All 4 films have had a restoration done by Silver Salt Restoration from the original 35mm negative. The restoration looks terrific and easily betters, in terms of picture quality, previous Blu-Ray releases. There is a very fine film grain across all of the films which isn’t distracting and only adds to the film like quality of the picture.
Sound across all discs is either the original stereo or mono soundtracks with no surround upgrades. Like the film quality the soundtracks are terrific.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (1974)
In the early 70s Nat Cohen, chairman of EMI Films, obtained the film rights to four Agatha Christie novels (each of which are included in the Studiocanal collection). The first of which, Murder on The Orient Express, was released in 1974 with Albert Finney playing The Belgium detective Hercule Poirot. (for a number of reasons including not wanted to be typecast and reluctant to put himself through the ordeal of having to wear heavy make up in the heat of Egypt, the next film Death On the Nile, was to be filmed in Egypt, this was Finney’s one and only appearance as Poirot, he was to replaced by Peter Ustinov in Death on the Nile).
It's a shame that Finney didn’t carry on with the character as his take on the detective easily makes Murder On The Orient Express the best in the series. Ustinov is good but his attempt at adding humor to the role doesn’t always work.
As was the way with all four of Cohen’s adaptions, Murder on The Orient Express added a starry cast that was a mix of Hollywood stars from its golden age and younger up and coming actors. Lauren Bacall, Richard Widmark, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave and Anthony Perkins just to name a few.
Unsurprisingly Murder on The Orient Express is set on the The Orient Express train where, again unsurprisingly, a murder occurs. As is the way with all the Agatha Christy films it could easily be split into three acts. In the first act we’re introduced to the cast, each of which we discover have a motive for murdering the eventual victim. The second act involves the murder whilst the final act sees Hercule Poirot solving the crime.
With a career best performance from Albert Finney, Murder On The Orient Express is an engrossing piece of filmmaking and is easily the best of the four films.
5/5
DEATH ON THE NILE (1978)
Strangely after the critical and box-office success of Murder On The Orient Express it took four years for the next Hercule Poirot film to hit screens, With Finney refusing to return the role passed to Peter Ustinov.
Agatha Christie didn’t veer much from her successful formula with Death On The Nile, the location has changed but the plot is pretty much the same as Murder on The Orient Express.
This time instead of travelling on a train the suspects, Hercule Poirot and the murder victim are taking a cruise down the Nile and like Murder on The Orient Express everyone on the cruise has a motive for murdering the victim.
Cohen again brings together a cast of Hollywood’s old timers and younger actors to the screen, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow and David Niven are just a few in the star-studded cast.
Death On The Nile is an enjoyable romp and is easily better than Kenneth Branagh’s poor attempt at a remake in 2022.
4/5
THE MIRROR CRACK’D (1980)
EMI decided to give Hercule Poirot a rest in 1980 with the next film being The Mirror Crack’d featuring Angela Lansbury as Agatha Christie’s Miss Jane Marple, the elderly English fictional detective.
Set in 1953, a Hollywood production company descend on the English Village of St Mary Mead, the home of Miss Marple. After someone is murdered at a reception given by the film company it’s up to Miss Marpe and her detective nephew (Edward Fox) to solve the mystery.
With the weakest acting of the four films, Elizabeth Taylor hams it up something awful and Angela Lansbury’s performance borders on the excentric (this was the one and only time that she played Miss Marple), The Mirror Crack’d is easily the poorest of EMI’s Christie adaptions.
The cast also includes Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, Tony Curtis and Geraldine Chaplin.
3/5
EVIL UNDER THE SUN (1982)
After The Mirror Crack’d’s disappointed at the box-office Nat Cohen and EMI returned to the character of Hercule Poirot for their fourth and final film in the series.
Peter Ustinov again reprised his role as Poirot but unlike the previous three films, and owing to a reduced budget, the acting talent was reduced to lesser-known names with only James Mason being classed as a real Hollywood star. The rest of the cast is made up of the likes of Diana Rigg, Roddy McDowall, Maggie Smith and Jane Birkin.
The plot sees Poirot ending up in an expensive hotel on an island in the Adriatic Sea.
As is the way with Poirot, death follows him around and one of the guests ends up murdered.
3/5