Now she ded from plot

[altariel]

Icon courtesy of the munificent katlinel.

We watched several Miss Marples over the holiday, both 'classic' Joan Hickson and 'revisionist' Geraldine McEwan. The McEwans (three of them so far) have largely sucked, I'm afraid to say, particularly as we've been comparing. Oh yes, indeed; we watched the McEwan 4.50 From Paddington on ITV1 on Boxing Day, and the Hickson version the following day on UK Gold. Let it not be said that our opinions are ill-founded. Last night's McEwan, A Murder is Announced, has been the best by far, sticking more closely to the plot, and not being as tedious as all hell, which I generally find makes television more enjoyable. Plus I could remember the plot and Mr A. couldn't, which doesn't often happen and does make it all a bit more entertaining.

What else have we been watching? The Christmas DVD loot was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which Mr A. admitted was not bad, and School of Rock - you know, the one with Jack Black in the school, teaching, well, rock. And I bought myself the Flambards DVDs with my Christmas money, and good old Borders knocked a third of the price. Huzzah! Huzzah!

We went to see National Treasure. I spent the first fifteen minutes writhing in my seat and squealing, "Stop getting dialogue wrong!" and then either the writing got better or I stopped caring any more, because I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. You can't really go wrong with a film that starts out in the Arctic, passes through various major genres and plots devices (A-Team, heist, Indiana Jones, lost-treasure-of-the-Templars etc. etc.), has lots of nerdy facts about the Founding Fathers, and in which the Masons (in the shape of Harvey Keitel) are the heroes. (The villains were, of course, the British - or, Sean Bean.) Well worth the price of the ticket.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

(katlinel, bloody hell, still at work - why isn't it 5pm yet?)

I've been enjoying the McEwan 'Miss Marple', sad to say. Admittedly, I've mainly been out of my head with 'flu and ibuprofen while watching them, and have been incapable of watching or reading anything at all demanding over the past three weeks, which may go some way to explain my lack of taste and judgement. I've also not been doing a direct comparison.

When it comes to 4:50 from Paddington, I remember being massively disappointed by the Margaret Rutherford film because they dropped both Mrs McGillicuddy and Lucy Eylesbarrow, and I liked both those characters. (They also retitled it Murder She Said which I thought was a title of much blah.) So any version that doesn't do that pleases me.

We also re-watched PoA over the break. It's definitely my favourite of the films so far.

[communicator.livejournal.com]

I liked the new Miss Marple. Opinion at work seems rather divided.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

What I would have really liked them to do would be to keep the same cast from week to week, but still do different stories. Like watching rep. Something like that would make a great TV series.

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

What a splendid idea!

Mind you, I've been toying with the idea that they could do a follow-up one whereby they get all the police inspectors they've had so far in one together, and they could all exchange knowing glances when Miss M turns up. And then fight each other for who has access. And then you'd get Simon Callow, and wotsisname who plays Matthew in 'Four Weddings', and they could reprise their roles. Possibly Simon Callow's character could be the murder victim, and the body could be found at the intersection of 3 counties, bringing in the other 3 police inspectors all fighting about jurisdiction.

Etc. Not Christie but it would be fun.

Oh, and could we not Joanna Lumley. I thought she hammed it up terribly in 'The Body in the Library'.

We could also have a lesbian couple who were neither murderers nor victims too. They could win the vegetable marrow competition at the local fete instead.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I love your detectives idea. Sort of a detectives smackdown.


We could also have a lesbian couple who were neither murderers nor victims too.

Oh good it wasn't just me thinking that!

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

I've only spoken to two people about it in RL. One reads very, very little - the only books I've heard her speak of reading are Agatha Christie novels, and I believe she started reading the first HP book this year. The other reads very little, more non-fiction than fiction, but does read crime novels. Both of those hated the new Miss M, and thought that McEwan was so very not the the Miss M of the books.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

It's McEwan's performance which is the big problem for me: there's something just not right about it.

[gfk88.livejournal.com]

I think she's far too assertive to be the proper Marple, Miss Marple (which, to be fair, could well be the direction rather than the acting). I thought the whole point was that she squirrelled away in the background pretending to be dotty so no one paid her any notice and let slip all their wicked secrets.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'm sure we're just being particularly unforgiving.

They dropped McGillicuddy and Eylesbarrow?!? Did the story make any sense?! ("McGillicuddy and Eylesbarrow - together, they fight crime.")

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

They basically had Miss M being the witness on the train, and then taking the housekeeper job at Crackenthorpe Manor (Hall, Place?).

Part of the reason that I like the characters is that I think that Elspeth McGillicuddy and Lucy Eylesbarrow are perfectly splendid names.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I entirely agree about the names. Whatever nonsenses there are in Christie books, the names are always great.

[dberry.livejournal.com]

I liked the new Marple too (note that, for the spiffy new series, she's lost the "Miss"). The episode with Joanna Lumley in wasn't too great, but on the whole I think the series is excellent.

Even if you don't like it, you should make the best of it while it lasts. With the current amount of elderly-person-solves-dastardly-crime shows, there won't be any more English countryside inhabitants left . . .

[altariel.livejournal.com]

(note that, for the spiffy new series, she's lost the "Miss")

That cracks me up every time I see it. I keep imagining it delivered in that movie-trailer voice:

"Her home - St Mary Mead. Her destiny - to fight crime. She is..."

"MARPLE."

Love that icon, btw.

[dberry.livejournal.com]

LOL!

Love that icon, btw.

It's by selluinlaer. :-)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Ooh, some really nice icons there...

[matildabj.livejournal.com]

National Treasure was fun. Sean Bean, um, yes. I just wish he could be the hero for once, in something other than Sharpe (which I have tried and failed to like).

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Yes, SB steals the film in FotR, but he's not exactly the hero. I've never watched Sharpe, although msmanna tells me that he gets implausibly injured in exactly the same way in every single episode (in the shoulder).

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Oh, one other thought about Bean-as-hero: how about as Odysseus?

[matildabj.livejournal.com]

Now, you see, I skipped Troy. Brad and Orlando, it just didn't say yes to me. Perhaps I should give it a try!

(and LotR viewing dates: I'm pretty much free, being a student and all, so you suggest some possibles and I'll most likely say yes!)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't actively encourage anyone to see 'Troy': if you enjoy semi-bad movies, you'll enjoy it.

I've emailed you at your yahoo address about viewing dates - let me know if no email arrives!

[forodwaith.livejournal.com]

Flambards DVDs
::ears perk up:: Really? Are they good?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'll let you know when I've watched them ;-) They were very popular over here when they were first shown (late 1970s).

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Further to my earlier reply... thumbs up for episode 1 :-)