#agatha 1979

[toomuchlovereviews]

Agatha (1979)

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Dustin Hoffman 🥵

Vanessa Redgrave 🥵

Oh lord 🥵🥵🥵

Spectacular performances from them both, but they could have just stood in front of the camera and I still would have been flustered.

This story was inspired by Agatha Christie’s eleven day disappearance in 1926, and after reading her Wikipedia page, she should have thought about leaving her husband eons ago. Much of the coverage about her escape during this time was about a mental health break, but given her situation, I believe she was just tired of how she was being treated.

And if her husband loved her (which he didn’t), he would have seen the signs.

Watch this if:

You are a fan of vintage authors and/or true crime

The story of a woman scorned finally getting the “good for her” moment is compelling

you frequently experience bi panic 😮‍💨

Similar titles:

Rebecca (1940) (set in a similar era with a familiar air of mystery, based on a terrific book of the same name)

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Please help me 🙏🙏🙏🙏To save our lives and the lives of children from death and provide food and go to a safe place, what you donate will be an،🇵🇸🇵🇸🍉🍉 encouragement for us to think about hope to live again.

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i’m always anxious about writing irl cities because what if someone from that city reads my work and they know i made up a ton of random places or something and they decide to come to my house and kill me. what if

since people are suddenly reblogging this, i will implore you to donate to the @shahdquffa gofundme. the family is suffering under genocide and bombing and would greatly appreciate some money

[littlyamadeus]

OKAY, SO I JUST STARTED TO FALL INTO THE PATTI LUPONE RABBITHOLE- DAMN

Okay, I'll start from the beginning.

As someone who started to call myself a musical nerd, I want to listen to more and more pieces and enhance my knowledge. This is also important to me since I live in a non-western country, seeing Broadway someday is my dream. So I mostly spend my free time listening new recordings and fixating on them till I jump to another.

And then, Agatha All Along happened. And god, did Patti Lupone rock my world. Her voice is just so strong and even I can feel there is a huge technique and experience in her singing with my non-musician ear.

Then of course the re-discovery of her "Anything Goes" performance just blew me away. So, my musical obsession plus AAA, I decided to listen other musicals she was in.

AND EVITA!!! God, it is GOOD GOOD. I only finished listening "Good Night and Thank You," so I am still at the beginning, but I just NEEDED to write here. Patti has such a good technique of using her voice that you can immediately recognize her timbre.

I am obsessed, she isn't just a national treasure, she is the TREASURE. And if there is anyone who just started to discover her genius, go and listen the 1979 recording of "Evita"!!! I promise you won't regret.

[thefeaturesof]

Agatha Christie Books in Order.

Hercule Poirot Books

Hercule Poirot Collections

Miss Marple Books

Miss Marple Collections

Tommy and Tuppence Books

Tommy and Tuppence Collections

Superintendent Battle Books

Standalone Novels

Short Story Collections

Non-Fiction Books

Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot books in order

Here are the names of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot books in order. It will help you start with your reading while ensuring the best experience.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)    

The Murder on the Links (1923)     

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)      

The Big Four (1927)    

The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928)     

Peril at End House (1932)     

Lord Edgware Dies (1933)    

Murder on the Orient Express (1934)      

Three Act Tragedy (1935)    

Death in the Clouds (1935)   

The A.B.C. Murders (1936)   

Murder in Mesopotamia (1936)      

Cards on the Table (1936)    

Dumb Witness (1937)  

Death on the Nile (1937)      

Appointment with Death (1938)    

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (1938)  

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (1940)

Sad Cypress (1940)     

Evil Under the Sun (1941)    

Five Little Pigs (1942)  

The Hollow (1946)      

Taken at the Flood (1948)    

Mrs. McGinty’s Dead (1952)  

After the Funeral (1953)      

Hickory Dickory Dock (1955)

Dead Man’s Folly (1956)       

Cat Among the Pigeons (1959)      

The Clocks (1963)       

Third Girl (1966)

Hallowe’en Party (1969)       

Elephants Can Remember (1972)  

Curtain (1975)      

The Monogram Murders (2014)

Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot Collections in Order

Poirot Investigates (1924)    

Murder in the Mews (1937)

The Labours of Hercules (1947)

Poirot’s Early Cases (1974)

Agatha Christie Miss Marple Books in Order

Here is the list of Agatha Christie’s books in order based on their publication date.

