Tucker, David

Marple Classic Mysteries (Caribbean Mystery/4:50 from Paddington/Moving Finger/Nemesis/At Bertram's Hotel/Murder at Vicarage/Sleeping Murder/They Do It with Mirrors/Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side)

Return to post-war England for mystery and a cup of tea with Agatha Christie s most popular creation. The consummate prim and proper crime-fighting spinster Miss Jane Marple sets down her knitting needles to unwind the most ingenious crimes. As she travels from city to countryside and even the Bahamas murders missing bodies and haunted dreams have a habit of falling across Miss Marple s path--which is precisely when "tail up and head down" the beloved aunt and godmother goes into action. Digitally re-mastered and faithfully adapted from Agatha Christie s best-selling novels THE CLASSIC MYSTERIES COLLECTION features Joan Hickson (Christie s personal choice to play the spinster sleuth) in over fifteen hours of suspense misdirection rich period detail and the cleverest solutions imaginable. DVD Features: Complete Index of all Miss Marple Stories; Agatha Christie Bio; Joan Hickson Biography/Filmography; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection System Requirements:Running Time 936 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE UPC: 733961747096 Manufacturer No: AAE-74709

Joan Hickson is the epitome of Agatha Christie's spinster sleuth in this DVD boxed set of nine Miss Marple movies from British television. "Little grey-haired cobra," mutters Detective Inspector Slack (David Horovitch), the hard-slogging policeman who finds himself humbled, again and again, by the frail woman's shrewd insight and dogged determination. Whether on a tropical island, in a grand hotel, or on a bus tour of historic sites, Miss Marple never fails to uncover the buried secrets, illicit affairs, tangled finances, and boorish Americans that abound in Agatha Christie's mysteries. Hickson is said to be Christie's own choice for the role (though when Christie told her this, Hickson was taken aback, as she was still fairly young at the time), and it's easy to see why: Hickson is physically unassuming, a perfect village busybody, yet her eyes contain a constant flicker of curiosity and keen intelligence.

This set includes all but three of Hickson's outings as Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery, in which an old bore's death on an island resort sets the plot in motion; The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side, which features an aging movie star and sumptuous marble bathrooms; in 4:50 from Paddington, the launch of Sputnik is accompanied by a strangling on a train; The Moving Finger begins with poison pen letters, but poison and bludgeonings soon follow; At Bertram's Hotel is one of the most unusual stories, as murder doesn't happen until more than 3/4 of the movie has unfolded, and the ending features a dynamic rooftop chase; Murder at the Vicarage, a definitive village mystery which finds Miss Marple solving a killing on her home turf; Nemesis, in which a wealthy old friend of Miss Marple's orchestrates, after his own death, the investigation of a murder long gone cold; Sleeping Murder, one of the best, starts out as more of a ghost story than a mystery and culminates in genuine suspense; and They Do It With Mirrors, in which misdirection--the cunning art upon which any murder mystery depends--is part of the plot itself.

There are a few famous names sprinkled among the casts (among them Donald Pleasance, Halloween, Jean Simmons, Spartacus, and Joan Greenwood, The Importance of Being Earnest, who has one of the most wonderful voices in the history of British cinema), but these BBC dramas depend mostly on solid, enjoyable character actors--actors much like Hickson herself, who labored for decades in bit parts before finding her plum role. The compression necessary to turn a book into a movie sometimes makes sussing out the murderer simpler, but fans of the genre will still be delighted by Miss Marple's perceptive investigations. --Bret Fetzer

A Year in Provence

A Year in Provence, the made-for-TV version of the bestselling book by Peter Mayle, captures a year in the lives of Brits Mayle (John Thaw) and his wife Annie (Lindsay Duncan) in southern France. The Mayles both revel in and endure what for most would be a fantasy experience: leaving dull jobs, acquiring an old farmhouse in Provence, and (for Peter) attempting to write a novel in the midst of bucolic countryside, gourmet food and drink, and interesting people. With an Agatha Christie-meets-To the Manor Born sensibility, the Mayles brave mistral winds, truffle season and the Mafia that surrounds it, exasperating neighbors, constant summer guests, an attempt at old-fashioned winemaking, and a Father Christmas drama--all while trying to renovate their kitchen.

