11/19/2023 0 Comments Julia mckenzie marple episodesEvil Under the Sun and The Last of Sheila were both major inspirations for Rian Johnson when making Glass Onion.ġ982 – 2017 – Christie out of favor in Cinemasīetween 1982’s Evil Under the Sun and Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express (2017), you’d be hard-pressed to find a single English language Christie adaptation that was released theatrically. We’re back to an exotic location (an exclusive hotel on an island), and this has probably the best costumes of the four. Evil Under the Sun stars Maggie Smith and Jane Birkin (who were both in Nile), as well as a fabulous Diana Rigg, along with James Mason and Roddy McDowall. It has a less glamorous setting than the other three, but it’s fun to see Taylor amongst the coconut shies and Victoria sponges of an English fete. The Mirror Crack’d brings the staggering star power of Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and Tony Curtis – but it’s Kim Novak who steals the show as Taylor’s rival. ![]() In the 80s, Guy Hamilton directed two Christie adaptations – 1980’s The Mirror Crack’d with Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple, and 1982’s Evil Under the Sun with Ustinov returning as Poirot. There are some highlights, such as Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, David Niven, and Maggie Smith and 1930s Egypt is another fantastic setting. ![]() 1978’s Death on the Nile introduces Peter Ustinov as Poirot, but the director and ensemble cast aren’t as strong as in Orient Express. The plot is delicious – from the inciting incident based on the Lindbergh baby kidnapping to the denouement involving all 12 members of the main cast. Then there’s the phenomenal cast, which includes Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael York, and Jacqueline Bisset. Firstly, there’s the absolutely stunning setting of the train itself, with its sumptuous Art Deco design. Maybe the best of the four was the first (although they’re all great) – Sidney Lumet’s Murder on the Orient Express (1974) starring Albert Finney as Poirot. To this day (nearly 50 years later), Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile are the most iconic and famous Christie stories, and it’s thanks to their 1970s movie adaptations. These two decades produced four fantastic Christie movies starring the cream of British and American acting talent, and the two 70s movies in particular really cemented the Agatha Christie murder mystery in the public’s imagination. So, with Branagh’s A Haunting in Venice now opening in theaters, let’s take a tour through the various decades of Christie adaptations and I’ll let you know which ones I strongly recommend, and which are not as good – but for fans of the genre, they’re all worth watching! I am also the sponsor of the Agatha Christie adaptations shelf at the newly re-opened Vidiots video store in Los Angeles (where I now live). I made this pilgrimage most recently in June 2023, and it was absolutely delightful. My mother lives in Dartmouth, Devon on the south coast of England, and you can take a boat trip from there up the river to Greenway – Christie’s holiday home and the setting of her book Dead Man’s Folly. I love the era of the 1920s-1950s, which is a large part of why I love Christie so much, and any adaptation is likely to have wonderful production design and costumes. ![]() On a personal level – I grew up watching the Miss Marple TV series in the 80s and 90s and the 70s Christie movies which were frequently shown on TV on Sunday afternoons. It’s interesting to look at which decades loved Christie and which almost entirely ignored her, and we’ve certainly entered an era where the murder mystery is thankfully back – thanks to Kenneth Branagh and Rian Johnson. ![]() Agatha Christie has a long history with film and TV adaptations, and they’ve certainly ridden waves of popularity and dips where they’ve pretty much ceased all together.
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