The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)

The Body in the Library (1942)      

The Moving Finger (1942)    

A Murder is Announced (1950)      

They Do It with Mirrors (1952)      

A Pocket Full of Rye (1953)  

4:50 From Paddington (1957)       

The Mirror Crack’d (1962)    

A Caribbean Mystery (1964)

At Bertram’s Hotel (1965)    

Nemesis (1971) 

Sleeping Murder (1976)

Agatha Christie Miss Marple Collection in Order

The Thirteen Problems (1932)       

Miss Marple’s Final Cases (1979)

Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence Books in Order

Here’s the list of Agatha Christie Tommy and Tuppence Books in Order

The Secret Adversary (1922)

N or M? (1941)  

By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968)     

Postern of Fate (1973)

Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence Collections in Order

Partners in Crime (1929)

Agatha Christie’s Superintendent Battle Books in Order

Here’s the list of Agatha Christie Superintendent Battle Books in Order

The Secret of Chimneys (1925)      

The Seven Dials Mystery (1929)   

Cards on the Table (1936)    

Murder is Easy (1939)

Towards Zero (1944)

Agatha Christie’s Standalone Novels in Order

Here’s the list of Agatha Christie Standalone Novels in Order

The Man in the Brown Suit (1924)  

Giant’s Bread (1930)   

The Sittaford Mystery (1931)

Unfinished Portrait (1934)    

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? (1934)       

And Then There Were None (1939)

Absent in the Spring (1944)  

Death Comes as the End (1944)    

Sparkling Cyanide (1945)     

The Rose and the Yew Tree (1948)

Crooked House (1949)

They Came to Baghdad (1951)      

A Daughter’s a Daughter (1952)    

Destination Unknown (1954)

The Burden (1956)      

Ordeal by Innocence (1958)

The Pale Horse (1961)

Endless Night (1967)   

13 at Dinner (1969)    

Passenger to Frankfurt (1970)       

The Murder at Hazelmoor (1984)

Agatha Christie’s Short Story Collections in Order

Here’s the list of Agatha Christie Short Story Collections in Order

The Mysterious Mr. Quin (1930)    

The Hound of Death (1933)  

The Listerdale Mystery (1934)       

Parker Pyne Investigates (1934)    

The Regetta Mystery and Other Stories (1939)

The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories (1948)  

Three Blind Mice and Other Stories (1950)      

The Under Dog and Other Stories (1951)

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960)       

Double Sin and Other Stories (1961)      

Star Over Bethlehem and Other Stories (1965)

The Golden Ball and Other Stories (1974)

The problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories (1991)    

The Harlequin Tea Set (1997)       

While the Light Lasts and Other Stories (1997)

Agatha Christie’s Non-Fiction Books in Order

Here’s the list of Agatha Christie Non-Fiction Books in Order

Come, Tell Me How You Live (1946)       

Agatha Christie: An Autobiography (1977)

Top 10 Agatha Christie Books to Read

Given the number of books in the Agatha Christie series, readers generally hesitate to begin. Further, to understand the series well, one needs to read Agatha Christie’s novels in order. To ease things, the readers generally look for the best novels or books to read them directly and avoid all the hassle. So here are the top 10 Agatha Christie novels that will offer you the best mystery story reading experience.

[wardrobeoftime]

Master Post - A to M

If you notice any show, movie or character missing that I’ve made gifs of, please let me know. Characters are sorted alphabetically by first their last name and then their first name.

Last updated: January 19th, 2025

A

Aladdin [2019] (Princess Jasmine)

Allerleirauh (Princess Friederike | Princess Lotte)

American Song Contest (2022)

Aschenputtel [2010] (Marie/Aschenputtel)

Aschenputtel [2011] (Annabella | Aschenputtel/Cinderella)

Australia [2008] (Sarah Ashley)

B

Barbie (Stereotypical Barbie)

Beauty and the Beast [2017] (Madame de Garderobe | Mrs Potts)

Becoming Elizabeth (Amy Robsart | Mary Tudor)

Blood, Sex & Royalty (Anne Boleyn | Mary Boleyn)

