Tag: Agatha Christie

BritBox: Murder is Easy Agatha Christie Redux

Murder is Easy: Christie Redux All photographs courtesy of BritBox

BritBox is dropping an Agatha Christie redux on March 1, 2024: Murder is Easy. This murder mystery, set in 1954, is literally teeming with bodies. All killed in a myriad of ways. So dust off your dinner jacket and remember pinkies out, it is time for a foray into small town murder.

Christie fans will remember the book this two part series is adapted from. The Mistress of murder debuted Murder is Easy in 1939, first in the UK and later in the US. The main redux of the novel is both an updating in time to 1954, and change of characters. There are also a few plot point deviations. *The time change is more than acceptable as it allows a nod to Dean Martin.*

Redux

The major redux in Murder is Easy is the protagonist change. Luke Fitzwilliam in no longer a retired copper. He is now a Whitehall debutant. The young man is from Nigeria and it is he who must suss out just who the serial killer is. A chance meeting with Miss Pinkerton (Penelope Wilton) on the train to London sets young Fitzwilliam on a very different sort of journey.

All photographs courtesy of BritBox
David Jonsson as Fitzwilliam

Fitzwilliam finds Miss Pinkerton brutally murdered. She had just won a large sum of money. Luke placed her bet on the horses for her. He finds her body when he goes to drop off her winnings. Luke then goes to inform her family. He also intends to deliver her considerable reward from the bookies to her heirs. His next stop is Wychwood under Ashe.

Murder is Easy makes a slight deviation from its source material in a number of areas. Although most of the players are all the same, some liberties have been taken in order roles they play. These are, we hasten to add, mainly cosmetic and unimportant in nature, nor are they of any major consequence.

The players

The players in Murder is Easy are all the same, barring the change of occupation and country of origin of Fitzwilliam. Each character is brought to magnificent life by the actors cast in their respective roles.

Miss Pinkerton, who leaves all to soon with a little help from the village serial killer. *Penelope Wilton as usual knocks this one out of the park.

Luke Fitzwilliam earnestly trying to track down what resident of this quaint village is the killer or killers.

Lord Whitfield (Tom Riley); all full of his own self importance and a secret or two to hide.

Murder is Easy photographs provided by BritBox.
Bayton and the Bonner

Dr Thomas (Mathew Baynton) the local doctor with a fiance and secrets of his own.

Rose Humbleby (Phoebe Licorish) the young woman Thomas intends to wed and daughter of:

Mrs. Humbleby (Nimra Bucha) mother to Rose and wife of:

Reverend Humbleby (Mark Bonnar) the village vicar.

Murder is Easy photographs provided by BritBox.
Bridget and Whitfield

Bridget Conway (Morfydd Clark) the “ingenue” of this mystery and fiance Whitfield.

Major Horton (Douglas Henshall) a widower with two bulldogs.

The Major and bulldogs

Behind the scenes

Director Meenu Gaur and editor Matthew Tucker have put together a wonderful mix of old fashioned village life juxtaposed against the early ’50s. Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre, adapted Agatha Christies novel with an almost seamless touch. The production design by Andy Harris is spot on and the art design by Jean Kerr is nigh on perfect.

The location(s) sets up the scenes with authority and that local village quaintness of yesteryear brilliantly.

All the rest

The rest of the Murder is Easy cast comprise victims and other suspects. *On a side note, we are always happy to see personal favourite Tamzin Outhwaite in a supporting role of any kind.

Murder is Easy offers a number of potential suspects, anyone of whom could be the killer. The body count is high.

This offering of classic British murder and mayhem will stream March 1. This is one to watch. We guarantee that it is well worth the visit. Get a bag of popcorn and a pint, or two, and enjoy.

