Murder in the Clouds

Customer Reviews:

Action On The Ground And Above It.......2002-04-27

This quick little programmer from Warner Brothers stars Lyle Talbot as a hotshot pilot (was there any other kind?) who finds himself mixed up in a plot to steal important government military information. His stewardess girlfriend Ann Dvorak also becomes caught up in the plot. However, character and dialogue aren't what this film is about. Like any Warner Bros film, the emphasis is on action, and director D. Ross Lederman provides the viewer with plenty of aerial action (and ground action as well). The movie moves along quickly and tightly and is finished in just over an hour. As programmers go, it is well done and entertaining, delivering exactly what you would expect.

Average customer rating:

GREAT!!!!!!!
The STEWARDESS did it!! Or did she??
Nostalgic more than anything else, and a great mystery!
The Prettiest Poirot
One of My favorite Books

Death in the Clouds
Starring: David Suchet , and Hugh Fraser
Director: Tom Clegg
Manufacturer: Acorn Media Publishing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Adapted from Books | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1569383626
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Amazon.com

The locked-room murder mystery takes flight in this adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel Death in the Clouds. A poison dart gun, aristocratic blackmail, and the unexpected appearance (and disappearance) of the murder victim's illegitimate daughter add an exotic flavor to a story that is perfectly complemented by David Suchet as the world-famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. His European manners and unconventional investigating methods provide a delightful foil to Chief Inspector Japp's straightforward Scotland Yard manner. Death in the Clouds also features some of the most lavish scenery of any of the Poirot mysteries: aerial shots of English fields and the white cliffs of Dover, as well as elegant art deco interiors and the increasingly implausible hats worn by the female characters. It all culminates in a classic drawing room "whodunit" scene that Suchet handles so masterfully it never descends into cliché.

The DVD transfer contains some minor compression artifacts but on the whole has excellent picture and sound quality. Special features include biographies of David Suchet and Agatha Christie, Poirot trivia questions, a filmography of all the Poirot Mystery! episodes, and a link to the official Agatha Christie Web site. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

Customer Reviews:

GREAT!!!!!!!.......2005-01-13

Like always Poirot rocks!!!!!

Very Nice, well done, the plot is wonderfull, the acting too.

Go Poirot !!!

The STEWARDESS did it!! Or did she??.......2004-07-30

+++++

I watched this movie without reading the 1935 Dame Agatha Christie novel that it is based on. I'm glad I did this! Why? Because it forced me to really watch the movie in order to try and deduce who the murderer was.

As a brief synopsis, the murder takes place on a plane in flight and involves an insect (wasp) as well as a poison dart. Also on the plane is (you guessed it) the great sleuth himself, Hercule Poirot (David Suchet). The actual murder takes place "not 10 metres [or about 30 feet] away from him." As a result, Poirot has to "restore his reputation" by solving the crime. He is aided in his investigation by Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson). Eventually another person that was on the plane is killed but it appears to be a suicide.

One thing both Poirot and Japp are sure of is that the murder on the plane is not your "normal" murder. Poirot has trouble "sinking his teeth" into this case.

Who are the passengers and workers on the plane? There are nine altogether besides Poirot and they are as follows:

1. Ex-actress Lady (Cicely) Horbury (Cathryn Harrison)
2. Socialite and money lender Madame Giselle (Eve Pearce)
3. Archaeologist Jean Dupont (Guy Manning)
4. Crime Novelist Daniel Clancy (Roger Heathcott)
5. Stewardess Jane Grey (Sarah Woodward)
6. Steward Michael (John Bleasedale)
7. Dentist Norman Gale (Shawn Scott)
8. Maid to Cicely (Jenny Downham)
9. Friend to Cicely, Venetia Kerr (Amanda Royle)

Of the eleven actors above, Suchet's performance stands out. I feel he does a stellar job in his performance as Poirot. His interactions with Japp are sometimes comical. Another performance to look for is that of Cathryn Harrison as the now seemingly wealthy Lady Horbury.

The cinematography of this movie is visually stunning. This movie takes place in Paris and we are shown close-ups of major landmarks. The costumes are authentic looking. As well, the background music adds to each scene.

The DVD (where the movie is in full screen format) has four extras. Of these, I found three interesting: biographies of Suchet and Christie as well as the one entitled "Poirot Trivia."

