Customer Reviews

Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Classic Collection

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Hercule Poirot is one of the most famous detectives in literary history. Yet, strangely, except for his portrayal by Albert Finney in the star-studded movie version of "Murder on the Orient Express," for a long time there did not seem to be an actor who could convincingly bring to life the clever, dignified little Belgian with his unmistakable egg-shaped head, always perched a little on one side, his stiff, military, slightly upward-twisted moustache, and his excessively neat attire, which had reached the point that "a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet," as Agatha Christie introduced him through his friend Captain Hastings's voice in their and her own very first adventure, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" (1920). But leave it to British television to finally find the perfect Poirot in David Suchet, who after having had the dubious honor of playing a rather dumbly arrogant version of Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Japp in some of the 1980s' movies starring Peter Ustinov as Poirot, was finally allowed to move center stage in the Granada/ITV series broadcast from 1989 onwards, which to date also includes seventeen movie-length features based on a number of Christie's most celebrated Poirot novels. (Not -- yet? -- included are, most notably, [new] adaptations of "Murder on the Orient Express" [1934], "Appointment with Death" [1938], and Poirot's final case, "Curtain" [published 1975, but written in the 1940s].)

And the match is spot-on, not only physically but also, and more importantly so, in terms of personality. Suchet shares Poirot's inclination towards pedantry: "I like things to be symmetrical ... If I put two things on the mantelpiece, they have to be exactly evenly spaced," he said in an interview, comparing his real-life persona to that of Poirot. But, he added, unlike his on-screen alter ego, "I don't need the same sized eggs for breakfast!" Although previously not interested in mysteries, his habitually meticulous research allowed him to quickly become familiar with Christie's Belgian sleuth and the workings of his little grey cells -- and to slip so much into Poirot's skin that I, for one, can no longer pick up a Poirot book without instantly hearing Suchet's voice as that of the great little detective.

This collection brings together the series's 36 short episodes; all in all, adaptations of roughly 75% of the Poirot entries contained in Christie's various collections of short stories and novellas - or more precisely, almost all short stories except for the twelve mysteries from Poirot's self-declared "last" decameron of cases, "The Labors of Hercules" (1947), and three stories from the 1926 collection "The Underdog." Next to Mr. Suchet, Hugh Fraser stars as the detective's indefatigable sidekick Captain Hastings, whom the screenplays, alas, make come across as more of a well-educated but vacuous gentleman than do the written originals narrated from his point of view. (This is virtually my only quibble with the series -- and that although Granada and ITV did so well in debumblifying Sherlock Holmes's friend and chronicler Dr. Watson!) Philip Jackson, on the other hand, gives us an admirably sturdy, down-to-earth incarnation of Chief Inspector Japp, and Pauline Moran virtually inhabits Poirot's epitome of a secretary, Miss Lemon; whose role, like those of Hastings and Japp, is added into a number of episodes not originally featuring them, thankfully without greatly disturbing the stories' narrative flow and setting.

The episodes contained in this set are, in the order of Christie's original short story collections:

From POIROT INVESTIGATES (1924):
"The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim"
"The Veiled Lady"
"The Lost Mine"
"The Adventure of the Cheap Flat"
"The Kidnapped Prime Minister"
"The Adventure of the Western Star"
"The Million Dollar Bond Robbery"
"The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor"
"The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge"
"The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb"
"The Case of the Missing Will"
"The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman"
"The Chocolate Box"
"Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan"

From THE UNDERDOG and OTHER STORIES (1926):
"The Cornish Mystery"
"The Plymouth Express"
"The Affair at the Victory Ball"
"The Underdog"
"The Adventure of the Clapham Cook"
"The King of Clubs"

From MURDER IN THE MEWS (1937):
"Dead Man's Mirror"
"Murder in the Mews"
"Triangle at Rhodes"
"The Incredible Theft"

