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278 of 292 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
And then there are...three DVD versions, November 26, 2001
The new Image DVD version of AND THEN THERE WERE NONE is a vast improvement in video/audio quality over previous DVD releases by VCI in 1999 and Madacy in 2001. All three versions are currently available at Amazon, so be sure to check the technical info page for each disc to see which company makes it. The video transfer on the Image DVD, said to be made from "original elements", is much, much sharper and more detailed than that on the VCI and Madacy versions. It also shows a little more picture on all four sides of the screen. The picture looks somewhat battered during the opening credits, but it looks great the rest of the way. There is a slight amount of graininess and other blemishes throughout, but it is not detrimental. I'm especially impressed with the scenes that take place in the dark, in which some of the background details, such as engravings on the wall, the subtle lights and shadows, etc., can be seen with much greater clarity. The VCI disc, conversely, looks much less sharp, and the Madacy disc even less so. The monophonic audio tracks on the VCI and Madacy discs are louder but have more noise compared to that on the Image disc. The problem of the dialogs not being synchronized properly on the VCI and Madacy discs has also been fixed on the Image disc. The Image disc has one extra: the film's British opening credit sequence, which uses the deplorably offensive title "Ten Little N******" (which is also Agatha Christie's original title for her whodunnit). The sequence is preceded with an explanation of its use so the viewer has the historical context in mind. The VCI disc has a biography section on the filmmakers and the 1946 comedy short TWIN HUSBANDS, starring Leon Errol. The Madacy disc has a 9-minute newsreel footage from 1945, a 12-minute blooper footage (of OTHER films), 3 screenshots of lobby cards, and a trivia quiz section. All three discs are region-free and without subtitles or closed captioning.
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75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Film Version of the Chrisite Classic, March 26, 2002
Agatha Christie's 1930s novel AND THEN THERE WERE NONE told the story of ten unrelated people who are lured under various pretexts to an island resort; once assembled, they discover they have been brought to the island by a mysterious homocidal maniac who accuses each of them of having escaped punishment for a past murder--and who then proceeds to pick them off one by one as the ever dwindling party rushes to unmask the hidden killer in their midst. Nothing like the novel had been seen before, and it was a popular sensation. So much so that Christie herself adapted the novel to the stage. In creating the script, Christie discovered that the novel's uncompromising tone and shocking conclusion did not translate well to the stage, and the final script was considerably lighter and had a considerably softer conclusion. When performed, the script was played as much for comedy as for suspense--and proved as popular as the novel. A film version became inevitable. Countless novels, plays, and movies have borrowed the premise Christie presents in AND THEN THERE NONE, and there have been at least four film versions (most often known as TEN LITTLE INDIANS) of the original work. All of these versions rely more upon the play script than the novel, offering a mix of comedy and suspense, and by far and away the best of them is famed French director Rene Clair's 1940s version. Brilliantly played by an ensemble cast of famed character actors including Judith Anderson, Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, C. Aubrey Smith, and Roland Young, Clair creates a stylish, somewhat surrealistic romp that satirizes British "stiff upper lip" sensibilities with florishes of black comedy while quietly building a sense of increasing unease. From a modern standpoint, the Clair version seems more comic than suspensful; few will find it in the least unnerving. This does not, however, change the fact that it is a tremendous amount of fun to watch. The film creates an air of old-fashioned mischief that is compulsively enjoyable, and even if a contemporary director decided to have another go at the material it seems unlikely that any cast to equal this could be assembled. If you're prepared for a witty amusement, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE is recommended. I don't usually comment on the quality of DVDs unless there is a glaring issue--but since there are several DVD versions of this film, and some have been poorly reviewed, I will specify that I purchased the VCI edition. (The cover of this particular edition is yellow with the faces of the characters appearing in a V-shaped "wedge.") When the DVD began to play, the VCI logo was very distorted; when the DVD changed over to the menu, however, the picture became stable. When I ran the movie, I found the titles had a bit of a flicker, but this quickly vanished; as for overall quality, the picture and sound quality are rather poor as the movie begins but quickly corrects to an acceptable--although not excellent--level.
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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Murder mystery with just the right blend of comedy, April 27, 2000
THE MOVIE: I had forgotten how deliciously amusing this film was, not having seen it since the early 1980s. But the comedy doesn't overwhelm the tone, the blend has a perfectly natural feel and the eerie atmosphere is maintained even among the laughs. The cast of generally lesser-known performers is good. Mischa Auer is memorable (as usual) even though the script doesn't allow him much to do; Walter Huston is as engaging as ever. The movie is appropriate for most ages, the murders are usually off-camera and are never gruesome. It holds the viewer's interest very well but the pace seems a bit uneven - it seems to slow down toward the end. TECHNICAL: The DVD presentation is average. The image is not stable; it wobbles quite a bit around the frame which is especially noticeable during the opening titles. The black and white picture has good contrast but is a bit on the soft side. The bios are brief but nicely done screens. There is also a comedy short on the disc which I haven't yet watched. Sound is good, dialogue is usually clear throughout. SUM: I'm ignoring comparisons to the Agatha Christie novel on which the film is based... with that in mind, the movie is fun, interesting and worth a viewing. I'm not entirely sure how well the narrative would hold up on repeat viewings, but the performances are entertaining enough to warrant them. If you found this review informative, please say so and vote YES! Thank you.
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