On Sunday, I met with my buddies Sergio Angelini and Nick Cardillo for our latest game of list-drafting. After tackling Christie, Hitchcock, Sherlock Holmes and Charlie Chan, we decided to broaden our focus on a more general look at the mystery genre in film. Each of us did our research and came together armed with … Continue reading THE “GREATEST MYSTERY FILMS OF ALL TIME” DRAFT!!!
Agatha Christie
THE POIROT PROJECT #9: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
After blogging for ten years on classic crime – with a focus on Agatha Christie, mind you – I could still forgive myself for not having written closely about . . . The Secret of Chimneys . . . or Hickory Dickory Dock . . . or Elephants Can Remember (although the last two will be rectified before the year is … Continue reading THE POIROT PROJECT #9: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
THE POIROT PROJECT #8: The Big Four
It’s easy to argue that The Big Four represents the artistic nadir of Agatha Christie’s career. It barely makes a mention in the biographies: Laura Thompson calls it “one of the worst pieces of writing she ever published but . . . it sold well.” Janet Morgan dismisses it as “a stopgap.” Gillian Gill takes a more … Continue reading THE POIROT PROJECT #8: The Big Four
CHRISTIE, AVEC SUBTITLES: More Movie Adaptations
To all you true Christie fans, have I got an adaptation for you! As I’ve said repeatedly, I have come around to a much more open-minded attitude when it comes to adapting Christie, which is why I enjoyed the BBC’s recent Towards Zero more than most of my fellow Christie fanatics did. It was far from perfect … Continue reading CHRISTIE, AVEC SUBTITLES: More Movie Adaptations
THE POIROT PROJECT #7: Death in the Clouds
Amidst the array of masterpieces that constitute the Christies of the 1930’s, Death in the Clouds (American title: Death in the Air) suffers by comparison. Hercule Poirot spent a large part of this decade “en route” to one place or another, but despite a chapter or two spent in Paris, Clouds is firmly set in London and nearby suburbs. … Continue reading THE POIROT PROJECT #7: Death in the Clouds
THE POIROT PROJECT #6: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, Agatha Christie’s twenty-eighth mystery and the nineteenth featuring Hercule Poirot, has the disadvantage of being surrounded by better titles. Its two predecessors are And Then There Were None, the greatest mystery of all time, and Sad Cypress, a haunting and beautifully written story. And it is followed by Evil Under the Sun, perhaps Christie’s most fun mystery, … Continue reading THE POIROT PROJECT #6: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
CURSE YOU, ROBBIE BURNS! The Reunion That Didn’t Happen
Having the poet’s worst predictions come true is never fun, but over this past weekend, my best-laid plans for a Christie reunion “gang aft very very agley” indeed! When my pal Christopher Diehl announced a few months ago that he would be directing a Christie double bill for the Riverside Community Players, it felt like the perfect … Continue reading CURSE YOU, ROBBIE BURNS! The Reunion That Didn’t Happen
AN ADAPTED CONVERGENCE: Towards Zero on the BBC
AN ADAPTED CONVERGENCE: The BBC’s Towards Zero (NOTE: This is a SPOILER-FREE review of the recent BBC adaptation. I have also refrained from any major spoilers of the book, so make yourselves at home!) Okay, let’s all find a comfortable chair, sit ourselves down, and breathe!!! Discussing Christie adaptations is always a dangerous proposition. Agatha herself … Continue reading AN ADAPTED CONVERGENCE: Towards Zero on the BBC
THE POIROT PROJECT #5: Three-Act Tragedy
Three-Act Tragedy is the first of nine Poirot novels to appear back-to-back in the latter half of the 1930’s. (Between 1931 -38, there were twelve in total.) It was an extraordinary decade for the Belgian detective: he traveled across Europe on the Orient Express and on a steamer down the Nile, with side trips to Mesopotamia … Continue reading THE POIROT PROJECT #5: Three-Act Tragedy
REVISITING JOAN HICKSON’S MISS MARPLE (Part 2)
Last week, I explained how circumstances led me to revisit Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, the series that starred Joan Hickson and which aired on the BBC from 1986 to 1992. I shared my thoughts about the first six adaptations, and today we’ll cover the rest of the series. Miss Marple and Inspector Davy discover things are too … Continue reading REVISITING JOAN HICKSON’S MISS MARPLE (Part 2)
Ah Sweet Mystery! 