I was hoping Curtain would be more like the earlier ones even though the book is Dramatic, I also thought it would have been nice if Te Labours had been done like The Hour Long ones and It would have been nice if The Big Four had been less Dramatc and in Parts even though of the 3 it was in my view the best.
I wondered why The Labours wasn't made into a series of hour-long episodes. It seems a bit of a waste. Were the films a lot more popular than the short episodes?
Do you think the stories would have worked on TV individually? I haven't read The Labours so I don't know but most of the Miss Marple short stories haven't been made into TV episodes and you can see why - it would be difficult to stretch them to two hours and Miss Marple isn't directly involved in the stories. A couple of them also involve impersonation which is a lot more difficult on TV.
I agree The Labours should have been done individually, I think it would have worked Brilliantly, I think The Hour-long Episodes were Magnificent and am sorry The Miss Marple short stories were not done by The BBC although The Blue Gerranium was done by ITV and I think 2 others were Merged well IMHO, I think ITV should have done The Big Four as a Series
Although Big Four, Curtain and Labours were below the expectations, I think Dead Man Folly was very good. At least, I like much more Suchet's version than Ustinov.
No, they aren't. But, they are not noteworthy as in Suchet. I mean, in Ustinov, it's only Poirot that matters. The others characters are not important. On the other hand, in Suchet version, of course that Poirot is much more important, but it's not only him. All of them have their moment to shine. They seem a family and I, at least, expect to see all them together.
I think Some of The Episodes suffer with the Absense of Miss Lemon, Japp and Hastings, It would have been silly to have Japp in Murder In Mesopotamia, Death On The Nile and Appointment With Death but It would not have looked odd at all to have the other 2 in those 3, what would be more usual usual than to have His Secretary and His Best Friend Accompanying him leaving his Butler at Home, When I read the Books the First Time I worked out ways in which Hastings could have been in some, The Executor of The Will in After The Funeral, A Friend of The Family and it is HE who moves next Door not Poirot who he has down For a Hiliday in The Hollow, Poirot could have Hastings Down to stay in TMORA and we could see Hastings who thinks The Murderer is PUKKA SAHIB proved wrong when The Murderer is Revealed, Hastings could accompany Poirot in Death In The Clouds and we could sometimes see Felicity On The Phone To Poirot Finding out things, Those are just a few ways where we could have The Family Feel more.
The worst ones that I have seen, and there are still some I am yet to watch, are definitely, Cards on the Table, Appointment With Death and Murder on the Orient Express.
I cannot forgive the changes made to these, and Poirot in Orient Express is bordering on obnoxious.
The ones I have enjoyed the most have been Mysterious Affair at Styles, Halloween Party and Dead Man's Folly.
I agree with you Anne about Cards On The Table, Appointment With Death and Murder On The Orient Express but would only describe Cards On The Table as obnoxious, I just think the other two just border on the Obnoxious, The Denouont in Express was reall much too quick.
I like the (But not love) the Adaptation of styles as it was made near I went to School, I don't dislike the other 2 you mentioned but They were in my view just ok.
Didn't like BIG FOUR. I realize that the political in-correctness of the original would be difficult for some people to take to (personally i think anything written during a certain time period should be adapted as is. you don't change history or people's views by suppressing things) but I dislike the fact that the entire plot was seen as a "ploy" rather than the original intent. I WON"T SAY ANY MORE I also wasn't too thrilled with the homosexual element added to CARDS ON THE TABLE. After watching it I groaned, hoping that Poirot was not going the route of so many of those McEwan Miss Marples. I need say no more for those of you who know what I mean. I enjoyed PERIL, NILE, CYPRUS, and most of the others. As for LABOURS I wish they had done them in the beginning of the series as separate 60 minute episodes. I suspect that maybe they didn't want to do his "final adventures" so soon in the series when Suchet had all the full length novels to adapt. Suchet would age over the next X years and they couldn't be sure they'd get his appearance correct by the time they did CURTAIN. But overall, warts and I, I very much enjoyed the series. I have all the dvds and watch them continually when a particular mood strikes or I've just read the book. Same with the Hickson Marples. I am tempted to buy the new "restored" dvds... .
The Worst was Cards On The Table followed by a Country mile by Appointment With Death, The Labours of Hercule, Curtain, Murder On The Orient Express and Halloween Party, The Best were ABC Murders, Evil Under The Sun, Cat Among The Pigeons, Mrs McGinty's Dead, After The Funeral, The Clocks and Death On The
I meant Death On The Nile, Cards Changed Motives and didn't jave Race or Battle, Appointment changed the Form of Abuse, Express was Minus one Charcter, Halloween Party was minus Spence and Elspeth and I found Curtain and Labours Dull beyond belief.
