Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Classic Collection

Description

A literary legend became a TV phenomenon when DAVID SUCHET took on the role of Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's most famous sleuth. Suchet's Poirot became the most-watched detective in the history of the PBS Mystery! series and a hit all over again on A&E. Now, all 36 one-hour episodes from the series are available in this 12-disc Classic Collection. Using his "little grey cells" and aided by the affable Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), Poirot unravels the thorniest cases without mussing a hair of his famously sculpted mustache. Lush art deco period details and scripts infused with delicious Christie wit make these mysteries irresistible.

Customer Reviews:

Nice set, but one caution.......2007-09-16

We love this set, especially its small size compared to the other episodes we collected by ones and twos... BUT halfway through we found that a couple of the discs had skips in them, one serious enough that it stops the program and we have to skip forward to just past the skip, which leaves out a part of the program and is annoying. Recommend you check to see if any of the discs have come loose in shipping, check them for scratches, and play them promptly. Hopefully Amazon would accept a return, but we got ours elsewhere and by the time we discovered the problem it was not returnable (and they usually don't allow returns on opened dvds). Great price for this set btw, and since other people haven't had this problem I'd hope you wouldn't - just want to give a heads up.

A Work of Art.......2007-08-27

This is spectacular. I have never seen anything done with such perfection. It is a "must have" for those who love Poirot

I LOVE this Set.........David Suchet is Wonderful.......2007-08-18

As a die-hard Agatha Christie fan, I've watched the Poirot and Miss Marple series for years. David Suchet is absolutely terrific as Hercule Poirot. He is superb as the impeccably dressed detective with the outrageous moustache. He's also extremely believable as the Belgian with more than his share of grey cells. His sidekick, Captain Hastings, and secretary, the efficient Miss Lemon, are just as I imagined from the books.

It's usually a difficult feat to transfer a book to film, but this crew deserves kudos for doing a wonderful job. The mysteries are loyal to Christie's fully dimensional characters, red herrings, and tight plots. The sets are sumptuous and I especially love the art deco look. These are period pieces that are beautifully filmed.

The way this set is put together makes it easy to grab your favorite episode. With 12 DVD's, and each episode listed on the DVD, it's a snap. There's also an index on the back cover.

One word of warning: A new company took controlling of Agatha Christie LTD and is now in charge of the Poirot and Miss Marple series. If you REALLY want a series that is loyal in any way to Agatha Christie's characters, get the earlier sets before 2000. The new Poirot and especially Miss Marple, are noticably different.

Agatha Christie's Poirot The Classic Collection.......2007-07-29

The stories are good, the filmimg is good, the acting is good; the problem is David Suchet often speaks his lines in almost a whisper and there is no captioning. Captioning would solve the problem. The actor is British, an accent I have trouble with to begin, and then he is imitating a French Belgian accent speaking softly. I have to turn up the volume so loud that if we had neighbors I'm sure they would complain.

Immaculate as the man himself!.......2007-07-19

Well, how does one muster enough praise so deserving of the writers, designers, producers and of course actors who undertook this incredible Poirot Mystery Series? I am a great fan of mystery, investigating a wide variety of works by different authors and actors alike, and I tell you that not one of the many other categories of mystery can rival this series in either film, or book form alike.

I grew up watching the immaculate Belgian sleuth solve even the most baffling of cases to perfection, all the while showing both style and humor, two prized attributes that seem to be sadly lacking in most detective shows these days. Ah, those were the good old days of Masterpiece Theater, and PBS Mystery!. Much time has gone by since, with the hollow and conspicuous absence of Poirot and his little grey cells, Ms. Lemon and Captain Hastings in that little London flat working along side of the man, and Cheif Inspector Japp woefully attempting to get to the scene first. All the little things that make up Poirot. Then one day that catchy, sophisticated saxaphone theme kept playing around in my head, and I decided to bring the greatest detective home in DVD form, but where to begin? Afterall, since the classic days of the first installments, many of Agatha Christie's other unfilmed Poirot stories have come to life in most recent years. Not to mention the variety of different ways in which the public can purchase these DVD's. It was so confusing at first, the different releases from A&E and the British, Acorn Media. I was lucky enough to run across a few reviews here on Amazon informing me that if possible, Acorn Media was the way to go, owing to the fact that A&E's American versions were the television edits having minutes ripped out for the purpose of commercial breaks. They we're right, and so I ventured to buy all of the 'classic' episodes on Acorn Media in one fell swoop. I ordered this set, "The Classic Collection" from here on Amazon and have to say that I am fully and completely pleased. Over 30 hours of pure perfection situated on 12 discs. The transfer of these episodes is fantastic, with bonus features including filmographies of the major cast as well as those of the lesser known stars in each individual episode! And the most important thing is that the mysteries are in their entirety. I can't tell you how much joy I've had from this set, packaged neatly inside it's well designed box. I pop one in late at night, or sometimes when I'm having lunch-they're just the right length, each being a little less than an hour long. Among my favorites are:

"How Does You're Garden Grow"
"Wasp's Nest"
"The Theft of the Royal Ruby"
"Yellow Iris"
"The Third Floor Flat"
"The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman"
"The Dream"

I would list the names of all the episodes for your convenience, but that, conveniently, has been done by several of my predecessors already.

Speaking as one who has just bought his first Poirot set, I must say that this is absolutely the way to go for beginners. I'm hoping to add soon to my collection, some of the many other Poirot mysteries. After researching it, I think the next best purchase would be "The Classic Collection Vol. 2" from Acorn Media, which includes some of the feature length films such as the famous "A.B.C. Murders", and "Hickory Dickory Dock" as well as the very first Poirot mystery, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" where Hastings and Japp are first introduced.

As much as I wish to stick to my rigid plan of not purchasing any of the A&E sets, I'm afraid that it is impossible from this point if I intend to buy any of the newly filmed episodes. Apparently A&E holds the rights to every new mystery henceforth, so until Acorn Media decides to release a new set containing these, A&E is the only way to go. The A&E "Complete Collection" contains four more movie length mysteries including a favorite of mine, "The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd". The "Classic Crimes Collection" and "New Mysteries Collection" are both from A&E and offer more regular and movie length mysteries as currently unavailable anywhere else.

So there you have it. A quick rundown of my research of all that is available for the best purchases of the Poirot series. I encourage you to buy the larger sets rather than individual DVDs of only three episodes at a time. The price works out much better in the long run.

And one more thing. Be careful when removing the DVDs from their slots if you purchase any of these sets. There is a little excrement of plastic that sticks out on the CD shelves, just a manufacturing defect that could damage your discs if you swirl them around too much.

This is the best purchase I've ever made on Amazon.
Enjoy!

