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Thursday, May 26, 2011

New "Poirot" and "Miss Marple" Mysteries From Acorn Media


AGATHA CHRISTIE’S POIROT: The Movie Collection, Set 6

PBS’s most-watched Masterpiece Mystery! series returns in three all-new mysteries;

DVD/Blu-ray debuts coincide with mysteries’ broadcast premiere

Debuts on DVD and Blu-ray July 12, 2011; Starring fan-favorite David Suchet


Silver Spring, MD — Featuring three all-new, star-studded movies starring David Suchet, Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Movie Collection, Set 6 debuts on DVD and Blu-ray from Acorn Media on July 12, 2011. The DVD release includes all three lavishly produced mysteries premiering on PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery! on June 19, June 26, and July 3. ITV Studios’ Poirot has aired on ITV1 in the U.K. since 1989 and on PBS and A&E in the U.S. BAFTA nominee David Suchet returns as Hercule Poirot—Agatha Christie’s elegant Belgian sleuth of unsurpassed deductive powers and peerless viewer appeal— in three baffling new cases based on her classic novels ($49.99/$59.99, www.AcornOnline.com).

Guest stars include Zoë Wanamaker (My Family), Martin Shaw, (George Gently), Jane Asher (Death at a Funeral, Alfie), Timothy West (Edward the King), Kimberley Nixon (Cranford), Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead), Art Malik (The Jewel in the Crown), and Anna Massey (The Importance of Being Earnest).

THREE ACT TRAGEDY—After guests at successive dinner parties mysteriously drop dead, Poirot teams up with an old friend, retired stage star Sir Charles Cartwright (Martin Shaw), to ferret out the killer. Guest stars include Jane Asher, Art Malik, and Kimberley Nixon.

THE CLOCKS—As Britain readies for war, Poirot journeys to Dover to help the son of an old friend solve a case involving an unidentified corpse and four mysterious timepieces, all stopped at precisely the same time. Anna Massey guest stars.

HALLOWE’EN PARTY—Crime novelist Ariadne Oliver (Zoë Wanamaker) calls Poirot in to investigate the macabre murder of a young girl at a children’s costume party who claimed to have witnessed a killing. Also stars Sophie Thompson, Deborah Findlay, and Amelia Bullmore.

Street Date: July 12, 2011 - 3 mysteries – Approx. 267 min. – SDH subtitles

DVD 3-Vol. Boxed Set (SRP: $49.99) / Blu-ray 3 Vol. Boxed Set (SRP: $59.99)

Acorn Media has released thirty-six episodes from the classic Poirot series in The Classic Collection, Sets 1-4 (episodes from 1989-1993), and 14 feature-length movies in The Movie Collection, Sets 1-5 (1990-1996, 2009-2010). The DVD 3-volume boxed sets are $49.99 (www.AcornOnline.com). Additionally, the recent adaptation of The Murder on the Orient Express was released on Blu-ray in October 2010.



AGATHA CHRISTIE’S MARPLE: THE PALE HORSE

On DVD June 21, 2011

Julia McKenzie returns as Miss Marple in a new, star-studded adaptation;

DVD debut coincides with the mystery’s broadcast on PBS Masterpiece Mystery!

Includes bonus disc with full-length, earlier adaptation co-starring Jean Marsh

“The quintessential Agatha Christie murder mystery”—The Times
“Good fun” —The Mirror


Silver Spring, Md —Agatha Christie’s much-loved heroine is back on the case in Agatha Christie’s Marple: The Pale Horse, debuting on DVD from Acorn Media on June 21, 2011. Premiering on PBS Masterpiece Mystery! on July 10th, ITV Studios’ new adaptation finds Julia McKenzie (Cranford) as the beloved spinster sleuth, taking on a spooky murder case at an inn run by three modern-day witches. Based on Christie’s 1961 novel, The Pale Horse also stars Oscar® nominee Pauline Collins (Shirley Valentine, Upstairs, Downstairs), Sarah Alexander (Coupling), JJ Feild (Northanger Abbey), and Bill Paterson (Traffik). Rich with authentic period atmosphere and pitch-perfect performances, the DVD 2-Disc set includes a bonus disc with a 1996 adaptation of the novel without Miss Marple ($29.99, www.AcornOnline.com).

