favorite movie #46: witness for the prosecution

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #46 - Witness for the Prosecution (1957) - In honor of Agatha Christie's birthday, I'd like to share one of my favorite film adaptations of her work, in this case, a play, Witness for the Prosecution. Directed by Billy Wilder with an all-star cast, the film is primarily a courtroom drama, but there are mystery, thriller, and film noir elements as well. Ailing barrister Sir Wilfred Roberts (Charles Laughton) is urged by his pesky nurse (Elsa Lanchester) and all of his colleagues not to take on the case of Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power), who has been accused of killing an elderly spinster, Mrs. Emily French,  who was enamored with him. Although Vole is clearly a poor schemer who wasn't averse to charming the woman, Sir Wilfred is convinced of his innocence and his sincerity. He also has an alibi provided by his wife Christine (Marlene Dietrich), who appears, confusingly, cold and uncaring of her husband's predicament. Everyone in the cast is terrific, and Wilder had fun with Christie's twists and turns and subterfuges. The supporting cast includes John Williams, Henry Daniell, Torin Thatcher, Una O'Connor, and Ruta Lee. This was sadly Tyrone Power's final film, as he died of a heart attack during the filming of Solomon and Sheba the following year. There's a fun in-joke, when Vole meets Mrs. French at the movies and they are watching Jesse James, one of Power's early film successes.

"Sir Wilfrid, you've forgotten your brandy!"

mon cher poirot

After my recent Alex Cross-athon, I felt I needed a palate cleanser. And what better, than to re-read some old favorites, by the grande dame of mystery herself, Agatha Christie? I first discovered Christie when I was about 10 or 11, prowling through my mother's bookcases for something to read. I guess I had exhausted whatever I had taken home from the Bookmobile - probably Louisa May Alcott's Eight Cousins or a collection of folktales. The first Christie I read was The Moving Finger. I still have my mom's paperback, with its lurid purple cover illustration.

I almost chose that book to read, but decided that what I really needed, the perfect antidote to the oh-so-imperfect character of Alex Cross, was the detective par excellence, the little Belgian, Hercule Poirot. Although Christie reportedly grew to loathe her most famous creation, I loved Poirot at first read. From his sartorial elegance, his love of symmetry and order, and his amazing "little grey cells," Poirot had me enthralled. Christie's books, if you read between the lines, are full of sex and greed and, well, evil. Poirot, as much as he lives his life with precision and fine food and wine and aperitifs, is never blind to such base human emotions and desires. He travels in fancy circles, but he is always able to treat everyone, no matter what their station in life, equally - especially when it comes to considering them as a suspect in a murder.

Agatha Christie's novels are a time capsule. There are aspects that stand out as strange and inappropriate today - the discussions of class, the role of women in society, Christie's own personal prejudices - she really doesn't seem to like Italians. But she also gives us a glimpse into the mores and habits of a time gone by. And there is a lot to be enjoyed: a time when people dressed for dinner and travel, writing letters, having few but essential, possessions. One can learn some great forgotten or little-used words while reading Christie: baize, malachite, galoshes, jackanapes, valise. It's also fun to read such English phrases as "trunk call," "games mistress," and "dressing gown."

Poirot and his little grey cells were on fine display in these four books I have read recently:

Evil Under the Sun, 1941 - Poirot wants a relaxing holiday on England's Devon coast, but soon observes that some of his fellow hotel guests are involved in a love triangle that could prove dangerous for one of the participants - namely a flirtatious and callous beauty named Arlena Marshall.

Funerals are Fatal, 1953 - Richard Abernethie, a wealthy man, has died, and his family has gathered for his funeral. At the reading of his will his eccentric sister Cora blurts out, "But he was murdered, wasn't he?" When Cora turns up dead soon after, Hercule Poirot must investigate whether her murder was a cause and effect. Christie could be quite brutal in her books, as Cora is killed with the multiple strikes of an axe, a la the parents of Lizzie Borden. One of my favorite Poirots, the group of suspects, Richard and Cora's relatives, are some of the most entertaining and well-drawn in Christies' mysteries.

Murder in the Calais Coach (Murder on the Orient Express), 1934 - One of Christie's most famous and ingenious puzzles, this book finds Poirot on the famed and luxurious Orient Express. The train and its elegance is described beautifully, but the reader can't get lost in the details of the train, as almost as soon as it leaves the station a murder takes place in the middle of the night, in the compartment next-door to Poirot (!), while the train is trapped, caught in a blizzard. The ultimate "locked room mystery," the book is great to read for a first time, or re-read and see how Christie plants all the clues to her creative solution.

Cards on the Table, 1936 - In this clever book Christie pits four sleuths vs. four presumed murderers. The mysterious Mr Shaitana sets up a strange (and of course dangerous) dinner party. He invites Poirot, his friend Colonel Race, and mystery author (and Christie stand-in) Ariadne Oliver to join him on Team Sleuth. The other four guests are Dr Roberts, Mrs Lorrimer, explorer Major Despard, and a young woman named Anne Meredith. During dinner Shaitana talks about murder and its various methods. After the meal they divide into two groups to play bridge. At the end of the night Poirot and Race discover that Shaitana is dead - stabbed with his own ornamental knife. The book uses the game of bridge as a clue to each suspect's personality, and the detectives split up, along with Superintendent Battle, and each focus on one suspect to determine if they were, as Shaitana suspected, "successful murderers," in their past.