From THE REGATTA MYSTERY and OTHER STORIES (1939):
"How Does Your Garden Grow?"
"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" (a/k/a "The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest")
"Yellow Iris"
"Problem at Sea"
"The Dream"

From THREE BLIND MICE and OTHER STORIES (1950):
"The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly"
"Four and Twenty Blackbirds"
"The Third Floor Flat"

From DOUBLE SIN and OTHER STORIES (1961):
"Double Sin"
"Wasps' Nest"
"The Double Clue"
"The Theft of the Royal Ruby"

Also recommended:
The Mysterious Affair at Styles: Hercule Poirot's First Case
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection)
Agatha Christie: Five Complete Hercule Poirot Novels - Murder on the Orient Express / Thirteen at Dinner / The ABC Murders / Cards on the Table / Death on the Nile
Poirot in the Orient (Hercule Poirot)
Hercule Poirot's Casebook
Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Classic Collection, Vol. 2
Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express
Death on the Nile

This stunning DVD box set collects all 36 one-hour episodes of the brilliant "Poirot" series, which had initially been released on DVD in 12 individual volumes containing three episodes each.

These episodes originally aired during what I call the "Golden Age" of PBS Mystery!, during Poirot's classic five-season run from 1989-1993. Amazingly and happily, the ultra stylish Poirot is still being produced intermittently, but in movie-length productions instead of one-hour shows.

Dame Agatha Christie, the widest read author in the world, created the immortal Hercule Poirot to universal acclaim. But for me, her most popular detective failed to generate an appropriate film pressence until this series.

Prior to that, actors who tackled the role in numerous movie adaptations were, to me, incredibly annoying, inexplicably choosing to highlight Poirot's many eccentricities while ignoring his heart. The result was disasterous, and for me, an insult to Christie's magnificent creation.

Amazingly, all of those long years of previous failures were wiped away in a single illuminating instant when actor David Suchet was cast as Poirot and immediately brought the Belgian sleuth to life in three-dimensional glory. To say that his portrayal is rich and utterly believable is to gloss over the accomplishment. Simple put, David Suchet is THE Hercule Poirot that I envisioned when I read those wonderful stories, "n'est-ce pas? Oui!" Suchet, a small man, is padded to give the appropriate girth to the detective, but in a deft way that appears true-to-life rather than laughable. (An unfortunate example of the latter occurred when Albert Finney played Poirot in a movie version of Murder on the Orient Express.)

Funny, human, dignified, well-mannered and respectful, Suchet's Poirot is a constant revelation, much like the gifted portrayal of Sherlock Holmes by the late Jeremy Bret, in yet another Golden Age PBS Mystery! triumph.

In addition to Mr. Suchet, the supporting cast in this series is equally brilliant, from Hugh Fraser's Capt. Arthur Hastings (Poirot's Watson), and Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector James Japp of Scottland Yard, to Pauline Moran's Miss Felicity Lemon (Poirot's secretary), all lovingly contributing to the production that remains the most-watched detective series in the long history of PBS Mystery!

In the 36 one-hour episodes included here, not only are the stories well produced and acted, the atmosphere of 1930's England, art deco and all, is also recreated in absorbing and believable detail. Beautiful English sea shores (even the Queen Mary, the jewel of the English fleet at the time, gets her due as Poirot and Hastings cross to America on her maiden voyage) as well as other countries, including Christie's beloved Egypt, also come vividly to life.

In addition to place, social classism, xenophobia and outright racisim are dealt with directly and indirectly, as many of those Poirot encounters mistrust him as that little foreigner. From theft, drug abuse, international intrigue and murder, every immaginable crime (as well as emotions from lust to greed to utter despair and suicide) come within Poirot's perview and are addressed with his usual aplumb and unique style and wit.