Bridgerton (Tilley Arnold | Lady Berbrooke | Benedict Bridgerton | Daphne Bridgerton | Eloise Bridgerton | Francesca Bridgerton | Hyacinth Bridgerton | Violet Bridgerton | Queen Charlotte | Cressida Cowper | Agatha Danbury | Penelope Featherington | Philippa Featherington | Prudence Featherington | King George III | Siena Rosso | Edwina Sharma | Kathani "Kate" Sharma | Mary Sharma | Tessa | Marina Thompson | Extras)

Britain’s Bloody Crown (Margaret of Anjou | Margaret Beaufort | Elizabeth Woodville)

C

Cinderella [2015] (Anastasia Tremaine | Drisella Tremaine | Ella)

D

Das Adlon (Sonja Schadt)

Die Galoschen des Glücks (Princess Aurora)

Die Kaiserin (Charlotte of Belgium | Maria Alexandrovna / Marie of Hesse | Elisabeth “Sisi” of Austria | Archduchess Sophie of Austria)

Die Salzprinzessin (Princess Amélie | Princess Eugenia | Princess Isabella)

Die Schöne und das Biest (Elsa)

Disney Live Action (see the individual movies | Extras)

Doctor Who (Ashildr | Cyril Arwell | Lily Arwell | Madge Arwell | Reg Arwell | Rosanna Calvierri | Miss Chandrakala | Agatha Christie | Hugh Curbishley | The Doctor | Twelth Doctor | Clemency Eddison | Jack Harkness | King James I | Katherine | Donna Noble | Madame de Pompadour | Amy Pond | Bill Potts | Robina Redmond | Becka Savage | Willa Twiston | Extras)

Domina (Agrippa | Antonia Major | Antonia “Antonina” Minor | Emperor Augustus | Julia the Elder | Livia Drusilla | Marcella | Octavia Minor)

Downton Abbey (Lucy Branson (née Smith) | Cora Crawley | Edith Crawley | Mary Crawley)

Dune: Prophecy (Ynez Corrino)

Dynasty [2017] (Kirby Anders | Fallon Carrington)

E

Effie Gray [2014] (Euphemia “Effie” Gray)

Elizabeth Duology (Elizabeth I)

Emerald City (Langwidere of Ev)

Emma [2020] (Isabella Knightley | Emma Woodhouse)

Eurovision Song Contest (1970 | 1974 | 1979 | 1980 | 1982 | 1988 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1995 | 1996 | 1998 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024)

F

Frauen, die Geschichte machten (Catherine the Great)

G

Galavant (Madalena)

Game of Thrones (Myrcella Baratheon | Cersei Lannister | Ellaria Sand | Sansa Stark | Daenerys Targaryen | Margaery Tyrell)

Good Omens (Aziraphale | Crowley)

Grey’s Anatomy (Lexie Grey | Izzie Stevens)

H

Hamilton (Angelica Schuyler | Eliza Schuyler Hamilton)

House of the Dragon (Jeyne Arryn | Alicent Hightower | Mysaria of Lys | Aegon II Targaryen | Baela Targaryen | Helaena Targaryen | Rhaena Targaryen | Rhaenyra Targaryen | Rhaenys Targaryen | Laena Velaryon)

I

J

K

Ku’damm (Helga von Boost)

L

Legacies (Jo Laughlin | Hope Mikaelson | Elizabeth “Lizzie” Saltzman | Josette “Josie” Saltzman)

Les Misérables [2018] (Cosette | Fantine Thibault)

Little Women [2019] (Amy March | Margaret “Meg” March)

Ludwig II [2012] (Elisabeth “Sisi” of Austria | Ludovika, The Duchess in Bavaria | Sophie in Bavaria)

M

Maleficent Duology (Princess Aurora | Queen Ingrith of Ulstead)

Märchenperlen (see the individual movies)

Maria Theresia [2017] (Maria Anna of Austria | Empress Maria Theresia |  Mademoiselle de Chartres | Elisa Fritz)

Marie Antoinette [2006] (Jeanne du Barry | Marie Antoinette | Empress Maria Theresia | Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy, Princesse de Lamballe | Extras)

Marie Antoinette [2022] (Marie Antoinette)

Mary Queen of Scots [2013] (Mary Stuart)

Maximilian - Das Spiel von Macht und Liebe / Maximilian and Marie de Burgogne (Maximilian of Austria | Mary of Burgundy | Bishop de Clugny | Johanna von Hallewyn | Rosina von Kraig | Georg Rudolfer | Margaret of York)

My Fair Lady (Eliza Doolittle)

My Lady Jane (Jane Grey | Mary Tudor)

Go to N-Z

[abdquffa9]

Please help me 🙏 😢 🍉🍉🇵🇸🇵🇸

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Slugcat of the Day #297

some wisdom from Saint

♡ ♡

It's more important than ever to support Gazans. Mohammed's family is one of many living withou adequate shelter or access to basic resources. Donate to support them here, and share their story: @abdquffa9.