Murder is Easy trailer:

A Haunting in Venice: Haunted Poirot

A Haunting in Venice: Haunted Poirot

A Haunting in Venice features a haunted Poirot. The Belgian detective with the “mustaches” sees and hears a few ghosts in this film. Kenneth Branagh stars as Agatha Christie’s diminutive crime solver extraordinaire. This is not his first time donning the “stache.” He is in good company. 40 actors have portrayed Poirot over the years. *David Suchet holds the record playing the Belgian an incredible 70 times on British television.*

Branagh has played the sleuth three times. Twice in remakes and now this new movie based very loosely on Christie’s book Halloween Party. In many ways, apart from Poirot attempting to debunk a haunted piazza, this feels a little like “Mousetrap.” This West End stage production has been playing so long that it holds the world title of “longest running.”

Films, stage and television adaptations aside, Christie penned 33 novels and 51 short stories. All these tales have been about Poirot. There have also been 14 films made about the little Belgian with the gray cells. *Does anyone else feel the overwhelming compulsion to speak with a french accent after watching one of these?*

The story

A haunted Poirot is “hiding” in Venice. He refuses to solve crime. He is haunted by death. The neverending tide of corpses have driven him to a retirement of mediocrity. Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) entices Poirot out of his self imposed exile from crime.

There is an invitation to a party and a seance from the tragic Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly). Her daughter died at the haunted piazza she owns. A world class medium; Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) will attempt to contact Drake’s daughter, Alicia. The main seance attendees include Poirot, Rowena, and Ariadne. The rest of this small party includes, Olga, Dr. Ferrier and his son Leopold as well as Maxime Gerard (The fiance who broke things off with Alicia.) Also along for the ride are Joyce’s assistants: Desdemona and Nicholas Holland and last but not least, the ex cop who protects Poirot from the world; Vitale Portfoglio.

After the party guests depart, this Halloween seance begins. Everyone sits but Poirot. His detecting is about to begin.

Everything else

The entire tone of this film is, in turns, moody, foreboding, dark and scary. The pallet of colour chosen by the director, along with the cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, is perfect for this haunted mystery that Poirot must solve.

Everyone brings something to the table here. However, it goes without saying that the winner of the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award in this brilliant offering from Branagh and writer Michael Green, is Jude Hill. This young actor almost steals the film. There is no point where eyes do not go immediately to him when he appears.

A Haunting in Venice has more twists than a Chubby Checker dance contest and some darn good scare scenes. Overall, this Christie adaptation is almost perfect.

We give this one a full 5 stars. Sure there are a few goofs here and there, but not enough to spoil this atmospheric nod to Poirot. It is streaming on Hulu at the moment. Head on over and check it out.

Scream Queens: Thanksgiving – Bring Me the Head of Gigi Caldwell (Review)

The Scream Queens Thanksgiving episode should have been titled Bring Me the Head of Gigi Caldwell. While the whole Thanksgiving Agatha Christie reveal scene at the Kappa Kappa Tau meal felt like one long buildup for the diners to see that Gigi lost her head to the remaining red devil killer.

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The Scream Queens: Thanksgiving episode  should have been titled Bring Me the Head of Gigi Caldwell. While  the whole Thanksgiving Agatha Christie reveal scene at the Kappa Kappa Tau meal felt like one long buildup for the diners to see that Gigi lost her head to the remaining red devil killer.

It has to be said that only this series could blend the kid’s game Duck, Duck Goose into a Miss Marple/Hercule Poirot “the killer is” dinner scene so seamlessly. After Dean Munsch (Jamie Lee Curtis) delivers her evidence to prove the Chanel # 3 (Billie Lourd) is her prime suspect, the dean pats the sorority sister on the head saying “Goose.”  Then, following the rules of the children’s game, # 3 gives her evidence (being “it”) that Munsch is the killer. 

The Thanksgiving scream queens, plus one,  at the house then do a round robin as various protagonists point the accusatory finger at their choice suspect. Note: The idea of naming the killer was Dean Munsch’s brainchild.  Episode 110 of Scream Queens has the various sorority sisters heading out to attend celebrations away from the house only to return. The girls  then partake in the “mystery dinner party” reveal game suggested by the dean.