Agatha Christie's Poirot - Classic Crimes Collection

Average customer rating:

Clasic crime solver
"Adapted" from the Agatha Christie books only
Poirot is always interesting
Simply fantastic
David Suchet returns in four dramatized Christie Novels

Agatha Christie's Poirot - Classic Crimes Collection
Starring: Agatha Christie's Poirot
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000CRR3EC
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Amazon.com

The incomparable David Suchet reprises his role as Agatha Christie's indefatigable Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot in this collection of four A&E teleplays. Poirot is older now, and mostly solo in solving his crimes, without his previous sidekicks Hastings and Japp. Yet the world-weary Suchet is as compelling as ever to watch, surrounded by the decadent rich who seem to find murder an easy solution to life's inconveniences. The Mystery of the Blue Train, for instance, features a young, and suddenly very dead, heiress, with a dissolute husband, an overprotective father (a fabulously blustery Elliott Gould), greedy cousins, and all sorts of scheming money-owing hangers-on--all cocooned and coddled on a luxury train on the French Riviera. Indeed, one of the many pleasures of this collection is its very high production values; sets, costumes, and locations are detailed and opulently believable. (Though one annoying tic from the films' TV roots inexplicably remains: some "naughty" words, like the "God" in "God-damned," are edited out; surely we home viewers could handle a teensy bit of upper-crust rough talk?) The supporting casts are rich and varied, and the suspects deliciously numerous. And at the center of it all is the ever-refined, driven Poirot, who will not rest until the evil-doers are exposed. Extras include biographies of Agatha Christie and of David Suchet. --A.T. Hurley

Customer Reviews:

Clasic crime solver.......2007-08-27

The BBC series of Poirot is superb and a must have for clasical mystry movie fans. (I am a fan of all movie and TV protrayals of Ms. Christie`s works.)

"Adapted" from the Agatha Christie books only.......2007-08-26

Agatha Christie's books have been amazingly popular, but that didn't stop the producers of this series to substantially alter each plot. As a die-hard A. Christie fan, I found this set more annoying than enjoyable.

During the later movies, there has been a trend of introducing homosexuality as subplots, even when it doesn't make sense and wasn't in the books. In "Cards on the Table," the doctor no longer had an affair with the wife--it's the husband. And the policeman seems to have been involved with some homosexual photographs, even though it has nothing to do with the book and doesn't advance the story at all. What is the point? I'm all for portraying characters honestly and certainly support gay rights, but what did it have to do with these books?? Only Hollywood would find it necessary to alter the plots of one of the most popular writers of all time.

For faithful portrayals of the book, look to the older movies. For odd, Hollywood-mangled versions of what used to be great stories, this set is for you.

Poirot is always interesting.......2007-07-12

These four productions are well-made and enjoyable to watch, but they aren't quite up to the standards of past Poirot films. David Suchet is in fine form as usual but Poirot films are always more interesting with Captain Hastings and Miss Lemon included. While I hope future Poirot films revert to the 'flavor' of previous productions, I do not regret my purchase (Amazon always has the best price and super-fast delivery) and the films are a nice addition to my Agatha Christie DVD collection.

Simply fantastic.......2007-05-12

As usual Agatha Christie and her character Hercule Poirot are at their finest. A must for all Hercule Poirot fans.

David Suchet returns in four dramatized Christie Novels.......2007-03-08

This set, "Agatha Christie's Poirot - Classic Crimes Collection," consists of four of Dame Agatha's Poirot novels dramatized at TV feature length. The four novels are "The Mystery of the Blue Train" (1928), "Cards on the Table" (1936), "Taken at the Flood" (1948) and "After the Funeral" (1953). Four other novels are dramatized in the companion set, "Agatha Christie's Poirot - The New Mysteries Collection." The two sets display the output of the new A&E production team.

The new series diverge from the old in a number of ways. They concentrate on Christie's novel-length works rather than her short stories. Far more important to Amazon reviewers, though, seems to be the change in casting. The dim but endearing Captain Hastings, the hyper-efficient Miss Lemon and that stolid plod, Chief Inspector Japp are all gone. We find Poirot alone in his new, smaller, gloomier, distinctly less impressive flat--although he's apparently still in the same building. Some reviewers note that the new scripts make references to modern sexual sensibilities in ways that certainly, unquestionably, indubitably did not appear in Dame Aggie's writings. Typical reactions among those who mention this change involve one or all of dismay, disgust and disdain. Others have drawn attention to production values for the new series. One reviewer put it this way: "[T]he production value of the films has gone through the roof. Simply put, these are the best looking Poirot films made so far, particularly with regards to `film moment' shots and the use of color in regards to theme." Finally, there has been the obvious effect of all-devouring time; the now portly Suchet is sixty-ish and he looks it.

Let's consider that point, the older Poirot. In 1920, Hercule Poirot appeared in Agatha Christie's first book, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles," a novel set in the middle of the First World War. Captain Hastings, wounded on the Western Front, is on leave to recover back in England. He happens to meet an odd little man named Hercule Poirot (a name plainly impossible for any self-respecting Englishman to pronounce correctly.) Poirot is described as an elderly Belgian refugee who is a retired policeman. Considering the events that took place in Belgium in the late summer of 1914, it must be assumed that he retired no later than the first half that year. If Poirot retired at sixty--Christie writing at age 30 would probably have considered that to be elderly--he was born no later than 1854. If at sixty-five, then 1849. The earlier his retirement, the earlier his birth date.

Poirot's career in England stretched from the horrors of the Western Front to what he and his creator clearly regarded as the only slightly less baleful era of rock 'n roll. For convenience, the original series was notionally set in 1935. 1937 seems to be the date for this series, considering that the name of a certain Mrs Simpson appears in the newspapers. In 1937, Hercule Poirot must have been at least 83 years old. All things considered, David Suchet was and still remains entirely too young for the part.

In 1916, Agatha Miller Christie was thinking about writing a book for pin money. (Monetary considerations aside, her older sister had made a bet with her that she couldn't do it!) She and her dashing husband Archie Christie were bright young things, but on their beam ends financially. She once wrote a self-pitying letter in which she complained she could afford only two servants. She decided to write a mystery. At the time, there was only one true pattern for a detective and its name was S. Holmes, still very much a living literary figure, with twelve stories of his Canon yet to be written. After collecting a set of galling rejections, Agatha's first book, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" and Hercule Poirot finally saw print in 1920.

Holmes had a biographer named Watson, plodding colleagues at Scotland Yard, beginning with Inspector Lestrade, and a landlady-housekeeper, Mrs Hudson. Following the set pattern, Christie gave Poirot his biographer in Captain Hastings--the complete boob that Watson NEVER was--and he introduced Inspector Japp. Later, Poirot would find his London flat and enjoy the ministrations of Miss Lemon, a background figure in all but a single short story.

In the older TV series, Hastings got into everything. Miss Lemon's role expanded beyond anything in Christie's writings. All police detectives combined into Chief Inspector Japp. All this, I presume, to humanize the little Belgian detective and to ease the endless task of explaining plot points.

In 1926, Christie hit the big time with her seventh book, "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd." She was acknowledged as the great successor to Conan Doyle. But Hastings wasn't even in "Ackroyd." She realized that she had no need to follow Holmes anymore, so she sent the now-tedious Hastings off to molt in some remote South American exile, bringing him back only on a rare sentimental occasion.

In this Hastings-, Lemon- and Japp-free series, the new producers have done no more than follow Christie's lead. Nevertheless, I miss them. The producers really ought to bring the trio back for at least one show in each season.

Regarding post-Christie sensibilities on sexual matters, heaven knows it's mild enough stuff in these productions, but why do they bother? The stories are set in 1937, not 2007 or even 1977. Whatever people were doing then, they certainly were not talking about it freely, as here. (And yes, I am aware of such people as Sackville-West and Trefusis, but that was a juicy scandal, not a casual aside, as in "The Hollow" in the companion series.)