[theharpermovieblog]

#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2024 MOVIE LIST

www.tumblr.com/theharpermovieblog

🎃HALLOWEEN 2024🎃

I watched Tourist Trap (1979)

Here it is, the end of Halloween 2024: 1970's Horror.

A group of friends fall prey to a masked maniac.

Agatha Christie, Italian Giallos, "Psycho", "Black Christmas", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", and John Carpenter's "Halloween" all led up to the 1980's slasher film craze within the horror genre.

Here at the tail end of the 1970's is "Tourist Trap". A bit of a whodunnit, a lot of a slasher, and a film that falls somewhere between "so bad it's good" and genuinely scary.

Produced by B-cinema legend Charles Band, starring film and television star Chuck Connors, and directed by "Puppet Master" director David Schmoeller, "Tourist Trap" tied a bow on the 1970's and ushered in the 1980's.

The film itself is cliche by today's standards. Young people go on vacation, start getting picked off by a masked killer, a twist comes along, and so on and so forth. And, to be fair, the twist can be seen coming from miles away, so it's not really a twist. The tone changes from creepy to kooky to basic and bland. The characters are one note and the whole thing could be better.

However, this film does something amazing. Despite being rather generic and tame and poorly made, "Tourist Trap" is real goddamn creepy. The mannequins, the screaming dolls faces, the killer's masks, the dark indoor lighting, the SECOND TWIST! There are rock solid freaky moments in this film...and it has a great ending.

If you want a horror film that gives you the spooky feels on Halloween night and leaves you more creeped out than when it found you, this is definitely for you.

(And, with that, Halloween 2024: 1970's Horror comes to an end.

It was a fun ride. I learned that the 1970's, like every other decade, has something to offer in the horror genre outside it's most well known titles and blockbusters. There are tons of American and Foreign films to choose from. There is a style all it's own to this decade, and that style changes and molds throughout its ten year time-span.

I'm sure there are plenty more gems to find.)

[man-down-in-hatchet-town]

Theory: Hannah's Birth Led to Steph's Mom Dying

Okay, this is a bit of a wild journey, but I promise it's at least somewhat thought-out if you're willing to bear with me for a bit. (Theory under the cut!)

I'm endlessly fascinated by the absence of the Church of the Starry Children (not a random opener, I promise). We're told multiple that times that "nothing that dies in Waylon Hall ever truly dies," and we learn that the Waylons put a spell in place to essentially resurrect anyone killed on the house's property. We also learn that the Waylons and their followers all died in the house in 1979. So... where are they? Max was a singular teenager, and within two weeks he had the entirety of Hatchetfield whipped into a panicked frenzy. Surely an entire cult of evil zealots brought back from the dead and imbued with insatiable bloodlust would be even more noticeable. At the very least, their Number 1 Fan Roman and remaining widow Sheila would know that they were still out there, which is clearly not the case. So it's pretty undeniable that, despite their safety-measures, the Waylons and their followers are no longer around.

There are multiple potential reasons for this. The Hatchetmen have experience with such people. Perhaps they got around the spell by taking the Cult's bodies to the Witchwood and burying them there, though that doesn't seem hugely likely. Or maybe Miss Holloway took care of the Waylons back in the 80s. That timeline arguably kinda' sorta' works--Miss Holloway gave up her life as a pop star to become an immortal witch just a handful of years after the Waylons' deaths.

