Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

*This review covers the release of MIDSOMER MURDERS COUNTRY CASE FILES on DVD, series 16-18*Fans of British television are well acquainted with the series MIDSOMER MURDERS. The series still airs and has been on for over 20 seasons now. A show doesn't last that long unless it has something to offer and this one does.The county of Midsomer seems to be fraught with murder and when one occurs it's up to DCI (Detective Chief Inspector) John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) to make sure that the culprit is apprehended. With the help of DS Ben Jones (Jason Hughes) each episode finds the duo looking into the latest murder to occur.The series also presents Barnaby as just another guy, a man who knows how to do his job and do it well but who also has a home life. There he and his wife Sarah (Fiona Dolman) are dealing with their newborn child while trying to live life as normally as a detective's life can be. In some episodes she even helps him with information he's seeking.The series isn't like what we expect to find here in the US. Rather than hour long dramas that actually run closer to 45 minutes each, this series is composed of what would qualify as feature length film episodes, closer to 90 minutes running time. In so doing it gives us plenty of time to digest the actions taking place and to sift through the clues presented in each new case.This collection brings together all 15 cases from Series 16, 17 and 18 which is when the character of John Barnaby took over his position. Each one offers their own little quirks that make them different from one another. One might have a magician performing in a local church to help raise money for its restoration, another a book club promoting the latest work of a deceased pulp fiction author that finds two people electrocuted by a roulette wheel like characters in his first book were. Whatever the facts of the case are you can be sure they won't be your everyday average murder.The series does what it must do to last this long and that is entertain. It does that in spades here with cases that hold your attention and the development of ongoing characters that you come to care for. That's a point that some series never strive for and in so doing they short change the viewer. Here we care about them and want to know more about what goes on when not solving murders. As with a number of series like this only one thing bothered me. Sure, we expect numerous murders in big cities like London but these are small villages here. If you are to believe shows like this the most dangerous place to live is a small village in England. Then again if these murders weren't happening then we wouldn't be enjoying a series that focuses on looking for those murderers would we?The production values here and great to look at. They capture the look and feel of these villages in Midsomer County and portray what appears on the surface to be a calm and laidback style of living. At least if it wasn't for people getting killed each episode. The acting is top notch with each person involved making their characters believable. Dudgeon and Dolman actually feel like a married couple enjoying their new child and working together to make sure that feedings and rocking to sleep happen by one or the other. Hughes portrays a right hand man to perfection never overstepping his role but providing just the right amount of assistance needed.While I'd heard of the series I'd never had a chance to see it until this set arrived. I'm glad it did. Now I can sit back and enjoy watching these over and over again, knowing the second time around who the guilty party is and watching for those tell-tale signs of guilt as the story unravels. And when I finish I'll have to go back and seek out previous seasons to see if they match in quality. With little doubt in my mind I'm guessing they will.

The acting is superb and the writing was witty. Just found this a few weeks ago and have now watched all the episodes I can. I love the characters and the way they interact with each other and the landscape. Speaking of landscape, the areas where this is filmed are simply stunning. I love crime shows and this ranks up there with some of the very best. The crimes are brilliantly played out and seem like they are plausible. It is nice to watch a crime show that doesn't rely on flashy gun work or car chases. You have to pay attention and think it out. So happy I stumbled on it.

There's a charm that Midsomer Murders evokes, and sure it's unrealistic (do English villages really have such high murder rates?!) it's a nice way to switch off from the demands of the day, and just to enjoy the plot lines. We know the most obvious suspect didn't do it, and the suspect who extols their innocence "I didn't kill him/her!!! because I was in Causton, etc" usually didn't do it. But that's the fun of the story lines.The green village scenery is always lovely in every episode, and you can imagine how cold it was for the actors as they do a fantastic job maintaining their composure whilst no doubt coping with freezing temperatures.There are some people who miss DCI Barnaby Mark 1, and he is missed although he mumbled his words sometimes. Funny thing is he had his chauvinistic (sexist?) moments at times - I remember him telling Constable Gail Stephens (much to her displeasure understandably) to get him a coffee - NOW! Really?! Okay, some may exonerate Barnaby as simply being "un-PC" (which I guess excuses a host of discourtesies) but really it was uncalled for. Still, I think the Barnaby-Jones partnership was the best. I don't have much time for Dan Scott (his character was in 2 seasons) but maybe he fitted the mould of the un- PC PC that a segment of fans bay for. Perhaps he can get a spin-off show where he's promoted to DCI in the East End of London where he can spout his un-PC comments towards any minority group that has the words "pride" and "festival". Perhaps he could be teamed up with a junior, female PC who is PC with squishy liberal views, allowing him to get the upper hand (and audience satisfaction) with any tete-a-tete with the junior PC. He could also light up a cigarette or three to prove his point.I do like DCI Barnaby Mark 2 and he's more respectful and gets straight to the point in a respectful manner.Having lived in the UK for several years, there really are "minorities" that live in English villages! Really!! Which I find it quite risible when die-hard Midsomer fans invoke the name of the beloved TV creator Brian True-May and claim that because Midsomer is the "last bastion of Englishness", it's ludicrous and "politically correct" to have minority (read people of color - wink!) popping up in Causton and the outlying villages. Never mind the fact that English villages don't have sky- high murder rates and we won't query that at all!

I miss John Nettles and his co-stars who made this a great detective series. However, the new generation has picked up where Nettles left off. It's a great detective series that we are able to watch through Netflix in USA. The new generation has greater mix of ethnic groups, probably a reasonable profile of current UK. The countryside is very unique, narrow lanes and very lush green summer landscape. I would like to see some winter scenes. Winter may have fewer daylight hours but it would allow overseas viewers a glimpse, especially those of us who reside in the warm winters of Texas. I am sure it gets harder to come with new plots. However, if one watches the daily news - there are plenty of stories. Immigrants trying to find a better life through some harrowing and dangerous journey.