Christie always plays fair with her readers, which becomes quite clear on a re-read. I have quite enjoyed this mini Christie vacation and feel that I can go ahead and read some other books on my to-read list - or maybe squeeze in a few more Poirots before the holidays.

lovejoy, series 4: up to his old tricks

Lovejoy (Ian McShane) has always walked a fine line between legitimate and slightly shady deals - such seems to be the nature of the antiques trade. But in Lovejoy, Series 4, the always charming rogue has crossed over to out-and-out swindling - for a good cause, naturally - the saving of his own skin. Lovejoy is a "divvie," someone who has the gift of being able to sniff out a real antique. This feature has both helped and hindered Lovejoy in his life, loves, and business.

Lovejoy Antiques, Inc.: L-R: Tinker (Dudley Sutton), Lady Jane Felsham (Phyllis Logan), Eric (Chris Jury), and Lovejoy (Ian McShane).

As the series opens, Lovejoy Antiques, Inc. has been seized by the authorities - and Lovejoy is not only out of a home, but his livelihood. He starts scrambling immediately, setting up some deals with his friends and sidekicks, Eric (Chris Jury) and Tinker (Dudley Sutton), while trying to keep some of the more gruesome details hidden from Lady Jane Felsham (Phyllis Logan), who will most definitely not approve. Lovejoy and Lady Jane have always had an on-again, off-again flirtation that has sometimes crossed over to romance, but this season sees the Lady's affections sorely tested. Viewers will recognize Phyllis Logan as Downton Abbey's Mrs. Hughes, who has finally found love on that program with the redoubtable butler Mr. Carson. But will her character Lady Jane fare as well with the rascally Lovejoy?

Read the full review on Cinema Sentries ...

lovejoy is looking for love in series 3 ...

The the second season of Lovejoy, the last time we saw the irascible but ever-charming antiques dealer played by Ian McShane, he was swindling (for a good cause, naturally) crooked antiques dealer Harry Catapodis (Brian Blessed) in order to help out a Japanese businessman (Mako) and a lovely widow Victoria (Joanna Lumley) who had both been cheated by Harry.

Lovejoy Series 3, recently released on DVD by Acorn Media, picks up a year later, after Lovejoy has been taking a holiday in Spain, where he has enjoyed (and spent) all the proceeds from that last big deal. He returns home to take up right where he left off, and his friends and partners, Eric (Chris Jury), Tinker (Dudley Sutton), and Lady Jane Felsham (Phyllis Logan, who many will recognize as Downton Abbey's Mrs. Hughes), are mostly glad to see him, even if they put off a bit by his new warmer climes-inspired wardrobe of linen suits and bright tee shirts. It doesn't take long for Lovejoy to don his familiar jeans and leather jacket, and also to kick-start his flirtation with Victoria into a full-fledged romance. Lady Jane seems a bit put off by the whole thing — will she and Lovejoy ever declare their feelings that always seem to be simmering below the surface?

Lovejoy and Lady Jane (Ian McShane and Phyllis Logan)

You can read my complete review on Cinema Sentries ...

lovejoy's back for more antiques, crime and fun

Acorn Media has recently released Lovejoy, Series 2, and it is just as much fun as the first series. Based on the books by Jonathan Gash, Lovejoy stars Ian McShane as an antiques dealer who has an eye for authenticity — in antiques and women. The British series was originally filmed and aired in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the A&E Network showing the series stateside in the 1990s. Fans of McShane and the series should be very happy that Lovejoy is finally available on DVD.

Lovejoy is a British mystery series, but the accent is more on character and story than whodunnit. Frequently Lovejoy and his friends find themselves involved in so many plots and switcheroos that most of the fun comes from trying to figure out who's on top at the moment. When viewers first met Lovejoy last season, he was trying to balance his antiques business with his gifts as a "divvie," a person who can suss out whether an object is the genuine article or a fake. He was frequently plagued by a rival antiques dealer, Charles Gimbert, aided and abetted in his schemes by pals Tinker Dill (Dudley Sutton) and Eric Catchpole (Chris Jury), and becoming friends with the lovely lady of the local manor, Lady Jane Felsham (Phyllis Logan).

Gimbert is gone in the second series, Jane and Lovejoy are now business "partners," and Tinker and Eric are still on hand to run interference whenever Lovejoy needs. Lovejoy is still (almost always) broke. In fact, the first episode of season two, "Just Desserts," finds him being released from prison — after being framed — and he is determined to find out who in the antiques trade set him up. His time in jail has echoes throughout the season, with the local constabulary always suspicious of his movements, and Lovejoy frequently seeking revenge for himself, or justice for other innocent parties. There are some familiar faces from British film and television as guests stars this season, and Lovejoy and Jane even let a few sparks fly between them. ...


Read my complete review on Cinema Sentries

ian mcshane is the lovable rascal lovejoy (and might just teach you a thing or two about antiques)

When American audiences hear the name Ian McShane the first image that comes to mind is most likely his gritty, brilliant portrayal of Al Swearengen in HBO's Deadwood. But the actor has been busy on stage and screen since 1962. And before Deadwood, he created another iconic character, Lovejoy, whose series aired in the U.K. from 1986 to 1994. The shows were picked up in the U.S. and broadcast by the A&E Network in the 1990s. They haven't been available to American audiences on DVD until recently, thanks to Acorn Media, who has released the first set, Lovejoy, Series 1, with hopefully the remaining five seasons to soon follow.

