Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection - Set 4
Starring: David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson, Pauline Moran, Richard BebbDirector: Ashley Pearce, James Kent
Studio: Acorn Media
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Running Time: 186 minutes
DVD Release: July 7th 2009
Buy DVD:
DVD Review
David Suchet returns as Hercule Poirot--the Belgian sleuth of unsurpassed deductive powers and peerless viewer appeal--in two fresh adaptations of Christie classics. As seen on PBS?s Mystery!
Mrs. McGinty?s Dead--With help from mystery novelist and old friend Ariadne Oliver (Zoë Wanamaker), Poirot tries to save a man from hanging for a murder he might not have committed. As the famous sleuth tracks down the real killer, he finds his own life at risk.
Cat Among the Pigeons--As Meadowbank School for Girls begins its term, a new student causes the headmistress unease. Princess Shaista is a political refugee hiding from revolutionaries in her native land. Fortunately, when the bodies start turning up, Poirot is on hand.
EXCLUSIVE BONUS PROGRAM: Super Sleuths, a documentary about the series featuring stars David Suchet, Philip Jackson, Hugh Fraser, and Pauline Moran; producer Brian Eastman; director Ed Bennett; writer Anthony Horowitz; and others.
User Reviews
After 20 Years and 59 Mysteries, Another Triumphant Series for Poirot. - Rating: 5/5
David Suchet reprises his role of Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot in Series 9 of "Poirot", which dramatizes two of Agatha Christie's later novels. "Mrs. McGinty's Dead", published in 1952, and "Cat Among the Pigeons", published 1959, have been moved to the interwar years, as is customary in this series. It's called Season 11 in Britain and comprises four films there. PBS is only showing the first two films in the US this year, so this DVD set contains two films and a bonus disc with a 47-minute documentary. These are David Suchet's 58th and 59th personifications of Hercule Poirot since he stepped into the role in 1989. Suchet is visibly older now, having moved closer to the correct age for the ageless Poirot over the past 20 years.
It could be conceded that Poirot is an irritating little man. He is in the novels. And the detective's solutions seem conjured out of thin air. But he's fantastic to watch. This long-running Poirot series never fails to be visually captivating. Credit is due the actors, costumers, production designers, and cinematographers that make Poirot and his world look so fascinating. Of course, the 1930s are exotic-looking now, and, just as I loved the modernist designs of the series' early episodes, I found these new episodes have their own striking style. The focus is a little soft -perhaps to combat the effects of HD. Interiors tend to be quite dark, and the camera work out-of-doors is sometimes surprising. Both films have the same distinct visual style, but I'm not sure who is owed the credit, as they have different directors. They do have the same camera operator, Paul Donachie.
Screenwriter Mark Gates increases Poirot's presence in his adaptation of "Cat Among the Pigeons". Poirot visits the prestigious Meadowbanks School for girls where his friend Miss Bulstrode (Harriet Walter) is headmistress. After his ceremonial duties are done, Miss Bulstrode asks Poirot to help her choose a successor, as she is planning retirement. But the school's sadistic games mistress Miss Springer (Elizabeth Berrington) is murdered, and there is no shortage of people with motive. Or perhaps it has something to do with their celebrity student, Princess Shaista (Amara Karan), whose homeland has just suffered a coup d'êtat. This film's atmosphere and the detestable Miss Springer make it a big improvement over the book.
Agatha Christie vented a little frustration at decades of writing the Poirot character in "Mrs. McGinty's Dead". Ariadne Oliver (Zoe Wanamaker) is a mystery novelist frustrated with one of her popular characters as she tries to write a play. Poirot has been asked by Superintendent Spence (Richard Hope) to re-investigate a murder. A young man, James Bentley (Joe Absolom), is sentenced to hang for murder of an elderly charwoman with whom he lodged. Spence is unsure of his guilt. So Poirot is off to Broadhinny to find someone with a motive. He finds a lack of transport, his friend the novelist, as well as a cast of eccentric, agitated suspects. Zoe Wanamaker is a real scene-stealer as the outspoken Ariadne and reason enough to see the film.
The DVDs (Acorn 2009 3-disc set): The two 90-minute films have their own discs. The third disc contains a "Super Sleuths" documentary (47 min) about the series, from its debut in 1989 to its final episode, which has not yet been seen. David Suchet, Philip Jackson (who played Chief Inspector Japp), Hugh Fraser (who played Captain Hastings), Pauline Moran (who played Miss Lemon), producer (1989-2001) Brian Eastman, writers Anthony Horowitz and Clive Exton, and others talk about the character Poirot, Agatha Christie's creation of her most popular detective, how Poirot developed in the books and TV series, and how the series has evolved. Worth watching if you're a fan of the series. Subtitles available in English SDH.