Finally, the only problem I had with this movie was with the final scene where Poirot deduces who the killer is. If you've been keeping track there are now seven suspects. But in this final scene there are only five shown! There is a sixth person in this scene but that person was not even on the plane when the murder was committed. One of the missing suspects is briefly assumed to be innocent (no explanation is given as to why). The other missing suspect is not even mentioned! Thus, I found this final deduction scene somewhat disappointing.

In conclusion, this is a fun movie, even if you have read the novel!!

(1992; made for TV; 100 min; British drama; 10 scenes; color)

+++++

Nostalgic more than anything else, and a great mystery!.......2004-07-14

I saw this with my mother on DVD ($12.99 at Sam's Club, believe it or not!) and we both enjoyed it immensely. Even my 11-year-old sister liked it (I'm 14). The scenery in this one is wonderful - Mom commented on the white cliffs of Dover. (What are those made out of, anyway? Salt? Limestone?) As usual, I read the book first and liked it a lot, but I loved the movie!

As the plot centers around a murder that takes place on a plane not three feet over from a sleeping Hercule Poirot (who wishes to restore his reputation, especially when the alleged weapon is found near his seat), it takes one back to a time when air travel was mostly worry-free (except for the airsick, including Poirot) and terrorists and bomb threats were not even in the picture.

My two favorite scenes are the classic drawing-room conclusion, as always, and a scene in the middle where Poirot performs a few little "experiments" aboard a plane, much to the chagrin of poor Chief Inspector Japp ("I've been to see the lawyer, Inspector - " "Chief Inspector.") ;-)

Featuring David Suchet in a fine performance as the star detective, and also Cathryn Harrison as the high-society smoking gambler Lady Cicely Horbury, who, according to the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com), is the granddaughter of Rex Harrison.

All in all, a great film adaptation, but also a great movie in its own right. A lot more funny moments in this one. :-)

The Prettiest Poirot.......2002-10-06

One of my favorites in the "Poirot" series, "Death in the Clouds" nonetheless significantly alters the story of Christie's novel. While some of the changes are the inevitable result of condensation and simplification, the most noticeable seem to have been made more with an eye to drawing attention to the show's period reconstruction. That is what I find personally appealing about the adaptation, the fastidious style, as immaculately turned out as Poirot himself. The style is perhaps more perfectly realized in this episode than in any of the other feature-length adaptations in the series.

For example, the novel begins with the plane flight from Paris to London during which the murder occurs. In the adaptation, however, it takes quite a while to get to the flight, as the film makers dawdle in 1930s Paris, providing a meticulously reconstructed tennis match, trips to gaming houses, superbly recreated upper crust hotel rooms, even a brief trip to a museum to remind us this is the high point of Surrealism in the arts.

If you can enjoy these details for themselves, you will probably view "Death" repeatedly and with great pleasure. If you are more interested in seeing Christie's novel "faithfully" adapted to the screen, you will be disappointed. In addition to cutting characters, some of those who remain have been reduced quite a bit in importance, and not always to the benefit of the story. Others, like Jane Grey, the young hair dresser on holiday in Paris, have been changed so much that they are practically different characters.

Still, even with these reservations, it's difficult to imagine anyone who enjoys the Suchet "Poirots" not getting a kick out of such choice moments as the detective trying to determine if someone could use a blow pipe unnoticed in a crowded airplane, or Japp's hapless efforts to communicate with people in French. With the polished period exteriors dressing up these wonderful bits of business, it's almost impossible to resist the episode's charms.

One of My favorite Books.......2001-06-25

Death In The Clouds was always one of my favorite of Christie's books, and while I really enjoyed this, I thought it wasn't as good as adaptation as many of the others, such as ABC Murders. But don't get me wrong, I loved it, and the story is great! To me it just wasn't quite as good as some of the other adaptaions. Usually I don't prefer the books over the movies, they're both good. But for once, I prefer the book.

Again, I still loved it and thought that Poirot and Japp did very good jobs in their rolls. My favorite scenes included Poirot's first talk with Japp, Japp cringing at Poirot's behavior on the plane, and Japp interacting with the French Inspector. Good stuff! And one of my favoite mystery plot-lines to boot!