Based on the character from the popular mystery novel series by Jonathan Gash, Lovejoy isn't a typical British mystery series. The focus is not on grisly murders or detectives trying to get into the heads of brilliant and idiosyncratic criminals. Set in East Anglia, McShane's Lovejoy is an antique dealer, who is mostly honest, but most importantly, has an absolute love of all things antique and ancient. He is also a "divvie," someone who can feel in his bones whether a painting or an object is the real thing or a clever fake. It's a wonderful quality to possess, but it can get Lovejoy into a lot of trouble. What makes the series escpecially fun is watching Lovejoy's true love for his work, and being able to learn a thing or two about paintings, porcelain, furniture, and even history along the way. ...

You can read the rest of my review on Cinema Sentries ...

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poirot, series 10

Acorn Media has released for the first time on Blu-ray Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 10. The four feature-length mysteries included on these discs feature some of Christie's most tragic plots, but her victims and murderers are not her typical "bad guys." The four films were originally broadcast in 2005 and 2006 and include some of the series' most stellar guest stars, including Lucy Punch (Doc Martin, Ella Enchanted), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class, 12 Years a Slave) and Elliott Gould (Ocean’s Eleven, MASH). Zoë Wanamaker (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Prime Suspect) returns as Poirot's friend and foil, eccentric crime novelist Ariadne Oliver (a self-portrait-like spoof of Christie herself.)

Mrs. Oliver (Zoë Wanamaker) and Poirot (David Suchet) attend a very strange dinner party

The production is its usual high quality, with costumes and set designs accurately and attractively reflecting the period setting, which the series has kept in the 1920s/1930s Art Deco era. The images on the discs look sharp, especially on a large-scale high-definition television screen, with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The dialogue and the musical soundtrack are also crisp and clear (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0), with English SDH subtitles available. The mournful soundtrack is by Stephen McKeon. There are bonus features too: a photo gallery and a behind-the-scenes featurette.

The episodes on the two discs episodes appear in their original U.K. broadcast order. Fans of Christie's books may not be pleased by how the original stories have been modified in these filmed versions, but changes to the novels do keep viewers who may think they know what's coming guessing — especially in the first episode in the set, "The Mystery of the Blue Train." The basic plot, which concerns murder and the theft of a priceless jewel aboard a luxury train, is still there, but Poirot now finds himself on the spot, much like his other famous case, "Murder on the Orient Express."

Liberties with Christie's text continue in the second episode, "Cards on the Table." The original novel, like many of Christie's puzzles, had an ingenious set-up — four sleuths (including Poirot and Mrs. Oliver) pitted against four "successful" murderers — people who had committed crimes but had never been accused or convicted. But this version switches murderers, makes a neat yet intricate premise unnecessarily complicated, and adds more "contemporary" sexual goings-on, a tactic that has been used to spice up the more recent incarnations of Marple, but until now, not Poirot.

The second disc includes the most successful and entertaining episodes in the set, "After the Funeral" and "Taken at the Flood." In "After the Funeral" Poirot is asked by a lawyer friend (Robert Bathurst) to help determine whether a family patriarch and his sister were murdered — and by whom. Every member of the Abernethie family is a suspect, and the cast includes Michael Fassbender, Lucy Punch,  and Geraldine James. The adaptation is classic drawing-room Christie.

Cousins George Abernethie (Michael Fassbender) and Susannah Henderson (Lucy Punch) in "After the Funeral"

The real jewel in the set is "Taken At the Flood," which has been updated from its original post-war setting. Poirot once again finds himself dealing with a complicated wealthy family, the Cloades. Viewers will find themselves as affected by the outcome of this mystery as the detective himself, who believes he has witnessed one of the most evil crimes of his career. The impressive guest cast includes Jenny Agutter, Tim Piggott-Smith, and Celia Imrie.

"How depraved! God, how evil does a man have to be to cause the slaughter of so many innocent people? For the concealment of a single murder? If God should withhold his mercy from anyone on earth ... it surely will be you."

What makes the Poirot series so watchable is David Suchet in the title role as the brilliant yet persnickety Belgian detective. In all four mysteries Suchet as is as wonderful as ever, and imbues his character with real emotion, especially in the final mystery in the set, "Taken At the Flood." Suchet recently has realized his goal of filming all of Agatha Christie's Poirot mysteries. There may not be any new Poirots in the offing, but it is nice to know that thanks to Blu-rays like these, Suchet as Poirot can be enjoyed again and again.

Originally published on Blogcritics: Blu-ray Review: ‘Poirot, Series 10′

agatha christie: the queen of crime collection

"... All three films in Agatha Christie's The Queen of Crime Collection are of high quality in costume, setting (London and Wales), and set design. The acting, of course, is topnotch across the board. Christie was fond of madcap amateur sleuths who have names like Bundle and friends called Badger and Pongo, and these films capture that period of British upper class bonhomie — with just an appropriate dash of brutal crime to keep the locals entertained. And these films should keep Christie and British mystery fans entertained, too."

