The Mirror Crack'd

Starring:Angela Lansbury, Geraldine Chaplin, Tony Curtis, Edward Fox, Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, Elizabeth Taylor, Wendy Morgan, Margaret Courtenay, Charles Gray, Marella Oppenheim, Maureen Bennett, Carolyn Pickles, Eric Dodson, Charles Lloyd Pack, Richard Pearson (II), Thick Wilson, Pat Nye, Peter Woodthorpe, Anthony Steel
Director: Guy Hamilton
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Death on the Nile
Following Albert Finney's quirky and compelling performance as Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, in 1974's Murder on the Orient Express, Peter Ustinov capably took over the role in this 1978 adaptation of Christie's river-bound whodunit. While on a pleasure cruise along the Nile with a taciturn companion (David Niven), Poirot slips into action following the murder of a much-despised heiress (Lois Chiles). There's no shortage of suspects... until, that is, they also start dying off, obfuscating the investigation by suggesting that several killers may be at work. With a disciplined screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, the film is solid enough and is graced immeasurably by a glittery cast including Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow, Olivia Hussey, Jack Warden, and Angela Lansbury. Directed with customary efficiency by John Guillermin (King Kong, The Towering Inferno). --Tom Keogh

Evil Under the Sun
Mostly for Poirot completists and admirers of then-trendy, all-star ensemble casts from the 1970s and early '80s, Evil Under the Sun finds Peter Ustinov in his second outing as Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective (three years after 1978's Death on the Nile). As the title promises, the action this time takes place on an Adriatic island (though Christie fans will surely balk at the switch from the novel's setting on the English coast), where a famous stage star (Diana Rigg) is murdered, and the list of likely suspects is unusually high. The parade of legendary performers--Roddy McDowall, James Mason, Sylvia Miles, Maggie Smith, Jane Birkin--plus Ustinov's energetic performance keep things hopping. But Anthony Shaffer's lazy screenplay and director Guy Hamilton's superficial approach nudge everything (action, characters, tone) toward campy, near-parody, with bitchy sniping, tacky costumes, and an obligatory soundtrack of Cole Porter tunes. It's only in the last lap that the film transcends such obviousness and finds its way back to the glories of detective fiction. --Tom Keogh

The Mirror Crack'd
Angela Lansbury does the honors as Agatha Christie's determined sleuth, Miss Marple, in this adaptation of Christie's novel. A washed-up movie star (Elizabeth Taylor) is attempting to make a comeback but is driven to distraction by a mysterious event from her past. Also problematic for Taylor's struggling actress is a series of murders occurring with clockwork regularity in the quiet, 1950s English village where a film is being produced--killings that are all somehow connected to her. Despite the British backdrop, most of the suspects, including Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, and Tony Curtis, are American in this 1980 feature directed by Guy Hamilton (Evil Under the Sun). (At least Miss Marple's nephew, the redoubtable Inspector Craddock, is played by Edward Fox.) The bad news: this is a curiously flat, monotonous film, with a mystery hook that, sad to say, is among Christie's more familiar and predictable. Hamilton doesn't demand much of his largely ornamental cast, and they don't volunteer much to fill the void. Still, fans of Miss Marple and Christie, especially those with a burning hunger to see every film or television program based on the books, will want to check it out. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Timeless classics.......2007-05-13

I was so delighted to find these wonderful Agatha Christie mysteries out on DVD finally I've seen them all a few times but the stories are still intriguing. It's also a delight to see many of the old stars in their glory days and some of today's stars in their beginning roles. I love a movie that can be watched over and over again and not lose its freshness. These movies definitely fit that category.

Agatha Christie.......2007-05-07

Being a big fan of Agatha Christie and Peter Ustinov, i was not disappointed in the movie versions. Well worth the price to see them.

Great movies.......2007-05-07

I have looked at every place that rents movies for these titles. I love Death on teh Nile and Evil Under the Sun. But, I could never find them. Now I can watch them as much as I want. I have to laugh at the how Death on the Nile, changes the geography of Egypt. To think that you could be in Luxor in the morning and Abu Simbel before sunset can only be movie magic. But, I loved it anyway.