But then we have Solomon in Nerdy Prudes Must Die, who has the Black Book, but says that he will never touch it "ever again." This statement heavily implies that Solomon once summoned the Lords in Black, and the absence of Steph's mother implies that she was the price he paid. (Nick and Matt also give A LOT of credence to that theory in the Hatchetfield Halloween livestream.) Solomon also knows A LOT about Max, the spell that created him, and how to put an end to it. And sure, this could be second-hand knowledge passed down from previous mayors or Miss Holloway. But what if it's not? What if, in an eerie foreshadowing of his own daughter's future actions, Solomon Lauter was the one to summon the Lords in the Black and sacrifice the love of his life to stop the resurrected Waylons?

There's an obvious problem with this theory--the timeline. Judging by Max, it's likely that a whole cult of monstrous and monstrously powerful ghosts on the loose for 25 years would have been Apocalyptic long before the timelines had the chance to shatter.

So what if they weren't around? What if the Waylons' spell was not automatically triggered upon their deaths, but instead required activation? Perhaps, in their cult-y arrogance, Mathias and Agatha never imagined that every single one of their followers would be wiped out alongside them. Maybe the Starry Children were supposed to return to the Hall upon the Waylons' deaths and activate the magic. With the Cult massacred, there was no one left with the knowledge to complete the ritual and resurrect the dead, leaving them in limbo.

And then Hannah enters the scene, born the same year that Solomon performs his Summoning. We know from Wilbur that Hannah is basically a nuclear power plant. What if her birth, together with the massive burst of energy as Lex activated her powers to save her sister, (and also maybe PEIP's portal playing whatever role it played,) was enough to do for the Waylons as Hannah would later do for Willabella Muckwab? What if Hannah's nuclear battery existence automatically served to complete the Waylons' spell, activate the house (leaving it primed for Max's return from the grave), and release the Waylons onto the unsuspecting town? Leaving Solomon, town Mayor, sentinel at the gates of hell, to work alongside Miss Holloway and her Black Book, discover the truth of the Waylons, and summon the Lords in Black for help. And maybe Miss Holloway, still in the middle of her own deal, was unable to make another, separate one, leaving Solomon to give up what he treasured most...and murder Steph's mother.

(And maybe the little girl she left behind is nothing but a reminder of his loss and his guilt.)

(Update: lmao @thatdelusionalnerd just described this as "far-fetched but still makes quite a bit of sense" and I just wanted to acknowledge that because I feel like that's my sweet spot with Hatchetfield theories. Arguments that are absolutely bananas and almost definitely not true, but to my own consternation kinda' work nonetheless.)

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: April 2024

Ooooooooh it's getting warmer and sunnier and the days are getting longer! Yet I still stay inside to read and watch tv and stuff.

……….FILM……….

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985) Loved it. A comedy that is so generous with the types of humour (sight gags, absurdist stuff, one-lines). Watching it I was thinking "oh this reminds me of watching Elvira" and then Cassandra Peterson shows up in the biker gang! Loved the whole thing.

Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979) I've been meaning to watch this ever since Sam Bosma shared the incredible poster he did. If I didn't know Hayao Miyazaki directed this then I would've spent the entire runtime thinking "whoa real Hayao Miyazaki vibes here." Great standalone film if you know nothing about Lupin III.

……….TELEVISION……….

Fallout (Episode 1.01 to 1.08) Having never played the games, I was really interested if this series would work for someone like me. It took a bit to connect and it mostly landed. Not bad at all but it hasn't really left a lasting impression.

Succession (3.05 to 4.02) Can't believe it's almost over. What I appreciate about this series is that it knows the show is at its best when the core trio are together and does everything it can to highlight this. But never forget that they are all awful people. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Delicious in Dungeon (Episode 1.14 to 1.17) This adaptation of the comic continues to be excellent. I hope folks dig the show so much that they decide to read the series as it offers a few more character details that are fun to discover.

X-Men '97 (Episode 1.01 to 1.07) Wasn't a big fan of X-men (comic or the show) as a kid but heard enough good things that I figured I'd check it out. While I'm not immune to the nostalgia of the intro, I really do think the show is fantastic. The story feels dramatic and just mature enough to allow for great character moments and the animation is top-notch. Really glad I gave this a shot.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Why I (Used to) Hate Video Essays by Extranet Shaquille and Yellow Paint by Caleb Gamman Just a coincidence but these two unrelated videos both veer away from their main topics to become a study in...media consumption/attention culture/the struggles of existing in our current times. (Video Essays) VIDEO (Yellow Paint) VIDEO

……….READING……….