Finally, there are the production values. Some reviewers are impressed. I am not. Whatever the current producers are paying, they are not getting their money's worth. The old series was a well-designed gem. Remember those opening graphics? And that annoying but unforgettable theme music? The old series showcased Art Deco artifacts and architecture. The Deco movement peaked, then fell away in hardly more than a decade--two at most. I am convinced the old series showcased every good example of Art Deco architecture to be found in all of Britain. By contrast, the new series is flat, uninteresting. Instead of bright, clean-lined Art Deco, we see nothing but the same-old-same-old Masterpiece Theater/A&E Presents visuals blahs that turn up a dozen times a week on PBS. Even worse is the rhythm of the new series. With the regularity--not to mention the soul of a stopwatch, everything periodically comes to a lurching halt. (Why they do not display a black card saying "Insert Commercial Here" I cannot imagine.) And the music! That old tune is still there, but almost inaudible in the background. What a waste! Let's not even talk about the opening credits.

In summary, these are acceptable productions of (sometimes VERY) loose adaptations of Christie's mid-career novels. They're good enough, but not the visual treats they used to be. On the other hand, even mediocre Poirot is better than no Poirot at all.

Four stars wit' ze little grey cells.

Agatha Christie's Poirot - The New Mysteries Collection

Average customer rating:

Death on the Nile, Five Little Pigs, Sad Cypress, and etc.
Great New Movies If You Love Poirot on Biography
David Suchet returns in four dramatized Christie Novels
classic Poirot
Not Up to Suff

Agatha Christie's Poirot - The New Mysteries Collection
Starring: David Suchet , James Fox , Emma Griffiths Malin , JJ Feild , and Emily Blunt
Director: Andy Wilson (IV) , Dave Moore , and Simon Langton
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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Mystery & Suspense | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0006212JK
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Amazon.com

Portly, mincing, gracious, and unrelenting, Hercule Poirot rivals Sherlock Holmes as the greatest sleuth of the English murder mystery genre--a form as strict as a sonnet that's part logic puzzle, part magician's misdirection, of which Agatha Christie remains the undisputed queen. The New Mysteries Collection pulls together TV-movie adaptations of four Poirot novels, each a compendium of eccentric characters, intricate plotting, sleek storytelling, and sprinklings of wit (such as a dotty matriarch's declaration, "Murder is a very awkward thing--it upsets the servants so").

Death on the Nile sets an entire boatful of suspicious character afloat in Egypt, where Poirot's vacation is disrupted by a splash in the night, falling rock, missing pearls, three murders, and a boozing gargoyle named Salome Otterbourne. The plot is one of Christie's more preposterous, yet also one of her most popular. Sad Cypress opens with a murderess on trial, then flashes back to young lovers, a wealthy but stricken dowager, a spiteful anonymous letter, and a pretty young blonde. A wonderfully creepy dream haunts Poirot as he struggles to redeem the wrongly convicted killer. In The Hollow, Poirot's vacation in the English countryside gets disrupted by a philandering doctor apparently shot by his adoring wife, his blood trickling into a swimming pool clotted with leaves. But the best of the lot is Five Little Pigs, a story told almost entirely in flashback, as a young woman hires Poirot to clear her mother, who was convicted of murdering her father. Not only are the clues deftly planted and the solution cunningly worked out, it's one of the rare mysteries that inspires a genuine sorrow for its characters.

Scattered throughout are a wealth of recognizable faces, though not many recognizable names--among the better known are James Fox (The Remains of the Day), Edward Fox (The Day of the Jackal), Paul McGann (Withnail and I), Sarah Miles (White Mischief), Lysette Anthony (Husbands and Wives), and David Soul (Starsky & Hutch!). But it's David Suchet as Poirot who keeps everything in motion, his beady eyes glittering under heavy lids, constantly tending to one of the most ridiculous mustaches in literature. Poirot has been played by such stars as Peter Ustinov and Albert Finney, but Suchet has made the fastidious Belgian detective his own. He's simply magnifique. --Bret Fetzer

Description

This set will contain the following four Poirot movies (A&E September 2004 premieres): Death on the Nile, Sad Cypress, The Hollow, Five Little Pigs

Customer Reviews:

Death on the Nile, Five Little Pigs, Sad Cypress, and etc. .......2007-06-28

I enjoyed Poirot and the mysteries were certainly well done, however, I want the other characters brought back. Japp, Miss Lemon, Hastings, all contributed to fleshing out the story in one way or another. Please bring them back, I miss them. David Suchet has broad shoulders but he needs a supporting cast. Ed Evans

Great New Movies If You Love Poirot on Biography.......2007-05-12

I watch the Poirot movies all the time on Biography, and just wanted some new ones to watch that I haven't seen before. I love the older ones with Hastings and Japp, and when I found out these newer movies didn't have the older characters, I thought I would be dissapointed, but I wasn't. So far, I have loved them all, David Suchet does an excellent job as Christie's Poirot and he holds his own. If you love mysteries, these movies are definitely a must see!

David Suchet returns in four dramatized Christie Novels.......2007-03-08

This set, "Agatha Christie's Poirot - The New Mysteries Collection," consists of four of Dame Agatha's Poirot novels dramatized at TV feature length. The four novels are "Death on the Nile" (1937), "Sad Cypress" (1940), "Five Little Pigs" (1942) and "The Hollow" (1946). Four other novels are dramatized in the companion set, "Agatha Christie's Poirot - Classic Crimes Collection." The two sets contain the output of the new A&E production team.

The new series diverge from the old in a number of ways. They concentrate on Christie's novel-length works rather than her short stories. Far more important to Amazon reviewers, though, seems to be the change in casting. The dim but endearing Captain Hastings, the hyper-efficient Miss Lemon and that stolid plod, Chief Inspector Japp are all gone. We find Poirot alone in his new, smaller, gloomier, distinctly less impressive flat--although he's apparently still in the same building. Some note that the new scripts make references to modern sexual sensibilities that certainly, unquestionably, indubitably did not appear in Dame Aggie's writings. Typical reactions among those who mention this change involve one or all of dismay, disgust and disdain. Others have drawn attention to production values for the new series. One reviewer put it this way: "[T]he production value of the films has gone through the roof. Simply put, these are the best looking Poirot films made so far, particularly with regards to `film moment' shots and the use of color in regards to theme." Finally, there has been the obvious effect of all-devouring time; the now portly Suchet is sixty-ish and he looks it.

Let's consider that point, the older Poirot. In 1920, Hercule Poirot appeared in Agatha Christie's first book, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles," a novel set in the middle of the First World War. Captain Hastings, wounded on the Western Front, is back in England to recover. He happens to meet an odd little man named Hercule Poirot (a name plainly impossible for any self-respecting Englishman to pronounce correctly.) Poirot is described as an elderly Belgian refugee who is a retired policeman. Considering the events that took place in Belgium in the late summer of 1914, it must be assumed that he retired no later than the first half that year. If Poirot retired at sixty--Christie writing at age 30 would probably have considered that to be elderly--he was born no later than 1854. If at sixty-five, then 1851. The earlier his retirement, the earlier his birth date.

Poirot's career in England stretched from the horrors of the Western Front to what he and his creator clearly regarded as the only slightly less baleful era of rock 'n roll. For production convenience, the original series was set in 1935. 1937 seems to be the date for this series, considering that the name of a certain Mrs Simpson appears in the newspapers. In 1937, Hercule Poirot must have been at least 83 years old. All things considered, David Suchet was and still remains entirely too young for the part.