Cheryl Campbell as Bundle and Christopher Scoular as Bill in The Seven Dials Mystery

You can read the entire review here on the film/review website Cinema Sentries.

the lady vanishes

BBC Home Entertainment has recently released The Lady Vanishes, an update of the classic 1938 film by Alfred Hitchcock.

Bored with her hard-partying crowd and desperately wanting to return to London, spoiled young heiress Iris Carr (Tuppence Middleton) just manages to book a seat on the train, and just manages to catch it and nab the last available seat (with a helpful bribe at the ticket counter). As she stumbles towards ghee seat, Iris recognizes some of the train passengers from her hotel — A strict vicar named Barnes and his timid wife; two elderly women, the Floodporter sisters, fond of debating about their fellow hotel guests; and a glamorous couple, calling themselves the Todhunters, who are clearly having an extramarital affair (Julian Rhind-Tutt and Keeley Hawes). But Iris is at first much less interested in her fellow travelers than why there is a bump on her head — she fainted at the train platform before boarding.

Miss Froy (Selina Cadell) and Iris (Tuppence Middleton)

A young woman traveling solo can face many challenges, but the sinister camera angles and expressions on characters' faces in The Lady Vanishes signal, telegraph, that something unsavory is afoot. The only passenger who doesn't look like a bit player from a horror movie is a woman from her compartment, Miss Froy (Selina Cadell), who invites Iris to join her in the dining car. While Iris nurses her headache with a cup of tea, Miss Froy chatters on about her fellow travelers, especially her former employer, a sour-faced Baroness (Benedikte Hansen) who is also traveling on the train. Still dazed from sunstroke (or was it something else?) Iris only hears snippets of the conversation. She comes to regret her inattention later when Miss Froy has disappeared.

Back in their seats Iris drifts off to sleep and wakes up to find Miss Froy gone — and no one in her compartment, or anywhere on the train will admit to having seen her. She feels adrift, with no allies, except for one young man, Max Hare (Tom Hughes). He hasn't seen Miss Froy either, but he is at least willing to take Iris at her word and help her search for the older woman.

Iris and Max (Tom Hughes) search the train

It's impossible not to compare this updated version with Alfred Hitchcock's original film. Although certainly stylish in its use of locations (shot in Hungary), detailed and opulent-looking sets, and period-accurate costumes (lots of silk and satin), the 2013 version, directed by Diarmuid Lawrence (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Silent Witness), cannot equal the breakneck pace and forward momentum of the first film. There was another version, made in 1979, which starred Cybill Shepherd and Elliott Gould as the young couple trying to find Miss Froy (Angela Lansbury.) It was faster-paced than this British version, almost verging on hysterical, its focus on screwball comedy over mystery.

The Lady Vanishes has a running time of 90 minutes, with an aspect ratio of 16:9 HD. Its colors look bright and sharp on a large-scale high-definition television screen. The Dolby Digital dialogue and music, sounds crisp. Subtitles and chapter selection are available, but there are unfortunately no other extras on the disc.

Fans of British mystery will recognize some familiar faces, including Stephanie Cole (Waiting for God, Doc Martin) and Gemma Jones (The Duchess of Duke Street, MI-5) who play the Floodporter sisters. Everyone has their own, somewhat personal reasons for not wanting the authorities to stop the train for a complete search, which is understandable, in the pre-WWII climate. The Lady Vanishes is an entertaining and high quality remake, but it is impossible after watching it to not want to look up the original, and see how the master, Alfred Hitchcock, handled a mystery.

Original post on Blogcritics: DVD Review: ‘The Lady Vanishes’ (2013)

poirot: series 7 & 8

Acorn Media has released on Blu-ray for the first time some titles only previously available on DVD: Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 7 & 8. For Agatha Christie and Poirot enthusiasts it is great to see these titles remastered for the precision of Blu-ray. The widescreen (aspect ratio: 1.77:1, 1080 resolution) images look great on a large-scale, high-definition television screen. The colors are vibrant; and details, such as the weave of Poirot's suit jacket or his incredibly waxed mustaches are stellar. Shadows may look a bit murky on some of the more highly-lit exterior scenes. The episodes were remastered from their original 16mm film prints.

David Suchet is as excellent as always as Hercule Poirot, the world's most brilliant and fastidious detective. His faithful friends and assistants also show up along the way - Hugh Fraser as Poirot's best friend and colleague, Captain Hastings, Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp, and Pauline Moran as his personal secretary, the incomparable Miss Lemon. Poirot travels across England and beyond to solve the multiple murders in these mysteries. The Art Deco period settings and costumes look as fabulous as ever.

Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) basks in the glow of his client, the actress Jane Wilkinson (Helen Grace)

The two-disc Blu-ray includes four feature-length mysteries, presented in their original U.K. broadcast order:

"The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" (2000) —Poirot has retired to the countryside to raise vegetable marrows (squash). When his friend the wealthy industrialist Roger Ackroyd (Malcolm Terris) is found murdered in his home, Poirot can (happily) ditch his new gardening habit and throw himself back into the detection of crime. Poirot is assisted in his investigations by the local doctor, Dr. Sheppard (Oliver Ford Davies), and his busybody sister Caroline (Selina Cadell). This is one of Christie's more original twists on the locked room mystery.

