Agatha Christie Collection featuring Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot (Dead Man's Folly / Murder in Three Acts / Thirteen at Dinner) (1986) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Peter Ustinov basically plays himself with an outrageous accent in his Poirot films. For those of us who like Ustinov that may be enough. But you can't help comparing him with David Suchet, which isn't really fair, since Suchet is the quintessential Poirot. Hastings, whom Christie herself didn't care for, is played as a real idiot in these films, and it is grating to see Ustinov put him down so dreadfully. How is Hastings supposed to have worked in intelligence with half a brain? Suchet manages to keep some kindness in dealing with Hastings in his series. And Hastings is better played there.
So why do I think these films are entertaining? First, the scenery. There was a real effort put forth by the art and location departments. Very seldom do you feel like you are looking at a stage set. There is also the nostalgia of seeing stars of yesteryear - Jean Stapleton, Tony Curtis, Faye Dunaway, etc., ham it up in their parts. But for me, the real treat is to see David Suchet play Inspector Japp in "Thirteen at Dinner". That's why this set is a keeper for me. Suchet is a great actor and he does a good job with Japp (though not as good as the rumpled, loveable Japp in his own series), with only a mannerism here and there foreshadowing his later portrayals of Poirot. The mysteries are no mystery for those of us who have read Christie and watched all the renditions of Christie, but they're fun to watch portrayed differently. As another reviewer said, Ustinov's 'Evil Under the Sun' and 'Death on the Nile' are probably better done. But these are entertaining as well. You might want to rent them first to see if you really want to own them.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Agatha Christie Collection featuring Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot (Dead Man's Folly / Murder in Three Acts / Thirteen at Dinner) (1986)

You're in good company with Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov), Agatha Christie's impeccable Belgian sleuth who's always at his best at chic soirees where the hospitality is warm...and the corpses are cold. Match wits with the master in this full-course banquet of mystery involving a country-house game of murder turned real (Dead Man's Folly), a move star turned amateur detective (Murder in Three Acts), and a dinner part turned deadly (Thirteen at Dinner). Bon appetit!

Get 25% OFF

Click here for more information about Agatha Christie Collection featuring Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot (Dead Man's Folly / Murder in Three Acts / Thirteen at Dinner) (1986)

Midsomer Murders: The Early Cases Collection Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Imagine Saint Mary Mead. Squared.
That about describes the setting of "Midsomer Murders," a morbidly witty British mystery series based on Caroline Graham's novels. And "Midsomer Murders: The Early Cases" brings together the first eighteen cases in this cozy, dark little county, making up most of the first four seasons.
In the pilot episode, an elderly spinster is is hunting for orchids when she comes across something strange in the woods -- and soon she's found dead, with a broken neck. Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) is persuaded to investigate further, and soon he discovers that there's something far nastier coming up -- more bloody killings, secret incest, and an old forgotten crime.
"The Killings in Badger's Grift" is perhaps the clumsiest episode of the series, with some horribly over-the-top acting and a weird dream sequence. But the writers get their footing with "Written in Blood," about a double murder rooted in the shared past of two middle-aged men -- one a bestselling novelist.
From there on, Barnaby and his assistant, Detective Sergeant Gavin Troy (Daniel Casey), are forced to investigate all sorts of crimes -- obviously each episode has a murder, but there's plenty of adultery, theft, kidnapping, insanity and "cold cases" that are connected to current murders.
And they have to deal with some very strange crimes -- a strangled cigarette model, a New Age lodge, snotty aristocrats, a local sexpot's kidnapping (or not), a trophy wife murdered with a cricket bat, mysterious tramps, nursing home murders, a thief killed by a pitchfork, a haunted museum, toxic mushrooms, crop circles, adulterous mailmen, and a wedding that is disrupted when the groom's father is hoisted out of a well.
Honestly, I think Miss Marple would feel right at home -- such a pretty, homey, sunshiney place, full of kindly spinsters and genial aristocrats. The whole thing is set in the various villages of Midsomer County, which is picturesque, lush, and full of farms, cute little English villages and cottages.
So of course, there are gruesome murders, plotting and tawdry secrets hidden in every corner; several spill out in every episode, and only some of them have to do with the main murder. But the writers keep a funny edge in the stories, such as Barnaby being shadowed by his daughter's boyfriend, or certain lines when off duty ("You're just jealous because I have a coconut and you haven't!").
And these cops are pretty believable detectives. John Nettles is absolutely wonderful as the kindly, middle-aged cop with a brain like stainless steel, whose nice sedate family is a relief from all the Midsomer weirdos. And Daniel Casey is solid as his younger, brasher assistant.
Most of the villagers are played by excellent actors as well, no matter how weird their characters are. Grumpy mediums, mad vicars and nasty little schoolboys are only a few, with Emily Mortimer and Jonathan Firth playing one-off roles. And keep an eye out for Orlando Bloom as a sneering young thief in one of these episodes -- he's not only great at being nasty, but he has a priceless death scene.
"Midsomer Murders: The Early Cases" is a big, solidly-written chunk of British coziness, spanning almost four seasons. And it has murder and scandal in every episode.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Midsomer Murders: The Early Cases Collection

As seen on A&E and The Biography Channel WHAT EVIL LURKS BEYOND THE WELL-TRIMMED HEDGES OF MIDSOMER . . . The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. The smash hit series stars John Nettles (Bergerac) as Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, a dogged investigator and devoted family man, unflappable in the face of the maxabre crimes and eccentric characters he encounters on the job. Collected here are the first 18 episodes by original U.K. broadcast date.These include the five mysteries adapted from the novels of Caroline Graham, as well as the next 13 original stories inspired by her characters. DS Gavin Troy (Daniel Casey), Barnaby's first and longest-serving deputy, assists the chief on all of these cases.Guest stars include EmilyMortimer, Anna Massey, Richard Briers, Prunella Scales, Julian Wadham, Orlando Bloom, and Celia Imrie.DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE essay by John Nettles, Midsomer map, production notes, behind-the-scenes featurette, Caroline Graham biography, and cast filmographies. Plus exclusive bonus disc: Super Sleuths a documentary about the show's first decade, featuring John Nettles, Caroline Graham, writer Anthony Horowitz, and others.Mysteries previoulsy released on DVD as Sets One, Two, Three and Five.

Get 11% OFF

Click here for more information about Midsomer Murders: The Early Cases Collection