This remarkable set, at a great price, include the following episodes: The Adventure of the Clapham Cook; Murder in the Mews; The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly; Four and Twenty Blackbirds; The Third Floor Flat; Triangle at Rhodes; Problem at Sea; The Incredible Theft; The King of Clubs; The Dream; The Veiled Lady; The Lost Mine; The Cornish Mystery; The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim; Double Sin; The Adventure of the Cheap Flat; The Kidnaped Prime Minister; The Adventure of the Western Star; The Million Dollar Bond Robbery; The Affair at the Victory Ball; Wasp's Nest; The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor; The Double Clue; The Mystery of the Spanish Chest; The Theft of the Royal Ruby; The Plymouth Express; The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge; The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb; The Underdog; The Yellow Iris; The Case of the Missing Will; The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman; The Chocolate Box; Dead Man's Mirror; and the Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan.

If you have never seen these, buy them. If you didn't want to shell out the cash to get each individual volume, then grab this collection while you can!!!

I was somewhat disappointed with this DVD release. The box itself, the package and everything looks really nice, and the DVD menus are nicely done too, but when the actual film episodes begin, you notice how bad the picture quality is. It came as a shock to me, because I'd just bought and watched another English TV series on DVD; Granada's Sherlock Holmes (The Complete Collection), which is probably the greatest purchase I've made. All the Sherlock Holmes episodes had been re-mastered (or re-transfered, or whatever the correct term is). The first season of Granada's Sherlock Holmes was filmed in the early 80s, and yet when I watch those episodes now, they look so bright and clean and crystal clear, like they were shot in 2005. They've done an amazing job with this release, and so I was expecting something similar here, with Agatha Christie's Hercule Porit, this also being an English TV production. But these Poirot episodes look real bad. Which is a shame, because the writing's good, and the acting is good. Directing and producing is good. Can't believe they failed so miserably in transfering the tapes to DVD. Also, this release lacks subtitles. That's a big minus. They didn't even include English subtitles. These things ruin the overall impression for me, I'm afraid. To end on a less negative note, I can say that one very pleasant surprise regarding this release was hearing the theme music again, after all these years.

I had begun purchasing the sets individually in three-episode DVDs until I saw this item released. For those of you concerned on pricing, just remember that each one typically retails for $20 (on the low end) and the grand total would be $240 for all 12 volumes. This is a bargain at Amazon for only $150.

All 36 one-hour episodes, shown originally on both PBS' Mystery and later on A&E are faithfully reproduced by Acorn Media. As is sometimes tragically typical with their products, the picture can sometimes be a tad grainy, but in the case of this collection it does not appear to be an issue. The packaging is solid with all 12 DVDs carefully arranged and still taking up little space (the collection is barely 2 inches wide). Those of you familiar with Poirot and the beautifully shot series will fall in love with this collection. It is a must-own!

For those of you unfamiliar with Poirot, he is based on the writings of Agatha Christie, the 20th century's most well-known and arguably best mystery writer of her time. Poirot (played as always with sheer perfection by David Suchet) is the original obsessive compulsive detective, always striving for order and method in his decor and daily life. Not only are the mysteries themselves intriguing and difficult sometimes to work out, but the play between him and his assistant Capt. Hastings and Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Japp (Hugh Fraser and Philip Jackson respectively) is constantly amusing and a load of fun to watch.

This is the ideal collection for lovers of mystery, the 1930's, good humor and intrigue. Enjoy the show!

This is an excellent collection of DVD's for all Agatha Christire and Hercule Poirot lovers. The DVD's contain 3 episodes each. This set is a collection of all the individual DVD's sold by Acorn media. This is more economical than buying all 12 DVD's. The great thing about this collection is that there are no advertisements or interruptions. Just pure unadulterated Poirot....I love it...

I love my Poirot collection. I actually brought all 12 seperate DVD packs and do not in the least feel ill used. All my DVD's worked fine. The picture transfer on these looked like someone did them in a garage on a bad day explaing why I gave these just 4 stars. That said I would have brought them anyway because anytime I can spend with Mr. Hurcule Poirot, Miss Lemon and The Chief Inspector Japp in a bygone era is highly prized. I enjoy watching as Poirot unmasks another vile criminal by sheer force of his little gray cells. Finding out who done it in the company of one Hurcule Poirot is the time spent in ways most awesome since the scant quality invested in the DVD's do render them barely passable.