The Worst was Cards On The Table followed by a Country mile by Appointment With Death, The Labours of Hercule, Curtain, Murder On The Orient Express and Halloween Party, The Best were ABC Murders, Evil Under The Sun, Cat Among The Pigeons, Mrs McGinty's Dead, After The Funeral, The Clocks and Death On The
I agree. Cards on The Table is THE WORST! But I enjoyed Halloween Party. I would add to your list The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. It was very dull and, at least in my opinion, don't measure up the book. I'm not very fond of Evil under the sun adaptation. I mean, I liked it, but I love the book and I think my passion for this book prevents me from enjoying any adaptation.
I love Evil Under The Su too but there is nothing in the Adaptation I dislike, I love it, having Hastings, Japp and Miss Lemon there as well is pure bliss for me.
Hi Tudes. This next comment will horrify you, but when I read Evil Under the Sun, I actually imagine it with all the actors who played the parts in the ITV David Suchet adaptation. I saw an earlier film of it, with good acting too, but I liked the actor who used to be in a police drama in GB called The Bill, as Patrick, and, in fact, all the actors. ~It really is one of my favourite books too! (They should get that actor to do some more Christies.)
Hi Tudes. This next comment will horrify you, but when I read Evil Under the Sun, I actually imagine it with all the actors who played the parts in the ITV David Suchet adaptation. I saw an earlier film of it, with good acting too, but I liked the actor who used to be in a police drama in GB called The Bill, as Patrick, and, in fact, all the actors. ~It really is one of my favourite books too! (They should get that actor to do some more Christies.)
Hi, Griselda. If Evil under the sun wasn't my favorite one. I would probably enjoy the movie, but when I watch it, it seems that something is lacking. I don't think the movie is awful (I think a lot ITV are). Actually, I think it's well-done, but, of course, I think it was too much "the restaurant problem" just to create an excuse to a trip, for example.
Hi Tudes. This next comment will horrify you, but when I read Evil Under the Sun, I actually imagine it with all the actors who played the parts in the ITV David Suchet adaptation. I saw an earlier film of it, with good acting too, but I liked the actor who used to be in a police drama in GB called The Bill, as Patrick, and, in fact, all the actors. ~It really is one of my favourite books too! (They should get that actor to do some more Christies.)
Hi, Griselda. If Evil under the sun wasn't my favorite one. I would probably enjoy the movie, but when I watch it, it seems that something is lacking. I don't think the movie is awful (I think a lot ITV are). Actually, I think it's well-done, but, of course, I think it was too much "the restaurant problem" just to create an excuse to a trip, for example.
I agree, I found something was lacking as well. I think the David Suchet version could have been much better and I didn't like the change of Linda to Lionel. I think in the film there could have been more local color if you know what I mean....I remember reading the book (was is an absolute favorite of mine) and I could picture in my mind the hotel, the seaside, the sand, etc. I didn't care much for the actors/actresses who played their roles. I think they could have chosen better actors and set their characters apart a bit more. In the 1982 film with Peter Ustinov, I liked Diana Rigg as Arlena but the problem I had from that film was that she was far too b*tchy.
I thought Arlena should be b**tchy - otherwise, Linda's hatred of her doesn't make sense, and Linda's hatred is important - otherwise there is no sense in making her the "fall guy" for the murder. I loved the Ustinov movie, but was sorry they moved it from the Cornwall coast to somewhere in the Balkans, and somehow the extra motives they gave everyone for the murder made it a bit crowded. One interesting thing they did was to collapse the roles of Rosemary (as captain Marshal's old friend) and the hotel manager, Mrs. Castle, into the ex-show girl Irene Castle, and make her Arlena's rival in showmanship as well as in Marshal's affections. Maggie Smith was magnificent in the role.
I remember being very moved by the Ustinov version, and particularly Mrs Redfern who was pretending SPOILER ALERT to be sensitive to the sun and afraid of heights. I thought what clever writing and acting. But the end of the film when the evil couple dress up to the nines because they think they are safe - well this was theatrical , and unrealistic, I felt. As if serious criminals would draw attention to themselves in this way when, judging by the back story, they would want to perpetrate a similar crime in the future (like the criminal in Caribbean Mystery, they are going to repeat a tried and tested formula) Imagine how in that pre-internet age you could try a similar crime, and nobody and risk bumping into someone who knows you. Perhaps it makes more sense to have set the action in The Balkans, where you won't have any British policemen knocking around. But, perhaps, if I see the Suchet version again I will see some items which I think fall flat. I was convinced by the Patrick actor though, and I thought making Mr Blatt the way he was, was not a bad idea.