Amazon.com

Deadlier than a nest of vipers and twistier than a mountain road--it's Poirot: The Movie Collection. Agatha Christie's supersleuth (played by David Suchet) is a proper, precise little man who cannot bring himself to eat hard-boiled eggs of different sizes, but it is exactly this obsession with detail that leads him to solve the five baffling cases presented in this boxed set. A lady's shoe buckle, a broken coffee cup, a poison dart pipe: these are the ingredients with which Christie brewed her classic mysteries, and the producers of these video adaptations pay an equal attention to detail in re-creating the stories on the small screen. Stunning aerial shots of England's coast and countryside are matched by elegant and elaborate costumes, particularly when it comes to ladies' headgear. Of course, nothing can outshine the fine performances of Suchet (who makes Poirot's fussy habits endearing and delivers wisecracks with unparalleled subtlety) and his supporting cast; Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran), and Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) add comic relief and camaraderie to the proceedings.

The DVD transfers are generally crisp in both picture and sound quality. Special features include biographies of Suchet and Christie, Poirot trivia questions, and a filmography of all the Agatha Christie's Poirot episodes. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

Description

This is a collection of five feature-length episodes of the Poirot mysteries.

The ABC Murders - This is the episode that star David Suchet calls his favorite. Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is challenged by an alphabet-obsessed murderer who announces his next victims through a series of letters addressed to Poirot himself.
Death in the Clouds - A ruthless blackmailer is killed on board an airborne plane filled with likely suspects.
Mysterious Affair at Styles - The Cavendish household is wrought with tension due to the marriage of John Cavendish's widowed mother to a suspicious younger man. When the tension turns deadly, Poirot and Hasting unite to solve the case.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - Further adventures of Agatha Christie's brilliant Belgian sleuth. Peril at End House - A flying ace plays a pivotal role in a case in which Poirot and Hastings swim through a sea of red herrings to arrive at the truth.

Customer Reviews:

Suchet is the penultimate Poirot.......2006-11-12

Makes you hope no one else takes on the role since now it has been done to perfection. Love the music and the style. The fashions and the cars are great. The English atmosphere is adorable.

Best Poirot Box Set.......2005-01-12

I just love it. Agatha Christie was purely a genius. You can never guess who the murdurer is. It seems impossible at first, but all the clues just make sense after Poirot leads us through the whole thing.

A truly priceless piece of mystery and television!.......2004-03-16

First of all, an explanation on the lack of a full 5-star rating. Despite the content, this was not Acorn Media's finest product, picture-wise. Oh, the content is outstanding, but the picture throughout most of the episodes was a bit grainy and sometimes you could easily see lines on the screen. Again, not the best effor I've ever seen, but don't let that detract from your enjoyment of the content itself.

Simply the finest piece of work to come out of television in the history of the medium. Agatha Christie's work comes to life with the brilliant acting of David Suchet as the brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Equally superb acting from supporting cast members Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp, and from Hugh Fraser as Captain Hastings. Also, look for Pauline Moran and a wonderfully charming Miss Lemmon. The episodes are well-translated from the original books, the parts acted out with humor, wit, charm, and historical integrity.

The DVDs themselves are also full of some great extra features, like biographies of the cast, lore from the world of Poirot (including quizzes), and a nice section on Agatha Christie herself. It is truly amazing to find something as totally wonderful and completely re-watchable as the Poirot series. The movies will have you begging for more. And don't worry, mystery fans, Acorn Media vastly cleaned up the quality of the picture i the second set. Still, a must-have for mystery lovers, for British television and movie lovers, and those that enjoy quality viewing on their own screens. Intrigue, puzzles, humor, and charm... it doesn't get much better than this!