In defense of AMAZON.COM yes they do claim to have a 30 day return policy but when buy mega sets of DVD's customer service people can waive that allowing you to return them for a replacement that will work. I buy Mega Sets of many things, LAW & Order, Law & Order Special Victims Unit, Twilight Zone and so many others I can not mention them all.

At times I found to my horror well after 30 day return window had elapsed that some DVD's in a huge set were indeed ripe stinkers that did not work at all. I reported the rotten DVD's to AMAZON.COM well after the 30 return period and my replacement DVD's were sent to me by 2nd day UPS. You just have to explain your situation and ask nicely. I buy lots of goods from AMAZON.COM and I can honestly say they have never ever not once screwed me over when some aspect of the deal beyond my control went bad. If anything AMAZON.com bends over backwards to see its customers are never cheated or ill used.

You can't justly hold AMAZON.com to task for the fact some of these studios producing DVD's have quality control systems of brain dead mice. AMAZON.com should be judged only on what they do to make things right when you do get bad DVD's and it has ALWAYS been my experience that AMAZON.com does whatever it must to make the customer whole. AMAZON.COM even pays for return postage of damaged DVD's. I am not paid being by AMAZON.com to say all this. What I say herein is just the unvarnish truth of my experience after buying what must be close to 1000 DVD's and many other items from AMAZON.COM over the years.

Don't let some lobotomized studio nertz who LACKS THE LITTLE GRAY CELLS TO PROPERLY create a quality working DVD taint the good AMAZON.COM does in trying to keep your AMAZON.com buying experience pleasant.

Trust me I am no mouthpeice for AMAZON.com. I do not like many things heck read some of my product reviews. When I hate something I have no problem saying exactly how vile merchandise is when those negative comments are in my mind well deserved. My personal experience with Amazon.com coustomer care has always been great hence not deserving of harsh words.

From: WOLF

Well, how does one muster enough praise so deserving of the writers, designers, producers and of course actors who undertook this incredible Poirot Mystery Series? I am a great fan of mystery, investigating a wide variety of works by different authors and actors alike, and I tell you that not one of the many other categories of mystery can rival this series in either film, or book form alike.

I grew up watching the immaculate Belgian sleuth solve even the most baffling of cases to perfection, all the while showing both style and humor, two prized attributes that seem to be sadly lacking in most detective shows these days. Ah, those were the good old days of Masterpiece Theater, and PBS Mystery!. Much time has gone by since, with the hollow and conspicuous absence of Poirot and his little grey cells, Ms. Lemon and Captain Hastings in that little London flat working along side of the man, and Cheif Inspector Japp woefully attempting to get to the scene first. All the little things that make up Poirot. Then one day that catchy, sophisticated saxaphone theme kept playing around in my head, and I decided to bring the greatest detective home in DVD form, but where to begin? Afterall, since the classic days of the first installments, many of Agatha Christie's other unfilmed Poirot stories have come to life in most recent years. Not to mention the variety of different ways in which the public can purchase these DVD's. It was so confusing at first, the different releases from A&E and the British, Acorn Media. I was lucky enough to run across a few reviews here on Amazon informing me that if possible, Acorn Media was the way to go, owing to the fact that A&E's American versions were the television edits having minutes ripped out for the purpose of commercial breaks. They we're right, and so I ventured to buy all of the 'classic' episodes on Acorn Media in one fell swoop. I ordered this set, "The Classic Collection" from here on Amazon and have to say that I am fully and completely pleased. Over 30 hours of pure perfection situated on 12 discs. The transfer of these episodes is fantastic, with bonus features including filmographies of the major cast as well as those of the lesser known stars in each individual episode! And the most important thing is that the mysteries are in their entirety. I can't tell you how much joy I've had from this set, packaged neatly inside it's well designed box. I pop one in late at night, or sometimes when I'm having lunch-they're just the right length, each being a little less than an hour long. Among my favorites are:

"How Does You're Garden Grow"
"Wasp's Nest"
"The Theft of the Royal Ruby"
"Yellow Iris"
"The Third Floor Flat"
"The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman"
"The Dream"

I would list the names of all the episodes for your convenience, but that, conveniently, has been done by several of my predecessors already.

