The Mysterious Affair at Styles is Christie's first published book, and it is the classic that so many others of the genre have drawn upon. Therefore, it is fitting that it was chosen to be a part of this collection. Given the other, odder choices, it's refreshing to be able to watch this gem.
The Pale Horse
Set in 1960s England, the story focuses on Mark Easterbrook, who is a young man who is a suspect for murder simply because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. With the help of two young women, he sets out to prove himself innocent, but the only way he can do that is by finding out who the real killer is. By doing so, he puts himself and his new friends in the crosshairs of the killer, who is determined to keep the attention of the police on Easterbrook.
The direction and production is dark — much darker than the treatment usually given to film adaptations of Christie's stories. It certainly shows a different side to the Queen of Crime, and perhaps that was why it was chosen to be in this introductory collection.
Aside from the films (and episode), the discs do not include any additional material beyond the usual text-based brief background information on Agatha Christie and the key actors involved in the production. This is not surprising. Although the box is given a distinctive design and theme, the contents are clearly pulled from the various sets and single releases previously made available by Acorn Media. It's a little disappointing that they did not change the packaging of the contents to match, rather than making it appear to be an assortment of remainders marketed as something new. Luckily, it's the contents that matter more than the packaging.
Article comments