MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

I just viewed three productions of Murder on the Orient Express (MOtOE), a 1934 book by Agatha Christie.  Not on the same day, but spread over a week.  The first was a local stage production, a preview before opening night, for free.  The second was the 1974 movie, also free, if you subscribe to Netflix.  The reason why it took so long to complete the trio was that Amazon Prime was the only channel showing availability of the 2017 version, but at a cost of $3.99.  Finally broke down and watched it.

Although this was the one I saw first, I'll  report on the local production last, for reasons of chronology and to later provide more info so that you can consider attending.  I'll start with the 1974 MOtOE, which Rotten Tomatoes liked:  reviewers 89% and Audiences 79%.  For those who appreciate soundtracks, here is one from this film.

The cast was spectacular:  Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Martin Balsam, Jacqueline Bisset, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Rachel Roberts, Richard Widmark and Michael York.  The story is linked to the Lindbergh kidnapping, then not.  I'll tell you now that there is not one murderer, but everyone suspected is guilty, and the greatest detective in the world, Hercule Poirot, shows heart by concocting a story to set them free.

The thing I like about watching films at home is that I don't need to drive.  Plus I can eat and drink whatever I want.  For the 1974 MOtOE I had Peking Duck with a Stanford red and beer.

However, I find more and more that Netflix and Amazon Prime have major delays.  I suspect the system can't handle the traffic on certain evenings.

For reasons I can't explain, Rotten Tomatoes gave the 2017 MOtOE poor ratings:  60% from critics and 53% audiences.  The cast was fabulous:  Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot and director, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley (now of Star Wars fame) and Olivia Colman (who in 2018 won a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Ann, and in 2019 got a Golden Globe for being Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown).

I thought this was best of the three.  I do have eclectic tastes.  However, the Orient Express was a loud and dominating factor.  I love train rides.  Never been on this one, but took the Eastern Orient Express from Bangkok to Singapore, Amtrak around the USA, various Eurail Passes and once or twice annually Japan Rail Pass to track cherry blossoms and the fall colors.

For my eating/drinking pleasure I enhanced a 15 Craigside linguini takeout with an improved Caesar salad, also from 15C.  A Stanford chardonnay, beer, and Hibiki whiskey for the rest of the film:

The Diamond Head Theater production of MOtOE was, as would be excepted, hardly comparable to the two star-studded films.   This was the budget version re-written by Ken Ludwig in 2017 featuring eight murderers, not the standard dozen.

The set staging was clever, but limited.  The sound system, or my hearing limitations, made understanding of what was being said, a challenge.  But my neighbor John also had this problem, and he has good hearing.

As this was the evening before the official preview, there were mistakes, that no doubt got fixed.  Has that theater been around for a century?  Well, the original is now long gone, the present one celebrated the 100th five years ago, and a new one will soon be built.

Considering my neighbor John drove and the show was free, courtesy of someone associated with the production, I can't really complain.  Read the Star-Advertiser review, which was favorable.

The cast at curtain call:

The show has been extended to Sunday, February 16, with a 4PM start.

I should end here, but this summary has been infused with food and liquor, so it seems appropriate to indicate that the same individuals involved with the above came over for a magnificent feast and karaoke night in my apartment.  John provided the wagyu/sashimi and did the cooking:

We started with the three most recently introduced Suntory whiskies:  Hibiki Harmony, Toki and Ao.  For dinner we had a bottle of one of my most expensive Stanford reds, with hot sake or Kirin beer, and ended with some Calvados, an apple cognac from Normandy.

A fitting conclusion to Murder on the Orient Express.  This particular train in the film was the Simplon Orient Express, the green one, from Istanbul to Calais.  This service now goes from Venice to London and back.  Two days and one night.  Cost?  Around $3000 for a single or twin, or $9,000 for a grand suite.  On the train, no smoking and you can't be overdressed.

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