Speaking as one who has just bought his first Poirot set, I must say that this is absolutely the way to go for beginners. I'm hoping to add soon to my collection, some of the many other Poirot mysteries. After researching it, I think the next best purchase would be "The Classic Collection Vol. 2" from Acorn Media, which includes some of the feature length films such as the famous "A.B.C. Murders", and "Hickory Dickory Dock" as well as the very first Poirot mystery, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" where Hastings and Japp are first introduced.

As much as I wish to stick to my rigid plan of not purchasing any of the A&E sets, I'm afraid that it is impossible from this point if I intend to buy any of the newly filmed episodes. Apparently A&E holds the rights to every new mystery henceforth, so until Acorn Media decides to release a new set containing these, A&E is the only way to go. The A&E "Complete Collection" contains four more movie length mysteries including a favorite of mine, "The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd". The "Classic Crimes Collection" and "New Mysteries Collection" are both from A&E and offer more regular and movie length mysteries as currently unavailable anywhere else.

So there you have it. A quick rundown of my research of all that is available for the best purchases of the Poirot series. I encourage you to buy the larger sets rather than individual DVDs of only three episodes at a time. The price works out much better in the long run.

And one more thing. Be careful when removing the DVDs from their slots if you purchase any of these sets. There is a little excrement of plastic that sticks out on the CD shelves, just a manufacturing defect that could damage your discs if you swirl them around too much.

This is the best purchase I've ever made on Amazon.
Enjoy!

I am very pleased with my purchase of "Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Classic Collection." I got 36 wonderful 51 minute long episodes of Poirot mysteries that I thoroughly enjoy -- five stars for the product. Unfortunately, one has to nearly break the discs to remove them from their spindles. Once I have removed them for the first time, I am transferring them to 2-disc slim cases so as not to damage them in the future.

Disc 1
* The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
* The Veiled Lady
* The Lost Mine
Disc 2
* The Cornish Mystery
* Double Sin
* The Adventure of the Cheap Flat
Disc 3
* The Kidnapped Prime Minister
* The Adventure of the Western Star
* How Does Your Garden Grow?
Disc 4
* The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
* The Plymouth Express
* Wasps' Nest
Disc 5
* The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor
* The Double Clue
* The Mystery of the Spanish Chest
Disc 6
* The Theft of the Royal Ruby
* The Affair at the Victory Ball
* The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
Disc 7
* The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb
* The Underdog
* Yellow Iris
Disc 8
* The Case of the Missing Will
* The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman
* The Chocolate Box
Disc 9
* Dead Man's Mirror
* Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
* The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
Disc 10
* Murder in the Mews
* The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
* Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Disc 11
* The Third Floor Flat
* Triangle at Rhodes
* Problem at Sea
Disc 12
* The King of Clubs
* The Dream
* The Incredible Theft

I love Hercule Poirot and so I splurged on this collection....sadly I did not know that you had to check every DVD in the set (there is 12) within 30 days or you're out of luck. Unfortunately 3 of the 12 DVD's will not work and I am 10 days (more or less) too late finding this out. I will have to seriously think twice before buying from Amazon again. This is less than satisfactory to say the least!

THIS SET IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANY POIROT FAN!!! I know that $176 sounds like a lot of money, but believe me, once you get it you will realize what a bargain that is! 36 awesome 1 hr (more or less) episodes! If you are not so sure about this, these episodes air on the biography channel in the US on sundays and tuesdays. Watch just one and I guarantee you will want the whole set!!