Jason Voorhees Pure gold for mystery fans, an Agatha Christie joy ride.

Fletcher Conner Of his three feature film turns as the famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, Evil Under the Sun is Peter Ustinov's best performance. Once again Poirot travels to an exotic local to observe a star studded cast (in this case Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, and James Mason) of upper crust British snobs and waits for one of them to be murdered. Of course, every one has both a motive and an alibi and it is up to Poirot to solve the crime without the police getting in his way.Ustinov shines in his most obnoxious turn as the fussy Belgian and while he is not quite on the level of Albert Finney and David Suchet, he plays the character as he should be played. Guy Hamilton ably directs, keeping it moving at a good pace while allowing the mystery to unfold and giving the audience a chance to solve it without making it easy. It does leave you to wonder though, has Poirot ever gone on a vacation without someone being murdered?

Coventry I absolutely worship Agatha Christie and am addicted to reading, watching and listening to everything she ever did. This year alone, I think I read at least twelve of her novels and (re-)watched a handful of movies that are based on her legendary writings. This woman truly was a genius and there are few creative minds that I respect and admire more! It's only been a few months since I watch "Death on the Nile" for the fourth time, but for some inexplicable reason this was just the first time that I laid my hands on "Evil under the Sun". From many viewpoints, this film is extremely similar to the aforementioned "Death on the Nile" (1978) and, to a lesser extent, "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974). All films feature a sizeable cast of characters, of which each and every single one is eccentric and on the verge of loathsome, and - in good old Agatha Christie tradition - they also all have the profile as well as the motives to be a potential and secretive murderer. All three films also take place in a confined and inescapable location (a train, a cruise ship or in this case a remote tropical island) and it takes a relatively long time before the pivot murder is being committed, allowing more than enough time to elaborate on all the suspects' motives and their feelings of hatred towards the murder victim. In this tale, which was moved from the English coast towards a high- society island resort in the Adriatic Sea, the brilliant detective Hercule Poirot investigates the whereabouts of a valuable diamond. The beautiful and famous actress Arlena Marshall is also on the island to spend her honeymoon with her new but much older new husband Kenneth and step-daughter Linda. Poirot quickly notices that literally everyone on the island bears a deep grudge against Arlena, whether it's because of historical feuds, her adulterous nature or her stubborn business decisions. When Arlena's body is eventually found, strangled on the beach, all suspects quickly provide Poirot with waterproof alibis. I'm not entirely sure if Mrs. Christie would have appreciated the fact that her story was transferred to a more tropical location, since she was so typically British with regards to her locations and character drawings, but at least director Guy Hamilton splendidly makes use of the holiday resort setting and masterfully directs the extended A-listed cast. Peter Ustinov literally merges with his Poirot character and many of the great names in the supportive cast clearly had an excellent time appearing in this grotesque whodunit. The 1945 film "And Then There Were None" inarguably remains the greatest Agatha Christie adaptation, and personally I was more blown away by "Murder on the Orient Express" as well, but "Evil under the Sun" nevertheless comes highly recommended in case you're looking for something to watch on a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon.

ma-cortes Big-name cast as suspects of a murder committed in a luxurious touristic place and Ustinov trying to unravel the killer . Suspense and intrigue with Poirot on holidays in Albania . This whodunit deals with Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov) as the Belgian sleuth man in he case of killing a rich , unpopular actress in an island during a luxury vacations . It is set in the kingdom of Tyrania , but it is a fictional land which was based on the country of Albania , the isle setting of Daphne's Island was also fictional . As trying to find how a millionaire (Colin Blakely) wound up with a phony diamond brings Hercule Poirot to an exclusive island resort frequented by the rich and famous . When a murder is committed, everyone has an alibi . He investigates the tourists and numerous suspects , all support cast (Jane Birkin , Nicholas Clay , Maggie Smith , Roddy McDowall , Sylvia Miles , James Mason , Denis Quilley , Diana Rigg) . Who is the killer? , can he find the guilty ? . After the clues have been shown we will get a chance to give the answer with Poirot finding out about the culprit at a twisted finale with outstanding surprises but are taken the murders from different viewpoints of everyone which it makes a little bit boring, pedestrian , endless and overlong.The film is a detective story in which you are the detective . In the picture there is mystery , emotion , suspense , actors's interpretation are first-rate and wonderful outdoors from Majorca , Spain and the rout on the cruise ship . Interesting plot by screenwriter Anthony Shaffer , he once said of this : "The location is important , the island should be a star , just as the Nile steamer Death on the Nile (1978) and the Orient Express in the Murder on the Orient Express (1974) were stars" . Being second of three produced screenplays from novels by Agatha Christie written by Anthony Shaffer , the others were Death on the Nile (1978) and Appointment with death (1988) . At one point this movie was mooted as being the follow-up Agatha Christie film to Murder on Orient Express but the picture eventually arrived fourth in the Brabourne-Goodwin series after Death on the Nile (1978) and The crack mirror (1980) . The film relocates the provincial North Devon, England setting on Smuggler's Island off the Devonshire Coast from the Agatha Christie source 'Evil Under the Sun' novel to an island in the Adriatic Sea "somewhere west of Suez", a setting played by the exotic Spanish island location of Majorca . This location also was at the time the home of the film's director Guy Hamilton . The movie gets a lush costume design by Anthony Powell and adequate production design by Elliot Scott . Colorful and sunny cinematography by excellent cameraman Christopher Challis . Sensitive and atmospheric musical score by the classical Cole Porter . Magnificent performances from all-star-cast , a number of the cast had appeared in the earlier'producers Brabourne-Goodwin Agatha Christie movies . And Peter Ustinov acting is similar to Albert Finney (Murder on the Orient Express) . Ustinov starred various Hercule Poirot films such as : ¨Death on the Nile¨(John Guillermin) , this ¨Evil under the sun¨ (Guy Hamilton), ¨Appointment with death¨ (Michael Winner) and for TV in low budget as : ¨Murder in three acts¨,¨Dead man's folly¨ and ¨Thirteen at dinner ¨; but the best considered is Death on the Nile . ¨Evil under the sun¨ was made and released about forty-one years after Agatha Christie's source novel of the same name was first published in 1941 , being selected to be the 1982 Royal Film Performance ; this movie was the first ever filmed version of this story, it being remade with Poirot: Evil Under the Sun (2001) with David Suchet . This film was professionally directed by Guy Hamilton though contains some flaws , poor edition and sometimes results to be slow moving. Being second and final Agatha Christie adaptation directed by Guy Hamilton , his first was The crack mirror (1980) . Rating : passable and acceptable , well worth watching . The flick will appeal to suspense lovers and Agatha Christie-Poirot novels buffs .