This is not an in-depth look at expatriate living; rather, Mayle gives us a pastiche of the comedic situations he and his wife find themselves in. Some viewers may yearn for more shots of the scenic locations and a more serious treatment of Provençal culture, but most will find this a whimsical adventure and an entertaining slice of fantasy meets reality. --Stefanie Durbin

McCallum: The Complete Series

This gritty detective series hails from the U.K. and features John Hannah (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL) in the lead role. This collection of episodes contains 900 minutes of action and mystery from McCallum and company.System Requirements:Running Time: 900 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 741952638193 Manufacturer No: KOC-DV6381

The Agatha Christie Megaset Collection (Miss Marple / Poirot)

Two of Agatha Christie's most popular characters, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, are brought to life in these classic BBC and A&E Home Video mysteries. The delightful Joan Hickson is always entertaining as the prim and proper Miss Marple, complete with her elderly woman charm and perpetually clicking knitting needles. In 4:50 from Paddington, Miss Marple's good friend Elspeth McGillicuddy witnesses a man strangle a woman on a passing train, and it's up to Miss Marple to uncover the mystery. In Sleeping Murder, the Reeds move into their dream house, where Mrs. Reed is plagued by the vision of a body in the hall. In turn they call upon Miss Marple to help them uncover this strange phenomenon. When the American movie star Marina Gregg in The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side is almost murdered while filming her new picture, she's fortunate to have the help of Miss Marple to sniff out the evil culprit. A Caribbean Mystery has Miss Marple, who's in need of rest and relaxation, deciding to holiday in the West Indies. Her holiday soon turns into a working vacation when it's time for her to gather the usual suspects. Other Miss Marple stories included in the boxed set are The Moving Finger, At Bertram's Hotel, Murder at the Vicarage, Nemesis, and They Do It with Mirrors.

David Suchet perfectly captures the brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in four beautifully made mysteries. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, in which yet another of Poirot's retirements is interrupted with murder, is an admirable adaptation of a nearly unfilmable plot. Lord Edgeware Dies offers the pleasing combination of murder, theater folk, and a glimpse of a besotted Poirot. Evil Under the Sun features cold-blooded murder at a sunny health resort, and Murder in Mesopotamia doubles the fun by dropping all the intrigue into an archaeological dig. Each mystery is lovingly crafted with clever direction, a clear fondness for Christie's work, and painstakingly accurate period settings. Suchet and Hugh Fraser (as Captain Hastings) make a marvelous pair, capturing both the easy companionship and the frequent bickering of true friendship. Special DVD features include an index of all the Miss Marple and Poirot stories and biographies of Agatha Christie, Joan Hickson, and David Suchet.

Bramwell: The Complete Third Season

This lavish period drama tells the story of Eleanor Bramwell (Jemma Redgrave) a pioneering female doctor in the late nineteenth century and the struggles she has with her friends her colleagues and society. Determined to take the medical profession out of the dark ages her strongly held opinions often draw her into conflict with the chief surgeon a man keener on tradition than he is on progress. Also starring David Calder and Robert Hardy. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 016351350695 Manufacturer No: SHA-DV3506

Bramwell - The Complete First Season

From PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, this 1995 miniseries chronicles the professional and personal challenges of a determined female physician in late 19th century England. With extraordinary depth and vitality, Jemma Redgrave plays Dr. Eleanor Bramwell, an ambitious doctor intent on becoming a surgeon who struggles to make her mark in the medical world while mocked by her male counterparts. In the season opener, Eleanor works at East London hospital under the patronizing tutelage of Sir Herbert Hamilton until she no longer can tolerate his barbaric medical practices—especially toward women. Against the wishes of her protective father (David Calder), Eleanor strikes out on her own to run the charitable Thrift Infirmary in London's impoverished East End, thanks to the generosity of a widowed patroness, Lady Cora Peters. Subsequent dramas unfold, with each of the seven episodes building upon the last, as Eleanor grapples with issues of class, race, poverty-induced crime, family expectations, and the politics of patronage. In one story, Eleanor's upper-crust outlook gets a jolt when she discovers that Lady Cora's pregnant laundry maid is married to a black man; in another, a belligerent patient under her care attempts a sexual assault. This well-written and skillfully acted period drama provides a provocative glimpse at turn-of-the-century women's rights as well as social commentary on the culture of Victorian England. Redgrave gives an intelligent performance, developing her character at many levels, as a deeply compassionate, headstrong, flawed individual who remains true to her convictions. The season ends with the possibility of a budding romance between Eleanor and one of her colleagues. Not suitable for young children due to mature themes. --Lynn Gibson

BRAMWELL follows the fortunes of Dr. Eleanor Bramwell (Jemma Redgrave) in her pursuit of public health and private amours in Victorian-era London. Feisty and unconventional, her sights are set on becoming a leading surgeon, an ambition unheard of for women in Victorian society. Eleanor's father Robert (David Calder) would like his daughter to join him in his respectable private practice, but his daughter has plans of her own which take her from the drawing rooms of the elite to the shocking deprivation of the slums of London's East End.

