MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Anchor Bay releases this three-disc set of Agatha Christie mysteries, each presented with a widescreen transfer enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions. The Death on the Nile (1978) disc contains a 20-minute making-of featurette, biographies, and interviews with actors Peter Ustinov and Jane Birkin. The Evil Under the Sun (1982) disc contains a 15-minute making-of featurette, biographies, and the theatrical trailer. The Mirror Crack'd (1980) disc contains the theatrical trailer, television spots, and biographies. This disc is a totally adequate presentation of the material. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 3
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen), 1.77:1 (Alternate Wide Screen)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • Death on the Nile:
  • Widescreen presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs
  • "The Making of Death on the Nile" featurette
  • Interviews with Peter Ustinov and Jane Birkin
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Talent bio
  • Evil Under the Sun:
  • Widescreen presentation (1.77:1) enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs
  • "The Making of Evil Under the Sun" featurette
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Talent bio
  • The Mirror Crack'd:
  • Widescreen presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Talent bio
  • TV spots

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Costume Design - 1978 (Anthony Powell)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Won Best Costume Design - 1978 (Anthony Powell)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Nominated Best Foreign Film - 1978

• National Board of Review

•     Won Best Supporting Actress - 1978 (Angela Lansbury)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  John Guillermin, Guy Hamilton

• Producer:

  Lord John Brabourne, Richard Goodwin

• Screenwriter:

  Anthony Shaffer

• Book Author:

  Agatha Christie

• Screenwriter:

  Barry Sandler

• Cinematographer:

  Jack Cardiff, Christopher G. Challis

• Composer (Music Score):

  Nino Rota

• Featured Music:

  Cole Porter

• Composer (Music Score):

  John Cameron

• Editor:

  Malcolm Cooke, Richard Marden

• Production Designer:

  Brian Ackland-Snow, Terry Ackland-Snow, Peter Murton, Alan Cassie, Elliot Scott, Michael Stringer

• Art Director:

  Brian Ackland-Snow, Terry Ackland-Snow, Dan Carlin, Sr., John Roberts

• Set Designer:

  Peter Howitt

• Costume Designer:

  Anthony Powell, Phyllis Dalton

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  John Richards, John W. Mitchell, Bill Rowe

• Makeup:

  Jill Carpenter, Eric Allwright

• First Assistant Director:

  Chris Carreras, Ted Sturgis, Derek Cracknell

• Camera Operator:

  John Palmer

REVIEWS:

• Considering the talent onscreen, The Mirror Crack'd should be much better than it actually is. Not that Mirror is by any means bad; it's a more than acceptable English village murder mystery, the kind of cozy little whodunit that is the bread and butter of the mystery genre. Mirror gets off to a crackling good start, with the screening of a murder mystery film that, in its five or so minutes, is an enormous amount of fun; but Mirror itself doesn't reach that same level of entertainment. Part of the reason is that Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple is sidelined for a good portion of the film. This is the kind of device that can work in a TV series, when it provides variety; but it's harder to pull off in a single film and pokes a hole in the center of Mirror that just doesn't feel right. It also doesn't help that Lansbury, who should be ideally cast, doesn't seem particularly comfortable; the formidable actress never really gets to work her special magic and never makes the character her own. By contrast, as her assistant, Edward Fox wears the character like a pair of comfortable old shoes. The rest of the star-studded cast comes off better, although they're generally relegated to playing two-dimensional stereotypes. Even so, they seem to be having an enjoyable time, and don't seem to be bothered by material that's only average. Their fun is contagious and makes The Mirror Crack'd worth catching. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
• The financial and critical success of Murder on the Orient Express inspired a spate of all-star Agatha Christie adaptations, but none were able to equal Murder. Evil Under the Sun is mildly enjoyable, a case of a film in which its whole is somehow less than the sum of its parts. Certainly the cast is not to blame. While they have a tendency to go over the top, most of them do so in a rather delicious way, and Diana Rigg and Maggie Smith in particular make scenery chewing seem the most natural way of acting in a movie. (Riggs' performance of "You're the Top" -- constantly interrupted by Smith -- is particularly memorable.) Although physically miscast, Peter Ustinov is certainly enjoyable, if a bit too amiable; he seems afraid to let the character's grouchiness and imperiousness have the freedom they needs. The photography makes good use of the exotic, often-stunning locations, and the costumes and soundtrack are period-perfect. Perhaps the film doesn't totally satisfy because the screenplay concentrates so wholeheartedly on its plot, with the result that the characters - as witty as they may be -- come across strictly as types. The fact that the resolution is extremely convoluted --even for Christie -- also damages the film, as does Guy Hamilton's adequate but uninspired direction. The viewer watches the film, eager for it to reach out and grab him -- but it never quite manages to do that. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
• A prototypical Agatha Christie adaptation, Death on the Nile is a classic mystery with an all-star cast of recognizable names and faces. Continuing in the vein of Murder on the Orient Express, a murder has occurred during a river cruise, making everyone onboard a suspect, and, as the eminent detective Hercule Poirot observes, everyone had either an opportunity or a motive to do the dastardly deed. Death on the Nile features Peter Ustinov in the role of Poirot and he gives an uncharacteristically subtle, low-key performance, leaving the histrionics to the rest of the cast which features David Niven, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Maggie Smith, and George Kennedy, among others. This is Ustinov's first appearance as Poirot and he seems to be feeling out the role and leaving the plot to carry the film. Like most works by Agatha Christie are on some level, the plot is somewhat formulaic. However, the mystery is well-constructed as one would also expect from a Christie story, but there is a lot of information to digest in order for the viewer to be able to participate in the solving of the crime and the resolution of the story. By necessity most of the action takes place on the ship, but the other Egyptian locations lend an exoticism to the film and set the period well. ~ Dan Friedman, Rovi