"Lord Edgware Dies" (2000) — Back home at his London flat, Poirot is charmed by film actress Jane Wilkinson (Helen Grace), who asks his help - first to secure her divorce from her brute of a husband, Lord Edgware (John Castle) - then to find out who murdered the unpleasant nobleman. Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), who has recently returned to England from Argentina after making some foolish investments, is thrilled by the milieu of the murder, which takes the pair backstage among theater folk, such as cabaret mimic Carlotta Adams (Fiona Allen).

"Murder in Mesopotamia" (2001) —Poirot accompanies Hastings to an archaeological dig in Iraq, which becomes the setting for multiple murders, antiquities theft, and a number of other mysteries that the great Belgian detective must unravel. The archaeological site of the Roman city of Oudhna, in Tunisia, provides a gorgeous and authentic backdrop for one of Christie's more compelling mysteries, but apparently was one of the most difficult ones to complete for Suchet as Poirot:

"It was undoubtedly the most difficult shoot of my entire career because of the extreme heat. The temperature reached 139 degrees, and my costume consists of a three-piece wool suit, leather gloves, a hat, a wing collar, bow tie, and full body padding. I had to drink four litres of water every day because I was sweating so much, but even so I nearly fainted on several occasions."

After meeting and marrying Archaeologist Max Mallowan, Christie set many of her mysteries at digs or other sites that her travels took her with Mallowan. "Murder in Mesopotamia" features an archaeologist, Dr. Erich Leidner (Ron Berglas), his high-strung American wife, Louise (Barbara Barnes), who believes that her life is in danger, and a string of suspects who are all attached in one way or another to the excavations, including Hastings's nephew Bill Coleman (Jeremy Turner-Welch).

Louise Leidner (Barbara Barnes) confesses her fears to Poirot and Hastings (Hugh Fraser) at her husband's dig in Mesopotamia.

"Evil Under the Sun" (2001) — Poirot has been told, to his horror, that he must lose weight after he suffers a fainting spell at a new Argentinian restaurant (another one of Hastings's investments). A forced vacation to a seaside resort in Devon, the Sandy Cove Hotel, is at first a nightmare for Poirot, who is on a strict food and exercise regimen. But as he turns his attention to his fellow hotel guests, he notices that something, more than the terrible food, is wrong at the the Sandy Cove Hotel. A glamorous former actress, Arlena Stuart (Louise Delamere), is blatantly flirting with Patrick Redfern (Michael Higgs), upsetting his decidedly unglamorous wife Christine (Tamzin Malleson), as well as her husband Kenneth Marshall (David Mallinson). The love triangle seems only the tip of the iceberg. Once Arlena is found dead, alone, on an isolated beach, Poirot must sift through the other guests' alibis, as they all seem to have their own jealousies and secrets.

SDH Subtitles in English are available, but there are unfortunately no other extras included in Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 7 & 8. But Poirot's "little grey cells" are as top-notch as ever, and die-hard Christie fans can now enjoy some of their favorite mysteries on Blu-ray.

Originally published on Blogcritics as: Blu-ray Review: ‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Series 7 & 8′

the brutal but intriguing falcón

When it comes to mystery series and crime procedurals, British television has America beat, hands down. Instead of dwelling on inter-office politics or what a bullet wound looks like under a microscope, British crime dramas continue to delve deeply into the psyche of their investigators as well as the criminals they are hunting. Acorn Media has recently released a two-episode set, Falcón, which features Marton Csokas as the conflicted Chief Inspector Javier Falcón, who must try to catch brutal killers on the colorful streets of Seville, Spain, while trying to unravel their connections to his life and his past.

Falcón wanders the streets of Seville by night

Based on the Javier Falcón series by author Robert Wilson, Falcón has adapted the first two novels, The Blind Man of Seville (2003) and The Silent and the Damned (2004) into two feature-length films on two discs, with a total running time of 179 minutes. The widescreen format, with an aspect ratio of 1.77:1, looks great on a large-scale high definition television screen. The Dolby sound is also high quality, with clear dialogue and background noises, especially evident in a nail-biting scene set in a bullfight arena. SDH subtitles are available. Extras includes picture galleries on both discs and three short features on Disc 1:

The Blind Man of Seville: Behind the Scenes, which runs 17 minutes.

Javier Falcón: Behind the Man, which runs 6 minutes.

Falcón’s Seville with Robert Wilson, which runs 9 minutes.

The discs are not rated, but viewers should be aware that Falcón is not for the faint-of-heart. The murders depicted in both stories are particularly gruesome, and upsetting as well, if one develops an affinity for the lead character. And with Martin Csokas's compelling portrayal of the brilliant, handsome, drug-addicted, but somehow honorable detective, it is impossible not to be drawn into his conflicts and his story. Seville provides not just a glorious backdrop, but an actual character in the films, as its winding streets, noisy bars, and bright lights underscore Falcón's mood. Purists may be put off by the very British accents sported by all of the cast, but the actors attempting Spanish accents may have been even more problematic.

We meet Falcón in the first film, The Blind Man of Seville, as he is investigating a brutal murder of a wealthy restaurateur. Falcón seems to have the usual veteran cop baggage — a substance abuse problem, a disgruntled ex-wife (Emilia Fox). He seems a bit haunted by the death of his father, a world-renowned painter, a year ago, and lives in his father's house, reluctant to carry out his last wishes, which includes destroying all of his paintings. He soon discovers that his life is inextricably linked to his investigation, as his father's photo turns up among the victim's possessions. Further complicating matters is his strong attraction to the victim's widow (Hayley Atwell), who may also be a suspect. Bernard Hill guest stars as a family friend who may provide some much-needed answers to Falcón's questions about his father.