This lavish period drama begins with Eleanor assisting at the East London Hospital of eminent surgeon Sir Herbert Hamilton. From the very beginning Eleanor's strongly held opinions and desire to take the medical profession out of the dark ages draw her into conflict with Sir Hamilton's old fashioned and often barbaric practices. But Eleanor's energy and compassion also win her friends, including Lady Cora Peters who recognizes Eleanor's talents and sets her up in a small charitable infirmary in the slums of the East End where she will encounter the difficulties and dangers of attending to the needs of both London's poor and criminal underworld.

Miss Marple, Set 2 (The Moving Finger / Nemesis / Murder at the Vicarage / At Bertram's Hotel / They Do It with Mirrors)

Behaving Badly

Based on the book by Catherine Heath. the 1989 four-part British miniseries Behaving Badly is not to be confused with the Britcom, Men Behaving Badly. Judi Dench, as ever, commands the screen in her BAFTA-nominated performance as middle-aged Bridget Mayor, who, like Jill Clayburgh's character in An Unmarried Woman, is initially shattered, but gets a new lease on life after her husband of two decades (Ronald Pickup, Fortunes of War) announces that he intends to marry his mistress younger Rebecca (Frances Barber). After a somewhat dreary first hour, dutiful and obedient Bridget blossoms and shines as she declares that "with only myself to think about, and not much to lose, I've stopped caring about other people's good opinions." Declaring her conformist days are over, she shocks family and friends, first by moving back in with her ex and his new wife, and then in the flat her daughter, Trudy, shares with a close-knit group of young professionals. She further scandalizes one and all by falling in love with one of them, and considers accompanying him to America. "My mother has stopped being splendid," Trudy frets. Less compelling is Trudy's own romantic pursuit of a black pastor.

Behaving Badly deftly mixes melodrama and comedy. Gwen Watfordias costars as Bridget's former mother-in-law and champion, who torments Rebecca and makes Marie on Everybody Loves Raymond look like June Cleaver. In an early performance, Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) steals her scenes as a nerves-frayed, stressed-out schoolteacher. Behaving Badly anticipates the current so-called "chick lit" movement with this empowering personal odyssey that ends on an optimistically exhilarating high, as Bridget heals all family wounds, and "risks everything" to embark on her "grand adventure." --Donald Liebenson

Judi Dench stars as a lonely middle-aged divorcee who suddenly decides to stop doing what's expected of her and start Behaving Badly.
When her husband of 20 years falls in love with a younger woman, Bridget quietly moves on. For five years she accepts her fate, filling her days with part-time work, church-going, and evening classes until a chance encounter makes her face the emotional desert her life has become. She decides to stop being so "perfectly splendid" about it all and to start breaking rules and taking risks--happily impervious to the cries of dismay from those around her.

Starring Judi Dench (As Time Goes By, A Fine Romance) in a role that won her a BAFTA award nomination, with costars Ronald Pickup (The Mission), Frances Barber (Prick Up Your Ears), and Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck, Lady Chatterly).

Midsomer Murders: Death's Shadow (1999)

British mystery fans will find a wry sense of humor combined with a good old-fashioned bloodbath in Death's Shadow. Badger's Drift is in many ways a typical small village: charming scenery, closely intertwined lives, and--whoops!--a headless corpse. Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby is soon on the scene, teasing apart the intricate network of village relationships and grudges with an increasing sense of urgency as new corpses begin piling up at a gratifying rate. The mystery is a fun one, offsetting the gore with a light touch and a knowing wink that this is all in good fun. Barnaby, ably played by John Nettles, makes an excellent detective hero--firm in his resolve, a little too passionately dedicated to his job, and smart enough to crack the case without being so fast as to interfere with the body count. This witty, well-acted production is everything you could ask for in a mystery. --Ali Davis

Midsomer Murders - Beyond the Grave

Fans of Caroline Graham's young-but-game Sergeant Troy are in for a double treat with this entry in the Midsomer Murders series. At the behest of Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby's actress-daughter Cully, the two policemen spend this episode trailed by a Troy Doppelganger researching a part. And we're not even to the mystery yet, which is a surprisingly and enjoyably old-fashioned one: A ho-hum case of vandalism in a local museum leads to rumors of a haunting and a very real murder. Beyond the Grave has a much less weighty feel than some of the other episodes in this series, but there is much to recommend it, including the exasperated but loyal relationship between Troy and Barnaby and a deft performance by Prunella Scales as a village psychic. --Ali Davis