As good as excellent and better than brilliant........2006-05-05

This only concerns "Death on the Nile".
This blockbusting film adapted from Agatha Christie's novel is the very archetype and acme of her detective stories, at least those using the services of the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot from Brussels. She builds up a closed set of people who are all concerned by the murder that is committed in a closed environment. They all have some personal interest to commit this crime, hence a motive, and none of them have an alibi, at least a real alibi. They can all have done it and Poirot is going to use his Belgian brain to sort out the facts and bring out the truth, as a reconstruction that is intended to trap or trick the culprit. And it works. That's how the mystery is resolved. One shady corner can be found though: the cobra in Poirot's bathroom will remain unexplained. It must have been overlooked at some moment in the making of the film because Agatha Christie would never do such a mistake.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne

Nice set, worth the price.......2004-04-24

I really loved all the Agatha Christie movies from the late 70's and early 80's. Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun are top notch. Both DVDs are worth the price alone for this set. Each DVD comes with extras, which is sort of amazing considering the age of these movies. In Death and Evil, they have brief interviews with most cast members about how they view their character, the hallmarks of each character, and whether they actually like the character. These are on-set interviews. There is a mini documentary about how the steamer from Death was found, and how it was recreated in the studio and how they dealt with moonlight scenes and the river look. It was great. There was a whole discussion about how the island was selected for Evil. There are a few interviews with Peter Ustinov as well. No deleted scenes or alternative endings, but great extras otherwise. Each comes with a theatrical trailer as well.

Death on the Nile is one I can watch over and over. It boast a great cast, a great script, and good action. It is very funny also. Evil Under the Sun is almost as good, it is funnier but there's not as much action, only one corpse. Both have lovely scenery and are truly good mysteries. I love Ustinov as the Belgian sleuth.

The Mirror Crack'd is the relative dud in this series. It was made around the same time as the others by the same people, so I see why it's included here, and it was also an all-star cast, but the story is rather dull and plodding. Little action, some decent humor, but it's not something you'd care to watch more than once or twice. It is more interesting to watch just to see a middle aged Elizabeth Taylor act with a slightly pre-AIDS Rock Hudson with a still young-looking Kim Novak. Neither Taylor nor Hudson gives a particularly memorable performance in this one, it does seem that at times Taylor and Hudson appear to be reading lines and showing no emotion or interest in their performances. They are that dull in this. A nice turn for Novak however, she plays the brazen hussie to the hilt and has some really funny lines, particularly with Taylor. But the story itself holds little interest and becomes tedious many times during the movie. Many have criticized Landsbury as Miss Marple. I thought she was fine, but doesn't have the zing of Ustinov.

Amazon.com

Angela Lansbury does the honors as Agatha Christie's determined sleuth, Miss Marple, in this adaptation of Christie's novel. A washed-up movie star (Elizabeth Taylor) is attempting to make a comeback but is driven to distraction by a mysterious event from her past. Also problematic for Taylor's struggling actress is a series of murders occurring with clockwork regularity in the quiet, 1950s English village where a film is being produced--killings that are all somehow connected to her. Despite the British backdrop, most of the suspects, including Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, and Tony Curtis, are American in this 1980 feature directed by Guy Hamilton (Evil Under the Sun). (At least Miss Marple's nephew, the redoubtable Inspector Craddock, is played by Edward Fox.) The bad news: this is a curiously flat, monotonous film, with a mystery hook that, sad to say, is among Christie's more familiar and predictable. Hamilton doesn't demand much of his largely ornamental cast, and they don't volunteer much to fill the void. Still, fans of Miss Marple and Christie, especially those with a burning hunger to see every film or television program based on the books, will want to check it out. This DVD edition is presented in the film's original widescreen format, and it includes television spots that were part of the film's marketing at the time of its theatrical release. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

"What are you supposed to be, a birthday cake?".......2007-06-12

There are about five glorious minutes in this 1980 adaptation of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple whodunnit when Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak--all in purple and pink (respectively)--face off against one another as rival aging movie queens at a St. Mary's Mead function and try to outdo one another with great catty zingers. This must have been the only possible reason why these two came out of retirement to do this film (that and the chance to wear some great Tudor costumes as Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I in the film-within-a-film they're making), because otherwise there's not much point to this movie, which falls somewhat dully. Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis also appear in duller roles as a director and producer, and they don't get much spark going; even Taylor seems sort of benumbed through the whole thing except for her great scene whooping it up with Novak. Only Novak herself really seems to be having a good time. Angela Lansbury works hard as Miss Marple (it has even been suggested this performance cinched her job for many years as Jessica Fletcher in MURDER SHE WROTE), but she acts far too grandly for the part, and seems hampered by the aging make-up they used. While the period costumes fare a bit better (Taylor has a purple and white sprigged turban that must be seen to be believed), the sets are as terrible as the make-up: everything seems done by Laura Ashley and looks not in the least like 1950s Britain.

There's a great howler of a flashback at the end of the film where Taylor's character is doing a 1940's USO show and the director mericlessly cuts between closeups of her plump face and then of her body double's slim figure shown from the back that's about as technically sophisticated as THE PATTY DUKE SHOW. Other than that sequence and the catfight, there's not much else worth seeing.

