Mystery man

Mysteries have always been a favourite of mine.

Perhaps it's the fact that I've been weaned off the Famous Five, then the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. The old mainstays such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Edgar Wallace line my shelves alongst with some newer, lesser known mystery authors such as Lindsey Davis ( introduced to me by our lovely hrugaar ) and the ever prolific JD Robb. The meticulous, dandified Hercule Poirot and the redoubtable granny on the loose, Jessica Fletcher, have remained as my greatest heroes - with the cynical Roman gumshoe Marcus Didius Falco and his paramour Helena now added to the mix.

It isn't that common however to find a gay detective in residence. And even rarer to have a television movie made about a private eye with homosexual tendencies. Thanks to modern technology - and obviously no thanks to our tenacious censors, I'm able to watch Donald Strachey doing what he does best. Based on the really excellent mystery novels by Richard Stevenson, Third Man Out tells the story of hardboiled, cynical gumshoe Strachey - who just happens to be gay and heavily involved with his straight-laced partner, Timothy Callahan. Played as the gay equivalent of Nick and Nora Charles, the daring duo uncover clues about the political mysteries in Albany while trading witty banter and expresso.



Doesn't it make you want to get snazzy shades, a sleek black trenchcoat and nondescript tie - and then trail a certain big biceped guy around town searching for homosexual clues?

Or was that just me.

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Another movie caught my eye during my regular DVD pirate visit - sorry guys, but the ones over here just aren't that hot - and since I've caught some pretty good reviews online, I got my hands on it. Sometimes the high calibre of movies that are smuggled over here by our uncivilized pirates literally amazes me. The critics didn't lie however and the thriller / spy buddy flick Walk on Water was surprisingly excellent, giving a provocative examination of the Israel's uneasy relationship with Germany.


Now, wouldn't you want him waiting for you?
Starring the meltingly gorgeous Lior Ashkenazi as Eyal, the callous, macho Mossad hitman who walks coolly away after a kill only to return to Israel to find himself getting a fluff assignment playing an ingratiating tour agent to uncover the family secrets of the gay grandson of an ex-Nazi officer. As the hypermacho, reactionary Eyal travels through the mesmerizing sights in Israel with the Berlin bohemian Axel, they both start to realize that both have a lot to learn from each other.

Trust me. Just the sight of Lior's smouldering eyes is enough.