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie (Complete) This feels more like the first Christie book I read (There is a Tide, still my favourite) in that there are twists and turns around engaging characters. Plus the victim was such an engaging villain. Based on the handful I've read so far, I think this would be a good entry point into Christie's works.

A Spectre Haunting: On the Communist Manifesto by China Miéville (Complete) After hearing a number of interviews with Mieville I was really excited for this but found the whole thing...frustrating. Maybe I'm not smart enough or maybe I'm not the target audience, but I don't really know who this book was written for. My gut tells me the writing is practically impenetrable unless you have a masters in English and that doesn't feel like the right fit for the subject matter. If brevity is the soul of wit then I'll leave it there and just say that the last couple pages, written clearly and with conviction, did more for me than the previous 150+ pages.

Delicious in Dungeon Volume 13 (and also Volume 6) by Ryoko Kui (Complete) Rereading and also catching up on the latest volume! It's nearly over! Volume 13 is the penultimate chapter and I'm still impressed by how consistent the characters, humour, and dedication to theme this series remains. Really really incredible.

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) Tuesday crew is picking off the invading Elves fairly effectively but at what cost? And what are the repercussions of an act like this? Only time will tell. Also you can read all about their adventures here!

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Mof1 crew continues to dig into the mysteries of the mud banks but might get sidetracked by the fame and fortune of wrestling.

And that's it. See you in May!

[anamelessfool]

For One Creature's Sake (pt 1 of 2)

(AO3 Link) GEN | Primo & Young Copia

Submitted to @cirrus-ghoulette Whump Month Prompt. June 9: Phobia

Family Drama, Phobias, Young Characters, Brotherly Affection, Caring, Family Bonds, Time Skips, Hurt/Comfort

"Shouldn’t a three, four year old be talking more?" (This is actually an excerpt from my upcoming fic!)

1979

Primo and the little boy named Copia waited until the dining hall had cleared after dinner to have their meals. Sister Agatha, head cook, smiled at them across the hall from her place scrubbing the range. “I can’t thank you enough again, Sister,” Primo said, returning her greeting with a wave. He hiked Copia further up on his hip, carrying him over to a corner table. He placed the boy on the bench next to him and gave his fluffy hair a pat. The first time he had brought Copia down for a meal the boy had cried hysterically, the noise of crowded dinner conversations bouncing off the walls overwhelming him.

“Anything, sweetheart,” Agatha said. “I saved this for you.” The old cook carried over a small tray of leftovers, setting it down on the table. “And how are you, little one?”

Copia’s brow furrowed, his big eyes staring at her with suspicion. He brought his arms to his chest and squeezed himself. Agatha tilted her head. “No talking yet?”

“I coax it out of him, occasionally,” Primo replied. “But it’s mostly just repeating what I say. Jogs his memory, I guess. Shouldn’t a three, four year old be talking more?”

“Look at you, doting on him.” Agatha smiled quietly. “He’s gone through a lot, in a short time. Just be patient with him.”

“Secundo is already planning on teaching him piano,” Primo chuckled. “Says Copia’s actually pretty intelligent. Can read a little, apparently. But we can barely get him to eat or speak.”

“That boy Secundo is eighteen going on forty five.” Agatha shook her head. “Everyone’s a project to him. Gotta lighten him up, Primo.”

“Sure, let me add that to my list. Tack it on,” Primo sighed as he cut the chicken breast and carrots into small pieces.

“A little bit at a time. Copia may surprise you. But don’t get too excited, that may scare him back to square one,” Agatha said.

Primo flashed her a tired, thankful smile. “You’re a gem.”

“Anytime. Let me know when you want to darken my door and man my grill again, handsome,” Agatha replied with a friendly wink. Primo laughed back. The cook returned to her kitchen chores, leaving Primo and Copia alone to eat in the quiet.

Primo attempted to hand the boy a fork, but Copia ignored him, making an attempt to reach for a piece of the meal with his hand. He leaned too far forward and slid under the table, uttering a small surprised yelp. Primo lunged for him and pulled him up into his lap. “We’ve got to solve that,” Primo muttered to him, and handed the boy a bread crust to gnaw on. Copia finished the piece and started grabbing the food with both hands like a desperate little rodent. “Hey, slowly!” 

