Could this be the very best Columbo episode ever?
A lot of clues (*harhar*) lead to that assumption:
#1: the villains - afaik Columbo's only case where the murderer comes from within the bricks which makes his sleuthing even trickier
#2: indie style direction - Ben Gazzara films the potboiler plot with an intense indie style, full of sharp characterisations, close-ups and shaky-cam action.
#3: humour - again this might be Gazzara's contribution but this has some of the funniest Columbo moments ever.
#4: ahead of its time - I'm sure flicks like "The Departed" or "Training Day" took some clues from this one. Yeah, the basic plot is taken from Hitchcock but the switch of the milieu takes it into an entirely new direction.
#5: twist ending - by far the twistiest but also most satisfying ending in the entire Columbo universe.
A lot of clues (*harhar*) lead to that assumption:
#1: the villains - afaik Columbo's only case where the murderer comes from within the bricks which makes his sleuthing even trickier
#2: indie style direction - Ben Gazzara films the potboiler plot with an intense indie style, full of sharp characterisations, close-ups and shaky-cam action.
#3: humour - again this might be Gazzara's contribution but this has some of the funniest Columbo moments ever.
#4: ahead of its time - I'm sure flicks like "The Departed" or "Training Day" took some clues from this one. Yeah, the basic plot is taken from Hitchcock but the switch of the milieu takes it into an entirely new direction.
#5: twist ending - by far the twistiest but also most satisfying ending in the entire Columbo universe.