In 1916, Agatha Miller Christie was thinking about writing a book for pin money. (Monetary cpnsiderations aside, her older sister had bet her she couldn't do it!) She and her dashing husband Archie Christie were bright young things, but on their beam ends financially. She wrote letter to a friend in which she whined that they could afford only two servants. She decided to write a mystery. At the time, there was only one true pattern for a detective and its name was S. Holmes, still very much a living literary figure. Twelve stories of his Canon were yet to be written and they wouldn't be published between hard covers until 1927 with "The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes." After collecting a set of galling rejections, Agatha's first book, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" and Hercule Poirot saw print in 1920.

Holmes had a biographer named Watson, plodding colleagues at Scotland Yard, beginning with Inspector Lestrade, and a landlady-housekeeper, Mrs Hudson. Following the set pattern, Christie gave Poirot his biographer in Captain Hastings--the complete boob that Watson NEVER was--and he introduced Inspector Japp. Later, Poirot would find his London flat and enjoy the ministrations of Miss Lemon. In all but a single short story, she is a background figure.

In the older TV series, Hastings got into everything. Miss Lemon's role expanded beyond anything in Christie's writings. All police detectives combined into Chief Inspector Japp. All this, first to humanize the little Belgian detective, then to ease the endless task of explaining plot points.

In 1926, Christie hit the big time with "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd." She was universally acknowledged as the great successor to Conan Doyle. But Hastings wasn't even in "Ackroyd." She realized that she had no need to follow Holmes anymore, so she sent the tedious Hastings off to molt in some remote South American exile, bringing him back only on a rare, sentimental occasion.

In this Hastings-, Lemon- and Japp-free series, the new producers have done no more than follow Christie's lead. Nevertheless, I miss them, just as I sometimes miss them in the written versions. The producers really ought to bring them back for at least one show in each season.

Regarding post-Christie sensibilities on sexual matters, heaven knows it's mild enough stuff in these productions, but why do they bother? The stories are set in 1937, not 2007 or even 1977. Whatever people were doing then, they certainly were not talking about it freely, as here. (Yes, I am perfectly aware of such people as Sackville-West and Trefusis, but that was a juicy scandal, not a casual aside as in "The Hollow.")

Finally, there are the production values. Some reviewers are impressed. I am not. Whatever the current producers are paying, they are not getting their money's worth. The old series was a gem. Remember those opening graphics? And that annoying but unforgettable theme music? The old series showcased Art Deco artifacts and architecture. The Deco movement peaked, then fell away in hardly more than a decade--two at most. I am convinced the old series showcased every good example of Art Deco architecture to be found in all of Britain. By contrast, the new series is flat and uninteresting. Instead of bright, clean-lined Art Deco, we are shown nothing but the same-old-same-old Masterpiece Theater/A&E Presents visual blahs that turn up a dozen times a week on PBS. Even worse is the rhythm of the new series. Several times in each episode, with the regularity--not to mention the soul--of a stopwatch, everything comes lurching to a halt. (Why they do not display a card saying "Insert Commercial Here" I cannot imagine.) And the music! That old tune is still there, but almost inaudible in the background. What a waste! Let's not even talk about the opening credits.

In summary, these are acceptable, if sometimes VERY loose adaptations of Christie's mid-career novels. They're OK, but they are not the visual treats they used to be. On the other hand, even mediocre Poirot is better than no Poirot at all.

Four stars wit' ze little grey cells.

classic Poirot.......2007-02-11

These films are classic Poirot. Very well photographed, very well casted. David Suchet is awesome. I think he is the best Poirot yet.

Not Up to Suff.......2006-12-10

Did not like this series at all! There seems to be a move away from the original stories and an adding of questional material that would not have been in an Agatha Christie novel--shady at best--pitiful at worst! In some cases I felt they tried to change the story altogether. Will not keep this series, plan to sell or give away.

Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Movie Collection, Set 2

Average customer rating:

Mind stimulating overall, but could do without some immoral content
Best of Poirot
Superb Acting!!
Very entertaining
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Movie Collection Set 2

Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Movie Collection, Set 2
Starring: David Suchet , Hugh Fraser , Diane Fletcher , Damien Thomas , and Ben Pullen
Director: Andrew Grieve , and Edward Bennett
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000065AYI
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Amazon.com

Supersleuth Hercule Poirot bets his beloved mustache that he can solve a murder more quickly than a truculent French detective in this excellent collection of four movies based on Agatha Christie mysteries. The bet takes place in Murder on the Links; a body found on a golf course points to a crime committed years before--but the real question is, has Poirot's good friend Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) found true love? Similarly, though the twisty plot of Hickory Dickory Dock revolves around diamond smuggling and a death in a student hostel, for many fans it's the story in which Poirot's ever-precise secretary Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran, nowhere near as ugly as Christie's description of the character) makes a rare mistake. In Dumb Witness, a fox terrier gives Poirot the final insight to catch the killer of a wealthy woman, cutting through the seance-crazed antics of a pair of eccentric old sisters. But perhaps the best of the quartet is Hercule Poirot's Christmas, featuring a sexy Spanish spitfire, a vengeful marked woman, and one of the most unsavory victims in all of Christie's work. Through it all, fastidious and scrupulously observant, Poirot sifts through the slippery details and comes to his unerring conclusion. As the Belgian detective, David Suchet has taken a character who could easily be a cartoon or a cardboard cutout and made him three-dimensional and sympathetic. One starts to wonder, what is his home life like? Does he grow lonely? Such musings are the mark of a truly vivid performance; Suchet never fails to drive each movie forward, step by irrevocable step. (The extras are meager; filmographies, sketchy biographies, and odd bits of trivia.) --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Mind stimulating overall, but could do without some immoral content .......2007-03-24

I've seen three of the four in the set so far. The set arrived very quickly. The three that I've watched so far are "Dumb Witness", "Hickory Dickory Dock", and "Hercule Poirot's Christmas." I found all of the films to be mentally stimulating overall. They did keep me guessing to the end, and I think that that is the point of the mystery genre. Good job on that. I did find that both "Hickory Dickory Dock" and "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" had a scene where there was either unclean language/humor or characters that were almost nude (suggestably before or after marital relations.) I would love to have young children over to watch these films, but I would not want them exposed to such content. I suppose this is considered being too straightlaced in our modern sex-crazed culture, but there must be lines drawn somewhere.

Best of Poirot.......2007-02-20

I am an avid Poirot fan - David Suchet is perfection! This DVD is the best of the best, epecially Dumb Witness. If you love the Poirot mysteries as much as I do, then you will have to have this DVD. If you are a novice, this would be a great way to start.

Superb Acting!!.......2006-07-30

Other reviewers have described the stories and various other aspects of these DVD's. The DVD's I purchased are not the A&E versions and have no interruptions. I have only read one of Agatha Christie's novels and that was many years ago, so viewing these movies was a totally new experience. The things that impressed me the most were 1, the actors looked like real, every day people, not the typical babes and hunks seen in Hollywood movies. Second, the acting is superb; the characters well developed, and the subtleties of dialog, movement, and facial expressions outstanding.

David Suchet as the Belgium detective Poirot is excellent. From the slick moustache to the Charlie Chaplin type walk, Suchet plays the eccentric and ever sure Poirot to a tee.

I frequently replay scenes just to get the nuances in the dialog and acting.

All in all, this is marvelous entertainment.

Very entertaining.......2006-03-09

What's Not to like about Poirot? Intrigue, suspense & Humor all wrapped up in one character. We like all the British mystery series. Poirot is number One, top of the heap!

Agatha Christie's Poirot - Movie Collection Set 2.......2005-08-10

David Suchet's portrayal of the fastidious detective Hercule Poirot is outstanding. A thoroughly enjoyable collection which can be watched again and again.

Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Classic Collection, Vol. 2

Average customer rating:

A caution
Good but disappointing
beware of jewel case scratching
What is in the collection?
I plan on getting this set but...

Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Classic Collection, Vol. 2
Starring: David Suchet
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NVKZWE
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Amazon.com

Snooty, fastidious, self-important--and yet delightful. Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, continues to engage his "little grey cells" in this mammoth and consistently strong collection of nine feature-length murder mysteries, all full of Christie's skillful twists and cunning misdirection. In the best of these, such as The ABC Murders or One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, the murders are only the tip of the iceberg, hiding or indirectly revealing a more insidious plot. The Classic Collection 2 ranges from the very first Poirot story--The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which also introduces the recurring characters Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) and stalwart Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) as Poirot investigates the murder of a family's matriarch--to later stories like Hickory Dickory Dock, in which Poirot's secretary Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran) makes one of the only mistakes in her precise career (an event of more import to some fans than the actual mystery, which revolves around diamond smuggling in a student hostel). The set also includes Death in the Clouds (in which murder is committed on an airplane, right under Poirot's nose), Peril at End House (which culminates in a staged seance), Dumb Witness (in which a fox terrier helps Poirot suss out the truth), Murder on the Links (in which Hastings, so often smitten with a suspect, loses his heart completely), and Hercule Poirot's Christmas (a particularly colorful mystery, featuring a fiery Spanish girl and a very unsavory murder victim).

Ironically, television makes Christie's work even stronger. Though always prized for the intricate mechanics of her mysteries, her characters are more often dismissed as flat. In the hands of wily British thespians, these same characters become vivid and eccentric. Though casts include a few familiar faces, including Polly Walker (Rome, Enchanted April), Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers, Friends & Crocodiles), and Christopher Eccleston (Heroes, Dr. Who), most of the actors are capable unknowns. But they're all supporting players to David Suchet, who, after playing Poirot in more than 60 TV movies, completely owns the role. Suchet brings the perfect blend of warmth, prickliness, and obsession to the finicky sleuth, who refuses to overlook inconvenient details; every loose thread must be explained or he will not rest. The Classic Collection 2 features an engaging documentary that, though titled Agatha Christie's Garden, is a well-wrought biographical look at the author, filtered through her beloved estate and narrated by Pam Ferris (Rosemary & Thyme). --Bret Fetzer

Description

As portrayed by DAVID SUCHET, Agatha Christie's brilliant Belgian sleuth became the most-watched detective in the history of the PBS Mystery! series and a hit all over again on A&E. The incomparable Poirot cracks his most challenging cases in these feature-length episodes.

The Mysteries
The ABC Murders
Death in the Clouds
Dumb Witness
Hercule Poirot's Christmas
Hickory Dickory Dock
Murder on the Links
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
Peril at End House

INCLUDES BONUS PROGRAM! Agatha Christie's Garden -- An intimate look at the author's life at her beloved garden and summer retreat in Devon, with Rosemary & Thyme's Pam Ferris as your guide.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE biographies of Agatha Christie and David Suchet, interactive trivia, cast filmographies, and Agatha Christie materials.

Customer Reviews:

A caution.......2007-09-16

For me, this set would be nice but isn't necessary. I have and love all the episodes on it already. I did get the first classic collection set though, and love its compact size for the many episodes included. My caution is to check the set out thoroughly and promptly, because two of the discs in my set skip parts and when we found out it was too late to return the item (bought it elsewhere, maybe Amazon would have taken it back). The problem is that discs in multiple sets can come loose in transit so check that they haven't, aren't scratched, and then watch them promptly. I know it kind of takes the fun out of savoring each one, but at least you'll be sure you didn't get a damaged set like we did.

Good but disappointing.......2007-08-27

I had expected to see all for lead characters (Poirot, Hastings, Japp and Miss Lemon) in all of these mysteries. In fact they are all only present in two of the mysteries. Most of the others have only Japp or Hastings with one or two having both of them. Poirot is always good, but it's the four-actor ensemble that makes the mysteries great. By all means buy this collection. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Just don't expect a complete compliment of lead characters in most of the stories.

beware of jewel case scratching.......2007-07-03

I've just received The Classic Collection Vol 2 today and can't wait to sit down this holiday weekend to enjoy it! Thank you Acorn Media!!

I strongly advise customers of both the Classic Collection Vols 1 & 2 to relocate their discs from the existing jewel sleeves to a safer album, tho. I've noticed on both of the jewel case sets there is a raw nub right on each sleeve that will SCRATCH and SCORE your DVDs if the dvds are ever rotated or moved upon this surface. This is some kind of manufacturing flaw in the cases itself (not with the DVDs).

What is in the collection?.......2007-06-04

It would really be of great help in deciding whether to buy this set or not if a complete list of the contents were enumerated somewhere in the advert or summary.

I plan on getting this set but..........2007-05-08

what does 2 V10 mean? Is this set formatted for USA DVD players? That code is confusing and it should be explained in the details...unless I missed it. Please clarify.

Agatha Christie Classic Mystery Collection

Average customer rating:

Fans of Mysteries and Old Hollywood Stars Will Enjoy This Set
Very Well Done!
Camp but fun
Agatha Christie Mystery Collection
Not worth it

Agatha Christie Classic Mystery Collection
Starring: Helen Hayes , and Peter Ustinov
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GB5M1U
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Amazon.com

The grande dame of teacake murder mysteries, Agatha Christie, has kept generations of readers--and viewers--in her thrall, and this magnificent boxed set is a must for any Christie fan, rabid or casual. The collection includes eight films made for British TV in the '80s, most starring the first lady of the American theater, Helen Hayes, as Miss Marple, and the inimitable Peter Ustinov as Poirot. It would be hard to imagine more acting talent packed into compact TV mysteries.

The three Hayes tales (also available as a separate set) are Murder Is Easy costarring Bill Bixby, a still-radiant Olivia de Havilland, and a young Jonathan Pryce; A Caribbean Mystery, with Barnard Hughes and Swoosie Kurtz; and the grande-dame-duet Murder with Mirrors, with Hayes playing opposite her onetime real-life nemesis, Bette Davis. Mirrors alone is worth the price of the set, as Hayes is in fine form, completely un-vain and sweetly droll. As she heads toward a country manor to visit her "dear friend" Carrie Louise, played by Bette Davis. Davis, in one of her last film performances, plays a woman who may--or may not--be being slowly poisoned to death, but regardless is frail and slightly incoherent. Davis looks quite frail herself, and her line delivery seems a bit uncertain--perhaps extremely effective Method acting, or perhaps she was indeed as frail as she looks; either way, film fans won't want to miss this.

In the three Ustinov films (also available as a separate set), Thirteen for Dinner features Ustinov's Poirot trying to solve the murder of one Lord Edgeware, investigating, among others, the lovely mystery woman played by a witchy Faye Dunaway. (And in a fun bit of foreshadowing, David Suchet, who would go on to play a formidable, more metrosexual Poirot himself, appears here in the role of Poirot's sidekick Japp.) Dead Man's Folly finds Poirot and an old friend, a mystery writer played by Jean Stapleton, at a "murder hunt" party at which the dead body really does turn up dead. Murder in Three Acts finds Poirot far afield in sunny Acapulco, at a glorious villa belonging to a suave actor played by Tony Curtis. A random death-by-martini at a posh party opens the door to the possibility of murder--handy that Poirot is there to help the local constables. The supporting cast features top '80s TV actors like Emma Samms as the actor's arm candy, and Diana Muldaur (the wicked Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law). The production values are also topnotch--with gorgeous location shots in Mexico adding romance but also unnerving isolation to the proceedings.