The second film, The Silent and the Damned, picks up a few months after The Blind Man of Seville left off, with Falcón still reeling from his discoveries, but also trying to get back to doing what he does best— solving crimes. But the powers-that-be are less than enthusiastic about his return, and he is soon transferred from the investigation of the death of a prominent businessman to the murder of a homeless man. As he looks into events that took place long ago in Pinochet's Chile, Falcón realizes that the two deaths are linked, and that his life is in danger. Rosie Perez, Robert Lindsay, and Kenneth Cranham guest star.

Falcón is by his nature a loner, but he is aided in his investigations by his right-hand man, Inspector Luis Ramírez (Charlie Creed-Miles), and police officer Christina Ferrera (Natalia Tena). Although made for television, the two Falcón episodes are very cinematic — in their filmic style, brutal imagery, sexual themes, and strong language. Two very adult shows, but well worth watching.

Originally published on Blogcritics: DVD Review: ‘Falcón’

of all the sherlocks i've loved before

Sherlock Holmes, the master detective, was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887. Conan Doyle featured this most famous of London's consulting detectives in four novels (A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Valley of Fear) and 56 short stories. Holmes was a decidedly quirky but engaging character. His incredible powers of observation, his enormous ego, his attention to the most minute details, his love of disguise, his pipe smoking and cocaine habit — all add to this most well-rounded of fictional characters.

Holmes is so well-known that even his address, 221B, Baker Street, London, seems familiar to most. But what really makes the reader connect with the detective is how they get to know him through his friend and colleague, Dr. John H. Watson, who assists him on his cases and keeps a record of them and a subsequent biography of Holmes and his methods.

Basil Rathbone made the deerstalker and pipe look good

The first filmed version of Sherlock Holmes was in 1900, but most people have probably first encountered the detective as played by Basil Rathbone, with Nigel Bruce as his sidekick Dr. Watson. The duo appeared in in fourteen Hollywood productions, from 1939-46:

The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror, Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, Sherlock Holmes in Washington, Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, The Spider Woman, The Scarlet Claw, The Pearl of Death, The House of Fear, The Woman in Green, Pursuit to Algiers, Terror by Night, Dressed to Kill

Jeremy Brett practices violin to hone his mental powers

Rathbone, with his eloquent delivery, made for a dashing, impressive Holmes. But his interpretation was supplanted by what many consider to be the definitive version as played by Jeremy Brett, for Granada Television (from 1984-94). Two actors, David Burke and Edward Hardwicke, played Watson opposite Brett in the series. Brett's Holmes is supercilious, brilliant, but also human. The stories were all kept in their original Victorian London setting, although Holmes and Watson go farther afield when the case calls for it. I've seen other actors try their hand at Holmes — Peter Cushing (The Hound of the Baskervilles), Christopher Lee (Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady), Christopher Plummer (Murder By Decree), Nicol Williamson (The Seven-Per-Cent Solution), but Brett, more than any of them, seems to have captured the essence of the character.

Robert Downey, Jr. considers his next move

But Sherlock Holmes need not stay rooted in the past. Recently there has been a sudden renewal of interest in portraying a character that most are either overly familiar with — a Victorian-era armchair detective. In director Guy Ritchie's version, Holmes is a kick-ass, take-charge master of deduction, with the wry humor of Robert Downey, Jr. Downey, Jr. is paired with a fractious but devoted friend in Jude Law's Watson. They have so far appeared in two very high-powered entertaining films together, Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and in all likelihood, considering the films' success at the box office, will team up again, if Downey, Jr.'s other alter-ego, Iron Man, doesn't get in the way. Ritchie keeps Holmes in the Victorian era, although with a modern sensibility.

Benedict Cumberbatch considers his latest clue

There have been two other recent interpretations of Holmes, both updating the detective and his cases to the 20th century, while always keeping a nod to the original source material. The most critically acclaimed has been Sherlock, from BBC One, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the famous detective, with Martin Freeman as John Watson. Created by Dr. Who veterans Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, the focus is on an extremely anti-social Holmes, who utilizes the internet and other modern technology to physically separate himself from the world, while enabling him to cerebrally engage from the safety of his rooms and solve difficult cases. Cumberbatch manages to make his Holmes a little creepy and off-putting, and yet a little sexy, too. It's a fine balance, but he really pulls it off. Brilliantly.

Jonny Lee Miller utilizes varying techniques to aid his powers of deduction

On American television, on CBS, there is also now Elementary, featuring Jonny Lee Miller as Holmes. Watson, played by Lucy Liu, has been assigned to Holmes to help him overcome his drug addiction. They are invariably called in to solve some of modern day New York's most puzzling cases. Miller and Liu have a nice chemistry, and while it is not as over-the-top as Sherlock, it is also an entertaining interpretation.

Whatever your poison, Cumberbatch or Downey, Jr. or Brett or Miller or Rathbone, what all of these interpretations of Conan Doyle's master detective prove is that maybe there is always room for a new Sherlock Holmes.

poirot and marple — fan favorites

Acorn Media has released Agatha Christie's Poirot & Marple: Fan Favorites Collection on DVD. Acorn asked fans to vote for their favorite Christie mysteries, and have now packaged the results in an excellent six-disc collection.


