TV Show Review - Only Murders in the Building (Season 5)

Season: 5
Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Crime/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2025
Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Tina Fey, Meryl Streep, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Cyril Creighton, Téa Leoni, Renee Zellweger, Christoph Waltz, , Dianne Wiest, Keegan-Michael Key, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Logan Lerman, Beanie Feldstein

Description: While investigating the mysterious “accidental” death of their beloved doorman Lester, Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) are lead to clues outside Manhattan into some dangerous territory.
 
Review: “Only Murders in the Building” is my favorite comfort show for the fall season, a cozy murder mystery to wrap your head around. At the end of season 4, crime podcasters Oliver, Charles and Mabel, found their doorman Lester dead in the fountain. We pick up the story in the first episode of season 5.

There is nothing new to the formula, another murder in the building and the three amateur sleuths are trying to solve it. This season the world of organized crime is added to it, bringing us a ton of new characters and guest roles. Among these famous actors are Renee Zellweger, Logan Lerman, Christoph Waltz (who is underused), Bobby Cannavale, Téa Leoni, Beanie Feldstein, Keegan-Michael Key and Dianne Wiest.

The mix of humor and mystery is still present, one of the reasons why I love this show so much. But the dynamic between Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez is my favorite part. And it’s still strong. They have so much chemistry and it remains the highlight of the series. I also love it when Da’Vine Joy Randall’s character Detective Donna Williams is added to the mix. She is my favorite supporting characters, who we met in previous seasons.

I think the plot of this season is not as strong as previous seasons, but it was still entertaining and the mystery is enjoyable to unravel. And yet again, we are left on a cliffhanger, a set-up for a new season. Which has already been confirmed. Cannot wait. I could watch these three amateur sleuths all day.

Movie Review - John Candy: I Like Me

Director: Colin Hanks
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: John Candy, Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Martin, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Martin Short
 
Description: Explores the life and legacy of the iconic funnyman John Candy, who died of a heart attack in 1994, at the age of 43.
 
Review: If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, like me, you probably also grew up with John Candy movies. The funnyman who starred in movies like “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”, “Uncle Buck” “Splash” and “Home Alone” was a big part of my childhood. And for anyone like me, the documentary “John Candy: I Like Me” is a must-see.

The title refers to a quote from his character Del Griffith, in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”, where he tells Steve Martin that he likes who he is, after Martin just completely trashed him. If you have no idea who Candy was, this documentary gives you some insight into his life and career. But it will not have the emotional load. For me, this was a very heartwarming, moving tribute to the comedian. His family, friends and colleagues praise Candy with warm and honest stories about him. Candy was such a loving man and he touched the lives of everyone he met. And of the people who watch his movies.

Like I stated before, we watched a lot of John Candy films during my childhood years, and still. “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” is an absolute favorite in my family and we still revisit it every holiday season. If you grew watching him, this documentary will definitely get you emotional.

Rating: 5/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Spiderwick Chronicles

Director: Mark Waters
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy/ Family/ Drama/ Action
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, David Strathairn, Nick Nolte, Seth Rogen, Martin Short, Sarah Bolger, Andrew McCarthy, Ron Perlman

Description: Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother (Mary-Louise Parker), twin brothers Jared and Simon (Freddie Highmore), along with their sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger), find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.

Review: There are countless magical beings living in our world, of which we know nothing because we cannot see them. We humans only see them, if they want us to. Arthur Spiderwick discovered that and started writing a book about all the secrets these creatures. He indexes his findings in a scientific way, until he found out that with all this knowledge, evil forces could wipe out all other fantastic creatures and then be powerful enough to take on humans. He hid the book in his house and put a protective magic circle around it so that the evil creatures could not reach it.

Of course, such a secret does not stay hidden forever. Eighty years later, distant reltives of Arthur Spiderwick movie into his old house. Helen and her three children Mallory, Jared and Simon have decided to move there after the divorce. Jared is the one that finds the book and he releases the evil creatures.

The story of “The Spiderwick Chronicles” might not be the most original family fantasy films, but it sure as hell is one hell of a great time. The idea of children suddenly discovering a fantastical world full of magic has been done so many times, but you can do it in so many ways. “The Spiderwick Chronicles” has enough concept of its own to stand out.

The excellent acting of young Freddie Highmore in a dual role contributes to that. The two kids he plays are clearly two different boys with their own body language and personalities. Great voice performances also by Seth Rogen, Martin Short and Nick Nolte.

“The Spiderwick Chronicles” is not an earth-shattering or innovative film, but it is an entertaining family film with suspense, humor and fun design (some parts might be a little too scary for the littlest viewers).The film has a nice pace and fortunately follows its own internal logic.  

Rating: 3,5/ 5

TV Show Review - Only Murders in the Buiding (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Crime/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2021
Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Tina Fey, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Amy Schumer, Michael Cyril Creighton, Jackie Hoffman, Jane Houdyshell, Cara Delevigne, Ryan Broussard, Adina Version, James Caverly, Jane Lynch

Description: Three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime suddenly find themselves caught up in one.
 
Review: At the beginning of the second season of “Only Murders in the Building”, things are not looking good for Charles, Oliver and Mabel. A new mystery presents itself when neighbor Bunny Folger is found dead in Mabel’s apartment and it seems this murder is meant to frame the latter. Where most people would choose to wait for it all to blow over, the three amateur detectives choose to take matter into their own hands to clear their names and find justice for Bunny.

