Customer Reviews

Agatha Christie's Poirot: Collector's Set Volume 9

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Having sung the praises of Sets 1-8 of the Acorn Media releases of <Poirot>, I can find little to add about the general excellence of this series, which offers up the shorter episodes on VHS and the longer ones on VHS and DVD formats. With 3 of the projected 12 sets to go for the shorter entries, Set 9 offers up a trio of fairly strong tales.

"Dead Man's Mirror" concerns a ruthless millionaire who outbids Poirot on a mirror at an auction and then dangles the item as bait for the detective to investigate a case of fraud. There is much ado about inheritances, a second (unsigned) will, possible murderers, dinner gongs, and shots behind locked doors. And if the ending is far fetched, who cares? This one needs total concentration.

"Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan" is lighthearted and contains a wonderful spoof on the mystery plays popular in Christie's own time. You will enjoy not only the usual good characterizations by the supporting cast but also the very imaginative camera shots inside a chest of drawers.

"The Case of the Clapham Cook" hangs on a hoax that is a bit overly complicated, since the perpetrator could have accomplished his aims in a far less roundabout way; but then there would have been no plot. The use of disguises, fine in the original stories, often does not work on video, because it is too easy to spot the face behind the beard.

All in all, superior viewing for an evening.

We have been buying the collection in series order. Excellent family entertainment. The production quality does justice to the writing and performances. Very satisfactory.

Hercule Poirot prefers to take on only the most important cases. However, he occasionally finds that he has been out maneuvered by an annoying new client into accepting - what at first appears to be - an inconsequential case.

In the 'Dead Man's Mirror,' Mr. Chevenix first irritates Poirot by taking delight in outbidding him on a fancy wall mirror at an auction and then has the audacity to tell Poirot that he wants him to investigate someone who may be defrauding him. Before Poirot has a chance to refuse, Mr. Chevenix disappears down the staircase. Riled, Poirot says to his friend Hastings, "... he summons me like a mere nobody!" But then, the man offered the mirror in payment; Poirot takes the case.

In the 'Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan,' Mr. Opalsen irritates Poirot by alerting the press that the world famous detective Hercule Poirot would be attending the opening of his new play: 'Pearls before Swine.' Later that night, the Opalsen's pearls are stolen. He asks Poirot to find them, but when Hastings reminds him that he came to the seaside resort for convalescence, Poirot politely refuses. But then, Poirot finds relaxing too much of a strain; he takes the case.

In 'The Adventure of the Clapham Cook,' Mrs. Todd irritates Poirot when she asks, "Did you pay for that bit in the paper saying what a cleaver detective you were or did they put it in themselves?" Poirot's feathers are further ruffled when she ask him to find her cook. He refuses. But then she huffs: "Too proud, only deal with government secrets, crown jewels ... Mr. High-and-Mighty!" Chagrined, Poirot takes this embarrassing case.

Features: Short written bios: David Suchet and Agatha Christies. Filmographies.

Picture: good. No cropping. Sound: good. Volume: typical.

The Poirot Collector's Set Volume 9 includes the very first episode of the series. "The Adventure of Clapham Cook" introduced David Suchet's interpretation of Poirot and those lovely modernist settings to the world in January 1989. It is accompanied by two episodes from Series 5, which originally aired in 1993: "Dead Man's Mirror" and "Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan". For some reason, the order of the Collector's Sets bears little resemblance to the order of the series. The other 9 episodes from Series 1 are found on Collector's Set Volumes 10, 11, and 12. "The Adventure of Clapham Cook" was clearly made to be viewed before all others, because it introduces us to Hercule Poirot's fastidiousness, his vanity, and his obsessive attention to his wardrobe and toilette -all with great humor. Yet it is in the 9th Collector's Set, not the first one. The episodes are:

"Dead Man's Mirror" begins as Poirot is outbid at an auction for a wrought iron mirror that he intended for his vestibule. His rival was a pompous collector named Gervase Chevenix (Iain Cuthbertson), who tempts Poirot to take on a case in return for said mirror. Mr. Chevenix believes that an architect in his employ, a young man named John Lake (Richard Lintern), may be defrauding him on a real estate investment. But when Poirot visits the Chevenix estate to discuss the case, Mr. Chevenix is found dead, an apparent suicide. His wife Vanda (Zena Walker) has been warned of a death by her ancient Egyptian spirit guide. And Mr. Chevenix' daughter Ruth (Emma Fielding) and nephew Hugo (Jeremy Northam) stand to benefit from his death.

Poirot is under the weather in "Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan", and his doctor has prescribed 2 weeks of rest. So he and Capt. Hastings (Hugh Fraser) are off to the shore, where they will stay at the Grand Metropolitan hotel. Mr. and Mrs. Opalsen (Trevor Cooper and Sorcha Cusack), a theatrical producer and his actress wife, are also staying there while they debut their new play at a local theater before taking it to America. Mr. Opalsen has been working hard to generate publicity around the fact that his wife wears an extremely valuable pearl necklace that once belonged to a Tsar in the play. So when the jewels disappear from their case while it is in the care of Mrs. Opalsen's maid Celestine (Hermione Norris), Poirot is conveniently at hand.

"The Adventures of Clapham Cook" finds Poirot without a case due to his own high standards. Capt. Hastings tries to interest him in a number of mysteries from the newspaper, but Poirot refuses, saying, "Unless the affair is of national importance, I touch it not." So the Belgian detective is insulted when a very middle class Mrs. Ernestine Todd (Brigit Forsyth) consults him on the matter of her missing cook, Eliza Dunn (Freda Dowie). But Mrs. Todd shames Poirot into taking the seemingly trivial case. But it is a curiosity that Mrs. Todd's lodger Mr. Simpson (Dermot Crowley) works at the Belgravia & Overseas Bank, where a clerk has recently disappeared into thin air with some stolen bonds, a crime being investigated by Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson).

The DVD (Acorn 2004): Bonus features are part of a text interview with David Suchet and a short text bio of Agatha Christie, features that appear on all Collector's Set discs. There are also selective filmographies of 5 actors. No subtitles.

David Suchet is the best Poirot ever, an extraordinary adaptation of Agatha Christie's mystery novels.

As seen on PBS, a BBC, A&E, & Granada production.

If you want this, and the other eleven Collector's sets, then you want: Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Classic Collection. These sets are the same as the Classic Collection sets Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Classic Collection - Set 1 through Poirot: Classic Collection Set 4. Don't be fooled into buying duplicate DVDs.

POIROT COLLETORS SETS ARE JUST PLAIN OUTSTANDING,BETTER THAN ANY JUNK ON TV TODAY,OR ANY THING YOU PAY TO SEE AT THE MOVIES.IF YOU WANT ENJOYMENT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO,I HAVE 3 SET`S AND GETTING MORE ASAP!!!!DAVID SUCHET PLAY`S A OUTSTANDING PART AS POIROT THIS MAN IS LIKE A GOOD CUP OF COFFEE YOU WILL ALWAYS WANT MORE!!!!!!

I am working on getting the entire Poirot series, so that will give you an idea how much I like David Suchet's portrayal of Poirot.

I've been a Poirot fan ever since I read his exploits as a child! I could hardly wait to finish one story and start the next one! David Suchet's portrayal of Poirot, his walk, voice inflections, and facial expressions are the perfect Poirot - and the movies are even better than the books! Very happy with shipper, too!

What can i say about poirot, he is deffently the best of agatha christie, I am currently buying all i can get. i have seen them all and now want to own them. wife loves him and so does her sister. u won't be disappointed.