David Suchet is the ultimate Hercule Poirot. He portrays the dapper Belgian detective with flair, humor, and intelligence. The Art Deco period sets and locations just enhance the experience. The six feature-length Poirot mysteries on three discs also feature Poirot's inimitable allies Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson), and Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran), Poirot's uber-efficient secretary. Some well-known guest stars also appear.

All six Poirot episodes are excellent, but Acorn wisely starts things off with "Murder on the Orient Express," a superb interpretation of Christie's classic whodunit, and one of the best in the entire series. Originally broadcast in 2010, with such recognizable guest stars as Jessica Chastain, Eileen Atkins, Hugh Bonneville, and Barbara Hershey, Poirot must determine who has brutally murdered an extremely unpleasant man named Ratchett (Toby Jones), a fellow passenger on the Orient Express. The claustrophobic environment (the train is stalled on the tracks during a blizzard), and the wide array of suspects, makes for a perfect Christie "closed room" murder. Suchet also gets the opportunity to explore parts of his character, such as Poirot's advancing age and his faith, in more depth than in other episodes of the series.

The rest of the episodes in the collection are from earlier in the series, but all have their great points as well. "Hercule Poirot’s Christmas," from 1995, features one of Christie's more grisly murders. Poirot is a reluctant house guest of the rich and elderly Simeon Lee (Vernon Dobtcheff), who has hired the detective to "observe" his family over the Christmas holiday. The audience may not care about the victim, who is one of Christie's most unlikeable characters, but they will enjoy the subtle humor and clever resolution to the crime, which, in typical Christie fashion, has been hiding in plain sight all along.

1990's "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is a post-WWI story involving Poirot and his friend Hastings, renewing their wartime friendship over a country house murder. It is as humorous as it is clever, and the viewer can enjoy watching Poirot tease his friend Hastings' less-than-stellar deductive properties, while marveling at how the little Belgian detective manages to keep up with the story's twists and turns before he catches the killer.

"The ABC Murders," originally broadcast in 1992, is one of Christie's more interesting plots. She sets Poirot on the trail of a serial killer with an alphabet fetish. Poirot must get into the mind of the killer, his focus more on psychology this time out than motive. Can Poirot, Japp, Hastings, and a band of interested parties - the loved ones of the killer's victims - form an effective detective squad and stop the self-named "ABC" before he strikes again?

Christie loved to send Poirot around the world, reflecting her own journeys with archaeologist husband Max Mallowan. In 1993's "The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb," an Egyptian tomb in the Valley of the Kings seems to be cursed as members of an excavation party keep dying. Poirot and Hastings travel to Egypt to discover the real culprit behind the series of mysterious deaths at an archaeological site. The locations and settings are as top-notch as ever, and the episode manages to successfully combine the Egyptomania of the period with Poirot's (and Christie's) truly ingenious solution.

The final Poirot mystery is one of Suchet's earliest outings as the character, it is 1989's "Four and Twenty Blackbirds." Viewers are treated to more aspects of Poirot's finicky character (the man must be a Virgo), especially regarding his relationship towards food, and his odd couple friendship with Japp, as the pair try to discover if there is something fishy behind the recent deaths of two estranged brothers. Are their deaths, which occurred within days of one another, coincidence or murder? Poirot's favorite restaurant, also a haunt of one of the brothers, and an unconventional artist's model, provide both exquisite period detail as well as clues to the solution of the mystery.

As for the Marple end of things, actresses Geraldine McEwan (right) and Julia McKenzie (below) offer their interpretations of the deceptively sweet Miss Marple. Christie's small-town busybody sleuth appears in five feature-length episodes from the Marple series in this set. The first three mysteries feature McEwan, and the last two McKenzie. Miss Marple's village of St. Mary Mead and its murderous denizens are portrayed in beautiful period detail, but the elderly sleuth does get out and about to solve a mystery or two. These interpretations of Christie's stories have also noticeably upped the sex angle. Sex and romance was always a feature in Christie's original tales, but the author tended to allude to such relationships more daintily than the way in which they are depicted herein.

The first episode, "The Murder at the Vicarage," originally broadcast in 2004, features the usually cuddly Derek Jacobi as the bombastic Colonel Protheroe, a self-important bigwig in St. Mary Mead. Protheroe almost seems to ask to be murdered, as he huffs and puffs his way through the village, and soon enough someone eagerly complies. Miss Marple must sort through a list of suspects who also happen to be her very good friends and neighbors--played by such talents as Janet McTeer, Jason Flemyng, and Rachael Stirling--before she can come up with a solution to the crime.

2005's "A Murder Is Announced" has Miss Marple trying to sort out why a "murder game," intended for an evening's entertainment, turned chillingly real. McEwan's Marple is more of the annoying little old lady next door than Agatha Christie's kindly, fluffy elderly spinster, who always seemed to be knitting something fuzzy in blue or pink. But her nosiness serves her well as she sorts out the complex relationships of the guests at the house party and discovers who is responsible. As with all the Marple episodes, the casting is first-rate, with such guest stars as Zoë Wanamaker, Matthew Goode, Cherie Lunghi, and Sienna Guillory.

