User Reviews

I watched this adaptation last night and overall I was very impressed. Overall Agatha Christie Poirot is an adeptly made, classy and well acted series, and I have several favourites especially Five Little Pigs, Sad Cypress and After the Funeral. They have also had some misses such as Cards on the Table(actually very good until the last 30 minutes), The Murder of Roger Ackroyd(disappointing compared to the masterpiece that is the book) and Taken at the Flood(like Cards on the Table the ending completely let it down). Despite this, the series has more hits than misses, and fortunately Halloween Party is one of the hits.

The book is very good. More than one person on IMDb and outside of it remarked that it plods in the middle, that I agree with, but it has an intriguing story and memorable characters. This adaptation is very well done and one of my favourite recent Poirots actually. There are liberties taken of course, that I have no problems with, and these changes don't harm the story at all really. The story as to speak is just as riveting and intriguing as the book and is briskly paced. The adaptation also benefits from being well directed by Charles Palmer, and Mark Gatiss's script is very credible. I especially liked it when Poirot complains about his feet hurting and Ariadne goes on at him at wearing sensible shoes.

Halloween Party also has some beautiful production values. There are some atmospheric dark moments especially the beginning which was wonderful and some lovely autumnal ones. The photography is fluid, and the scenery and costumes are as always exquisite. The music is excellent too, simple yet hypnotic and effective. Then there is the acting which is superb. Mary Higgins was a good choice for Miranda and plays her well, while Julian Rhind-Tutt, Deborah Findley, Timothy West and Sophie Thompson are all excellent. Predictably, the best of the bunch are David Suchet who is outstanding once again as Poirot and Zoe Wannamaker who is a breath of fresh air as Ariadne.

All in all, very well done and actually one of my favourites. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Ariadne Oliver attends a Children's Halloween Party put on by Mrs Rowena Drake, during a game of snapdragon young Joyce Reynolds is drowned in the bobbing apple basin. Joyce had earlier stated in front of a room full of people that she had witnessed a murder. Ariadne calls in Poirot to solve the crime.

Absolutely spot on production, Hallowe'en Party is one of the best in the series, Mark Gatiss knows how to spin a good old horror yarn. He was the perfect person to do this episode, touches of humour work well against the macabre. Slick and interesting camera work, I love the night time shots, they work perfectly.

One of the later stories Dame Agatha wrote, I like the book, but I'd go so far as to say I prefer the TV adaptation. It is beautifully shot, the accompanying score works terrifically well. The story is engaging, and yet tragic, the death of one child in a show is tough, but two.

Wonderfully acted, Suchet is at his best, particularly in the summing up of the case, it's just flawless. Zoe Wanamaker has by now made the part of Ariadne Oliver her own, always with a slight twinkle in the eye. Julian Rhind Tutt is a tremendous actor, I could watch him for hours, he is so charismatic and fascinating to watch, he gave Garfield the necessary coldness, his scene where he's about to sacrifice Miranda is perhaps my favourite part, so dark. A mention for the glorious Paola Dionisotti and Fenella Woolgar, fabulous, and also for the utter brilliance of Deborah Findlay, she is an actress of formidable talent, hugely underrated, perfect for the part of Rowena Drake, class!

These later Poirot's were much more serious in tone, and this is one of the finest examples. outstanding. Great watch on a late stormy night. 10/10

"Hallowe'en Party", published in 1969, is a later Christie. Dame Agatha was no longer in her prime, but I think this book proved that she was by no means exhausted of ideas. The basic plot set-up is this: at a Hallowe'en party for children, Joyce Reynolds boasts to Mrs. Oliver, there on a visit, that she saw a murder once. Joyce is a compulsive liar, and everyone has great fun mocking her story. Frustrated, Joyce insists that her story is true, but refuses to give any more details. When the party is finished, she is discovered drowned in an apple-bobbing tub.

I've always been simply fascinated with that idea for a story— it must be one of my very favourites in all detection. The story itself is very good (and the solution is pretty decent as well), but it tended to ramble somewhat, and the middle section is extremely slow. It makes me wish AC had tackled the story when she was a bit younger. Nonetheless, my fascination with a story of such a haunting nature is enough to make Hallowe'en Party one of my favourite Christies. Was it among her best? By no means— but it was still quite enjoyable for me to read.