”Slowly,” Copia parroted back, his mouth muffled by food. Primo pulled the plate away and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, sighing. He was grateful the boy was too small to see his worried frown. Too much had happened lately, too many loose ends and lost trails surrounding this Copia kid to count. He couldn’t walk away from his promise to find out where Copia’s mother had gone, and the thought of sharing with her what had happened to her child kept Primo up at night.

“Ahh! Nooooo!” Copia started to howl, scratching at Primo’s robe, kicking his legs.

Primo hugged the boy close. “What is it, shhhh…”

Copia vigorously pointed at the far corner of the room. There was a cabinet there, set in the shadow of a column. A piece of bread sat abandoned a few feet away. Copia fell into a sniffling silence. After a few minutes of quiet, something below the cabinet stirred and cautiously emerged into the light, padding softly towards the food on the floor.

It was a rat.

Copia shrieked again. The rat sat back on its haunches, rolled and scurried under the cabinet. Primo held Copia’s head in his hands, watching the little boy struggle with hiccuping breaths. “It’s okay, it's just a little rat,” Primo whispered. He saw the rat bite on the boy’s cheek, healing slowly but healing well. It would be a scar, but not too big. “They're just as afraid of you. You're both so little.”

Copia slammed his body against Primo’s chest. “So little,” he said with heaving breaths.

“Everything is so much bigger. Even you. You're bigger than him.”

“I’m…I’m bigger?” Copia blinked furiously, looking up into Primo’s eyes.

Primo smiled down at him, petting his head. “Much much bigger. Very scary.” Something clicked in the little boy. His eyebrows twitched, his eyes searching. His mind must have been grappling with the concept of his own self being scary to another creature. “Even if you're not, you may seem scary to somebody else. Hold on, let me show you.” He picked up Copia, putting him on the bench beside him. He stood up, taking a piece of chicken from the plate.

He walked over to the cabinet, dropping the meat on the floor and softly moved back to the bench. “Now let's watch and see,” he whispered, putting Copia back on his lap, his hands enfolding the boy protectively. “Be quiet, he's shy.”

“He's shy,” Copia whispered back, fascinated.

There was a few more minutes of silence then the shadows stirred. The rat cautiously returned to the light, sniffing the air. Copia grabbed Primo’s hands and Primo pulled the boy closer into him. The rat stepped across the floor and examined the meat, bringing it into its paws, settling in to eat it right there in front of them.

“He's got little hands!” Copia shouted, and the rat visibly jumped and rushed back under the cabinet. “I scared him. He's got little hands, doesn't he, Primo?”

Primo gripped Copia tightly, stunned. It was the most the boy had ever said so far. He swallowed, trying to hide his excitement. “Yes, little hands, like you.”

Copia reached for a piece of bread off his plate, then pulled and kicked in Primo’s arms. “Let me down!”

Primo obliged, trying to keep his movements even. His heart was pounding. Copia walked hesitantly over to the cabinet and dropped the bread. He scampered a few feet away, sitting down on the floor, watching and waiting.

“Don't touch him,” Primo said quietly. “Just watch. You have to give everyone a chance, okay.”

Copia nodded then settled into a focused stillness. In a moment more, the rat returned. The creature froze, eying Copia, but then saw no danger from the boy. It walked over to the bread and grabbed it in its mouth, turning tail and trotting back to the safety of the shadows.

Copia looked over to Primo, his face bright, his mouth in an excited smile. He’s smiling, he's actually smiling, Primo thought, his throat becoming tight.

“He's got little hands and little black eyes,” the boy explained. “Little dark eyes like me.”

“Yes…yes he does,” Primo agreed, his voice cracking as he struggled not to cry. “Come on, come eat the rest of your dinner.”

Copia pushed himself off of the floor and scampered back to Primo, attempting to mimic the rat’s movements. “Get the traps, we have a big one over here!” Primo laughed, grabbing Copia and swinging him back into his lap. “He’s awful hungry too. Look at him eat!”

Copia grabbed a piece of his dinner and nibbled it close to his face. “We will be here for hours if you eat everything like that.” Primo pet the boy on his head once more, wiping tears from his eyes. “But I’ll be patient.”

Me on AO3!

If you're up for seeing some 70s era Dark Magic Noir, please subscribe to my AO3 or the "Scenes from the Void" Series there. This fic will be released very soon. Thank you!

