Product Description

Studio: Acorn Media Release Date: 02/05/2002 Rating: Nr

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #77371 in DVD
• Brand: Acorn
• Released on: 2002-02-05
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.com
When a series of bizarre thefts at a boarding house leads to murder, it takes Hercule Poirot all of his ingenuity to solve a series of interlocking mysteries and unmask the killer. This feature-length Poirot mystery shows why David Suchet is the definitive screen version of Agatha Christie's dapper Belgian sleuth. With his fastidious habits and thick French accent it would be easy to turn Poirot into a caricature, but Suchet makes him funny without diminishing the detective's brilliance. Poirot's peculiarity is a perfect disguise, and when he sets out for the murder scene in his immaculate clothes--like a shiny black beetle bustling through the drab, brown London streets--there is little doubt that the crime will soon be solved.

Hickory Dickory Dock reaches its climax, naturellement, with the detective and his suspects gathered tensely in a drawing room. Although the story suffers from some clumsily introduced clues (Christie suffers here in comparison with writers like P.D. James), the denouement works well, keeping us guessing while allowing the more astute viewer to spot the killer before Poirot makes his announcement. --Simon Leake

From the Back Cover
Poirot is incredulous when the impeccable Miss Lemon types a letter riddled with errors. She explains that she's preoccupied with worry about her sister, who runs a London student hostel plagued of late by a spate of mysterious thefts. With the object of restoring efficiency to his office, Poirot offers to visit the students. More thefts occur and then the murders begin, witnessed only by a small mouse. Poirot and Inspector Japp race against time to trap a killer desperate to conceal a secret from the past. No detail is too small to escape the attention of the world-famous Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie and loved by millions. David Suchet stars as Poirot in this British television production set in the art deco elegance of 1930s Europe. A PBS Mystery! phenomenon and A&E smash hit, the series also stars Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon and Philip Jackson as Inspector Japp. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES AND EXTRAS INCLUDE: biographies of Agatha Christie and David Suchet, interactive Poirot trivia, cast filmographies, Agatha Christie materials and scene index.

Customer Reviews

Hickory, dickory, death.....
In the opening scenes of this tale, a furry little mouse scurries through the walls of a boarding house in London searching for morsels of food. As in the children's nursery rhyme he scurries up the clock just as it strikes the hour. Having made his way to a bedroom in the upstairs, he pauses and twitches his whiskers. The crumbs from a bedtime cookie are lying on a saucer..but he hesitates. Something strange is happening and he dare not advance to the plate of crumbs. What is this...oh my goodness one of the humans is killing the nice young girl who always eats cookies at bedtime. What awful things happen in the hours around midnight!!

Agatha Christie was given to using lines from literature for the titles of some of mystery tales, but HICKORY DICKORY DOCK is no nursery tale. Someone is killing the young men and women occupants of a youth hostel in London. The boarders are all attractive and energetic people...how could one of them be the culprit. What could be the motive..lust, money, a deadly secret??? The mouse knows the murderer's identity and the secret but the police are stymied.

Enter Hercule Poirot! Well not exactly. First, there's Miss Lemmon. Seems her sister is in the boarding house business and she has noticed strange goings on at her establishment. Miss Lemmon asks Poirot to investigate her sister's complaints which he is reluctant to do. After all, how can the great Belgian detective worry about trifling matters like misplaced items at a boarding house..even for Miss Lemmon!! Poirot does as he is asked however, and soon he is involved with murder. With the help of the Lemmon sisters he cracks the case and not a moment too soon. A wild chase at the end involves Hastings and the good Inspector.

HICKORY DICORY DOCK has an interesting cast including the handsome young man (Jonathan Firth) who played Albert in the miniseries VICTORIA AND ALBERT. (I understand he IS the brother of Colin!!)

starring.. the mouse
This is my favorite Poirot mystery. The dvd transfer is excellent as well. The initial Poirot releases on dvd had terrible transfers and looked as if they were being projected on a gym class wall, but Acorn seems to have gotten it right this time with quality audio and video. Follow the mouse as he seems to pop up everywhere and finally takes a starring role in this amusingly different Poirot adventure. Enjoy!

Another Triumph for Suchet's Poirot
When a series of petty thefts at a student hostel turns into a case of murder, it is up to the great Hercule Poirot to solve the baffling crime. However, he soon finds himself involved not only in a case of murder, but smuggling and political doings as well. Not only that, he foolishly invites the rather sloppy Inspector Japp to stay with him, while Japp's wife is away, which make for a rather rough time ala the "Odd Couple." HICKORY DICKORY DOCK is another in the BBC/Mystery series featuring the wonderful David Suchet cementing his claim as the definitive Poirot. Phillip Jackson adds a nice touch of earthy humor as his foil, Chief Inspector Japp. David Burke, best known as Dr. Watson in the Jeremy Brett SHERLOCK HOLMES series, appears in an extended cameo as a dying politician. Once again, great care and intelligence is lavished on this production that would make Agatha Christie proud. Another winner for Poirot fans and a film I highly recommend.