AmazonUK = $31 for 4 movies, AmazonUS = $37 for 2 movies - Rating: 1/5
There always seem to be folks proudly spending a lot more money than they need to, and scorning those who point out that they're getting ripped off. I just ordered the set from Amazon UK with all 4 movies for the equivalent of approximately $31 (shipping included), versus $37 for 2 movies here. I don't see much point in defending paying more than twice as much for half the product.
60+ year old David continues a spotless perfomance as THE Poirot! - Rating: 5/5
Even though well into his 60's, David Suchet continues to prove that he IS Hercule Poirot. Yes, the eyes look a little tired & the belly a little full, but even the great Hercule Poirot must age.
These 90 minute movies deserve multiple viewings as the mysteries are intricate and you could miss a clue if you turn your head. The stories, based on the full length novels MRS MCGINTY'S DEAD and CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS, are more flushed out than the older 60 minute episodes. One felt like clues were left out of those shorter episodes that prevented the viewer from solving the murder with Poirot. But here, all of the clues are there for you the viewer to pick up on, but are they what they seem?
I do miss the regular cast of characters in the old 60 minute series, Inspector Japp, Captain hastings & Miss Lemon are sadly missing from the 90 minute "Movie" versions of Poirot. However, they are present in the third disc which includes interviews with the actors who brought those characters to life. And you get to see David Suchet without his Poirot mustache.
While the production values are excellent, the wonderful 'Art Deco' style of the earlier shows is missing. I do wish they had kept that style going. 'Art Deco' buildings & objects do appear in these movies, but the style is gone from the production.
The bottom line is that I do like the more flushed out stories, but I miss some of the elements from the earlier productions. Still they are a 'MUST-BUY".
While I wish PBS would air all 4 new Poirot Movies this year (I don't know if it is due to budget cuts or not), it is nice to get to see at least two of the new productions and look forward to two more later on. PBS is a co-producer of the series & they decide what Acorn Media can release in the U.S..
I have an early review copy & can say that the anamorphic 16:9 widescreen picture has some grain to it (it looked the same on the PBS-Hi Defenition broadcast). The sub-titles can help with unfamiliar British words. Bonus material is mostly limited to the 47 minute "Super Sleuths" special on disc #3. Discs 1 & 2 have very basic still frame biographies & filmographies. Quite honestly, the "Super Sleuths" special could have easily fit on a second layer of either disc 1 or 2, but it looks better to make it a 3-disc set. At least they are 'slim cases' and do not take up too much space for the extra disc.
POIROT REVIEW - Rating: 5/5
DAVID SUCHET IS PERFECT FOR POIROT AND ALL HIS MOVIES ARE GREAT. I AM SURE AGATHA CHRISTIE HERSELF WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY WITH THIS GREAT ACTOR.
SOME OF THE BEST OF HERCULE POIROT - Rating: 5/5
Agatha Christie's novels.
Hercule Poirot the famous detective.
David Suchet is the actor for Poirot.
Obviously, the book author's classic stories & the Belgian detective make this a 5-star British mystery delight.
"MRS. McGINTY'S DEAD" is about a young man convicted of murder and about to be put to death. Poirot is asked by the police superintendent to investigate the murder again, afraid that the wrong man is about to be hung. A novelist friend, Ariadne Oliver (Zoe Wanamaker), tries to help with Poirot's investigation. Paul Rhys, Amanda Root, Sian Phillips, and Emma Amos are guest stars in this 93 minute mystery. THAT'S A FULL-LENGTH FEATURE FILM IN AMERICAN THEATERS.
"CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS" has murder upon murder at the Meadowbank School for rich girls. Harriet Walter (Atonement) plays Miss Bulstrode, headmistress of the school. It's the typical tangle of suspicious suspects that only Poirot can explain in his typical, story-end, theatrical way. Guest stars: Natasha Little (Vanity Fair), Claire Skinner (Bridget Jone's diary), Susan Wooldridge, Anton Lesser, and Katie Leung (Harry Potter movies.) Again 93 minutes of Agatha Christie classic story, and again EQUAL TO A FULL-LENGTH HOLLYWOOD FILM.
Subtitles are provided by Acorn Media for both movies as well as the bonus 2006 DVD "Super Slueths: Poirot", which adds another informative and interesting 47 minutes to this collection. It's worth as much as the 2 mysteries.
---Agatha Christie's writing history
---Interview with David Suchet, the definitive Poirot since 1989.\
---Poirot books, beginning in 1920.
---David Suchet's rebirth of the detective for the TV series
---Suchet's disclosure of how he developed the peculiar Poirot walk and characteristic speech.
---Poirot's death book, written in the 1940s, published in 1975, and as yet not available as a DVD, a huge tease about the end of Agatha Christie's novels involving Hercule Poirot.
4.5 million viewers can't be wrong. This is detective mystery written at it's finest, and performed with a leading cast.
Price question? Cost is LESS THAN 2 NORMAL 90-min DVD RELEASES plus this collection has a BONUS DVD. Cheaper than traveling to England, region 2, for .... well, I'm quite happy. Great shows.
POIROT FANS: BUY.
