As I said somewhere else on this site, I find McKenzie's Marple to be stiff, as if she were on drugs. 

It would help if they got her a better hat, higher on her brow. Just look at her and you'll see that they are doing McKenzie no favours.

Perhaps she is trying to counteract some criticisms against Mcewan's Marple which I found quite good.  McEwan's was always intelligent, keen and sympatheitic whereas McKenzie's is wooden, nosy and unsympathetic.

In Murder is easy, Marple is so graceless one wonders why the whole village didn't rush to drive her to the next train/bus out of the nearest town.

Whereas, mcEwan's Marple was very clever at insinuating herself into situations where, really , she had no business.

Oh well, I guess every generation gets its Marple.  McEwan was mine.

I have seen some promotional pictures for 'Murder is Easy' & I have to say I am not happy w/ Benedict Cumberbatch as Luke.

As for MM (as we used to call her) I think Julia McKenzie does look like her but just another version of her (if that makes sense); like Margaret Rutherford looks like another version of MM. However, JM looks much more like MM than MR did.

Mole that makes alot of sense, Britain hasn't seen it yet but I have seen a picture of what JM looks like as MM and I think she is 'Different but not badly Different, Thye tweed is back so she looks more like Joan Hickson which I think is good but different enough to make her different from anyone else who has played her, MR played her in a very Characatured sdought of way like Ustinov's Poirot, both performances are superb if you want to relax and just watch something enjoyable but not if you are expecting true portrayals, I personally think GM didn't give any of this but I would have liked to see her plkay other Christie Characters, like The Bradbury-Scott Widow (Sorry can't remember her name) as for Benedict Cumberbatch playing Fitzwilliam, In the book it describes him as having fair hair so perhaps Jude Law or Laurence Fox would have been better.

To my knowledge Murder Is Easy has not been shown anywhere in the world nor has it been released on DVD. A while ago A Pocket Full of Rye with Julia McKenzie was shown at the BFI in London. However, we are still waiting for the four new Marples with Julia McKenzie including Murder Is Easy and A Pocket Full of Rye to be shown on television.     

Benedict Cumbermatch's hair color doesn't really matter. In the books Poirot has a full head of hair; whereas, David Suchet does not have a full head of hair. And most people view David Suchet as the definitive Poirot. Hair (or lack of) doesn't seem to have effected people's positive opinion of Suchet's performance.  

I think Joseph Mawle would be a very good choice for Luke: he looks like the way AC described him, & what's more I think his personality (much like Suchet's) matches the character better.

To S Sigerson: I was watching Death in the Clouds a couple of days ago and I wondered for the first time if Poirot had hair on the top of his head or was it somewhat bald on the top like Suchet's!? I can't remember reading it in her books what his hair do was like....Do you by any chance know which book it was mentioned in? I am NOT doubting you, I am just interested to see if I missed it somehow. :0)

I always assumed Poirot was really bald on the top with hair just round the edge at the back btw S Sigerson what is BFI? I live in Gloucestershire and I haven't seen 'Murder is Easy'

I believe in Curtain(not 100% sure - perhaps someone who has read the book can confirm)Poirot wears a toupee (you can deduce from that he had hair in the early stories) and I believe he also dyes his mustaches by this time. If memory serves on the cover of one of the books from the 20's, 30's or 40's there is likeness of Poirot with dark hair and parted down the middle. Albert Finney probably comes closes to that image.

The British Film Institute. 

S_Sigerson

To my knowledge Murder Is Easy has not been shown anywhere in the world nor has it been released on DVD. A while ago A Pocket Full of Rye with Julia McKenzie was shown at the BFI in London. However, we are still waiting for the four new Marples with Julia McKenzie including Murder Is Easy and A Pocket Full of Rye to be shown on television. 

Just wanted to say that Murder Is Easy has indeed been aired in different parts of the world (along with A Pocket Full of Rye). Ireland was the first, I believe, way back in November. That can be found on YouTube if you wish to look. Canada aired it next this past February, and Hungary followed in March. Norway aired it very recently - in fact, ALL of the episodes have already been aired there. The United States will air all of the episodes this coming July.

According to what I know, A Pocket Full of Rye is the most faithful of the bunch, with They Do It with Mirrors coming a close second (some minor changes and additions, but the core of the novel remains the same). Murder is Easy is practically a rewrite, and so is Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Evans, however, might receive a colder reception. It's very different to the novel, and the majority of the characters have been changed in some way or form.

Really. How interesting. When aired in Hungary and Norway were they dubbed or subtitles?

I'm not sure. I assume subtitles, but then again I could be wrong.

Of the four new Marples, I've only seen "A Pocket Full of Rye" and "Murder is Easy". I reviewed the two on IMDb. If anyone would like to read them, my review of APFOR is the only review on the page so far. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1189440/usercomments)

(By clicking on my username, you will be able to access all my reviews.)

As for Mackenzie, I love her Miss Marple. I can easily imagine her as the old lady from the books, far better than McEwan ever mustered (and I liked her portrayal, too). She brings this... atmosphere to Miss Marple rather like Joan Hickson did.

I think it is a shame they did 'Why Didn't They Ask Evans as it is a terrific Book and making it part of the 'Marple' series is a travesty, go_leafs I tried to read your review but couldn't work out wear to type in your name - please tell me where, Anyway, I look forward with anticipation to see JMs MM as I think she would be perfect for the role

You could simply click on the username right next to "Author".

Here are the direct links to my reviews though:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1189440/usercomments (A Pocket Full of Rye)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1251825/usercomments-2 (Murder is Easy)

I've reviewed a plethora of other AC films, so if you click on my username, you'll be able to read them.

It might be fun to watch  Miss. Marple or Poirot that has been dubbed. 

Have you used a different username go_leafs, I can only find one review and that's from someone else and I can't see where it says "Author"

Yes, on IMDb, I go by the name tml_pohlak_13.

Oh Right, That will be the problem, I was expecting to see go_leafs

I read your MIE review, go_leafs_ntion. Was Benedict Cumberatch's performance forgettable to you?

To be honest, the performances in Murder is Easy are almost all forgettable. The one exception is Julia Mackenzie, who makes a very nice Miss Marple.