It took some waiting to see if a second season of “Only Murders in the Building” would be able to live up to high expectations created by the successful first season. Bunny Folger’s death, at first glance, seems less interesting than the murder of Tim Kono. The motive seems obvious, as the victim was not well-liked, so the question is where this story could go from here. But with the introduction of new characters, secret passages through the Arconia building and once again a connection to one of the main characters, the formula manages to prove itself once again.

“Only Murders in the Building” is still the perfect combination of murder mystery and humor: a cozy mystery. The main characters are well fleshed out and their strong dynamics bring things to life. In the main plot of season 2, the focus shifts from Mabel to Charles, allowing us to learn more about his background. In addition, we are introduced to three important characters: Charles’ almost-daughter, a new date for Mabel and the assistant to podcast queen Cinda Canning. While they all contribute at some point in the investigation, they could have been better integrated into the story.

Everything comes together in the end. The solutions is clever and surprising. And we are also treated to a glimpse of another new season, where Oliver will be the main focus I assume. And Paul Rudd is going to be in season 3 as well, which makes me even more excited.

“Only Murders in the Building” is the perfect comfort watch, I love cozy mysteries. The dynamic between the three main characters is so unique and wholesome. I could watch this series all day.

TV Show Review - Only Murders in the Building (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Crime/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2021
Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Tina Fey, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane

Description: Three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime suddenly find themselves caught up in one.
 
Review: Steve Martin and Martin Short, both in their seventies, go back a long way. Martin wrote she screenplay for this new show and brough in his friend Short.
“Only Murders in the Building” is a very engaging series about jaded television actor Charles Haden-Savage, bankrupt theater producer Oliver Putman and the mysterious Mabel Mora. Not only do they all live in the Arconia Building in New York, but most importantly they find each other in their love of the true crime podcast “All is Not OK in Oklahoma”.
The addition of former Disney child star Selena Gomez to the cast is a golden touch. Not only to bring younger fans on board, but also she has perfect comedic timing and is great in combination with veteran actors Steve Martin and Martin Short. The age gap really works in our favor here.
When a murder is committed in the building, the three find each other in the ambition to sat in their own podcast, the title of which will be “Only Murders in the Building”, as they will be limited to the murders that have taken place in the Arconia. It is quickly apparent that each member of this curious trio has their own motives for making the podcast a success.
I love a good old-fashioned whodunit murder mystery. And that’s what “Only Murders in the Building” is. Add in a bit of humor, a fast-paced story and three protagonist you will love from the start (Oliver was my favorite). I loved this series. Easy to watch, since each episode is about 30 minutes long and there are only 10 of them. I can’t wait for a second season, which hopefully will be released in 2022.  

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 96: Frankenweenie

Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Comedy/ Animation/ Horror
Runtime: 88 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Martin Landau, Christopher Lee, Martin Short, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Atticus Shaffer

Description: Young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.

Review: Making a stop-motion animation asks a lot of a person: decication, time and patience. If I would make a film myself, I would love to try stop-motion, it always amazes me. And Tim Burton is a fan too.
“Frankenweenie” is a story about a boy and his dog Sparky. This is also secretly an ode to classic horror films. Victor is a nice boy who only has one real friend: his dog Sparky. Victor lives in the suburbs. He makes his own horror films, staaring Sparky, but also has a passion for science. When his beloved pet is hit by a car and dies, he just simply doesn’t like life anymore. When a new science teacher tells him about the power of electricity, Victor tries to bring Sparky back to life. And it works. But Victor has to keep it a secret from everyone.
“Frankenweenie” is typical Burton. All the characters look like they came from a horror film and are all weird. They aren’t just macabre, but also have an endearing feel to it. Especially Victor and Sparky.
For film fans it’s great to see all the classic horror movie references. The film is in black an white and this adds to the atmosphere and the ode to the classic horror films. The film looks fantastic and I think it’s one of Tim Burton’s better films.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 22: Inherent Vice

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Comedy

Runtime: 148 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston, Eric Roberts, Benicio Del Toro, Jena Malone, Reese Witherspoon, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short

Description: In 1970, drug-fueled Los Angeles detective Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend.

Review: When you see the name of director Paul Thomas Anderson on a movie poster, you have certain expectations. He has movies like “Magnolia”, “Boogie Nights” and “There Will Be Blood” on his resume.

With “Inherent Vice” Anderson chose a book to movie adaptation. Books by author Thomas Pynchon are known for its complexity, so it’s not that strange this is the first adaptation.

The seventies have just begun and we join private detective Larry Sportello, better known as Doc. His ex-girlfriend Shasta walks in and starts telling him about a collusion to get her wealthy, married lover into a psychiatric facility. Doc decides to investigate. Before he knows it, he is surrounded by strippers, neo-Nazis, hostile cops and eccentric cults.

“Inherent Vice” makes you feel like that one sober person at a party. The more you try to hold on to a logic story development, the more frustrated you’ll get. And the long duration will also add to that confusion. You really need a ‘go with the flow’ mentality.

When it comes to style and setting, “Inherent Vice” doesn’t disappoint. Like he did in “Boogie Nights”, again he shows us how masterful he can take the audience to a certain time period. And the soundtrack is also worth mentioning.

“Inherent Vice” is not a movie for just everyone, it’s for a selective audience. It’s not one of my favorite Anderson movies, but definitely not bad.

Rating: 3/ 5