Search - Columbo: Mystery Movie Collection 1990 on DVD

There Will ALWAYS be One More Question!!

E. Hornaday | Lawrenceville, NJ United States | 10/31/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"He's back! Everyone's favorite rumpled detective, Lt. Columbo (portrayed with iconic perfection by Peter Falk), returns in this boxed set of some of his more recent mystery investigations.

Universal has been releasing the Columbo - Mystery Movie Collection on DVD. This DVD boxed set continues where the last one left off with installments that were produced in the 1990s. When I initially posted this review, I made an error and listed the episodes expected in the NEXT DVD boxed set, not this one. Thanks to Mike, Tom and Michael Todd for correcting this information.

For some viewers, these latter installments of the dirty-trench-coat-wearing, cigar-smoking sleuth are less satisfying and well-crafted than the original series, but for me, ANY Columbo is better than 99 percent of the current TV roster.

The six mysteries in this boxed set were the last to be produced in the miniseries format, meaning the episodes each run about two hours, while the remaining Columbo mysteries produced were originally shown as one-shot 90-minute movie length specials and are yet to be released on DVD.

Collected here are:

Columbo Cries Wolf (which originally aired Jan. 20, 1990): Two true iconic soap opera actors, Ian Buchanan and Deidra Hall, star in this episode as feuding business partners. Hall ends up dead and Columbo has to use all of his skills to "uncover" the crime.

Agenda for Murder (which aired Feb. 10, 1990): Fabulous actor Patrick McGoohan who has wowed fans since the 1960s Danger Man, is also a close friend of Falk's. That's very lucky for Columbo fans, because he has graced the series with some of the most memorable episodes of the series. This time out, he directs AND stars as a powerful attorney who has political aspirations - and a big secret. Soon, a longtime blackmailer is dead and Columbo is matching wits with an attorney who has never lost - until now.

Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo (which aired March 31, 1990): In an unusual episode, Columbo is the target in this episode. A vengeful woman wants him to pay for the death of her husband, whom Columbo arrested for murder and whom has recently died in prison. Look out for a classic Columbo twist at the end.

Uneasy Lies the Crown (which aired April 28, 1990): Iconic TV writer-producer Steven Bochco (famed creator of Hill Street Blues) wrote this story about a dentist who does away with a patient - who just happens to be his wife's lover - in a creative way. Look for a couple of fun cameos by Nancy Walker and Dick Sargent who play themselves.

Murder in Malibu (which aired May 14, 1990): A famed romance writer whose engaged to a much younger man (Andrew Stevens) learns that he is only after her money, so she calls off the wedding. Exit the author during an apparent burglary. Brenda Vaccaro guest stars.

Columbo Goes to College (which originally aired 12/09/1990): Columbo is on campus as a guest lecturer on criminology. His visit coincides with the machinations of two rich and arrogant frat boys (portrayed by Justin Rowe and Cooper Redman) who utilize "remote control" to kill the professor who's threatened to expel them. The obnoxious killers flaunt their intellectual superiority before the seemingly dull Columbo, who they are stunned to learn is a lot smarter than he looks. Look for the brilliant actor Robert Culp (I Spy), who himself has portrayed a murder in three prior Columbos.

Some of the mysteries yet to be released on DVD include: Caution: Murder Can be Hazardous to Your Health (which originally aired 02/20/1991); The Murder of a Rock Star (which originally aired 04/29/1991); It's All in the Game (which originally aired 10/31/1993); Butterfly in Shades of Grey (which originally aired 01/10/1994); and Undercover (which originally aired 05/02/1994).

Let's hope that Universal continues to release these wonderful episodes, because there ALWAYS will be one more question!"

The Class of 1990!

David Drake | Santa Cruz, CA | 11/04/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Looking forward to the 'class of 1990' group. A couple of real classics!

Columbo Cries Wolf
Agenda For Murder
Rest In Peace, Mrs Columbo
Uneasy Lies The Crown
Murder In Malibu
Columbo Goes To College"

Columbo is Great - Discs are NOT

karen_wizzabeff | (PA) United States | 04/17/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Love Columbo. Because I'm obsessed with having every Columbo movie possible, I am willing to overlook the terrible flaws in these DVDs.

There is no way to get back to the main menu after watching an episode. You can not navigate to watch the other episode on the disc. With my DVD player, I must remove the disc, play another disc, remove that one, then put the first disc back to get to the main menu to choose the unseen episode. We thought that there was something wrong with our disc or with the player, until I saw other reviews here.

This is a very poorly presented set - but because I adore Columbo I endure it. Since there are only six movies for 1990, one would think that they could have combined the movies from 1991 to make this a meatier set - but they wouldn't do that, because this way they can milk us fans for all our dollars as much as possible.

It's obvious that the producers have no respect for the buyers, but we love Peter Falk so we suffer gladly, to hear "Just one more thing....""

Anachronistic Columbo

Michael Ziegler | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States | 02/04/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Old Peugeot, Raincoat, Cigars, even the formula for solving the murders in modern 90s style settings leave you with the impression that Columbo has become a walking anachronism for the genre of golden age of detective fiction.
There are many fans of course (including myself) who don't wish to see any great series come to an end. The proposal of four movies per year of course has worked well. The stories are excellent and generally better than anythng on television anyway.
However, I still believe along with the founder of the original series that Columbo belonged in the 70s and should have stayed there. Columbo is out of place in the modern world of the 90s. Many fans will disagree but I believe that they are not being honest with themselves due to their desire to see Columbo solve more murders. No matter how you slice these shows, they are really just re-hashes of plots already developed and played out in the original series. Now I don't want to boo-hoo this current set. It is wonderful to see Columbo in action again. After all, the smiling face of Ian Buchanan as a "Hefneresque" character is fascinating to watch. I love seeing a couple of smart aleck College students get caught, and I am always fascinated by Patrick McGoohan's ability to adapt to various roles while still playing the same personality as "The Prisoner".
I know that this series of movies went on for many years and I as a fan, no doubt, will continue to buy every set that comes down the road. ...and speaking of roads, who is the mechanic that has kept that old peugeot running? ...and the big question..Why won't Columbo apply for antique tags for that car to save some money?"