Hester (Lea Michele) pops up alive and well at the Radwell family feast, after being pushed down the stairs last week by Chanel Oberlin  in the sorority house. The Radwell family tree is chock full of various versions of Chad, in other words the entire clan turn out to be snobby, snotty and downright nasty.

*Sidenote* Did anyone else notice that Julia Duffy (Newhart, Shameless) who played mommy Radwell,  looked an awful lot like Brit entertainer Jennifer Saunders‘ character in Shrek 2?

Standout moment:

Grace’s dad Wes (Oliver Hudson) confessing  that he was in the meat locker because of his new diet.

“Paleo diet. It works.”

“Paleo.”

Standout Moment Deux:

The brilliantly vicious and tacky Pictionary game at Chateau Radwell:

“Snore, uh, uh, um, um, whore! Neck brace whore! ”

(Radwell family cheers)

“Neck brace whore!”

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Neck brace whore (Lea Michele) Chad (Glen Powell) and Chanel # 1 (Emma Roberts)

Of course the episode’s crowning moment (See what we did there?), which allows all the participants at the Kappa Kappa Tau Thanksgiving dinner to scream in horror,  is the appearance of Gigi Caldwell’s decapitated head in place of the “pardoned’ Tiburon.

Missed Opportunity:

Pete’s list of evidence, which actually revealed that Grace’s dad, is the father of the recently deceased Boone, was not done in his “Matthew McConaughey” voice. Would have been perfect guys, and you missed the chance to bring Diego Boneta all the way home. 

Coulda, shoulda, woulda…eh fellas?

Near Miss:

Chanel # 3 and her Thanksgiving meal of Swinson’s TV dinners.  This gag was a “close but no cigar” joke that did not quite work.  There was the sound of gears meshing in thin air as the whole thing felt like a near miss instead of the spot on humor this series is known for.

Scream Queens: Thanksgiving was, overall, humorous well paced and a little annoying.  If felt like that long, and massively irritating, “Little Bunny Foo Foo” joke.  All build up and too long a wait for the punch line.

At the start of the episode, where Gigi hands the electric carving knife to the remaining red devil killer, the audience know that this grown up sorority sister has goofed.  It was, from the moment that the costumed serial killer “revved” the blade, fait accompli that Caldwell’s severed head was going to turn up.

Unfortunately, by the time that Gigi’s “John the Baptist” entrance is made the viewer has almost forgotten the buzzing carving knife.

Scream Queens does still deliver in the comedy department though.  Curtis’ vitriolic and acid tongued college kid hating dean is still brilliant and continues to amuse:

Chanel # 3: “Then Dean Munsch.”

Munsch:  “Than. Not then… Than. Have you ever even cracked open a book? Or attended a class? (snorting) God. I hate you people.”

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“Then Dean Munsch…” (Billie Lourd)

As the list of suspects dwindles;  both Gigi and Boone are now dead,  the last red devil killer is still at large. However, as the late Ms Caldwell stated in an earlier episode, her team of serial killers are not the only homicidal maniacs haunting the college grounds and eliminating sorority sisters.

Scream Queens airs Tuesdays on FOX. Tune in to see who the next victim will be.

 

‘Gracepoint’ More is Not Better

‘Gracepoint’ More is Not Better

English mysteries are an exceptional form of entertainment, that Gracepoint is a remake of what has been termed an outstanding seaside murder whodunit, is a compliment to the original, but someone should have told Fox that more is not better. Anyone who has seen the superior ITV (which stands for Independent Television) production either on English terrestrial channels or on the “American made” BBC America network, which presumably shows the best of British telly regardless of who makes it across the pond, knows that by this time in the original show, the killer was caught.

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Sabotage a Grownup Film for Grownup Fans

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Sabotage a Grownup Film for Grownup Fans

Not everyone who watched Arnold Schwarzenegger in Sabotage enjoyed the experience or the film too much, but in terms of the former California Governor’s comeback trail, at least it is a grownup film for his grownup fans. While waiting for the film to begin at the AMC Town Square 18 theater, the man in charge of the advanced screening made sure to tell those in the audience that the movie was rated “R” for a reason.