I worked most of the day, trying to solve a very perplexing assignment in every way I could think of. By the time dinner rolled around, I was mentally exhausted and looking for a diversion. While cleaning off a bookshelf, I happened across my DVD copy of Death on the Nile... the movie version of the brilliant Agatha Christie novel of the same name (albeit with a number of characters having been changed or eliminated). It's one of those movies I can watch a hundred times and still enjoy it, so my diversion had been found...
Equal in brilliance to the story is the cast.
Peter Ustinov! David Niven! Mia Farrow! George Kennedy! Angela Lansbury! Maggie Smith! Jack Warden! And a crazy-ass BETTE DAVIS! But that's not all, it also had MANIMAL in it!
Manimal is one of those shows that I vaguely remember enjoying the heck out of during my youth. It featured a guy who could turn into animals to solve mysteries and fight crime and stuff. He had his pick of any animal under the sun, but always ended up changing into a black panther for some reason. Probably to save money on special effects.
Those were heady days for cheesy TV, because Manimal ran at the same time as another sweet program from my youth... Automan! Though what I remember most about that show was that the character drove a Lamborghini that could make 90-degree turns at high speeds, and had a sidekick named "Cursor" that could build stuff out of thin air. Sure it was pretty much a rip-off of TRON, but it gave me something to watch after my homework was done.
Speaking of TRON, am I the only one who's excited about the long-awaited sequel, TRON Legacy, finally hitting theaters in 2010?
Of course, it's DECEMBER 17th, 2010... which kind of sucks. Especially when all we have to hold us over until then is this.
Oh well, something to look forward to, I guess.
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Ooh – I remember Manimal. He seemed to turn into a hawk a lot as well. And I also remember Death on the Nile and Tron (even though I’ve never seen Tron). But I don’t remember Automan! So I must not be that old…
You are NOT the only person excited about TRON Legacy — my husband and son are peeing themselves over it.
And I LOVE Death on the Nile, but my favorite is still Murder on the Orient Express. Just by a smidge, though.
I’m a massive Poirot fan, although am more a David Suchet man myself
Never seen it. Sounds good, though.
Manimal sounds kind of familiar, but I do not at all remember the other show you mentioned. I was probably watching the Muppet Show still. 🙂
No you’re certainly not the only one looking forward to the new Tron. I can’t wait. Watched he first one so many times.
Cursor!
Manimal only lasted 8 episodes. Sad. Because I could watch awful “American Werewolf in London”-esque transformations all day long!
I loved playing TRON in the old arcade! When the movie was out my mom and dad wouldn’t take me. I pouted for 2 weeks straight!
Manimal… I’d forgotten Manimal… damn.
Ustinov as Poirot? I have a thing for murder mysteries… lame as that is.
Seconded, Suchet is the definitive Poirot.
However, this adaptation of ‘Death on the Nile’ is great fun, despite having lost some of the complexities of the novel.
Like Dave, it’s one movie that I can watch repeatedly.
Oh, and I do remember ‘Automan’.
I was a bit taken back by you post when it popped into my Bloglines. I thought wow what a cool trick Dave figures out. Putting your name in the title… because I am Christie.giggle. I was named after Ms. Christie, whew glad they didn’t pick Agatha. I will have to look this movie up because I really enjoy the actors on the bill.
So I haven’t seen any of the movies you’ve mentioned.
I feel like suck a kid, thanks Dave.
Oh, no, you are totally not the only one excited about TRON Legacy. Can’t wait… I really can’t!
Peter Ustinov did such a marvelous job playing Hercule Poirot that I just can’t accept anyone else in that role. “Death on the Nile” and “Evil Under the Sun” are two of my mystery favorites.
I really hope Tron: Legacy is actually coming out and that it won’t be delayed yet again. How long has it been now?
BTW, when Katie and I were at the local theater yesterday, I saw a collage poster of Disney films. Three of them were identifiable as either out or coming out this year. The fourth threw me for a loop… Tron. Not Legacy, but TRON. If that’s coming out for a special engagement, Katie and I are soooo there.
Whenever someone asks me what movie I hated most as a kid, I tell them “Tron”. It’s so funny that so many of my friends are excited about this. 😉
Nope, you are not the only one that’s excited for the new TRON. I’m hoping it will not disappoint.