The two non-Marple and -Poirot films (and thus not included on those individual DVD sets) are Sparkling Cyanide, starring Anthony Andrews and Harry Morgan as officers investigating serial poisonings, and The Man in the Brown Suit, a zippy yarn of international intrigue, with Stephanie Zimbalist as a tourist in Cairo caught in a nightmare of stolen diamonds and death. Supporting roles by Rue McClanahan, Tony Randall, and Edward Woodward add texture to the mysterious proceedings. Never has murder most foul been so deliciously entertaining. --A.T. Hurley

Description

Who slipped poison into the cocktail of kindly old Rev. Babbington?... Why is a mysterious brown-suited stranger trailing a young woman through exotic lands?...What is the secret behind the malevolent deeds at palatial Stonygates? Discover the answers and much more in this star-packed collection of murder most foul, mystery most fun. All eight movies are on DVD for the first time. And all are from novels by the mistress of mystery, Agatha Christie. It'd be a crime to miss them!

Customer Reviews:

Fans of Mysteries and Old Hollywood Stars Will Enjoy This Set.......2007-08-23

If you are as big a fan of mysteries and of old Hollywood stars as I am then this set is a must for you. You get Peter Ustinov, Jean Stapleton, Faye Dunaway, Bette Davis, Lesley Anne Down, Tony Randall, Tony Curtis, and my personal favorite--Helen Hayes--just to name a few! Some of my favorites are "Murder with Mirrors with Helen Hayes and Bette Davis, and "Dead Man's Folly" with Peter Ustinov and Jean Stapleton. Jean Stapleton is a riot in this one. She really steals the show!

But I must admit that the stars are probably the best part of these Warner Bros. productions. It's just a shame that with such great actors the producers didn't get better scripts and directors. The weakest of the lot is probably "Murder in Three Acts", with Tony Curtis. The dialogue is weak and the scenes very choppy and hard to follow. Some of these stories like "Sparkling Cyanide" have been messed with so much that there is very little resemblance to Christie's original story! But if you like mysteries and want to see some great old Hollywood stars (especially Helen Hayes) then you will enjoy this set.

Very Well Done!.......2007-08-04

This boxed set is one of the best we have purchased in a long time. All the movies are well done and exciting. I am especially impressed at how clean the movies are. It is far too easy to find things that are very offensive and unwholesome. These are all well done, clean, and typical Agatha Christie, exciting and thrilling. She is one of the best mystery writers around and it is good to see some of her classics done so well. Keep up the good work!!!

Camp but fun.......2007-07-12

It is vintage Poirot and Marple, but such fun, including seeing stars like Anthony Andrews David Suchet in supporting roles. Who remembers that David Suchet was not Poirot? I certainly didn't.

Agatha Christie Mystery Collection.......2007-07-12

These 8 made for TV films are among the weakest modern Christie offerings. Any of the PBS versions are preferable. Ustinov makes a silly Poirot in 3 of the films, Helen Hayes is a passable Marple in 2 films and plays a brief role in a third one. The Man in the Brown Suit is fun, but fluff. Christie fans should look elsewhere for satisfying film versions.

Not worth it.......2007-06-27

Sorry, but the more recent Agatha Christie's in the past 10 years are good, these were corny and badly scripted, but good casting. However, not worth watching, as I turned it off as we just couldn't agonize through it all. I'll probably give them away to someone less discriminating. I'm a prude!

Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Movie Collection

Average customer rating:

Suchet is the penultimate Poirot
Best Poirot Box Set
A truly priceless piece of mystery and television!
Television at Its Very Best
Poirot in Bulk

Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Movie Collection
Starring: David Suchet , Philip Jackson (II) , Bruce Alexander , Ben Bazell , and Nigel Bellairs
Director: Ross Devenish , and Renny Rye
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005BGSB
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Amazon.com

Deadlier than a nest of vipers and twistier than a mountain road--it's Poirot: The Movie Collection. Agatha Christie's supersleuth (played by David Suchet) is a proper, precise little man who cannot bring himself to eat hard-boiled eggs of different sizes, but it is exactly this obsession with detail that leads him to solve the five baffling cases presented in this boxed set. A lady's shoe buckle, a broken coffee cup, a poison dart pipe: these are the ingredients with which Christie brewed her classic mysteries, and the producers of these video adaptations pay an equal attention to detail in re-creating the stories on the small screen. Stunning aerial shots of England's coast and countryside are matched by elegant and elaborate costumes, particularly when it comes to ladies' headgear. Of course, nothing can outshine the fine performances of Suchet (who makes Poirot's fussy habits endearing and delivers wisecracks with unparalleled subtlety) and his supporting cast; Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran), and Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) add comic relief and camaraderie to the proceedings.

The DVD transfers are generally crisp in both picture and sound quality. Special features include biographies of Suchet and Christie, Poirot trivia questions, and a filmography of all the Agatha Christie's Poirot episodes. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

Description

This is a collection of 5 feature-length episodes of the Poirot mysteries: The ABC Murders; Death in the Clouds; The Mysterious Affair at Styles; One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, and Peril at End House. "The ABC Murders" - This is the episode that star David Suchet calls his favorite. Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is challenged by an alphabet-obsessed murderer who announces his next victims through a series of letters addressed to Poirot himself. "Death in the Clouds" - A ruthless blackmailer is killed on board an airborne plane filled with likely suspects. "Mysterious Affair at Styles" - The Cavendish household is wrought with tension due to the marriage of John Cavendish's widowed mother to a suspicious younger man. When the tension turns deadly, Poirot and Hasting unite to solve the case. "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" - Further adventures of Agatha Christie's brilliant Belgian sleuth. "Peril at End House" - A flying ace plays a pivotal role in a case in which Poirot and Hastings swim through a sea of red herrings to arrive at the truth.

Customer Reviews:

Suchet is the penultimate Poirot.......2006-11-12

Makes you hope no one else takes on the role since now it has been done to perfection. Love the music and the style. The fashions and the cars are great. The English atmosphere is adorable.

Best Poirot Box Set.......2005-01-12

I just love it. Agatha Christie was purely a genius. You can never guess who the murdurer is. It seems impossible at first, but all the clues just make sense after Poirot leads us through the whole thing.

A truly priceless piece of mystery and television!.......2004-03-16

First of all, an explanation on the lack of a full 5-star rating. Despite the content, this was not Acorn Media's finest product, picture-wise. Oh, the content is outstanding, but the picture throughout most of the episodes was a bit grainy and sometimes you could easily see lines on the screen. Again, not the best effor I've ever seen, but don't let that detract from your enjoyment of the content itself.

Simply the finest piece of work to come out of television in the history of the medium. Agatha Christie's work comes to life with the brilliant acting of David Suchet as the brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Equally superb acting from supporting cast members Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp, and from Hugh Fraser as Captain Hastings. Also, look for Pauline Moran and a wonderfully charming Miss Lemmon. The episodes are well-translated from the original books, the parts acted out with humor, wit, charm, and historical integrity.

