Comments on: Are there any great Agatha Christie Movies?

By: Laurieann

Laurieann — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:06:51 +0000

Yes “Witness for the Prosecution” was fantastically well filmed-even better than the original.
Personally I like all the old Margaret Rutherfords -but that’s just a Brit way of thinking.

By: mean Gene

mean Gene — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:29:12 +0000

If you liked Murder on the Oreint Express and Death on the Nile Anthony Perkins wrote a terrific murder mystery you should try.
“The Last of Sheila,” stars James Coburn, Richard Benjamin, Raquel Welsh, James Mason and more.
It is claustrophobic and tense with unexpected twists.

By: ThatGayConservative

ThatGayConservative — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:47:08 +0000

I still dig Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid. That’s a classic. Wish Steve Martin would make a sequel.

I have my “payamas”.

By: Jim in St Louis

Jim in St Louis — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:06:28 +0000

“Witness for the Prosecution” Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton. (late fifties). GREAT movie if you like to be fooled by the who-done-it. You feel like you have it all figured out and then the whole plot flip-flops and it turns out to be someone else. Then while your still sitting on the couch in shock it flips around again. Super date movie to see with someone who has never seen it. As a bonus it has Marlene singing in that raspy-husky voice.

By: ThatGayConservative

ThatGayConservative — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:26:15 +0000

Kudos to GPW for adding a non-political post! Variety is the spice of life … and occasionally good for bolgs, too.

There you are, Gene. Besides, Comrade Obama got pwnd.

By: Jack in Dallas

Jack in Dallas — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:33:27 +0000

To be sure, The Mirror Crack’d is the best I’ve seen. How can one go wrong with Liz Taylor and Kim Novak? My step-mother loved Agatha Christie, forcing me to watch. How glad I am she did.

Kudos to GPW for adding a non-political post! Variety is the spice of life … and occasionally good for bolgs, too.

By: Gene in Pennsylvania

Gene in Pennsylvania — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:34:17 +0000

Can I ask why more political blogging isn’t happening here lately. Especially since such relevant events have been going on…the saddleback debacle for BHO etc.

By: jeb

jeb — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:29:36 +0000

I second Murder By Death….classic.

Can’t help myself….its has too many great lines to be forgotten.

On the serious side….The Alley Theatre of Houston features Agatha Christie in their summer series and I always enjoy the writing and the suspense.

But sorry, I love “Moose On Wall!” and Don’t forget “stinky pooh” with “sometimes my gas kills!”

Good Times!

Jeb

By: A Different Peter H

A Different Peter H — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:11:41 +0000

Murder by Death, LOL! I wondered if someone was going to throw that into the mix. And the only line I remember from this fine film is “Stinky-poo!”

By: American Elephant

American Elephant — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:13:32 +0000

Murder by Death …truly high cinema.

By: Patrick Joubert Conlon

Patrick Joubert Conlon — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:00:05 +0000

The British TV shows are all available on DVD and are much truer to Christie’s writing than the movies. David Suchet as Poirot and Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple are delicious.

By: John Costello

John Costello — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:27:43 +0000

The BBC has actually done great work putting the Christie books on film or perhaps videotape. The DVDs should be available on the internet. These are the Suchet Poirots, the earlier (or 1990s) of the two Miss Marples, and the Tommy and Tupence stories. I am told the worst are the 1950s Margaret Rutherford Marples (they filmed Poirot stories as Marples.)

The Mousetrap cannot be sold to the movies until it finishes it’s London theatrical run, now in it’s 50th+ year. The only way you will get to see it is by going to London as a tourist (I hear most of the audience is American tourists.)

By: heliotrope

heliotrope — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:05:13 +0000

This is not my strong suit, but it seems to me that the great crime movies were orginally written for the stage or made their way from the novel to the stage first.

Sam Spade, Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown and the rest all settle into our minds as unique (one of a kind) characters. Famous actors drag their own personas into role and that creates friction.

The Mousetrap was written as a play and I guess that the prohibition of putting it on film still stands.

If some dedicated person were to give a Christie book the same loving care lavished on Harry Potter, I would think that a great film is possible. The key, in my mind, is for the film to allow the intimacy with the characters that Christie invited in her writing.

By: Frederic Kahler

Frederic Kahler — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:51:10 +0000

I saw Evil Under the Sun in London at the height of summer when it came out; that added to its quality. It’s a shame the actual, lush soundtrack isn’t available; instead we just have a collection of old Cole Porter recording.

I never tire of watching “The Mirror Crack’d.” There’s something so restful about it all…

Frederic Kahler

By: ThatGayConservative

ThatGayConservative — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:51:01 +0000

I’ve got two copies of Orient Express around here somewhere, but I’ve never read it past a few chapters.

By: ThatGayConservative

ThatGayConservative — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:50:17 +0000

Not too familiar with the movies. I love the TV show with David Suchet as Poirot. I’d love to get some of those on DVD. There are a few of those episodes that ran two hours. Guess you could say they were movies.

There was even 2 PC games with the voice of Suchet.