Product Details

• Actors: David Suchet, Philip Jackson, Oliver Ford Davies, Malcolm Terris, Selina Cadell
• Directors: Andrew Grieve, Brian Farnham
• Writers: Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, Clive Exton
• Producers: Brian Eastman, Delia Fine, Kris Slava
• Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• VHS Release Date: August 15, 2000
• Run Time: 200 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0767028414
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #282,401 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This beautifully packaged A&E set marks the return of David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in two feature films. Although the films are based on two early Christie novels, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Lord Edgware Dies, the stories have been rewritten to take place after previously filmed episodes in the Agatha Christie's Poirot series, thus accounting for the slightly older-looking cast.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd opens with a retired Poirot cursing at vegetable marrows in his country garden. When his old friend is found stabbed in the neck, Poirot begins an investigation that reunites him with Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) and uncovers a chain of furtive phone calls and secret romances. Unfortunately, the restructuring necessary to adapt the story from text to film takes away some of the shock value of Christie's original ending, which caused quite a controversy when the book was first published in 1926.

Lord Edgware Dies finds Poirot reopening his London office with the help of Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran) and Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser). As they celebrate their reunion, Japp quips that there's "only one thing missing... the body." Right on cue, a corpse turns up just moments later. Most of the suspects are actors by profession, but Poirot's "little gray cells" are able to penetrate the murderer's disguise--though only after two more victims heighten the suspense.

The acting is impeccable and the sets are as lavish as ever in both of these adaptations. The main characters' delight in being reunited is sure to be matched only by the delight of Agatha Christie fans who now have two more episodes to add to their collection. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

Product Description

Hercule Poirot (David Suchet), Agatha Christie’s beloved Belgian detective, is back on the case. Based upon Agatha Christie’s best-selling novels and set against the art deco elegance of 1930s England, THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD and LORD EDGWARE DIES feature fascinating clues, deviant suspects and riveting conclusions by this most masterful detective.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars great production...rotten DVD, October 27, 2000

By 

IAN BEARD (Stroud, GLOS United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poirot: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd & Lord Edgware Dies (DVD)

The two POIROT tales in this set are great tv productions, but are given are rather poor DVD release. The actual picture quality is fine, but the image format leaves a lot to be desired: being reformatted from the 16:9 ratio down to the "normal" tv size of 4:3. Unfortunately this often results in very odd looking pictures where two halves of characters chat to each other either side of the screen! And despite the correct running times of 100 minutes being displayed on the cases, both stories have been edited down to just 95. A&E - you could, and should, do so much better....

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He's baaaaaaaack..., September 3, 2000

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poirot: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd & Lord Edgware Dies (DVD)

Hyper-intelligent, hyper-finicky Hercule Poirot is back, in two great adventures that I enjoyed. Suchet is in particularly good form, the role that I think he does best.

"Murder of Roger Ackroyd" takes place in a little village, where an old friend ends up dead, dead, dead. Poirot and his friend Chief Inspector Japp (I miss Hastings *sniffle*) must deduce whodunnit. I disagree with the Amazon review: I found the ending to be most enjoyable, even though it has been a while since I last saw this.

"Lord Edgeware Dies" is one of my favorite Poirots! In movie form, that is, I didn't like it too much in book form. Angelically lovely Lady Edgeware wants a divorce from her emotionally abusive, proud, jealous husband, but he won't give it.

When Poirot is sent to Lord Edgeware, the man claims that he already sent a letter, agreeing to the divorce. The ecstatic Lady Edgeware goes off to a party--and the next morning, her husband turns up dead, stabbed through the neck.

Did Lady Edgeware kill her husband? Was she framed? Or was it his angry daughter? Or his penniless nephew? Or the peculiar actress? Plenty of people have motives, and Hercule Poirot has to unravel who is the best actor of all, the one who can cold-bloodedly kill so well.

I particularly applaud the "Lady Edgeware" actress--she's really spectacular, shifting from one personality shade to another.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, June 25, 2001

By 

"face-garak" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poirot: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd & Lord Edgware Dies (DVD)

I loved these films! The story arch of Poirot moving back to his apartment and then in the next being rejoined by Miss Lemon and Hastings was brilliantly done!

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Not the best and most intriguing murder ever done, but seeing Japp and Poirot back in action was done, and the climax was just plain thrilling! - 4 stars

Lord Edgware Dies - This is probably one of my three favorite Poirots ever! (The other two are "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" and "Yellow Iris") The case is great, complex, intriguing, fascinating, and I love the drum beat music when someone's about to be killed! If this is the finale to the whole series, it's a great one! Brave! - 5 stars

- I heard they're still making more though, so that's good news!