Poirot - The New Mysteries Collection (Death on the Nile / Sad Cypress / The Hollow / Five Little Pigs)

The new POIROT series produced by A&E is excellent and I encourage all Poirot and David Suchet fans to purchase the DVD 4-pack. Suchet has literally grown into the part so he seems more natural than ever as Poirot. Pals from the earlier episodes, Japp and Hastings, are missing. I thought their absence and the fact that England has changed so much since the BBC first began airing these `cozy mysteries' might put a damper on my viewing experience but it did not. The filmography is beautiful. Most of the shots were taken in areas where knowledgeable Anglophiles know the past is fairly well preserved, including some lovely old estates. The BBC does it's best as ususal with lavish sets, costumes, and wonderful old automobiles for each production.DEATH ON THE NILE - When it comes to this particular story, I still prefer the Peter Ustinov version with Mia Farrow, Betty Davis and Maggie Smith. The original film with Ustinov showed a good deal of actual footage shot in Egypt. This issue of `Death on the Nile' appears to have some shots in Egypt, but to tell you the truth, they could have shot most of the film elsewhere...for example Central or South America. Population growth and war have altered the terrain in Egypt considerably since Agatha Christie wrote her novel, which takes place around the 1930s following her travels to the Middle East with her husband, the great archeologist Mallowan.Poirot - THE HOLLOW - The plot of this episode involves a two-timing husband who may or may not have been done in by his "stupid" wife. The wife, a doe-eyed creature who appears unable to harm a fly is soon incarcerated by the police who feel they have `got their man' but Poirot sets about trying to find the truth and unravel the obviously flawed case the police have constructed. Is the murderer the lady of the manor who stupidly placed a revolver in a basket of eggs, or is it the butler who was seen carrying a gun fitting the death weapon's description through the hallway (the lord has a gun collection, so there are plenty of guns about the place). Perhaps the mistress fired the fateful shot? She was two-timed by the dead husband who could not keep his hands off an old flame who suddenly appeared at dinner. Or was it the old flame herself who pulled the trigger? She was overheard arguing with him and wishing him dead only hours before the crime was committed.SAD CYPRESS. Viewers of BRIDESHEAD REVISITED will recognize Diana Quick whose character from that earlier production could be the aged version of her younger self, now lying on her deathbed. Visited by her nearest kin and heirs, she soon succumbs to whatever ails her. Or does she. Has she had help? A cast of suspects soon emerges, but is all this `bother' a tempest in a teapot? Poirot is called in a soon deduces that not only has murder been committed, but the police may have locked up an innocent person. Soon the pressure is on, and Poirot must act quickly or someone else will die..perhaps at the end of a noose.THE FIVE LITTLE PIGS is the most sad of all the new series developed by A&E, because a person has been wrongfully executed when the story begins. Perhaps this and other tales based on real life events brought the death penalty to an end in Britain. Gemma Jones stars in this episode involving a young woman named Lucy who seeks to clear her dead mother's name. Lucy's mother was executed some years before for a crime the girl believes she did not commit, and Lucy writes a letter urging Poirot to help her clear her mother's name. Poirot agrees to take her case but advises Lucy that she may not like what he uncovers. As ususal, the cast of characters is composed of excellent actors, many with familiar faces and the plot is excellent.

The numbers of reviews submitted for the various packages of David Suchet's portrayal of Agatha Christie's beloved Belgian detective Hercules Poirot is testament enough as to its popularity, with many going into considerable detail about each episode covered.I'm not about to clog up the reviews with more of the same. If you know who Poirot is there's no need, and if you don't, many of these other great reviews will fill you in nicely. I simply wish to say that each meticulously portrays the time period (1920s to 1940s before the series reaches its end) as only British productions can, and with actors who do not overplay their roles in sticking as closely as possible to Agatha Christie's books.As some have noted, the original episodes have more of an Art Deco and often brighter and less-brooding look to them with the semi-regular characters of his aide, Captain Arthur Hastings (Hugh Fraser), his secretary Miss Felicity Lemon (Pauline Moran), and Scotland Yard Chief Inspector James Harold Japp (Philip Jackson), each of whom more or less faded from Christie's books after entering the mid- to late-1930s.These later episodes, some of which were produced by the A&E Network but still stuck flawlessly to the period in appearance, began to take on a darker side in their storylines (as did her books), with the only recurring characters being George, his valet, and detective fiction writer Ariadne Oliver (played by the brilliant actress Zoë Wannamaker).The only episodes not yet available on DVD are those of the final season, which were filmed the past year - Elephants Can Remember, The Big Four, The Labours Of Hercules, Dead Man's Folly, and Curtain. The last, which brings our favourite detective, now wheelchair-ridden, back to Styles (now a retirement residence), but where it all began, also sees his death.I have them all to date, and can't wait for these to be broadcast and then finally made available on DVD.

'Death on the Nile' (3) - Poirot takes a cruise on the Nile. On board: a husband, wife, and a jilted woman who is bent on making their lives miserable. Tempers flare, shots are fired, and murders take place. This version was disappointing: story flow is somewhat unclear; characters indistinct. A far better version: the film with Peter Ustinov as Poirot.'Sad Cypress' (4) - Eleanor receives an anonymous letter intimating someone who - may seem as white as snow - intends to hasten her rich aunt's death. Poirot investigates; someone is murdered; and Eleanor is accused, convicted, and sentenced to death. Cropping problem: when two notes are in closeup, it is difficult to guess the missing words.'The Hollow' (4) - Poirot, on holiday in the country, receives invitations to dinner and a Sunday lunch to play a murder game. He arrives upon the staged scene; disquiet fills him; a swipe of his finger in the blood tells him this is no game! Distraction problem: varying white lines at the top of the screen. To hide this defect, try adjusting your TV's display area.'Five Little Pigs' (1) - Poirot reviews an old murder case; the accused had been hanged. He interviews 5 people and they tell to him their memories surrounding the murder. These lengthy memory sequences are almost unwatchable. They were filmed with incredibly jerky camera movements. If you are prone to nausea, you may wish to skip this one.Extras: Written bios of Suchet and Christie. List of Poirot stories. Trivia: Two of the above movies are not listed. The reason: 'The Hollow' also goes by the title 'Murder After Hours' and 'Five Little Pigs' by the title 'Murder in Retrospect'.Picture (DVD): Generally good (3), occasionally excellent (4). All appear to be cropped top, left, and right.