BLU-RAY AVAILABLE: June 21st also marks the first Blu-ray Marple with the release of Marple: Complete Series 5 with four mysteries including The Pale Horse (4-vol. boxed set, $69.99).

Miss Marple (Julia McKenzie) receives a mysterious list of names from her friend Father Gorman, who sent it moments before he was brutally murdered on a London street. She soon discovers that people on the list are dying. A clue leads her to the Pale Horse Inn in Hampshire, a spooky establishment run by three modern-day witches. As she closes in on the truth, one of the guests is found dead in his bed, and Miss Marple learns that her own life may be in danger.

BONUS DISC: The Pale Horse (101 min.), a 1996 adaptation of the classic mystery starring Colin Buchanan (Dalziel & Pascoe), Jean Marsh (Upstairs, Downstairs), and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings)

Street Date: June 21, 2011                           SRP: $29.99

DVD 2-Disc Set:  Approx. 89 min., plus 110 min. bonus - British mystery - SDH subtitles (main program)

Acorn Media previously released Agatha Christie’s Marple: Series 1-5 as DVD 4-Vol. Boxed Sets ($59.99). The Pale Horse is part of Series 5; however Acorn Media couldn’t release it until near its U.S. broadcast.



AGATHA CHRISTIE’S MARPLE: COMPLETE SERIES 5 Debuts on Blu-ray June 21, 2011

Agatha Christie’s beloved spinster sleuth on Blu-ray for the first time; Includes two full-length bonus programs

“Delightful to watch” –Los Angeles Times


Silver Spring, MD — Featuring four beloved feature-length mysteries, Agatha Christie’s Marple: Complete Series 5 debuts on Blu-ray from Acorn Media on June 21, 2011. Julia McKenzie (Cranford, Notes on a Scandal) dons Miss Marple’s trademark tweeds with wit and flair in these lavishly produced adaptations. Each story is shot in gorgeous high definition against the backdrop of grand English estates and post-WWII period detail. The episodes in Series 5 aired on PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery! in summer 2010 and 2011. The Blu-ray 4-volume boxed set also includes two full-length bonus programs: an extremely interesting documentary hosted by Pam Farris (Rosemary & Thyme) about Christie’s personal retreat, and a 1996 adaptation of The Pale Horse without Miss Marple ($69.99, www.AcornOnline.com).

The lavish productions feature stellar supporting casts including Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous), Lindsay Duncan (Rome), Hugh Bonnevile (Iris), Toby Stephens (Jane Eyre, Wired, NBC’s upcoming Prime Suspect remake), Caroline Quentin (Blue Murder), Edward Fox (Oliver Twist),  and Caroline Catz (Doc Martin).

Eyes sparkling and tweeds impeccable, Julia McKenzie returns as Agatha Christie’s spinster sleuth in four new mysteries set in 1950s England. Murder is afoot, and Miss Marple is up to the task of determining whodunit. She may look like a pensioner, but she doesn’t miss a clue on the way to solving heinous crimes, whether the weapon is a gun, a cocktail, or the color blue.

THE MYSTERIES

The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side; The Secret of Chimneys; The Blue Geranium; and The Pale Horse

BONUS PROGRAMS: Agatha Christie’s Garden (66 min.): A revealing documentary about Agatha Christie’s personal retreat hosted by Pam Ferris (Rosemary & Thyme), and a 1996 adaptation of The Pale Horse (101 min.) starring Colin Buchanan (Dalziel and Pascoe), Jean Marsh (Upstairs, Downstairs), and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings).

Street Date: June 21, 2011               SRP: $69.99

Blu-ray 4-Vol. Boxed Set: 4 episodes - Approx. 351 min., plus 167 min. bonus - British mystery - SDH subtitles

Acorn Media previously released Series 1-3 starring Geraldine McEwan, and Series 4-5 starring Julia McKenzie on DVD. The first three episodes of Series 5 aired in summer 2010. Since Acorn Media couldn’t release The Pale Horse until around its U.S. broadcast, it is also being released on June 21st in a separate DVD 2-volume disc set.
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