The Mirror Crack'd (1980)

TV movie. Strictly a flyover thing.

R1 I agree with you, the film isn't very good and it's a tad too long. But it's just too deliciously bad and campy to be labeled as a simple "flyover thing".

And it was originally a theatrical release, oh snotty R1

Maybe R1 confused this movie with the 1992 TV version?

It was a total waste of Lansbury's talent, as she could've been a great Marple if she were allowed to be eccentric in the vein of the great Margaret Rutherford. Unfortunately, they made her play it straight (just like Murder She Wrote) and then reduced her part to practically a cameo.

However, other members of the cast make it worthwhile to watch -- especially the still-stunning Kim Novak, who is very funny as an over-the-hill Hollywood starlet. Liz looks great, too, and manages the lead acting chores quite well.

Love the soundtrack, too.

From Wikipedia ........

Christie's inspiration for the motive likely came from an incident in the real-life of American film star Gene Tierney. In June 1943, while pregnant with her first daughter, Tierney contracted German measles during her only appearance at the Hollywood Canteen. Due to Tierney's illness, her daughter was born deaf, partially blind with cataracts and was severely developmentally disabled. Some time after the tragedy surrounding her daughter's birth, the actress learned from a fan who approached her for an autograph at a tennis party that the woman (who was then a member of the women's branch of the Marine Corps) had sneaked out of quarantine while sick with German measles to meet Tierney at her only Hollywood Canteen appearance. In her autobiography, Tierney related that after the woman had recounted her story, she just stared at her silently, then turned and walked away. She wrote, "After that I didn't care whether ever again I was anyone's favourite actress."[citation needed]

Biographers theorise that Christie used this real-life tragedy as the basis of the plot of The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side.[2][3][4] The incident, as well as the circumstances under which the information was imparted to the actress, is repeated almost verbatim in Christie's story. Tierney's tragedy had been well-publicized.

I saw it at the theatre with my grandma when I was five...remember being scared by the scene where Geraldine Chaplin dies. Also remember Kim's zinger to Liz: "Chin up, dear. Both of them."

Just picked this up at Barnes and Noble for $5. I've never seen it but I enjoyed those other Agatha Christie big cast movies from the 70s/80s. Sad to hear Angela Lansbury isn't in it much as she's featured prominently on the cover.

Geez, r1is such a sorry, dried up, bitter old cunt.

A young Pierce Brosnan has a small role in this

The best part of the movie is Liz and Kim's bitchy, back-and-forth insults

This is a total hoot! Not a "great" film, but a fun one!

Kim Novak gives the performance of her career here. Who knew she could be so funny?

Not only is her banter with Liz Taylor fantastic, but her interrogation by Edward Fox is hilarious.

I'm pretty sure this movie was the inspiration for "Murder, She Wrote," and the casting of Angela Lansbury in it.

Haven't seen it in years, but it's a campy hoot.

It was, R13, although Lansbury made a terrible Miss Marple. Joan Hickson was Christie's preferred Marple, after she appeared in a stage version of "Appointment With Death". Hickson is the definitive Marple, as Suchet is the definitive Poirot.

But Muder, She Wrote was originally developed for Jean Stapleton.

"I could swallow a can of film and puke a better movie!"

Joan Hickson is a fucking bore as Marple. Snooze time, all the way. Christie, who hadn't seen her since she was young (she was in her 30s I. The play), would have been chagrined by the way Hickson put Miss Marple to sleep.

Her "Mirror Crack'd" sucks, although the newer one with Joanna Lumley and Julia McKenzie is pretty good. Hannah Waddingham is a camp hoot as Lola.

Angela Lansbury was the same age as Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis, but here, once again, she's playing much older than her years.

[quote]Joan Hickson is a fucking bore as Marple.

That's the point of the character.

The insane palaver of applying "flyover" to all manner of pop culture, mainstream drivel and lower-end entertainment not only is unhelpful as a descriptive. It rather lowers the profile of those regions apparently being touted as superior, because the presence of such twits as R1 would denigrate any locale such a little turd has dropped into.

meow!

Fun movie, but not nearly as good as "Death on the Nile", "Murder on the Orient Express", or "Evil Under the Sun".

If you like "Mirror" and haven't seen "Evil Under the Sun", check it out. It has much of the campy, bitchy humor that is "Mirror"'s only redeeming characteristic, and it's a better movie.

"DID THE BITCH TELL YOU THAT....?"

A nearby college had a Rutherford-Marple series that was a huge sell-out. A younger generation loves that ancient lady as Miss Marple.

Rutherford was bizarre as Miss Marple. Even worse, at least one of those films isn't even based on an Agatha Christie novel and comes off more like one of the Carry On films.

Joan Hickson was the ideal Miss Marple. The Margaret Rutherford series works because she is so amusing, you're willing to overlook the broad differences between her Marple and Agatha Christie's.

I get the feeling Kim Novak was coked to the gills while making that movie.

R20, people can play boring characters without being boring themselves in their performance. Hicks on didn't have that ability,

I saw the movie on Amazon Instant and I rather liked it. Kim Novak's movie work is aging rather well......

Joan Hickson was buttonholed by Christie herself, about playing Miss Marple. Not old enough yet, according to Christie at the time, but she knew she had HER definitive Miss Marple. Of course, she was right. None can compare. All the other actresses have put their own spin on MM, and have been found wanting, imo. Quiet, understated, sly and shy, just as Christie wrote her. Rutherford was a joke. McEwan was silly, and far too grating. Lansbury was just wrong, not believable in the least, almost a caricature.I want to like Julia McKenzie, and she comes the closest to Hickson, but just misses it somehow. Viva la Joan!

[quote]I saw it at the theatre with my grandma when I was five...remember being scared by the scene where Geraldine Chaplin dies.

Yes! My mom took me to see it and Chaplin's death was so disturbing.

Same here. I was 10 when my stepmother took me to see "The Mirror Crack'd" and I had nightmares about Chaplin's death. To this day, I can't use nasal sprays.

r23, Evil Under the Sun is a hoot! Love that movie.

R31 & 32, it's the horror in Chaplin's eyes that stuck with me. My grandma felt terrible afterwards - she thought it was going to be a comedy!

I love Sylvia Miles' horrible dress in "Evil Under the Sun". Sylvia Miles and James Mason have to be one of the odder couples in movie history.

Here's the Chaplin death scene.

Thanks for the tip. I see Amazon Prime has it free at their site. Looking forward to watching.

Love learning about books and films from the illustrious DL.

I loved it when Liz launched herself on Rock on the bed and it looked like she knocked all of the wind out of him.

One of my favorite lines is when Kim Novak gives her wig to her assistant and says : "Here, try combing this out. They may find Amelia Earhart in there."

Scotland Yard Detective: "OH, JUST THINK OF ME AS A COP" (KIM NOVAK) Lola Brewster: "ONLY IF YOU BROUGHT YOUR NIGHTSTICK HONEY...."

"I told her a Queen only wears feathers if she lives in Hollywood but she won't believe me!"

Liz: "Bags, bags, go away. Come right back on Doris Day."

Rock: *double take*

Chin up.