Miss Marple and international superstars do not mix. He’s meant to be playing an important Hollywood director, but is so lacking in vitality that he would have trouble getting a job on a daytime soap. Among those novels viewed with less than any real enthusiasm was her 1962 novel, "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side".I find this interesting, despite the fact that one movie and two television adaptations have been made from this story. Richard Kent’s set features a transparent back wall that shows yet more drama in silhouette or film sequences. – 16th Mar. Filmed on location in the exotic Home Counties - packed with period detail from, er, 1980 - the film looks flat and Phyllis Dalton’s costumes seem wastefully elegant when draped over actors who don’t have an ounce of style. The Mirror Crack'd is one of the many Agatha Christie stories made into an all-star film. There is another murder, later in the film, which is better staged but, by that time, you just don’t care anymore. Home/Drama/ The Mirror Crack’d – New Theatre, Cardiff. Why Optimum couldn’t come up with some subtitles on this release is a mystery and reflects badly on their commitment to hard-of-hearing viewers. This article was amended on 6 March 2019 because an earlier version misnamed the fictional village of St Mary Mead, as Mary St Mead. I haven’t read Agatha Christies source novel named The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side but it deserves a better adaption than this mess. In a bare room, an elderly woman sleeps in an armchair, sprained ankle on a footstool. This one is more campy and less opulent than "Murder on the Orient Express," for … n a bare room, an elderly woman sleeps in an armchair, sprained ankle on a footstool. 2 minutes read. Reviewed by Leanne Caplis 4**** A Wales Milennium Centre and Wiltshire Creative Production brings, adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff, the iconic Agatha Christie story ‘The Mirror Crack’d’. All positive reviews › DVD Collector. Would those stars have willingly mingled with the rather insular locals ? New Theatre, Cardiff, Wed 27 Mar. Hosting by Stablepoint. The end result is a total farrago, the Yanks meet Brits story not so much Straw Dogs as Paper Kittens. Manage Cookie Settings Illness was presumably getting to him so charity is the order of the day but it’s rather sad to see him like this.. As for Kim Novak, she’s dreadful but doesn’t appear too often so is reasonably inoffensive, which is more than can be said for poor Liz Taylor. Dates – 12th Mar. Angela Lansbury, theoretically promising casting, walks boringly through scenes, playing Miss Marple as a standard old dear and never becoming anything like as amusing as she was in Death On The Nile. Top positive review. Even when we find out the solution, it’s oddly weightless because the crime isn’t ever made to matter. Advertise on The Digital Fix Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. See All Buying Options. It might be a snapshot of lonely, modern Britain. “The Mirror Crack’d” is an interesting enough film to watch once, even if it is rather lackluster and doesn’t really work. Marina Gregg, a Hollywood starlet, has moved to St Mary Mead and a villager is poisoned at her cocktail party. Full Review. However, it looks like a classic thriller compared to The Mirror Crack’d from two years later, which is so bad it’s actually puzzling. by PhilRPhoto from Alphabet soup II. Add to Wish List. Review: The Mirror Crack’d at Salisbury Playhouse The crowded stage of the first half gives way to a second half that is more involving and Susie Blake is simply superb as Miss Marple. "THE MIRROR CRACK'D FROM SIDE TO SIDE" (1992) Review Many critics tend to look upon Agatha Christie's later novels with less favor. Miss Jane Marple comes to solve the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim. We appreciate your support. But the woman is Jane Marple and, as the lights go up, Agatha Christie’s 1962 village murder mystery bursts into high-octane action and never stops. Grotesques are Lansbury’s talent - that film, The Manchurian Candidate, Gypsy on stage - and she is incapable of interestingly playing a relatively normal person. But the woman is Jane Marple and, as the lights go up. Would they have then expected the stars to live in this house ? But therein lies the first problem. The direction and acting are not helped by a script which is packed with unspeakable dialogue and various attempts at bitchery which wouldn’t have been amusing even if they weren’t murdered by the hopeless delivery of the leading ladies. Starting its European Premier at the Salisbury Playhouse