The DVDs themselves are also full of some great extra features, like biographies of the cast, lore from the world of Poirot (including quizzes), and a nice section on Agatha Christie herself. It is truly amazing to find something as totally wonderful and completely re-watchable as the Poirot series. The movies will have you begging for more. And don't worry, mystery fans, Acorn Media vastly cleaned up the quality of the picture i the second set. Still, a must-have for mystery lovers, for British television and movie lovers, and those that enjoy quality viewing on their own screens. Intrigue, puzzles, humor, and charm... it doesn't get much better than this!

Television at Its Very Best.......2004-02-29

"Agatha Christie's Poirot," based on the English author's popular detective stories, is a superbly made series. The subtle plots, the direction, the acting, the settings and costumes, even the music that so perfectly evokes the atmosphere and mood of each story, are all of the finest quality. English character actor David Suchet is simply perfect as the slightly eccentric Belgian police inspector-turned-private detective Hercule Poirot, and each actor - from Hugh Fraser and Philip Jackson as Captain Hastings (Poirot's "Watson") and the likeably gruff Chief Inspector Japp, to the most minor players in the various episodes - gives a detailed, multi-dimensional portrayal.
The box set includes five full-length (103 minute) episodes. I must state right away that my two favorites are THE ABC MURDERS and THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES, but that the other three are every bit as fine. DEATH IN THE CLOUDS, set in France and England, concerns the murder of Madame Giselle, a ruthless moneylender and blackmailer, during an airplane flight from Paris to London. Japp concludes that the woman was killed by a poison dart found on the floor near her seat, but Poirot has other ideas - particularly when he finds himself suspected! The episode features an interesting relationship between Poirot and a young air stewardess who assists him in his investigation. There are also atmospheric shots of Monmartre and stylish art deco interior settings, plus a hilarious scene in which Poirot conducts an "experiment" aboard the plane, which shows Suchet's flair for comedy.
Suchet himself has called THE ABC MURDERS his personal favorite of the "Poirot" episodes, and I can understand why. It is a wonderful human drama about a lonely epileptic who is suspected of being a serial murderer. Is it possible for a person to commit a crime without being aware of it? This is the question the story asks. However, the denouement may surprise you. I must add that the scene in which Poirot visits the suspect in prison is a highlight, with riveting acting from Suchet and Donald Sumpter as the poor, accused man. ONE, TWO BUCKLE MY SHOE, which begins with the murder of Mr. Morley, a dentist, comments on the British class system. The opening sequence foreshadowing the shooting death of Morley is extremely eerie. At the end of the episode, having successfully found the common link between three murders, Poirot and Japp realize that it is "the little chaps" who are really important to the welfare of society. ("But," Poirot adds, "there are no little chaps, Chief Inspector...particularly not Poirot.")
In PERIL AT END HOUSE, a young heiress' life has been threatened by a series of strange accidents. Poirot takes the case in order to protect her...but is it really she who needs protecting? The English seaside setting of this episode is beautiful, as is the score, composed by Richard Hewson. THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES was the first of the Hercule Poirot stories and also the first "Poirot" episode. It is 1917, and Lieutenant Hastings has been discharged from the Army because of an injury. To recuperate he goes to the country estate of a friend, John Cavendish. John's mother has married a much younger man whom everyone else in the household dislikes. When she is murdered, Hastings joins forces with Hercule Poirot, a Belgian refugee living nearby, to uncover the truth. It is interesting to see the characters in an Edwardian (rather than a 1920's or 1930's) setting, and also to see how the masterly characterizations of Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson, and (especially) David Suchet were perfectly in place even at this early stage in the series. As in the other episodes, all of the different elements in this one - direction, acting, sets, costumes, lighting, music, camera angles - come together to create an absorbing drama. There are several particularly memorable moments. One is the scene in which Poirot and Hastings are looking for clues in the deceased woman's room; though there is not much action here, the music and the camera shots make the scene riveting. In a later and most touching scene, Hastings proposes marriage to a young woman living in the house and is gently rejected. Soon after, Poirot, impatient to find the "last link in this most mysterious case," is building card houses to steady his mind, so that he might think clearly and logically. Then Hastings makes a remark that suggests the "last link" to Poirot, who suddenly jumps up and goes racing excitedly from the house. One knows here that he is about to "crack the case." And finally, there is the big "explanation scene," in which Poirot explains the surprising truth to all assembled. When STYLES ended, I found myself exclaiming, "Superb!" The same word could be used to describe the entire series. "Agatha Christie's Poirot" is television at its very best.

Poirot in Bulk.......2003-03-06

Both my sister and my mother have read almost every mystery that Agatha Christie ever wrote, but I never thought to start. Then I sat down one evening to watch television with them, and I was at once enchanted. It was an episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot on A&E. The David Suchet Poirot films (both full length movies and short films) come from this series. I enjoyed that first show so much that I watched the series religiously until it went off the air.

I started reading some of Agatha Christie's mysteries this year, and I firmly believe that David Suchet is the best portrayal of Hercule Poirot that ever was. I have seen other notorious actors, such as Peter Ustinov and Tony Randall, play the part, but they do not achieve the full embodiment of the persona (both physical and psychological) that David Suchet does.

The five movies that come is this set - THE ABC MURDERS; DEATH IN THE CLOUDS; THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES; ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE, and PERIL AT END HOUSE - are all excellent films. They exhibit Agatha Christie's wide range of talent with their variety in plot. In THE ABC MURDERS, someone is killing off seemingly random people and leaving railroad guides behind. In DEATH IN THE CLOUDS, the murder is committed in an airplane with Poirot on it. The list goes on, and I don't want to spoil anything for those interested in this set.

Amazon.com

Two of Agatha Christie's most popular characters, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, are brought to life in these classic BBC and A&E Home Video mysteries. The delightful Joan Hickson is always entertaining as the prim and proper Miss Marple, complete with her elderly woman charm and perpetually clicking knitting needles. In 4:50 from Paddington, Miss Marple's good friend Elspeth McGillicuddy witnesses a man strangle a woman on a passing train, and it's up to Miss Marple to uncover the mystery. In Sleeping Murder, the Reeds move into their dream house, where Mrs. Reed is plagued by the vision of a body in the hall. In turn they call upon Miss Marple to help them uncover this strange phenomenon. When the American movie star Marina Gregg in The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side is almost murdered while filming her new picture, she's fortunate to have the help of Miss Marple to sniff out the evil culprit. A Caribbean Mystery has Miss Marple, who's in need of rest and relaxation, deciding to holiday in the West Indies. Her holiday soon turns into a working vacation when it's time for her to gather the usual suspects. Other Miss Marple stories included in the boxed set are The Moving Finger, At Bertram's Hotel, Murder at the Vicarage, Nemesis, and They Do It with Mirrors.

David Suchet perfectly captures the brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in four beautifully made mysteries. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, in which yet another of Poirot's retirements is interrupted with murder, is an admirable adaptation of a nearly unfilmable plot. Lord Edgeware Dies offers the pleasing combination of murder, theater folk, and a glimpse of a besotted Poirot. Evil Under the Sun features cold-blooded murder at a sunny health resort, and Murder in Mesopotamia doubles the fun by dropping all the intrigue into an archaeological dig. Each mystery is lovingly crafted with clever direction, a clear fondness for Christie's work, and painstakingly accurate period settings. Suchet and Hugh Fraser (as Captain Hastings) make a marvelous pair, capturing both the easy companionship and the frequent bickering of true friendship. Special DVD features include an index of all the Miss Marple and Poirot stories and biographies of Agatha Christie, Joan Hickson, and David Suchet.