The final McEwan Marple episode in the collection, 2007's "At Bertram’s Hotel," bears little resemblance to the original Christie story, apart from Miss Marple's affection for London's Bertram's Hotel. If Christie fans can tolerate the changes to the story, there is a lot to enjoy, especially the period atmosphere of the hotel and its regular and transient guests, played by such great actors as Francesca Annis, Polly Walker, and Peter Davison.

Julia McKenzie takes over as Marple in "A Pocket Full of Rye," which was originally broadcast in 2008. This adaptation features a much more down-to-earth Miss Marple. Here, she is tasked with determining who wanted a wealthy businessman (Kenneth Cranham) dead — and the list of suspects is quite long. But her job is also a quite personal one as young maid named Gladys, from St. Mary Mead, has been murdered as well. McKenzie's Marple is sharp as ever, but perhaps without the acerbic edge that McEwan brought to the role. The impressive list of guest stars includes Rupert Graves, Matthew MacFadyen, and Helen Baxendale.


The final Marple episode in the collection is 2010's "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side." One of the best entries in the Marple series, the mystery finds the villagers of St. Mary Mead starstruck when a Hollywood actress (Lindsay Duncan), and her director husband, move to town. Joanna Lumley is clearly having a blast as Miss Marple's dear friend Dolly Bantry, and although the story has some quite tragic elements, there is an overall feeling of brightness and fun to the episode. Caroline Quentin and Hugh Bonneville guest star, and McKenzie proves that she truly is Marple in this third filmed adaptation of the novel (previous entries featured Joan Hickson and Angela Lansbury).

The mysteries in the collection are in all color, 16:9 widescreen format, with stereo sound, and SDH subtitles. The Poirot set has a total running time of approximately 503 minutes and the Marple set approximately 463 minutes. The Marple set includes a bonus booklet insert that includes the recipe for the "Delicious Death" chocolate cake featured in "A Murder Is Announced."

Acorn has released all of the individual mysteries before, and has done so in a wide array of sets. Even so, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Marple: Fan Favorites Collection is a boon for folks who want to dabble in the Agatha Christie mysteries, or who are missing a few of the full sets. The quality of the DVDs is as high as ever, and fans of Christie and British mystery should experience hours of enjoyment from this collection.

barnaby bids midsomer farewell

Article first published as DVD Review: Midsomer Murders: Set 20 on Blogcritics.

Acorn Media has released another wonderful set of Midsomer Murders. Midsomer Murders: Set 20includes four full-length mysteries, "Master Class," "The Noble Art," "Not in My Backyard," and "Fit for Murder."

Available to U.S. audiences for the first time, Set 20 is the latest Midsomer Murders release from Acorn Media, which has previously released Sets 1-19, as well as three special collector’s sets featuring assorted episodes: The Early Cases Collection, Barnaby’s Casebook, and Village Case Files. The Set 20 DVD set contains four discs, with SDH subtitles and an approximate total running time of 360 minutes. The episodes are in color, stereo, and widescreen, with an aspect ratio of 1.66:1.

Set 20 features the last cases of Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby (John Nettles), who has been investigating the mayhem and murder that has lurked behind the well-trimmed hedges and rural villages of Midsomer since 1997. But crime-ridden Midsomer (and viewers) need not fear, because although Barnaby has more than earned his well-deserved retirement, he is not leaving its residents without protection. His cousin, DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) is taking over the top cop position, with Detective Sergeant Ben Jones (Jason Hughes) still on hand.

Barnaby's last four episodes are as stacked high with dead bodies and small-village intrigue as ever. But the always stoic Barnaby shows hints of his weariness of the murderous goings-on. His disatisfaction comes to a head in the final episode in the set, "Fit for Murder," when after having a "relaxing" spa weekend with his wife cut short by the usual multiple murders, Barnaby comes to a momentous decision about his future.

It is in this episode that Neil Dudgeon makes his first appearance as DCI John Barnaby, and that viewers must bid farewell to John Nettles. Also leaving Midsomer (and the series) are Barnaby's ever-patient wife Joyce (Jane Wymark), his daughter Cully (Laura Howard), and DC Stephens (Kirsty Dillon). If saying goodbye to Nettles & Co. isn't emotional enough, the fourth disc with "Fit for Murder" also includes two special bonus features - a photo gallery, "Barnaby Through the Years," and an essay, "Saying Goodbye to Barnaby." Both items offer excellent opportunities to revisit Midsomer and its popular chief detective inspector.

What has always been so appealing about Midsomer Murders is the mixture of the beautiful, bucolic scenery of the assorted villages (59 in all!) located in Midsomer County and brutal murders that just keep happening and happening. Barnaby's patient, diligent approach to solving a crime (or in most instances, multiple crimes) help him navigate the village factions and their various, sometimes eccentric interests. In the course of the four episodes in Set 20 Barnaby finds himself at a highly competitive school of music ("Master Class"), among boxing enthusiasts ("The Noble Art"), trying to unravel a land development scam ("Not in My Backyard"), and at a fancy spa ("Fit for Murder"), suspecting his neighbors, played by some great British actors, including James Fox, Frances Barber, Michelle Fairley, and Phil Daniels.

As much as fans may lament the departure of John Nettles, Midsomer Murders is still in production in the U.K., and looks to be running for quite some time. Although he will be sorely missed, Set 20 is a fitting farewell and tribute to Nettles's reign in Midsomer, and thankfully his many episodes as DCI Barnaby are available to be viewed and enjoyed over and over again.