I thought Arlena should be b**tchy - otherwise, Linda's hatred of her doesn't make sense, and Linda's hatred is important - otherwise there is no sense in making her the "fall guy" for the murder. I loved the Ustinov movie, but was sorry they moved it from the Cornwall coast to somewhere in the Balkans, and somehow the extra motives they gave everyone for the murder made it a bit crowded. One interesting thing they did was to collapse the roles of Rosemary (as captain Marshal's old friend) and the hotel manager, Mrs. Castle, into the ex-show girl Irene Castle, and make her Arlena's rival in showmanship as well as in Marshal's affections. Maggie Smith was magnificent in the role.
I retract from my statement about Arlena's attitude. When I wrote that comment, at the back of my mind I was thinking about Linda's hatred and dislike for Arlena so Arlena being a b*tchy character does makes sense.
But, perhaps, if I see the Suchet version again I will see some items which I think fall flat. I was convinced by the Patrick actor though, and I thought making Mr Blatt the way he was, was not a bad idea.
I think the Suchet version falls flat in many ways. For one the acting from the actors/actresses was lackluster. The side plot about Poirot, the incident at the restaurant and all that was okay but I feel like it could have been okay if Poirot appeared by himself instead of Captain Hastings and Miss Lemon....I just think they weren't needed. Using Inspector Japp was a good idea. Maybe it was just the way the film was screenplayed and I guess if they used a screenplay that was put to better use that would bring each of the character's personalities and foibles out more then I think the film could have been and would be on my list as one of the best Poirot films that Suchet did.
I thought it was good to show Miss Lemon doing some research. It gives an ideas that previous similar cases are going to be significant. There is sometimes a sense that a 'killer clue' has been pulled out of the hat off-scene, and Poirot suddenly comes up with the evidence which we, as readers, have not been able to get a sense of. All right in Three Act Tragedy that, SPOILER ALERT, a letter is sent To Poirot when no one up north should have known of his interest in the case, but not so good when it transpires that the passport of the killer gives the game away. I haven't seen the Suchet Evil Under the Sun for some time, so maybe I'm thinking of it with rosy coloured glasses.
I like the fact Japp, Hastings and Miss Lemon are in it, and I personally think Caroline Pickles is good but although I think The Adaptation is fun I can sought of understand when you say some of the Acting is lack lustre.
Comments
I wondered why The Labours wasn't made into a series of hour-long episodes. It seems a bit of a waste. Were the films a lot more popular than the short episodes?
Do you think the stories would have worked on TV individually? I haven't read The Labours so I don't know but most of the Miss Marple short stories haven't been made into TV episodes and you can see why - it would be difficult to stretch them to two hours and Miss Marple isn't directly involved in the stories. A couple of them also involve impersonation which is a lot more difficult on TV.
The worst ones that I have seen, and there are still some I am yet to watch, are definitely, Cards on the Table, Appointment With Death and Murder on the Orient Express.
I cannot forgive the changes made to these, and Poirot in Orient Express is bordering on obnoxious.
The ones I have enjoyed the most have been Mysterious Affair at Styles, Halloween Party and Dead Man's Folly.
I like the (But not love) the Adaptation of styles as it was made near I went to School, I don't dislike the other 2 you mentioned but They were in my view just ok.
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I agree. Cards on The Table is THE WORST! But I enjoyed Halloween Party. I would add to your list The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. It was very dull and, at least in my opinion, don't measure up the book.
I'm not very fond of Evil under the sun adaptation. I mean, I liked it, but I love the book and I think my passion for this book prevents me from enjoying any adaptation.
I don't think the movie is awful (I think a lot ITV are). Actually, I think it's well-done, but, of course, I think it was too much "the restaurant problem" just to create an excuse to a trip, for example.
I think the Suchet version falls flat in many ways. For one the acting from the actors/actresses was lackluster. The side plot about Poirot, the incident at the restaurant and all that was okay but I feel like it could have been okay if Poirot appeared by himself instead of Captain Hastings and Miss Lemon....I just think they weren't needed. Using Inspector Japp was a good idea. Maybe it was just the way the film was screenplayed and I guess if they used a screenplay that was put to better use that would bring each of the character's personalities and foibles out more then I think the film could have been and would be on my list as one of the best Poirot films that Suchet did.