SPIELBERG MYSTERY HOUR

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A BIGGER BOAT #6: THE SPIELBERG MYSTERY HOUR

With his contract at Universal yielding uneven results (Spielberg was not asked back to the series' he directed episodes for because he did not stick to the visual style they'd established), Spielberg was tasked with directing one of the first episodes of Columbo after it became a series. MURDER BY THE BOOK (1971) was filmed second in the full series order but aired first. Creators Richard Levinson and William Link encouraged Spielberg to be more cinematic and not less. The result stands as one of the best episodes of Columbo's long run. The plot? Co-authors Ken and Jim break up badly. Ken is a jerk who does none of the work and kills Jim. In real life, co-host Ken has a twin brother named Jim. For reals. Irony!

MINORITY REPORT (2002) had a long, winding road to the big screen and was almost made by Spielberg years earlier before he went with AI. Loosely based on a Phillip K Dick short story and featuring a typically Maximum Effort Tom Cruise performance, the film features a rather well-thought out mystery. Not without its holes but, for this sort of thing, well-crafted. So why is this one of Spielberg's worst films? Listen and find out!

Recorded on Valentine's Day 2022, we love bomb Spielberg's Columbo like all new loves. Then we disparage and vilify Minority Report like a long-time marriage gone sour. Great times! Ken and Jack (not to be confused with Ken and Jim from the Columbo) tackle the mystery. 

THEME SONG BY: WEIRD A.I.

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Ken: Ken Koral
Jack: jackk1096