"A bit of a bore. . . but you don't kill someone for that!".......2007-02-16

Well, I actually liked this version of Agatha Christie's murder mystery, because it swayed from the pretentious. It was like wanting to see a great "cop" movie and got stuck watching "Police Academy." Honestly, there is no way this movie could be taken seriously, it was a joyfest for the aging movie stars to give it one last rumble.
A young celebrity fan gets caught up as the victim, by the murderer who discovers a hidden secret from them, that destroyed their life. However, the victim is meant to appear as a mistaken murder, with the murderer posing as the actual intended victim. Not a bad plot in reality, but lost in muddled star cameos. I hate to say it, but I entirely looked at this movie as a comedy, and glad I did. It worked better that way, than real mystery drama.

Agatha Christie's he Mirror Cracked.......2007-01-12

This story is not one of Christie's best in my opinion, where Miss Marple becomes involved in the glamourous world of films. All star cast but not an all star script. Lansbury is fine as Miss Marple, but rather different from Joan Higdon who has made the character her own. A must for Christie fans, but not one of the best.

"Murder, She Droned".......2006-07-18

For anybody that is expecting production values similar to those of the best TV mysteries of the nineties and later (like the Marple series with Geraldine McEwan or David Suchet's Poirot) this production will be a big disappointment. Angela Lansbury makes a really awful Marple and the addition of various "big name" stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson ruin the mood even further since the director is apparently forced to linger and linger on meaningless scenes that give the "stars" extra screen time.

The sets look like somebody decided to save money by putting in the minimum effort to make them look like they came from 1953. You could barely tell the difference between the interiors from this film and what you would expect to see on Magnum P.I.

Although this is probably one of the less exciting Miss Marple stories the terrible production values, awful casting, and absurd cliches ruin whatever chances this had of being watchable.

The Mirror Crack'd.......2006-07-03

Movie arrived in excellent condition in the expected week.
Can't claim. I watched the movie and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Agathie Christie's Miss Marple - A Caribbean Mystery / The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side

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Agathie Christie's Miss Marple

Agathie Christie's Miss Marple - A Caribbean Mystery / The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Customer Reviews:

Agathie Christie's Miss Marple.......2007-06-05

"A Caribbean Mystery"
Introducing Jason Rafiel
A relative of Aunt Jane's pays her way for a rest in the West Indies. There she is still sort of out of place with the exception of talkative Major Palgrave who turns up dead. Aunt Jane is teaming up with and usually out guessing another guest (the exocentric millionaire) Mr. Rafael. In the process a few more murders show up and everyone looks suspicious.
This story introduces you to Jason Rafiel who will turn up again in "Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, V. 7: Nemesis (1986) ASIN: 6303404855.
I t was an intriguing touch to have the dead person's spirit supposed to come back after nine days to get revenge.
You will want to view this movie several times to see how the plot could have gone. Later this movie will be like a friend and just need watching again.
"The Mirror Cracked from Side to Side"
Mirror Cracked from Side to Side
Aunt Jane finds herself at a local an annual summer garden party hosted by the new owners of Gossington Hall. The new owner is an aging movie star who is at odds with the studio producing the latest movie. A visitor mysteriously dies. People start dropping like flies and the Movie Star (Marina) knows she is next. The title of the movie is taken from "The Lady of Shallot"
Joan Hickson is Miss Marple. Agatha Christie always considered her as the ideal Miss Marple; she shows this through her reserve savvy. Jane takes an interactive interest in the mystery and yet each character as part of the discovery, stands on their own. The ending of the story is as is in life, it is appropriate not black and white judgmental.

Average customer rating:

"What are you supposed to be, a birthday cake?"
"A bit of a bore. . . but you don't kill someone for that!"
Agatha Christie's he Mirror Cracked
"Murder, She Droned"
The Mirror Crack'd

The Mirror Crack'd [Region 2]
Starring: Angela Lansbury , Geraldine Chaplin , Tony Curtis , Edward Fox , and Rock Hudson
Director: Guy Hamilton
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

Evil Under the Sun
Death on the Nile
Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express
And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie Collection Featuring Peter Ustinov (Dead Man's Folly / Murder in Three Acts / Thirteen at Dinner)

ASIN: B00004XOC0

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Customer Reviews:

"What are you supposed to be, a birthday cake?".......2007-06-12

"A bit of a bore. . . but you don't kill someone for that!".......2007-02-16

Agatha Christie's he Mirror Cracked.......2007-01-12

"Murder, She Droned".......2006-07-18

The Mirror Crack'd.......2006-07-03

Movie arrived in excellent condition in the expected week.
Can't claim. I watched the movie and thoroughly enjoyed it.

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