I was ecstatic when "Hallowe'en Party" was announced as part of season 12 (after false reports that it was going to conclude season 11). At long last, I would get to see this fascinating story translated to the screen! I was then even more excited when it was announced that Mark Gatiss, who wrote the brilliant script of "Cat Among the Pigeons", was going to adapt the story for television! Stephen Churchett would not be available to make the victim a teenage boy stabbed with a carving knife while making a jack-o'lantern. So my expectations and hopes were very high. My friends, it did not disappoint in the least.

I will tackle the issue of casting first. Julian Rhind-Tutt plays Michael Garfield. He was already in Marple as Dr. Calgary in "Ordeal by Innocence", but thanks to the magic of makeup, he is rendered almost unrecognizable in this role. He is perfect as an artistic gardener with an obsession for beauty. Zoe Wanamaker, as always, was wonderful as Mrs. Oliver. When asked why she made her detective a Finn, she sighs and says "I've often wondered myself." The way she delivers that line is simply perfect— I could practically hear AC sighing along with her in sympathy. There are a few scenes here where she discusses her writing, and they are priceless.

The adaptation makes an exciting discovery with the casting of Miranda Butler. A young actress you've never heard of (since this is her first role), Mary Higgins (no relation to Clark as far as I know), plays the role of the nymph-like Miranda, who is nearly always sitting in the garden. Higgins is great! A very beautiful young girl, she does not embellish nor does she underplay her character's distinct oddness and charm. She is very convincing, and brought the character to life. This truly is a smashing debut, and I hope she will continue in acting.

On to other things. We've become accustomed to episodes lately introducing homosexual subplots, incest, alcoholism— elements that did not appear in Christie's original oeuvre, which are often frighteningly overplayed or just plain silly. "Hallowe'en Party" hinted at a lesbian subplot, and, in fact, it is the only time the word "lesbian" appears in a Christie. Thank God for Mark Gatiss. He is no Stephen Churchett, who would've taken that one word and run away with the subplot, adding his own flourishes, all in the name of artistic license and bringing the stories "up to date". Gatiss keeps the subplot the way it was: SUBTLE. He uses small touches— little gestures, things people say, and so forth. The actors cooperate with the script and the result is a beautiful, truly touching underlying story.

Gatiss does take liberties with the story— he is creating a movie, not a museum piece. Rowena Drake, for instance, is made into a mother, with a smarmy little mummy's boy and a rather wretched, horrid daughter. (There are other words that jump to mind, but none are very polite.) His changes only serve to make the story more interesting—he eliminates the static "Question & Answer Session" feeling of the second act. His touches are intriguing, as the whole thing becomes something like a Gothic ghost story.

One of the best moves the series ever made was ditching the old formula with Japp, Hastings, & Co. Gone are the moments of forced attempts at humour, gone are the far-fetched ways of involving his friends in every case. (I can just imagine, under the old formula, Japp hiding in a suitcase on the Orient Express, and emerging when the murder is discovered, only to exclaim "Poirot! What the devil are you doing here?") The series feels more like the later, darker Poirot, and this tone suits "Hallowe'en Party" perfectly.

The formulaic music was also scrapped, and different music is composed for different episodes. But this episode here has an almost ghostly take on a familiar tune, heard a few times. You will also hear the children chanting a rhyme when playing snapdragon. This rhyme is also repeated as part of the music, faintly chattered and echoing, which really makes it bone-chilling. It is one of the most effectively-scored episodes I've seen thus far.

So in conclusion, unless the series totally bombed MOTOE, which I somewhat doubt, this entire season has been of excellent quality, the best we've had since the "Death on the Nile" series.

Hercule Poirot is up to snuff when he solves the mystery of the murder (or murders?) in "Hallowe'en Party." David Suchet is still in top form in his semi-retirement when his friend, mystery writer Ariadne Oliver (played by Zoe Wanamaker), reaches out for help. This story was a relatively late novel by Agatha Christie, first published in the U. S. in 1969, and then in the U. K.

The plot here surrounds a girl at a Hallowe'en Party that Ariadne was attending. The children are playing games and bobbing for apples, and one of the girls says she had witnessed a murder once, but didn't realize what it was at the time. At the end of the party, she is found dead - drowned in the apple-bobbing tub.

This is one of the superb Poirot mysteries in which one can go back and see clues that were shown early in the film. And the twists and turns in this one still fool and wonderfully surprise mystery buffs like me. I like the occasional touches of history in these stories and films. One here is of people at one point listening to Pres. Franklin Roosevelt's talk on the radio.

When Poirot's valet, George, comments on Halloween customs, Poirot takes exception to the English festivities. He says, "George, at this time of year in Belgium, it is the custom to light the candles in memory of the dead, not to tell the stories macabre."

My favorite line is when Poirot says, "Old sins cast long shadows, madame." This is a superb mystery and film that Christie and Poirot buffs will especially like, and that all others should enjoy as well.

Despite the rather pathetic screenplay in this TV version, Agatha Christie's original story is so riveting that even Mark Gatiss was unable to ruin it. Nevertheless, when one thinks of the potential that is latent in such a brilliant cast and such a powerful and perfectly structured drama, it is a crying shame that the scriptwriter failed to honour the memory of the book's author. I was particularly disappointed by the jarring inclusion of a cameo homosexual relationship into the plot ; it was so obviously NOT a part of the dramatic build-up of the story that one almost had the impression of the screenwriter taking us aside and whispering, "Just look how noble and virtuous and persecuted these people are," rather like a TV commercial, and with just about as much relevance to the mystery.

I would recommend the film despite the criticism : it remains in essence a typically wonderful Christie whodunnit ; the acting is superb and the direction also excellent. But I'll be the first customer for the next version of this great book ; a film classic this one certainly ain't.

"I saw a murder once" says a young girl at a Halloween party – a young girl, it must be said, who clearly has not watched her way through 12 seasons of Poirot in the last few years like I have, or else she would know that such a statement is clearly going to get the attention of someone in the room, and not in a good way. True enough, it is not long before the party is brought to an abrupt end when the child is found drowned in a bowl of water used for dunking for apples. In attendance at the party, Ariadne Oliver calls for her old friend Poirot, who comes to investigate. With little to go on at the crime scene, and the police looking for a random vagrant of some sort, Poirot starts with the most logical question – who could possibly be the victim and perpetrator of the murder that the child claimed to have witnessed?

Another seasonal outing for Poirot, this time screened in late October, nearly 11 months after the previous "episode". The opening did make me wonder if the "event" nature of it would overshadow the quality of the film as could be a risk, and seeing some familiar names in the credits did not dissuade me of this worry, along with the gaudy decorations. Actually though, it sets up an oddly dark story, which draws on the sense of evil being supernatural, but yet also perfectly human. The comedic air at the start gives way to a children's game (with musical chanting similar to that used in other episodes thus far) which is oddly creepy and leads to quite a disturbing death in that it is a child – I do not remember for sure, but I think this is the first in the series thus far. This murder is done in such a way that it opens up the story in the way fans of the series will recognize – that the motive is not just about that moment, but about the past, and thus Poirot has to dig back for skeletons to get to the truth. Although familiar as a device, this is done very well here and I enjoyed that I felt engaged with it throughout. Part of this was perhaps that the clues were a bit more obvious than usual (or I am used to their style?) so I did have my suspect for the second half, even though I was nowhere near the actual solution.

The solution comes and is satisfying enough, and well delivered even if the murderer is named and then broken down, which I find less dramatic than doing it the other way around. The production is very nicely mounted whether it be the party, the curiosities of the suspects, or the general production values of locations (some great ones) or the usual great attention to detail and class of delivery. The cast is led by Suchet on form as ever. Although Wanamaker is a good sidekick, she is mostly in her bed and sidelined here – not bringing a lot to the table. The guest cast are mostly very good, with some famous faces in there, and all doing enough to feed the mystery. The production values are as good as ever, and it even made the faux-eerie atmosphere work. All told an enjoyable outing, with a good base of clues and an engagingly delivered narrative, even if it is not without some weakness.

Lately we've been used to seeing some Agatha Christie adaptations which take her titles, her name, and then completely alter the stories. Thankfully "Hallowe'en Party" isn't one of them. Starring the wonderful David Suchet as Poirot, a role he has been playing for 22 years, how can it miss? Also in the cast are Zoe Wannamaker as Ariadne Oliver, brilliant as ever, as well as Julian Rhind-Tutt, Deborah Findlay and Mary Higgins.

In typical Christie fashion, the story starts innocently enough at a children's Halloween party where one little girl, Joyce Reynolds, announces that she once saw a murder, but at the time, didn't realize that's what she was seeing. Joyce is known to be a big liar, so no one pays much attention...until she winds up dead. Ariadne calls her friend Poirot to look into the matter. He starts by looking into deaths that have taken place in the last five years and finds three that fit the bill. Before he is very far into his investigation, however, there is another death.

A truly excellent story with lots of twists and turns and highly recommended to Christie fans, especially those put off by the Australian Miss Marples!

I admit, it took me a while to warm up to David Suchet as Poirot. For all time, my favorite Poirot films will be Finney's Murder on the Orient Express, Ustinov's Death on the Nile, and Ustinov's Evil Under the Sun. But Suchet has certainly shaped his own interpretation of Poirot with integrity and consistency. Usually, he's a pleasure to watch.

Hallowe'en Party really surprised me; it has become one of my very favorite Poirot films. It certainly is the best at making use of the wonderful Zoe Wanamaker as Ariadne Oliver. She is at her funniest in this film, and I enjoyed watching her tussle with a new Sven Hjerson novel--one where he solves a murder while on a hot air balloon over Abyssinia. I'm not sure why I love this story so much. I usually prefer those in exotic locations, with glamorous figures, and this has neither. But it DOES have all the things that make for a great murder mystery--wonderful back stories that all become relevant in time; eerie, slightly grotesque murders; good, solid red herrings; strong motives; well-rounded characters; a wonderful, satisfying scene of unmasking the killer; and clever use of sound and mise-en- scene.

The film manages to make a rather parochial setting exciting and chock full of sin and lust. I was able to solve it, but didn't find the solution particularly easy or obvious. I would highly recommend it, especially for Ariadne Oliver lovers.

What a joy it was to find out that we were going to get 3 new Poirots this summer (where I live in the US, at least). I just finished watching the third one, and they did not disappoint. There was plenty of what I love about them: intricate plots, beautiful cinematography, and superb acting. Hallowe'en Party is, in my opinion, one of the better recent Poirot adaptations. Much better than the dreary MOTOE, for example. The story moves along nicely, and the whole thing is visually appealing. Once again the acting is wonderful; Suchet is spot on, as always. I thought the solution was a bit complex; how Poirot was supposed to figure all that out with the facts he had is beyond me, but it's fun watching him get there nonetheless. So, except for some totally superfluous sermonizing by the gay character, HP was a pleasure to watch.

Hercule Poirot's friend, the crime novelist Ariadne Oliver, attends a Hallowe'en party in the country. At the party a young girl claims she once saw a murder. Nobody believes her but later that evening the girl is found murdered. Oliver suspects that the perpetrator of the murder the girl saw has murdered the girl and calls in Poirot.

Quite intriguing, though some parts of the plot are easy to figure out in advance. In addition, the ultimate chain of events seems a bit too fantastical and complex to be plausible. So you have a murder where unraveling the plot veers from easy to impossible. Not ideal, but it is still very entertaining.

Mark Gatiss brings some grisly macabre in this Halloween themed mystery. Gatiss who has also written and acted in Doctor Who slip some easter eggs in along with Director Charles Palmer who has also directed episodes of the sci fi show. Actress Fenella Woolgar played Agatha Christie in the Doctor Who episode The Unicorn and the Wasp.

In the Halloween Party the first murder victim is a child, who claimed to once seen a murder. She was dressed as a bee when her body is found later, drowned in the apple bobbing bucket.

Poirot is requested by writer Ariadne Oliver to investigate although the local plod is not happy with his interference. He looks at other recent deaths or disappearances but before long another body of a child is found.

The episode rather plods in the middle, by the end the death count rises considerably as Poirot reveals what has been taking place over the years. It does seem rather convoluted and far fetched.

The episode has a dark underlying theme, however Julian Rhind-Tutt's characterisation as the rather free spirited gardener just seems out of place.