Teresa reviews “The Red Signal” (1982) and wonders if the medium could have foretold the disappointing ending. Fidelity to text: 4 guns It’s virtually word for word remake of the short story, other than a few expanded scenes and that “improved” ending, which was terrible. Quality of movie on its own: 2 guns Like the […]
Teresa reviews “Mystery of the Blue Jar” (1982) from “The Agatha Christie Hour” and finds it amusing but forgettable Fidelity to text: 2 1/2 thieves Uncle George became far more prominent, the village suddenly gains residents, but most of all, the ending … shifted. Quality of movie on its own: 3 1/2 thieves Light and […]
Teresa reviews “The Yellow Iris” (1993) and says it’s so good you should watch it twice. Fidelity to text: 2 poison bottles While the core of the story remains, the screenwriter made up the other two-thirds of what you see onscreen. Quality of film on its own: 4 1/2 poison bottles This episode has everything: […]
Teresa reviews “Magnolia Blossom” (1982) from The Agatha Christie Hour and says this early story from Christie’s career too thin to be enjoyed. Fidelity to text: 2 thieves The plot remains. Other than the three leads, everyone else onscreen was added. Quality of film on its own: 1 1/2 thieves When the other characters were […]
Teresa reviews “The Underdog” (1993) and thought it relied on Poirot’s grey cells too much. Fidelity to text: 3 blunt objects The basic plot remains, but characters and setting changed from a little to a lot. Quality of movie on its own: 3 blunt objects It’s flawed, but I accepted it until the ending when […]
Teresa reviews “The Case of the Discontented Soldier” (1982) from “The Agatha Christie Hour” and found it a charming romp, although she wished the couple had exhibited better chemistry. Fidelity to text: 3 treasure maps The film is greatly expanded over the short story by adding street urchins and giving Ariadne Oliver far more screen […]
Teresa reviews “Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb” (1993) and finds it cursed with missed opportunities. Fidelity to text: 3 Pharaoh’s curses Miss Lemon shows up to demonstrate her interest in the occult. The timing of events gets seriously messed up and Rupert gets a personality transplant. Quality of movie on its own: 2 1/2 Pharaoh’s […]
Teresa Reviews “The Fourth Man” (1982) and could not accept why anyone would put up with evil Annette Fidelity to text: 3 chokers There’s a lot more backstory for Annette, Félicie, and Raoul. Quality of movie on its own: 3 chokers It dragged. Worse, I couldn’t understand why Félicie and Raoul were so entranced by […]
Teresa reviews “One Two Buckle My Shoe” (1992) and finds the unfortunate opening spoils an otherwise faithful adaptation. Fidelity to text: 4 guns Dropped characters to streamline the text for film, a minor adjustment in date, and a very different opening that reveals critical aspects of the plot. Quality of movie on its own: 3 […]
Teresa reviews “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” (1995) and found murder most foul a cheerful way to celebrate the holidays. Fidelity to text: 3 1/2 daggers The usual deletions and insertions, but there’s also two major unforced errors and no, I’m not including the prologue. Quality of movie on its own: 4 daggers Darned good right up […]