the show will tour Dublin, Cambridge and Cardiff with Susie Blake being cast as Miss Marple. Write a review. The Mirror Crack’d M IRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO IS THE MURDERER AMONG THEM ALL? There is an intelligent exploration of Christie’s women, from unconventional mothers to motherless daughters, alongside Jane Marple’s own vulnerabilities as an ageing “spinster”. This in itself makes the film a must for devotees of camp but it’s also a little bit sad for those of us who adore the days of the Hollywod Studios at their zenith. Some links on this site are affiliated. There is absolutely no tension. The Marple novels, unlike the more expansive Poirot books, rely heavily on dialogue and a cosy village setting, with our indulgence required for the way she plucks solutions out of thin air. Seeing Liz Taylor, once among the most beautiful actresses of her generation, hit bottom isn’t my idea of fun. Would a Hollywood studio really have filmed an Elizabethan Epic on location in an English village, during the coronation of 1953 ? But there seems to be less print damage than was present on the previous R2 disc from Warners. "THE MIRROR CRACK'D" (1980) Review As far as I know, Guy Hamilton is the only director who has helmed two movie adaptations of Agatha Christie novels. The Mirror Crack'd! Goutte rouge by AM91210 from red and white Death On The Nile was a very flawed thriller; splendid fun as camp but decidedly sluggish in the suspense department. The original novel isn’t vintage Christie, coming from 1961, but it’s not terrible and the plotting is pretty ingenious. THIS Wales Millennium Centre and Wiltshire Creative production of Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd, imaginatively adapted by Rachel Wagstaff, and directed by Melly Still, is receiving considerable acclaim at Salisbury Playhouse, where it runs until March 9 before going on tour. However, if you’re going to play her then you should put some graft into it – Joan Hickson just about nailed the character for all time in the 1980s BBC series. No extras at all and, once again, no subtitles. Letter Y for “You" _FAV0866 by fotosclasicas from The Horizon: Long-tailed Minivet by Xiaomao from A big year - birds 2020: Evening walk in the forest by Lightisol from My best photo of the week. While recovering from an illness, Jane Marple goes out for a walk in St. Mary Mead and takes a fall. However, it looks like a classic thriller compared to The Mirror Crack’d from two years later, which is so bad it’s actually puzzling. Set in 1953, Miss Marple lives in the quiet English village of St. Mary Mead. The Mirror Crack'd is a thoroughly enjoyable Agatha Christie mystery which follows in the screen tradition of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, besting both of them thanks to a witty, well constructed screenplay by Jonathan Hales and Barry Sandler.Angela Lansbury is featured as Miss Jane Marple, an amateur detective who is a highly skilled observer of human nature. This is because the actors seem to have been choreographed as cogs in the dramatic machinery. Studio Canal presents a remastered edition of The Mirror Crack'd starring Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple. Nor is the cast an embarrassment - on paper - featuring Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, Kim Novak, Edward Fox, Geraldine Chaplin and Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple. The Mirror Crack'd (1980) Blu-ray Review (Crime, Mystery) Directed by Guy Hamilton, Starring Angela Lansbury as Miss Jane Marple the film is based upon a novel by Agatha Christie. The film is framed at 1.85:1 and has been anamorphically enhanced. The Mirror Crack'd (1980) Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple" novels were hardly the most exciting affairs, yet never did one of them resemble the stunningly turgid mess that is this film. Freeze frame … The Mirror Crack’d, with set design by Richard Kent. Director- Guy Hamilton. Guy Hamilton, never the most exciting of directors but efficient enough with material such as Goldfinger, plods through the storyline without imagination or style. There’s also the problem of Miss Marple. At Salisbury Playhouse until 9 March. The effect is of unceasing churn with actors who appear like automata as they come to life then flop or freeze to stillness. Drama Review South West The Mirror Crack’d – New Theatre, Cardiff. Some viewers are now reclaiming this film as some kind of camp classic – a kind of British Mommie Dearest - but I really can’t see it myself. For one thing it is part of the series of Agatha Christie films produced by John Brabourne (Lord Brabourne) in the 1970’s and early 80’s which included “Murder On the Orient Express”, “Death On the Nile” and later, “Evil Under the Sun”. But Rock Hudson looks drugged throughout, not so much throwing away his lines as having them securely shredded to US government regulations. In the original novel, the actress Marina Gregg (Taylor) is a fading British star, appearing in a British film which tends more towards the B-Movie than the big-budget epic. Powered by Content Blender Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 January 2019. Death On The Nile was a very flawed thriller; splendid fun as camp but decidedly sluggish in the suspense department. All that is about to change though, as a Hollywood film company has arrived to film a period drama based on the wives of Henry VIII. The 1982 movie, "EVIL UNDER THE SUN" was the second adaptation. Find out more http://bit.ly/2xEZkWz Directed by Guy Hamilton. Photograph: Helen Murray. It might be a snapshot of lonely, modern Britain. The exceptions are Edward Fox, who has an amusing twinkle in his eye and is every inch the stereotype Inspector from the Yark, and Tony Curtis who manages to get some laughs from his yobbish American producer. A fast-changing Britain is also captured in the villagers’ snobbish and jingoistic responses to the new housing estate, their reactions to the Italian waiter from Hollywood and the sight of women in trousers. Originally a mono mix theatrically - The Mirror Crack'd enjoys a welcome DTS-HD MA 2.0 mix that sounds as if it was reworked for a full stereo presentation instead of the single-channel spread throughout the front/center channels.If you're equipped, you can enjoy a little boost with DTS Neural:X - if you need it - but it's not necessary. The murder - taking place during the middle of a garden party to celebrate the Coronation in the presence of Hollywood stars - is made trivial because we’ve barely had time to register who the victim is and why she’s there. The Mirror Crack’d – Gaiety Theatre – Review. 0 minute read. Would they have hired a manor house to film in ? It is a frustrating production as a result, though not without boldness of vision and occasional dazzle. Considering this is the third adaptation of … The Mirror Crack'd is a thoroughly enjoyable Agatha Christie mystery. Worst of all, the acting is generally mediocre and sometimes laughably awful. Another unexceptional effort from Optimum, available only as part of their Agatha Christie Collection. Posted by Mike Sutton Published . How are ratings calculated? Review. This means we earn a tiny percentage of any sales made through the link. The first was his 1980 adaptation of Christie's 1962 novel, "The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side". The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (Miss Marple, #9), Agatha Christie Abstract: Original publication year 1962. The set-ups are straight out ofHeartbeat, the camera rarely moving but stopping in one place to record the action as if the end result were a wedding video. Fans of Hollywood trivia, however, will be interested to learn two little snippets of gossip; that Natalie Wood was first choice for the role of Marina Gregg; and that the story was almost certainly inspired by an event in the life of that other great screen beauty, Gene Tierney. Hamilton opens the film with a spoof version of a cheap 1950’s B-feature Whodunnit which would be a good idea if the actual film wasn’t just as bad as the one intended to be a joke. It’s the 1960s, women are wearing trousers and there’s a supermarket in the village of St Mary Mead. Nor is it revealed how this later killing was actually done - is Prussic Acid readily available in a small village chemist, and if it was, wouldn’t someone take notice who was buying it? Meet The Team The past is enacted in snapshots complete with blunt-edged bursts of thrillerish music. She was Agatha Christie’s favourite character, we’re reliably informed – she disliked Poirot – but she lacks edge and the viciousness granted to her in her debut, “Murder At The Vicarage”, soon turned into grating fluffiness. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 12 November 1962 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in September 1963 under the shorter title of The Mirror Crack'd and with a copyright date of 1962. The Mirror Crack’d. With Angela Lansbury, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson, Geraldine Chaplin. We know she can act - take a look at Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and be amazed at how good she once was - but it’s as if she had been told by her doctor to avoid giving anything resembling a performance and she floats around the film as if she were a Dalek levitating upstairs. That’s even if you’re willing to ignore the fact that the victim is far too young. THE MIRROR CRACK’D | STAGE REVIEW . The Mirror Crack'd [DVD] by Angela Lansbury. In 1953, a big Hollywood production arrives in an English hamlet to shoot a movie, but the murder of a local woman arouses Miss Marple’s (Angela Lansbury) curiosity. Salisbury Playhouse – until 9th March 2019. The Mirror Crack'd Review. Without question this is a no-brainer to pick up as it is a mighty fine release! The mono soundtrack is, as usual, perfectly acceptable. Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable film despite its credulity-stretching reveal and typical confession-without-compelling-evidence resolution. Sadly, these themes are drowned out by the constant motion. Once again, the image is rather soft – although this is less noticeable than on the other discs – and there is rather a lot of grain. Daring choices have been made by playwright Rachel Wagstaff and director Melly Still in this high-concept adaptation that at times looks like a Miss Marple reboot. 1980 In Review - December ... My, this had so much potential. The Mirror Crack'd is a formulaic and self-indulgent affair that might have worked better as a TV movie. After a supporting turn in 1978's DEATH ON THE NILE, Angela Lansbury was promoted to Miss Marple for 1980's THE MIRROR CRACK'D, a disappointment despite a typically fun all-star cast. Early on, a character asks: “Do you know whodunnit yet?” It becomes hard to tell whether the production is paying homage to screen murder mysteries or sending them up in a stylised pastiche. The Reviews Hub - South West 28/03/2019. As Miss Marple (Susie Blake) and Chief Inspector Dermot Craddock (Simon Shepherd) set to their sleuthing, every film trope is employed on stage: the cast replay the moment of poisoning and repeat other pivotal scenes in slow motion, fast forward or action replay. Once you add Hollywood to St Mary Mead, the whole delicate mixture becomes wildly unbalanced and ends up collapsing. 4.0 out of 5 stars Miss Marple overshadowed. An in-depth review of the film The Mirror Crack'd (1980) directed by Guy Hamilton, featuring Angela Lansbury, Wendy Morgan, Margaret Courtenay. Then touring. As The Mirror Crack’d opens, we are watching a black-and-white mystery movie called Murder at Midnight.A police inspector has assembled a group of people at a mansion and is about to announce the killer when the film breaks and the actual setting is revealed in color—a social hall in a vicarage in St. Mary Mead. Sadly, none of these exemptions applies. Privacy Policy The end shows a crime emanating from secret heartache, motherhood and loss, but has none of the emotional currency it needs (and which the 1980 Elizabeth Taylor/Angela Lansbury film contains). This has been corrected. The Mirror Crack’d review – death and dazzle as Miss Marple goes to the movies. Salisbury PlayhouseThis frenetic rewind for Agatha Christie’s mystery splits between Hollywood homage and send-up, Last modified on Thu 26 Mar 2020 23.29 AEDT. It’s shorter than the other films in the series - 102 minutes - but seems longer because every scene goes on a few seconds beyond its natural life. Resembling a cross between Betty Turpin from The Rovers’ Return and an accident victim suffering from severe shock, she is so terrible as to be strangely fascinating. Freeze frame … The Mirror Crack’d, with set design by Richard Kent. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The Mirror Crack'd ( The Mirror Cracked ) (Blu-Ray) at Amazon.com. The Mirror Crack'd is no exception. The Mirror Crack’d has finally gotten its long-awaited domestic Blu-ray release as well as other Agatha Christie films that feature Hercule Poirot thanks to Kino Lorber. Poisoning in mind … Susie Blake as Miss Marple and Julia Hills as Dolly Bantry in The Mirror Crack’d. It might not matter so much if the film were tautly directed, exciting and well acted. "THE MIRROR CRACK'D FROM SIDE TO SIDE" (2010) Review The 2010 television movie, "THE MIRROR CRACK'D FROM SIDE TO SIDE", marked the third screen adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1962 novel of the same title.This particular adaptation from the "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MARPLE" series starred Julia McKenzie as the leading character, Miss Jane Marple. The Disc
The biggest problem is that Miss Marple is laid up with an ankle injury for most of the movie, leaving the sleuthing to her Scotland Yard inspector nephew (Edward Fox).
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