of "sexually" explicit material to most every episode is a bit of a turn off for me as well but I suppose that's something Falk felt would help keep "Columbo" up with the times as well as pull in newer and younger viewers who maybe didn't know the original series quite so well. Nevertheless, it's still Columbo and any real fan of this "greatest TV detective" should be fairly pleased with this collection. NOTE: They get much better as the series continues into the 91-93 and the '94-03 collections.

Having watched Columbo since I was two years old lying snug between my parents in bed, I feel comfortable calling myself an expert on this television series. As a child I marvelled at this genius-Detective in rumpled suit and trench coat as he stumbled awkwardly along each case ... deceivingly clueless and confused ... but in reality ... as shrewd and calculating as any criminal who ever crossed his path.Peter Falk, in his greatest role of all, turned a simple television series character into one of the greatest fictional sleuths in history. And he did it with ... "just one more thing!" (the last thing a criminal wants to hear from Lieutenant Columbo).These later Columbo mini-movies are the subject of varying opinions. Often you hear people complain that the show isn't the same, or that it doesn't translate well in the 90s and beyond. But to me the most important aspect is the story, the mystery. And for the show to forever remain in the late 60s would have been rather ridiculous. And the stories, written by such greats as Steven Bochco (Uneasy Lies the Crown) remain some of the best, most intriguing mysteries in television history.In any era Peter Falk absolutely reigns supreme as Lieutenant Columbo and these later movies capture not so much the feel of the original, but the essence of the devious crimes and the peculiar methods and mannerisms of quite possibly the greatest fictional American Detective of all time.In a nutshell these Columbo movies are AWESOME. Enjoy.

This 3 disk set contains the first five episodes from the 1989 revival of the clasic television series Columbo. The formula is the same as the old 70,s series ie murderer thinks he or she has committed the perfect murder and along comes Columbo to pick it to pieces.The five episodes included in this set are Columbo Goes To The Guillotine, Murder, Smoke And Shadows, Sex And The Married Detective, Grand Deceptions and Murder, A Self Portrait. Plus you get a bones feature in the form of Americas top 10 sluths which is quite entertaining.All in all a great package and quite cheaply priced. The only slight annoyance is the cardboard sleve which never last as long as the plastic ones. Lets hope Universal release the rest of the new Columbo series.

Product arrived well packaged in a timely manner. I love Colombo; I have every episode ever made, just be aware that some of the DVD's are different region?

Excellent dvd product thanks

They say 'Batman' is the worlds greatest detective....I think not! ;)When i bought this DVD I thought it was the last one in our collection we didnt have.It was not! I keep finding more and more episodes cropping up here and there I havent seen and each new one I see is as good as the last. We have been buying seasons slowly as the years go by, so havent bought the box set, so all the episodes we could have missed may very well be in there!? Maybe I'll have to buy the complete box set for myself and watch them all again to be sure!? :)

His non-intrusive, disheveled and unasuming ways fool everybody. He's such a likeable person. Plus the journey of knowing who did it but Columbo doesn't yet is a very different take on the detective genre. Awesome must-see