Product Description

David Suchet returns as Hercule Poirot--the Belgian sleuth of unsurpassed deductive powers and peerless viewer appeal--in two fresh adaptations of Christie classics. As seen on PBS’s Mystery!

Mrs. McGinty’s Dead--With help from mystery novelist and old friend Ariadne Oliver (Zoë Wanamaker), Poirot tries to save a man from hanging for a murder he might not have committed. As the famous sleuth tracks down the real killer, he finds his own life at risk.

Cat Among the Pigeons--As Meadowbank School for Girls begins its term, a new student causes the headmistress unease. Princess Shaista is a political refugee hiding from revolutionaries in her native land. Fortunately, when the bodies start turning up, Poirot is on hand.

EXCLUSIVE BONUS PROGRAM: Super Sleuths, a documentary about the series featuring stars David Suchet, Philip Jackson, Hugh Fraser, and Pauline Moran; producer Brian Eastman; director Ed Bennett; writer Anthony Horowitz; and others.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3832 in DVD
• Brand: Acorn
• Released on: 2009-07-07
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 186 minutes

Amazon.com
David Suchet continues his definitive (and supremely entertaining) portrayal of Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot in Mrs. McGinty's Dead and Cat Among the Pigeons. Poirot is one of those classic characters of fiction who would be intolerable in real life, yet is delightful on the page (or in this case, the screen). Suchet, with his heavy-lidded but piercing eyes and an absurd little mustache, perfectly captures the balance of narcissism and nosiness--how Poirot uses his superciliousness to make himself seem harmless and unthreatening to the murderers and other criminals who meet and underestimate him. Accompanying the two mysteries is an engaging behind-the-scenes documentary that, among other thoughtful observations from the actors and writers of the series, points out that Poirot's foreignness allowed Christie to gently mock the peculiarities and obsessions of the English.

As Poirot strives to rescue a young man unjustly sentenced to death in Mrs. McGinty's Dead, he survives an assault on his own life as well as the brusque and pushy manners of his friend, crime novelist Ariadne Oliver (Zoe Wanamaker). The character of Oliver gave Christie the opportunity to poke fun at her own career, such as when the grumpy novelist bickers with a playwright in an attempt to infuse an adaptation with more sex appeal. Mrs. McGinty's Dead is entirely enjoyable, but it suffers a bit from excessive directorial flash with the camera. Cat Among the Pigeons, on the other hand, is a perfect fusion of story and style, where subtle visual flourishes enhance the plot's forward movement and mood of anticipation. The headmistress of a girls' school asks Poirot to help her choose her successor--but when a tyrannical teacher is murdered in the sports pavilion, Poirot soon unravels a tapestry of hidden rubies, a faraway revolution, a voodoo doll, and a missing tennis racket. Flashes of wit increase the fun (The headmistress huffs, "Mr. Poirot has an international reputation"--"So does Mussolini," grumbles the local constable). Suchet's skilled performances in Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection - Set 4 will please long-time fans and would be an excellent starting point for any beginner. --Bret Fetzer

Stills from Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection - Set 4 (Click for larger image)

Beyond Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection - Set 4

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection - Set 1

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection - Set 2

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection - Set 3

Customer Reviews

2 Episodes Air in the US = 2 Episodes in the DVD Set
This set contains two episodes, Mrs. McGinty's Dead and Cat Among the Pigeons. These are the two episodes airing on PBS's Mystery! this summer. No one can sell a DVD set BEFORE the episodes air on television...you don't see ABC selling DVDs of the current season of "LOST" do you? The UK has already aired all 4 episodes so the UK has released all 4 episodes on DVD. The US broadcasters (PBS) have their own broadcast schedule and therefore the DVD Sets must follow suit. The other 2 episodes (Third Girl & Appointment with Death) will be out on DVD AFTER they air, which is TBD. No one is trying to rob us fans; let's just be patient.

60+ year old David continues a spotless perfomance as THE Poirot!
Even though well into his 60's, David Suchet continues to prove that he IS Hercule Poirot. Yes, the eyes look a little tired & the belly a little full, but even the great Hercule Poirot must age.

These 90 minute movies deserve multiple viewings as the mysteries are intricate and you could miss a clue if you turn your head. The stories, based on the full length novels MRS MCGINTY'S DEAD and CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS, are more flushed out than the older 60 minute episodes. One felt like clues were left out of those shorter episodes that prevented the viewer from solving the murder with Poirot. But here, all of the clues are there for you the viewer to pick up on, but are they what they seem?

I do miss the regular cast of characters in the old 60 minute series, Inspector Japp, Captain hastings & Miss Lemon are sadly missing from the 90 minute "Movie" versions of Poirot. However, they are present in the third disc which includes interviews with the actors who brought those characters to life. And you get to see David Suchet without his Poirot mustache.

While the production values are excellent, the wonderful 'Art Deco' style of the earlier shows is missing. I do wish they had kept that style going. 'Art Deco' buildings & objects do appear in these movies, but the style is gone from the production.

The bottom line is that I do like the more flushed out stories, but I miss some of the elements from the earlier productions. Still they are a 'MUST-BUY".

While I wish PBS would air all 4 new Poirot Movies this year (I don't know if it is due to budget cuts or not), it is nice to get to see at least two of the new productions and look forward to two more later on. PBS is a co-producer of the series & they decide what Acorn Media can release in the U.S..

I have an early review copy & can say that the anamorphic 16:9 widescreen picture has some grain to it (it looked the same on the PBS-Hi Defenition broadcast). The sub-titles can help with unfamiliar British words. Bonus material is mostly limited to the 47 minute "Super Sleuths" special on disc #3. Discs 1 & 2 have very basic still frame biographies & filmographies. Quite honestly, the "Super Sleuths" special could have easily fit on a second layer of either disc 1 or 2, but it looks better to make it a 3-disc set. At least they are 'slim cases' and do not take up too much space for the extra disc.

Welcome home, Hercule!
I thought about writing an inflammatory review to complain about how there are ONLY two new movies in this set and curse those scoundrels at Acorn Media. That, however, would be silly. I can't help but think that many of the reviewers/commentators here wouldn't cut it as news-people, because they buried the lead (if not missed it outright). The real story in this case is the happy news that Dame Agatha's foremost sleuth is back home (or at least his American home) on PBS. I for one am too happy about this (and the return of the wonderful Zoe Wannamaker to the series) to disparage the folks at Acorn for something that almost certainly is beyond their control. The bottom line is that these new movies look to be solid additions to David Suchet's Poirot legacy, and it looks like Acorn has done another great job presenting them. That works for me.