Customer Reviews:

this is a great collection........2007-08-23

I have always liked Agatha Christie, this package has all that i need in the way of great viewing.

Great mysteries that are already available in more affordable sets.......2006-11-20

Nothing new to review here. This is just a reissue of the first 4 Poirot mysteries released on A&E after the London Weekend Television/PBS Series (which is available in its entirety on Acorn) and A&E release (their second set of 2) of Joan Hickson's Miss Marple (which you still need the Warner/BBC Video set to complete THAT series). If you have none of these, for the same money (maybe less) you should buy the separarte set of these 4 Poirots and the Miss Marple Megaset which combines their (A&E) "sets 1 and 2" into 1 box. The shows however are first rate and a half, so if you want your money's worth, there are better ways to buy the contents of this megaset and save megabucks.:-).

Agatha Christie's Super-Sleuths........2004-10-28

Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, elderly spinster from the village of St. Mary Mead, who unmasks even the cleverest killer with her seemingly innocuous "village parallels," and Hercule Poirot, the little Belgian with the many "little grey cells," whom a speck of dust pains more than even a bullet, are among crime fiction's all-time stand-out characters. After multiple other adaptations, some of which, although featuring thespian royalty like Sir Peter Ustinov and Dame Margaret Rutherford, had about as much to do with Christie's originals as Big Ben with the English countryside, they found their perfect personifications in Joan Hickson and David Suchet, the latter moving center-stage from being Inspector Japp to Ustinov's Poirot. And while not entirely faithful to Christie's originals - e.g. Miss Marple's foil Inspector Slack (David Horovitch) and Poirot's associates Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran) and Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) are inserted in some of the storylines not originally featuring them - all these adaptations have exceptional production values, maintaining the atmosphere of Christie's books with loving detail.

The combination of productions featuring Hickson and Suchet in one set isn't illogical; although I wonder whether a straight "Miss Marple Megaset" wouldn't have made more sense, incorporating the features "The Body in the Library" (1942, BBC adaptation 1984, the first one starring Hickson), "A Murder Is Announced" (1950, BBC adaptation 1985) and "A Pocket Full of Rye" (1953, BBC also 1985), now all contained in a separate 3-disc set. That would've left space for any combination of the much ampler Poirot material in a separate package - but I suspect that'll come anyway, when the last of the shorter episode sets (11 and 12) and the four new movies ("Death on the Nile," "Five Little Pigs," "The Hollow" and "Sad Cypress") are released on region 1 DVDs. As it is, this is still an excellent collection.

Miss Marple:

"Murder at the Vicarage" (1930, BBC adaptation 1986; Christie's first Marple story): Disagreeable Colonel Protheroe is murdered, and both his wife and her lover instantly confess - but actually, half the population of St. Mary Mead would've had a motive.

"The Moving Finger" (1942, BBC adaptation 1985): Lymston village is haunted by poison pen letters; and when people begin to die, again there is no shortage of suspects. But Miss Marple, on a visit to a friend, sees through the killer's cruel game.

"They Do It with Mirrors" (1952, BBC adaptation 1991; a/k/a "Murder with Mirrors"): Inspector Slack's secret hobby provides a vital clue to the ungodly doings at the estate of Miss Marple's old friend Carrie-Louise Serrocold, which Carrie-Louise's third husband has transformed into a reformatory for young criminals.

"4:50 From Paddington" (1957, BBC adaptation 1987; a/k/a "What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!"): Miss Marple and professional housekeeper Lucy Eyelesbarrow investigate the murder of a woman, whom Miss Marple's friend Mrs. McGillicuddy has seen being strangled from a passing train, and whose body must have disappeared somewhere on the grounds of the Crackenthorpe family estate Rutherford Hall.

"The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side" (1962, BBC adaptation 1992; title taken from Tennyson's "Lady of Shalott"): Gossington Hall, erstwhile home to Miss Marple's friend Dolly Bantry, has been sold to ageing Hollywood star Marina Gregg. At a benefit, a local woman is murdered - and much points to Miss Gregg as the intended victim.

"At Bertram's Hotel" (1965; BBC adaptation 1987): Miss Marple deconstructs the all-too-respectable facade of a seemingly venerable London hotel, and the less respectable facade of a notorious society lady.

"A Caribbean Mystery" (1965, BBC adaptation 1989): In a for her unusual West Indian setting, Miss Marple solves the murder of a retired police officer, killed to prevent him from foiling his murderer's even more sinister plans.

"Nemesis" (1971, BBC adaptation 1987; sequel to the above): From his grave, rich Mr. Rafiel - who nicknamed Miss Marple "Nemesis" when meeting her in the Caribbean - sends her on a bus tour of historic homes, to either clear his estranged son of a long-ago murder, or prove him guilty.

"Sleeping Murder" (1976, BBC adaptation 1987; Christie's last Miss Marple mystery): With the old lady's help, newly-weds Giles and Gwenda Reed unravel the mystery behind Gwenda's nightmares about their new home, and a murder occurring there over 20 years earlier.

Poirot:

"The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" (1926, TV adaptation 2000): One of Christie's most remarkable mysteries, not least because of its turntable conclusion. Industrialist Roger Ackroyd, squire of King's Abbot, an archetypal English village much like Miss Marple's St. Mary Mead, is found murdered, and Poirot steps out of his retirement to investigate his death - and its connection to that of Ackroyd's widowed friend Mrs. Ferrars.

"Lord Edgware Dies" (1933, TV adaptation 2000, a/k/a "Thirteen at Dinner"): Poirot is asked to help actress Jane Wilkinson, Lady Edgware by marriage, obtain her husband's consent to a divorce; but then Lord Edgware is murdered. Was it the Lady's doing? Poirot is somewhat dazzled, and unfortunately his little gray cells don't work quickly enough to prevent a second murder (of an American actress), and even a third one, of a young playwright ...

"Murder in Mesopotamia" (1936, TV adaptation 2001): One of several stories based on Christie's impressions while accompanying second husband archeologist Sir Max Mallowan to the Middle East; a classic "closed room" riddle: During Poirot's and Hastings's visit to an excavation site near Baghdad, the expedition leader's wife is found murdered - in her room, behind a closed door and closed window, and although nobody has entered the courtyard and staircase leading to her room.

"Evil Under the Sun" (1941, TV adaptation 2001): Likewise features a now classic pattern, in assembling Poirot and all suspects in a hotel on a small island off the English coast with no possibility to leave; thus similar in setup to "And Then There Were None" (1939), where one person after another is killed in the style of the "Ten Little Indians" nursery rhyme, and also to "A Caribbean Mystery."

Other Poirot Set.......2004-06-26

This collection is not very good. It is much better to buy the region 2 complete David Suchet's Poirot set which has all 50 of the Poirot Episodes, and then you can purchase the newest Episodes which are Sad Cypress, Five Little Pigs, Death on the Nile and The Hollow. This is a fabulous set and is much better than buying the smaller sets of poirot.

Fantastic Collection!.......2004-04-21

I happened upon this collection at Best Buy and knowing how much our family enjoyed British mysteries, thought it was probably worth the price. It is even better!! Joan Hickson and David Suchet are the penultimate Miss Marple and Poirot. These productions are well made, great for family viewing as there is little or no violence, beautifully filmed and directed. The Miss Marple's date from around 1987 and you can't tell as the time period is represented so well. And included are 4 of the best feature length Poirots ever. You can buy this set used but I don't know why anyone would want to get rid of theirs!!!

DVD: