#Poirot’s expression is insane

[rain-shoshana]

Hi my name is Rain (hi Rain) and I’m addicted to imagining my blorbos are at their wedding every time they wear evening clothes and stand next to each other.

[starriri]

Similarities of Murder On Orient Express / Calais Coach to Danganronpa Despair Time

So like. Hi. I’m Starri. And uh. I’m not very much of a theorist but a few days ago i began to read Agatha Christie’s Murder on Orient Express, also known as Murder in the Calais Coach in America. I’d been searching for a copy for a while until i finally found one from my local library.

For the record, I’ve only been able to read half of the book so far (i have to put it on hold to finish another book which i need to return soon (i can’t renew it as someone wants it)), so I’ll most likely make an updated post that elaborates more on it.

Murder on Orient Express has been mentioned a few times in the DRDT franchise, most notably being in Min’s execution as the last question (Who wrote Murder in the Calais Coach?). A page of it also appears in the Literature Girl Insane (fun fact ive been calling it nonsense literature girl the whole time smh i’m a fake vocaloid fan i’m sorry) MV.

In fact, Agatha Christie herself has been mentioned multiple times in the story. For example, in chapter one, Teruko mentions her (although her name is considerably censored)

This also reveals that Teruko reads mystery novels (slay!!) which I think is pretty neat lol

For the record, Strychnine isn’t used in Murder on Orient Express, but it’s used on one Agatha Christie’s earlier mystery novels, that being The Mysterious Affair At Styles. I actually haven’t read that yet though since I can’t find a copy myself.

She is also, of course mentioned in the Literature Girl Insane credits. Although the original vocaloid MV has mentioned a ton of Authors (eg. Dazai Osamu, Kaiji Motohiro) that do appear in the DRDT ver, Agatha Christie does not appear in the original vocaloid MV whatsoever, meaning that she has been added deliberately, along with Lewis Carroll (i haven’t read alice in wonderland because i’m a little dipshit sorry i can’t do anything with him) and possibly a few others.

To be honest I do think Agatha Christie herself is somewhat related to the plot, along with other books of hers that aren’t Orient Express.

But I digress. My main topic here is how Murder on Orient Express has similarities to DRDT. Even if I’ve only read half, there’s a few similarities I can find:

1. There are 16 passengers aboard the train

In the novel, there are multiple compartments, however, in the main one, there are 16 people. You know what else has 16 people?? The danganronpa series, mainly, which includes DRDT.

2. The victim has somewhat ulterior motives/secrets

The man who died is revealed to be a murderer, who has changed his name to avoid being identified. At the beginning of the story he asks Poirot/The protagonist to protect him from someone who has been targeting him, which Poirot declines.

How is this similar to DRDT? Well, firstly, Xander, like the victim, died mainly because of their own actions. Xander died attempting to kill Teruko, while the victim died because he was a scumbag that killed. It’s quite far fetched but. Yeah.

3. ‘Charles Cuevas Motive’ and the Handkerchief

The handkerchief from the novel has been embroidered with the letter H. However, H in russian is N. Do you see where I’m going?

In the story, the handkerchief is revealed to belong to a russian woman by the name Natalia because of this.

In DRDT, ‘Charles Cuevas Motive’ or C CU MO is misread as 3MOC until Rose tells everyone to turn the disc.

Both stories have a sort of misreading of possible evidence that end up being clarified after a while.

4. People fainting after seeing blood

In both stories, someone faints from seeing blood: Charles after seeing Teruko on the ground, and Mrs Hubbard (a character) after finding a bloodied knife in her purse (?). Mrs Hubbard says that, just like Charles, it’s due to her fear of blood.

This one I’m almost sure is somewhat referencing the novel.

The end (because i’m stupid and haven’t read the whole book)

Ultimately there’s probably more similarities that I’ve overlooked (there’s most likely something to do with the ‘woman in the scarlet kimono’ ) so I promise to update this soon. But for now. uh. toodles

If anything, i think the references to Orient Express only go as far to the end up Chapter one. I think chapter 2 might be centric to another Agatha Christie book (i have a few theories on which one but like. i’ve only read 6.) so yay i guess

also if someone has already done a theory on this certain topic i’m sorry jd dkdbdjbdks

[therealvinelle]

As a casual Agatha Christie fan, I am delighted by that recommendation. Do you have any other favorite books from her?

Sure!

And Then There Were None Ten people go to an island, it does not go well. This one stands out in that it has a good adaptation!

Appointment with Death The murder is ingenius and all in this one, but what I particularly enjoy is how well Christie captures the power an abusive mother can have over her adult children, it's a dynamic you don't often see in fiction (at least not played out this way).

Cards on the Table M. Shaitana has a fantastic idea: he's going to invite four murderers and four law enforcers to his house for a night of bridge, and he's going to stir up as much drama as possible. Things do not go well for M. Shaitana. (Stay miles away from the Suchet adaptation)

Crooked House The patriarch of an affluent family dies, and his twelve-year-old granddaughter decides to investigate. I was the same age when I first read it, which made the ending uh interesting.

Curtain Poirot finds the perfect murderer.

Death on the Nile Makes the list for many reasons, it's such a classical Christie but also because nobody agrees with Jackie's life choices, not even Jackie.

Hallowe'en Party A child claims to have witnessed a murder, no one believes her. A few hours later she's found murdered. I mostly like this one for the utterly insane murderer. What a champ.

Murder on the Orient Express There's a murder on the Orient Express. (If you want a film version, the 1974 version is the best. Suchet's version is... melodramatic, I don't like its ending but it had a fantastic opening scene, while the Branagh version is an atrocity, do not watch.)

Ordeal by Innocence Five years ago Arthur Calgary nerded about penguins to some random guy then left for Antarctica the next day. It was great. Now he returns to England only to find that the man was Jacob Argyle, and he was accused of murdering his mother that night. He kept claiming his alibi was some penguin guy and could give very specific, identifying details that five years later make Arthur Calgary "yup, that's me!", but Calgary was in Antarctica at the time so he never came forward. And uh Jacob died in prison in the meantime. But, Calgary tells himself, the important thing is that Jacob was innocent, right? Right? The Argyle family, who had finally put this behind them only to learn that their brother was innocent and one of the remaining members did it, don't agree.

Sad Cypress Elinor Carlisle is sad. She's about to hang for a double homicide she might not have committed, but even without that she'd still be pretty miserable.

The Secret Adversary I felt I had to recommend a Tommy and Tuppence, and while I don't remember much of any of them I'll just recommend the first one in the series. Tommy and Tuppence books are more political thriller than the usual fare, great fun if you want to switch things up during your Christie binge. (Do not touch ITV's By the Pricking of My Thumbs, though.)

The Mirror Crack'd One of my all-time favorites and weirdly formative. Miss Marple is grappling with the realities of old age, and solves a murder along the way. It's more character heavy than many of Christie's books, people do the things they do because it is in their nature and they can't escape it.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles The very first one! It makes the list for that. And because if you plan to read Curtain, you should read this one first as it references this one a lot.

Towards Zero Following the logic that the murder isn't the beginning of the story, but rather the culmination of one, this story is building towards the zero point - the moment the murder will occur.

Honestly, anon, I'm just listing Christies I fondly remember, I can keep going but the post will just get unreasonably long. Go read Agatha Christie, she's great.

Hercule Poirot's Christmas and A Pocketful of Rye get special shoutouts because while I haven't read the books, the ITV adaptations were really good, the former particularly with the casting and the latter particularly with the way the reveal was done. Same goes for One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, haven't read it but the adaptation was great.

(Overall I'm ambivalent about ITV's adaptations, the Poirot series wanted to be a fairly light, feelgood show the whole family could watch after dinner, and while both series liked to change things from the books and overall make them more daytime television, the Miss Marple series changed a lot more than the Poirot series did. They both have a nasty habit of putting Poirot and Marple in stories they weren't originally, usually to the story's detriment (passive aggressive shoutout to By the Pricking of My Thumbs). It's annoying, though does make it hilarious that they couldn't put Poirot in Crooked House.

They're still entertaining and I don't turn off the TV when an episode is on unless it's one of the bad ones, but... well it's daytime television-ified Christie.)

[detective-dipstick]

Murder on the Orient Express (1974) vs. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Never read the book so I'm considering plot-related things that probably happened in the book as the creations of the movies and it will count towards their rewards and penalties.

Things I liked from both:

-the handkerchief! big fan. the mystery of the handkerchief was better than the mystery of who murdered that guy.

-I like the locations in both. I like the scenery. I think they played with the being stuck on a train thing in their own ways and it worked out.

-There was a third thing I can't remember.

Things I despised from both:

-the ending. the dumbest ending in mystery history. mstry hstry. miss tree his tree.

-sorry i got distracted. literally it was so anticlimactic and SOOOO dumb. I had a friend who really liked the ending but he had horrible opinions about everything so fork spotted in the kitchen i guess. anyway drives me insane to this day.

Things I liked better in 74:

-The train. Looks like a real train. We get to look at it for a long time. A movie made for train-lovers, which is the main draw of Orient Express as a concept anyway.

-Generally better looking cinematography. I like.

-Hector. Freaking. McQueen.

-First of all, Anthony Perkins? Damn. Second, Anthony Perkins as McQueen? GAYYYYY (flirtatious). Noticed him the moment he appeared on screen. Totally in love with everything he did. No notes except a tiny one with my number on it. Anyway

-Ms. Hubbard. Genuinely annoying af as God intended. and she didn't have a random wig reveal (although that was funnnny. again that Branagh melodrama that's so ridiculous sometimes but admirably bold every time). anyway idk i like her. I don't like her but I do. the girlboss effect in action.

-The Armstrong case summarized in the BEGINNING thank you for making sense. Was so jarring in the 2017 version that they just randomly mention it later in the movie. No prior allusion to it or anything. Those first few scenes in the 74 version were unsettling to me in a good way.

-They look so relieved and happy when Poirot and Bianchi vote to pin the murder on the imaginary guy. It's just a cute little moment idk. Some of them hug each other. McQueen smiles and stands up and sits down for some reason.

Things I liked better in Branagh's:

-Branagh as Poirot. I feel like I'll be unjustifiably assassinated for this but I like him a lot. In this movie specifically, he's great. I dislike Orient Express compared to his three Poirot movies in almost every other respect but he was very refreshing here.

-From what I've seen of Branagh as a director, he excels at melodrama, and it shows here.

-Loveee how during the breakdown Poirot had no fucking idea who did it. When he said "it is time to solve this case" he meant it so literally. He meant "well we're on a deadline so I'm just gonna start talking and hope it all works out." Relatable af that's me writing my essays and shit. Also very funny.

-So there’s a scene, right? There’s a scene with Hildegarde (great name btw) and Poirot where he questions her in German so the princess can’t understand it and then she mentions seeing “the other conductor” in the sleeping car and he’s so shocked he switches to English and he’s like “WHAT other conductor???” and that was so cool you had to be there it was cool. Too bad it didn’t mean anything but it was sick.

-I like Bouc slightly better than Bianchi. Now, Bianchi has the better name. Fun to say. He was very silly and cool. But I can’t pretend I don’t love Bouc. C’mon.

-The count and countess. WOW. They were charming in 74 but in this one they are HOT. Holy shit. Even better somehow that we don’t meet them right away. They’re talked about in the beginning but we only see them when Poirot goes to their cabin to question them for reasons I can’t remember (I recall he originally wasn’t going to. They were in a different car or diplomatic immunity or something idk I was born yesterday). Anyway him just showing up at the elusive count and countess’s later in the movie and turns out the whole time they were just in there doing hot people shit. They were in two scenes but really carried the film with their sexual energy. 

General thoughts:

For the record, I wouldn’t recommend either of these movies. If this post inspired u to watch them for some reason, don’t you dare think of me. Goodnight.

[eirasummersart]

A medium of art you don't work in but appreciate

Refering to this.

Thank you for the ask! Let's answer this one too C: Adding this after the full answer, I'm gonna add a read more because it turned out quite long hahaha

7. A medium of art you don't work in but appreciate?

Ah, what medium of art don't I appreciate? I love art! I love reading, listening to music (and singing, but I'm not great at it hahah), sculpture, etc.

With reading, I mostly read fanfics lately, but I enjoy lots of typical books and authors too: Chaos Walking (Patrik Ness), the Lord of the Rings, Rick Riordan's books in general, MXTX's books, the Castle in the Sky. Those are the ones that come to mind first, my faves~ Of course, I include here manga and comics, there's sooo many I love as well. I do draw, but don't usually do comics (maybe someday!). Lately I've been loving Jujutsu Kaisen and Akagami no Shirayukihime, but I could recomend so many good ones.

With music I just always need some music if I'm not watching anything that has sound otherwise, I love so many kinds of styles, but I have a preference for melodic, mellow songs~ specially ones that I can sing along too. Lots of classical too (Chopin is my fave~). And piano is my fave instrument to listen to <3 I kinda talked about music already in the previous ask, so I won't go into more detail hahah

For sculpture I don't really have a particular artist I like, it's more a casual love. But all those "realistic" sculptures are mind blowing to me, how it seems completely real, specially fabric or expressions, but it's made of marble or another hard material.... man, so much talent, I admire them so much.

If we talk about drawing/painting I'm not proficient at but I still admire: watercolour is gorgeous and I am incapable of it. I love the art made with it! Oil and classic paintings as well, there's so many classic artists who have made amazing pieces. My fave is Monet! But I also greatly admire the ones from the victorian period in general. The way they render fabric and clothes is SO GOOD. I kinda emulate it unconsciously when I do my shadding ahah but I am sure it looks nothing like that xD Like, look at this art called "Flirtation" by Frédéric Soulacroix, that fabric 🙏🙏🙏 And the background is gorgeous too.

Also, I really enjoy watching movies/tv shows. Wether they're animation or not. Specially if they have good plot and/or if they have good photography/animation. There's so many beautiful works of arts in that medium as well. Ghibli movies are some of my faves (Howl's Moving Castle is my fave movie ever), Lord of the Rings movies are also masterpieces. I've also enjoyed lately the Poirot movies they've been making recently, they're really interesting and have great photography as well~

I have to say, I don't often watch theater/musicals because they're expensive and I'm broke af. But the times I went to see some, they're amazing as well 🙏 I'll include dance performances here too, because they're in a similar category to me.

I enjoy seeing architecture as well. My fave period for architecture is gothic! The way they did all those high arches and beautifully decorated walls. And the stained glasses! Sooo many great buildings!! Most of the ones I can see around where I live and was able to travel are churches or cathedrals. They are such beautiful buildings, even though I'm not religious in any sense at all, I always love visiting them and seeing them. But there's sooooo many amazing artstyles out there as well! Lique some Mosques are absolutelly stunning, with their intricate colorful patterns! There's so much good architecture to admire as well...

Also, I'll add that videogames are a form of art in my opinion as well, and I admire lots of creators. There's SO MUCH variety in this media, it's insane. Stuff like Return of Obra Dinn or Papers Please by Lucas Pope (who makes it all, including music, he's so talented), Baldur's Gate 3 (currently enjoying this one), Chants of Sennar, Binding of Isaac, Fire Emblem, Kingdom Hearts, etc. So many different styles but so fun and interesting. And also, so many good RPGs with amazing stories I don't think can be told in a better way using other media (Persona series, Tales of series, Dragon Age, the Nonary Games, Mother saga, Xenoblade Chronicles, etc.)

Sorry for the big rambling, I guess you didn't expect me to go into such a extended answer hahahah I really, really love all art of creation, it's such an amazing thing that someone visualizes something and can create it so everyone else can see.

I've said this over and over again, I wish I were filthy rich, so rich I could never ever use all my money, only so I could be an art mecenas (I think it's called patron in English, I like the word we use in Spanish tho XD) and give money to aaaall my favourite artists so they can just create without any worry at all, just focus on their art and not the money they need to make to survive. Just create their own stories, characters, art pieces, or create fanworks of any kind. I don't even want to request stuff I want to see, I just want to see what they want to create! What their mind can imagine and how they see the world!!!

Ah, if only...

Anyway, this has gone for long enough hahah thanks again for giving me the oppotunity to ramble~

And if you read till here, thanks as well for your time~ Feel free to send more questions for this ask~ (or anything else, really, if you want me to expand on any of these topics I mentioned here haha I'd be happy to~) P.D.: Just as I posted it, I also remembered tappestry/weaving/any kind of thread art. AND OF COURSE, fashion/outfit makers and designers!!! There's so much art in this world... so hard to remember it all, but it's all around us <3

[poirott]

Murder on the Orient Express cast on shooting the film [x]

[daffodil--lament]

caoimhin 2022 reading wrap up

- Gideon the Ninth & Harrow the Ninth - good. made me insane. read them basically cover to cover. awesome

- The Hobbit - 10/10 it's the fuckin hobbit man. this was of course a re-read because I'm cultured

- The Great Gatsby - cool. enjoyed. also a re-read. so true fitzgerald materialism is bad. I love gay people

- Dogsbody - so good. dwj's ability to balance the themes of her stories always gets me. I need to read more of her books

- Howl's Moving Castle - I've read it more than 10 times in the last two years I love it so much 10000/10

- A Study In Charlotte - I love me some sherlock holmes. I love autism. I love people who are fucked up. enjoyed it as much as I did when I was 13

- Castle In The Air - hmc sequel. gets better every re-read. dwj poses an earth shattering question: what if all your favorite characters got even stupider? (this is about prince justin. he's the worst I love him)

- A River Runs Through It - destroyed me. holy shit. I finished that last page and had to go lay down for awhile. I was thinking about it for days. I am haunted by waters. god. good lord almighty.

- House of Many Ways - MASSIVE tone shift from a river runs through it. Charmain is a bitch and I like her so much. twinkle sucks. 9 million out of ten I love you Sophie Pendragon

- Howl's Moving Castle - by the time you finish homw you have to start hmc again to distract yourself from the series ending. howl and sophie were holding one another's hands and smiling and smiling quite unable to stop. I'm gonna pass out

- Hamlet - fuckin classic duh. I read this for the first time in seventh grade because I'm better than everyone. there's a reason it's one of the most widely known pieces of literature ever written

- Pride and Prejudice - also better every time I read it. Jane Austen is a genius. I wish I had an Elizabeth to my Darcy

- The Lightning Thief - percy jackson my beloved

- Sea of Monsters - retweet

- Storm Front - harry dresden is a bitch

- Fool Moon - harry dresden gets grievously injured, still manages to kill people

- Grave Peril - michael carpenter my beloved

- Summer Knight - karrin murphy btw (she is not enjoying herself)

- Death Masks - I love small children who carry great magical power

- Persuasion - Jane Austen I love you. I played minecraft prolifically while I listened to this book. it was so good. genuinely amazing. love love love

- Loki: Agent of Asgard - I always start this and I'm like "ha ha funny comic book" and then by the end I'm completely decimated. the art is so cool and I love watching it change throughout the run. conceptually the whole story and premise are so amazing. I can't really explain the extent of how good it is and do it justice. it's just awesome

- Pride and Prejudice - I forgot that I read this twice but if it's on the list you'd better be damn sure it happened

- The Raven Boys - I love pretentious glasses-wearing teenage boys (me irl)

- Patriot Games - the Harrison Ford movie is better but it was chill ig.

- Dream Thieves - fuck shit up little man

- Blue Lily, Lily Blue - popular among welsh voices in my head

- Murder on the Orient Express - AMAZING. I love hercule poirot so much. although I sort of knew the general ending, having seen, you know, literally any TV show made in the last 100 years, I was really surprised and pleased with the way the whole novel unfolded itself. awesome

- The Raven King - honestly awesome ending to the series. thoroughly enjoyed

- Rebecca - books that changed me at age 8. not sure why my mother chose to give me this book at that age but I'm forever glad she did. Rebecca is dead the entire story and she haunts it more than any ghost could. Spectacular. something about Mrs de Winter's name never being told to us or said out loud, but Rebecca's name being EVERYWHERE.... fantastic

- Blood Rites - I LOVE YOU THOMAS

- Never Let Me Go - I understand why this was award winning and I think I will never read it again

- Howl's Moving Castle - what better way to end my year. howl said I think we ought to live happily ever after and sophie thought he meant it. also I got the fancy illustrated hardcover version for Christmas and I am so happy. I will not be lending it to anyone ever. it's my baby.

[spaceorphanssecondbreakfastclub]

Reading Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile is one of those books that keeps ending on the ‘best of...’ lists for Agatha Christie.  And there’s a movie coming out soon.  So, I was eager to read this one again - because other than remembering the twist of it, I remembered remarkably little.  

I think it’s... an interesting book.  The story is set on a boat on, you’ll never guess, the Nile.  And features the death of a wealthy socialite named Linnet Doyle, and plenty of side characters that make this book feel, at times, like it’s pulling a Murder on the Orient Express.  I don’t think that this one is as solidly good or as captivating as Murder on the Orient Express -- but I really enjoyed reading it.  And there was a tone in this one that felt different - even if there are still classic Christie tropes that spring up in spades. 

And of course... it’s another Hercule Poirot novel, which I immensely enjoy.  

I don’t know if this is as much of a murder mystery (it’s nearly half way through the novel before a body shows up) as it is a character study - and I think it works better as a character study than a murder mystery.  The murder feels like an inevitability that the first half of the book is leading up to, and really (without trying to be too spoilery) the answers are all there if you look hard enough.  

The characters, really, are what I enjoy in this one.  There are a bunch of them, and the second half of the book works to unpack what is going on.  And... when you look too hard - it does come apart a little.  Some of the side plots don’t really have anything to do with the main story.  Some of it is incredibly far fetched.  Some of it is just silly.  But I really kind of love when Christie has a big cast and just has a whole lot of subplots that get unraveled as the characters get peeled backed and examined.  The book is at its best when it’s taking a look at who its characters really are.  

There’s a lot going on in this book -- enough so that, despite it being one of Christie’s longer novels, it seems like there could have been even more.  But I think the main few characters that it focuses on the most is really solid - and there’s a bit of Shakespearean tragedy about the whole thing underneath the somewhat insane hijinks of the rest of the stories swirling around it.  And I think it’s even more fascinating, upon reread, to see how Christie manages it all - when you know exactly how it plays out. 

I also think there’s, subtly, a lot about Poirot in here, too.  We (understandably) don’t get a lot about his personal life, or his life before Styles, but there are little elements of his character sewn in, which is kind of cool to catch when you do.  

It’s a recommendation from me - only if you let it be more about character and less about the plot contrivances.  I’m definitely curious to see how this new movie adaption is going to play out -- especially since I wasn’t overly fond of the recent Murder on the Orient Express film tried to make a character study of a book into an action thriller.  

[neverpetal]

top 5 movie scenes?

HMMMM i will confess i don’t watch a lot of movies but i’ll give it a shot

1. THE DONUT HOLE INSIDE THE DONUT HOLE SCENE IN KNIVES OUT ....... i love mysteries sm this scene was super satisfying .....

2. similarly, the scene in the new version of murder on the orient express where poirot figures out the mystery....... the first time i watched it i was on the plane ride home from italy and i was soooo overtired so it blew my mind even more than it normally would lol

3. the scene in moonrise kingdom when susie and sam are dancing on the beach together ........ it’s just rly cute i love moonrise kingdom sooo much 🥺

4. the scene of jennifers body when jennifer and needy kiss and then jennifer explains what happened to her........ not just bc it’s Gay And Hot but also it makes me go INSANE bc it’s like. jennifer rly said i will be a literal vicious killer around everyone Except for you...... i could never be anything but gentle with you..........

5. the scene in how to train your dragon when hiccup and toothless finally become friends......... man. it’s just. rly rly good and the MUSIC MAKES IT SO MUCH BETTER...... 🥺🥺🥺

[letitrainasunnyday]

Will Shinichi ever tell Heiji to stop being a little idiot competing one sidely with him? Or maybe he'll never know Heiji has that going on in his head?

I don’t know if you mean competing just in general, or competing in terms of his confession. I like the latter option more because it gives me a reason to talk about one of my favorite Shinichis: Shipper Shinichi. So I’m just gonna go ahead and answer that, and if it was the other thing, come back and ask me again. 

I once talked about how Shipper Shinichi works his magic, and you can read all about it here before actually reading what I’m about to say, cause both answers tie in neatly with each other. 

What I basically say in this other ask is that Shipper Shinichi works from the shadows, like he usually does whenever he does things for other people. He very rarely steps in and takes center stage in these scenarios, and is a shipper basically from backstage. 

Now what do I mean by that? I mean that he will, for instance, slightly push people to realize their feelings for someone else, or to actually take the first step. He did it with Sato and Takagi for instance, and with Chiba and Naeko. He does so with Hattori and Kazuha as well, but he always takes a step back. It’s like he drops a little truth bomb and then disappears into the shadows, confident that the person he dropped the truth bomb on will be clever enough to understand it and act upon it. 

He doesn’t ship like Sonoko ships, for instance, though I love the way Shipper Sonoko works. You see, Sonoko is forward, she takes charge, she forces situations to happen that will later lead to --in most cases-- ShinRan development. She forces Shinichi to be the Dark Knight and tells him to hug and kiss Ran. She pushes Ran to answer his London confession every time she has the chance. She takes pictures of the two of them together in Kyoto and then sends Shinichi that picture of Ran and Okita to incite his jealousy. Sonoko meddles, she really does. But she gets results. 

That’s not to say Shinichi doesn’t get results, cause he does. He’s just less evident and forward about it, and there’s two reasons for it: 1) he doesn’t usually like to take credit for shit like that and most importantly 2) he knows what it’s like to struggle with feelings and with how to express them. He’s the first to have issues telling Ran how he feels --hell, it took him like 594038420 tries until he finally did it. So he knows it’s hard. He knows what these people are going through. 

In Hattori’s case, he understands it even better, because he and Hattori are practically joined at the hip at this point. They’re best friends, they understand each other so incredibly well, and perhaps most importantly, their relationships are basically the same. Shinichi sees himself and Ran in Hattori and Kazuha, always has, since day 1. It’s why he understands Hattori so well. It’s why he fights for them to be together extra hard. Because he knows, first hand, what that’s like. 

This was a very long introduction to finally answer your question. But, to answer your last question first, Shinichi definitely knows what’s going through Hattori’s head precisely because of what I just said. And, if the Magicians Case is anything to go by, he might even understand it better than Heiji himself --need I remind you that during that entire case Hattori is jealous as fuck and doesn’t even know why, and Shinichi’s just there like.... my idiot... my absolute buffoon.... how can you not see? You moron. You absolute useless bagel. And Hattori is like??? Kudo??? What could it possibly be??? 

Yet Shinichi never pressures him to understand. He never flat out tells Hattori that he’s in love with Kazuha and has to realize it pronto. He just stays there, ready to talk about it whenever Heiji is ready, ready to listen. He lets him get to the conclusion on his own because he knows how important that is for someone. 

So I don’t think Shinichi will ever blatantly tell Hattori that what he’s doing is stupid or ridiculous, because if Hattori is doing it, there must be some reason --fucked up and insane as his confession being better than Shinichi’s is. In reality what Heiji tries to hide is that he’s batshit terrified of saying it because he doesn’t know how to. Because he doesn’t know how Kazuha will respond. Heiji is competitive by nature as well, but what all of his attempts hide, in my humble opinion, is insecurity. 

The closest I think we will ever get to Shinichi flat out telling Heiji that this competition thing is stupid is that scene we get in the Killing Time At Cafe Poirot Case which I love and adore and treasure so much, where Conan and Heiji are making time while Kazuha and Ran cook dinner before going to the illumination show, and Conan’s like “you really came all this way just to tell her you love her huh” and Heiji is like “you’re one to talk, you literally went to London for it.” Which really, is a great scene and as a fandom I think we should talk about it more often.

I think Shinichi will, for sure, keep helping Heiji out in any and all ways he can. Like limiting interruptions, or reminding him every so often of what’s really important. But that’s really all he will do because Heiji really needs to do it by himself, just like Shinichi did. And because Shinichi did, he knows extra well how important it is to take that step without anyone else holding your hand along the way. 

[kevrocksicehouse]

Sidney Lumet was known as an “actor’s director.” He has shepherded 17 actors to Oscar nominations. 

Katharine Hepburn as the Morphine addicted Mary Tyrone (based on Eugene O’ Neill’s mother) in Long Day’s Journey into Night (1962). Best Actress nomination.

Rod Steiger as the bitter concentration survivor Sol Nazerman in The Pawnbroker (1964). Best Actor nomination.

Al Pacino as Frank Serpico, the police officer who fought police corruption in Serpico (1973). Best Actor nominee. Also as Sonny Wortzik, the hapless bank robber in Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Best Actor nominee.

Ingrid Berman as missionary and suspected murderer Greta Ohlsson in Murder On the Orient Express (1974). Best Supporting Actress winner.

Albert Finney as super sleuth Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Best Actor nominee.

Chris Sarandon as transsexual Leon Shermer in Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Best Supporting Actor nominee.

Peter Finch as insane news anchor Howard Beale in Network (1976). Best Actor winner.

Faye Dunaway as ambitious and amoral program director Diane Christenson in Network (1976). Best Actress Winner.

Beatrice Straight as cheated-on wife Louise Schumacher in Network (1976). Best Supporting Actress winner.

William Holden as betrayed news director Max Schumacher in Network (1976). Best Actor nominee.

Ned Beatty as Corporate Satan Arthur Jensen in Network (1976) Best Supporting Actor nominee.

Richard Burton as disillusioned psychiatrist Martin Dysart in Equus (1977). Best Actor nominee.

Peter Firth as disturbed horse-blinder Alan Strang in Equus (1977). Best Supporting Actor nominee.

Paul Newman as dissolute has-been lawyer Frank Galvin in The Verdict (1982) Best Actor nominee.

James Mason as high-priced legal Satan Ed Concannon in The Verdict (1982) Best Supporting Actor nominee.

Jane Fonda as drunken actress (and murder suspect) Alex Sternbergen in The Morning After (1986) Best Actress nominee.

River Phoenix as Danny Pope whose activist parents raised him in a fugitive family in Running on Empty (1988). Best Supporting Actor nominee.

[sloshed-cinema]

Two Films, One Game: Murder on the Orient Express (1974 vs 2017)

While A Star is Born seems doomed to get a rehash every generation, it’s by no means alone in the old-school remake field.  Directors Sidney Lumet and Kenneth Branagh bring the Agatha Christie classic to the silver screen in star-studded fashion.  It’s Bacall, Bergman, Finney, Cassel, Connery, Perkins, and Redgrave vs Pfeiffer, Cruz, Branagh, Kenzari, Odom Jr, Gad, and Ridley. The 1974 version dates itself with a vaguely corny newspaper-headline-riddled opening sequence and a few awkward if brief portrayals and descriptions of minorities. But so does the 2017 in how much it follows current trends of needing to be more—more sweeping vistas, more conspiratorial sideways glances, more product placement (thanks Godiva), more insane mustaches, more random political undertones and general wokeness, and a more aggressively unpleasant murder victim in Johnny Depp (though recent news certainly color that reception).  Branagh turns it up to eleven with action set-pieces while Lumet opts for a quieter, more procedural detective story.  Choose your poison—a coffee nightcap or bedtime sedatives.

 THE RULES

PICK ONE

Select one character and drink when:

POIROT struggles to come up with a term or phrase in English.

HUBBARD mentions a past husband.

MCQUEEN smokes or drinks.

GRETA/PILAR say ‘God’ or ‘Jesus’.

DEBENHAM and ARBUTHNOT exchange meaningful glances.

FOSCARELLI/MARQUEZ mention cars.

BEDDOES/MASTERMAN says ‘sir’.

PRINCESS DRAGOMIROFF’s dogs are visible onscreen.

 SIP

Someone says ‘crime’, ‘Armstrong’, or ‘murder’.

Dramatic newspaper headline.

A flashback begins.

Someone knocks on a door.

Poirot’s cane is a useful tool.

A train or ship whistle is sounded.

 BIG DRINK

The train stops at a station.

“PEEP  CLEANER”

 LIVER TRANSPLANT WAITLIST MODE *Only for those who wish to be needing Ratchett’s morning pick-me-up*

Sip every time someone’s nationality is brought up.

[bronzewool]

SPEED RUN OF ALL THE DETECTIVE POIROT BOOKS I READ THIS MONTH

ABC Murders is about a series of mass murders taking place in the UK with the only clue being that each victim was found with a copy of the ABC rail guide on their person and that their names follow the theme of A-Z. Poirot has to find the murderer before the next victim turns up but nothing seems to connect the seemingly random murder victims.

On the surface, this feels outside the norm for Agatha Christie, who doesn't really dive into flashy high stakes murder investigations (there is an anonymous writer deliberately calling out Poirot to try and stop him, leaves ambiguous clues for the police to find, and wants all of Britain to know his movements), but it all makes sense once you find out why these murders are happening in the first place and what the murderer is trying to accomplish.

And like most of Agatha Christie’s work, you can pretty much figure out the murderer almost instantly once you ask yourself, “Who in this room financially benefits from the murder?"

Rating: 4/5

Death on the Nile is insane, and I love it. A rich socialite is killed on her honeymoon and the obvious suspect seems to be her ex-best friend who felt betrayed after she "stole" her boyfriend, followed them abroad, was in possession of a gun (and shot the husband in the leg), but has a solid alibi for her whereabouts during the murder. Poirot is the only one who can solve this mystery, and naturally, none of the passangers are being very helpful as they all seem to be acting supscious and withholding vital information.

This book is bonkers because stalking apparantly wasn't considered a crime back in the 1920s; so when Linnet goes the Hercule, asking for advice about how to deal with Jacqueline, Hercule just shrugs and says, there's nothing the police can do because Jacqueline isn't doing anything illegal, despite being in posession of a gun and verbally threatening them. (WTF?!)

It also does a really good job of portraying Linnet as a complex character instead of going for either a "good" or "bad" rich white woman. She is very generous with money and looks out for her employees' wellbeing, but she is used to getting her own way and responds poorly to being denied what she wants. Everyone has a different opinion on her character and they’re not wrong.

But the book does lose points for the horrendous racist descriptors about the Egyptian locals. Not cool.

Rating: 3/5

Murder on the Orient Express made me want to go on an actual sleeper train, but the price for a single night stamped out any future holiday plan I may of had touring Europe on a fancy hotel on wheels.

Once again, poor Poirot is just trying to enjoy his holiday in peace but ends up trapped on another form of public transportation where he has to solve yet another murder. This mystery is set up really well, with each key player being slowly introduced as the journey goes on, until a snow drift stops the train in its tracks and everyone is stranded in the middle of nowhere with one of the passangers killed in a seemingly locked cabin.

Everything about the premise feels like a coincedence after coindence, but everything has been set up to the last detail, to the point it is beyond impressive how good it is. This is perfect writing and trying to figure out who is lying and who isn't is very enjoyable if you are also taking notes along side Poirot during each of his interviews.

Rating: 5/5

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: April 16, 2022

Been fairly slow-going these days, but I’ve got a few for y’all this week.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniels, 2022)

Not only is Everything Everywhere All at Once far and away the best film of 2022, so far... It also co-stars James Hong and Ke Huy Quan! David Lo Pan and Short Round sharing scenes together?!? Anyone who knows how obsessed I am with Big Trouble in Little China and how much I love Temple of Doom can only imagine the smile I had on my face.

Really, though... this is such an utterly insane, silly, wildly creative, genuinely heartfelt sci-fi film. Michelle Yeoh is a powerhouse, embodying our protagonist's complacency and reluctance with a depth beautifully nuanced as it is hilariously bizarre. It's early yet, but A24 should definitely mount a major campaign for her come next year's awards season. (AND Paul Rogers' Editing, which is complete madness yet so incredibly smooth.) Daniels' vision is as weird and messy as it gets, and nails every single note as it ambitiously tackles everything from family and fate to love and regret to taxes and beyond. - 9.5/10

Death on the Nile (Kenneth Branagh, 2022)

Well, this wasn’t very good, now was it?

Listen, I think Gal Gadot makes a great Wonder Woman. The problem is, she’s been pretty damn awful in just about everything else. This is no exception. Branagh makes a fun, slightly too over-the-top Poirot, though, and what little we got of Emma Mackey hit the spot. Overall, though, it’s a significant step down from the already ‘meh’ Murder on the Orient Express, and - for the most part - a waste of time better spent going to see Everything Everywhere All at Once. - 3/10

The Raid: Redemption (Gareth Evans, 2011)

Oh... damn... badass action flick is badass. How the hell did I not see this sooner?!? - 8.5/10

Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (Richard Linklater, 2022)

It has so much potential, and if tackled differently (and done in live-action) very well could’ve reached the heights of coming-of-age greatness. As is, it’s an enjoyable enough lunar-capsule of nostalgia that skims over too much and at times feels too much like a half-assed documentary about growing up in the ‘60s in NASA’s backyard, chock-full of awkward reenactments and distracting moments that add nothing to the overall picture. It’s still likable, though, and the heart of the idea is filled with a child-like wonder that feels good to recall. - 4.5/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[glynmostyn]

I have never read an Agatha Christie book but I was raised watching the television adaptations of Poirot and Miss Marple and the movie adaptations of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, so I love her.

I am insanely excited for Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile coming out this month. I had my minor nitpicks with the new Murder on the Orient Express but unlike the Star Trek adaptations it was still a thoroughly enjoyable movie that I would watch again.

[thekillerblogofkillers]

Jeanne Weber (1874-1918)

Jeanne Weber, also known as the Ogress, was a French serial killer who strangled at least 10 children, including her own. She was convicted of murder and declared insane in 1908 and hanged herself 10 years later in prison. Weber was born in a small fishing village in western France on October 7, 1874, and left home for Paris at the age of 14. Here she worked various jobs until marrying in 1893. Her husband was an alcoholic and 2 of the couple’s 3 children died in 1905. By this time Weber was also a heavy drinker, living in a seedy tenement in Paris with her husband and 7-year-old son. On March 2, 1905, Weber was babysitting for her sister-in-law when one of the woman’s 2 daughters, 18-month-old Georgie, “fell ill” and died. Bruises on the child’s neck were ignored by the examining physician and Weber was invited back to babysit on March 11. 2-year-old Suzanne did not survive the visit but a doctor explained the 2nd death on unexplained “convulsions.” On March 25 Weber was babysitting for her brother when his 7-year-old daughter Germaine suffered a sudden attack of “choking,” which left red marks on her throat. The child survived but the following day, when Weber returned, she was less lucky – her death was blamed on diphtheria, as well as the death of Weber’s son Marcel just 4 days later. Once more the signs of strangulation were ignored.

On April 5, 1905, Weber invited 2 of her sisters-in-law to dinner and stayed at home with her 10-year-old nephew Maurice whilst the other women went shopping. They came back early, to find Maurice gasping on the bed, his throat covered with bruises, Weber standing over him with a crazed expression on her face. Charges were filed against her and Weber’s trial began on January 29, 1906, with the prosecution accusing her of 8 murders, including all 3 of Weber’s own children and 2 others, Lucie Aleandre and Marcel Poyatos, who died in her care. It was alleged that Weber killed her son in March in order to throw off suspicion but she was defended by defence lawyer Henri-Robert, and jurors didn’t want to believe the worst about a grieving mother. Weber was acquitted on February 6. 14 months later, on April 7, 1907, a doctor from Villedieu was called to the home of a peasant named Bavouzet. He was met at the door by a babysitter, “Madame Moulinet,” who led him to the bed where 9-year-old Auguste Bavouzet was dead with a bruised throat. The cause of the child’s death was listed as “convulsions,” but on May 4, the doctor changed his opinion when “Madame Moulinet” was identified as Jeanne Weber. Weber hired lawyer Henri-Robert again. She was held over for trial and released in December after a 2nd autopsy blamed the boy’s death on typhoid.

Jeanne Weber quickly disappeared, next surfacing as an orderly at a children’s hospital in Faucombault, from there moving to the Children’s Home in Orgeville. This home was run by friends who wanted to “make up for the wrongs that justice has inflicted upon an innocent woman.” Working under the name “Marie Lemoine,” Weber had been working there for less than a week when she was caught strangling a child in the home. The owners quietly fired her and the incident was swept under the rug. Back in Paris Weber was arrested for vagrancy and was briefly incarcerated at the asylum at Nanterre, but doctors there pronounced her sane and set her free. She ended up becoming a prostitute, gaining a common-law husband along the way. On May 8, 1908, the couple settled at an inn in Commercy. Shortly afterwards, Weber was found strangling the innkeeper’s 10-year-old son Marcel Poirot, with a bloody handkerchief. The father had to punch Weber in the face 3 times before she would let go of the lifeless body. Whilst being held for trial on murder charges Weber was declared insane on October 25, 1908, and was packed off to the asylum at Mareville. She was credited with at least 10 murders and survived 10 years in captivity before hanging herself in 1918.