Television at Its Very Best.......2004-02-29

"Agatha Christie's Poirot," based on the English author's popular detective stories, is a superbly made series. The subtle plots, the direction, the acting, the settings and costumes, even the music that so perfectly evokes the atmosphere and mood of each story, are all of the finest quality. English character actor David Suchet is simply perfect as the slightly eccentric Belgian police inspector-turned-private detective Hercule Poirot, and each actor - from Hugh Fraser and Philip Jackson as Captain Hastings (Poirot's "Watson") and the likeably gruff Chief Inspector Japp, to the most minor players in the various episodes - gives a detailed, multi-dimensional portrayal.
The box set includes five full-length (103 minute) episodes. I must state right away that my two favorites are THE ABC MURDERS and THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES, but that the other three are every bit as fine. DEATH IN THE CLOUDS, set in France and England, concerns the murder of Madame Giselle, a ruthless moneylender and blackmailer, during an airplane flight from Paris to London. Japp concludes that the woman was killed by a poison dart found on the floor near her seat, but Poirot has other ideas - particularly when he finds himself suspected! The episode features an interesting relationship between Poirot and a young air stewardess who assists him in his investigation. There are also atmospheric shots of Monmartre and stylish art deco interior settings, plus a hilarious scene in which Poirot conducts an "experiment" aboard the plane, which shows Suchet's flair for comedy.
Suchet himself has called THE ABC MURDERS his personal favorite of the "Poirot" episodes, and I can understand why. It is a wonderful human drama about a lonely epileptic who is suspected of being a serial murderer. Is it possible for a person to commit a crime without being aware of it? This is the question the story asks. However, the denouement may surprise you. I must add that the scene in which Poirot visits the suspect in prison is a highlight, with riveting acting from Suchet and Donald Sumpter as the poor, accused man. ONE, TWO BUCKLE MY SHOE, which begins with the murder of Mr. Morley, a dentist, comments on the British class system. The opening sequence foreshadowing the shooting death of Morley is extremely eerie. At the end of the episode, having successfully found the common link between three murders, Poirot and Japp realize that it is "the little chaps" who are really important to the welfare of society. ("But," Poirot adds, "there are no little chaps, Chief Inspector...particularly not Poirot.")
In PERIL AT END HOUSE, a young heiress' life has been threatened by a series of strange accidents. Poirot takes the case in order to protect her...but is it really she who needs protecting? The English seaside setting of this episode is beautiful, as is the score, composed by Richard Hewson. THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES was the first of the Hercule Poirot stories and also the first "Poirot" episode. It is 1917, and Lieutenant Hastings has been discharged from the Army because of an injury. To recuperate he goes to the country estate of a friend, John Cavendish. John's mother has married a much younger man whom everyone else in the household dislikes. When she is murdered, Hastings joins forces with Hercule Poirot, a Belgian refugee living nearby, to uncover the truth. It is interesting to see the characters in an Edwardian (rather than a 1920's or 1930's) setting, and also to see how the masterly characterizations of Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson, and (especially) David Suchet were perfectly in place even at this early stage in the series. As in the other episodes, all of the different elements in this one - direction, acting, sets, costumes, lighting, music, camera angles - come together to create an absorbing drama. There are several particularly memorable moments. One is the scene in which Poirot and Hastings are looking for clues in the deceased woman's room; though there is not much action here, the music and the camera shots make the scene riveting. In a later and most touching scene, Hastings proposes marriage to a young woman living in the house and is gently rejected. Soon after, Poirot, impatient to find the "last link in this most mysterious case," is building card houses to steady his mind, so that he might think clearly and logically. Then Hastings makes a remark that suggests the "last link" to Poirot, who suddenly jumps up and goes racing excitedly from the house. One knows here that he is about to "crack the case." And finally, there is the big "explanation scene," in which Poirot explains the surprising truth to all assembled. When STYLES ended, I found myself exclaiming, "Superb!" The same word could be used to describe the entire series. "Agatha Christie's Poirot" is television at its very best.

Poirot in Bulk.......2003-03-06

Both my sister and my mother have read almost every mystery that Agatha Christie ever wrote, but I never thought to start. Then I sat down one evening to watch television with them, and I was at once enchanted. It was an episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot on A&E. The David Suchet Poirot films (both full length movies and short films) come from this series. I enjoyed that first show so much that I watched the series religiously until it went off the air.

I started reading some of Agatha Christie's mysteries this year, and I firmly believe that David Suchet is the best portrayal of Hercule Poirot that ever was. I have seen other notorious actors, such as Peter Ustinov and Tony Randall, play the part, but they do not achieve the full embodiment of the persona (both physical and psychological) that David Suchet does.

The five movies that come is this set - THE ABC MURDERS; DEATH IN THE CLOUDS; THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES; ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE, and PERIL AT END HOUSE - are all excellent films. They exhibit Agatha Christie's wide range of talent with their variety in plot. In THE ABC MURDERS, someone is killing off seemingly random people and leaving railroad guides behind. In DEATH IN THE CLOUDS, the murder is committed in an airplane with Poirot on it. The list goes on, and I don't want to spoil anything for those interested in this set.

If you have never seen a Poirot before and are uneasy about spending so much money on something new, I would recommend any of the other David Suchet Poirot films to try out first. They are all incredibly interesting, exciting mysteries to watch.

DVD:

DVD

DVD