[gone-to-oregone]

If the Church of the Starry Children fell in 1979, and if my theory of Miss Holloway being Agatha, or running away from the CotSC, is correct, that would put her in the right timeline to be relevant in/fascinated with the 80’s 🤔

[marvelousmrm]

Fantastic Four Annual #14 (Wolfman/Perez, Dec 1979). When a ritual in New Salem goes awry, it becomes apparent that Franklin Richards still holds tremendous power. He may not be able to consciously access it yet, but Agatha seems confident he’ll be a good boy.

[featherstonevintage]

Left -  Blouse: Emmanuelle Khanh Tie: Georges Rech Brooch: Agatha

Right -  Belt: Vacher Shoes: Arche pour Anastasia

Jardin des Modes, November 1979

Photographed by Jean-François Jonvelle

[gatutor]

Dustin Hoffman-Vanessa Redgrave "Agatha" 1979, de Michael Apted.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Craig Simpson

Published: Mar 25, 2023

Agatha Christie novels have been rewritten for modern sensitivities, The Telegraph can reveal.

Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries have had original passages reworked or removed in new editions published by HarperCollins.

The character of a British tourist venting her frustration at a group of children has been purged from a recent reissue, while a number of references to people smiling and comments on their teeth and physiques, have also been erased.

It comes after books by Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming were edited by modern publishers.

The new editions of Christie’s works are set to be released or have been released since 2020 by HarperCollins, which is said by insiders to use the services of sensitivity readers. It has created new editions of the entire run of Miss Marple mysteries and selected Poirot novels.  

Digital versions of new editions seen by The Telegraph include scores of changes to texts written from 1920 to 1976, stripping them of numerous passages containing descriptions, insults or references to ethnicity, particularly for characters Christie’s protagonists encounter outside the UK.

The author’s own narration, often through the inner monologue of Miss Jane Marple or Hercule Poirot, has been altered in many instances. Sections of dialogue uttered by often unsympathetic characters within the mysteries have also been cut.

In the 1937 Poirot novel Death on the Nile, the character of Mrs Allerton complains that a group of children are pestering her, saying that “they come back and stare, and stare, and their eyes are simply disgusting, and so are their noses, and I don’t believe I really like children”.

This has been stripped down in a new edition to state: “They come back and stare, and stare. And I don’t believe I really like children”.

Vocabulary has also been altered, with the term “Oriental” removed. Other descriptions have been altered in some instances, with a black servant, originally described as grinning as he understands the need to stay silent about an incident, described as neither black nor smiling but simply as “nodding”.

In a new edition of the 1964 Miss Marple novel A Caribbean Mystery, the amateur detective’s musing that a West Indian hotel worker smiling at her has “such lovely white teeth” has been removed, with similar references to “beautiful teeth” also taken out.

The same book described a prominent female character as having “a torso of black marble such as a sculptor would have enjoyed”, a description absent from the edited version.

References to the Nubian people – an ethnic group that has lived in Egypt for millennia – have been removed from Death on the Nile in many instances, resulting in “the Nubian boatman” becoming simply “the boatman”.

Dialogue in Christie’s 1920 debut novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles has been altered, so where Poirot once noted that another character is “a Jew, of course”, he now makes no such comment.

In the same book, a young woman described as being “of gypsy type” is now simply “a young woman”, and other references to gypsies have been removed from the text.

The 1979 collection Miss Marple’s Final Cases and Two Other Stories includes the character of an Indian judge who grows angry demanding his breakfast in the original text with “his Indian temper”, a phrase now changed to say “his temper”.

References to “natives” have also been removed or replaced with the word “local”.

Across the revised books, racial descriptions have been altered or removed, including, in A Caribbean Mystery, an entire passage where a character fails to see a black woman in some bushes at night as he walks to his hotel room.

The word “n-----” has been taken out of revised edition, both in Christie’s prose and the dialogue spoken by her characters.

It is not the first time Christie’s works have been altered. Her 1939 novel And Then There Were None was previously published under a different title that included a racist term. 

Agatha Christie Limited, a company run by the author’s great grandson James Prichard, is understood to handle licensing for her literary and film rights. The company and HarperCollins have been contacted for comment.

==

“The Revolution will be complete when the language is perfect.”

-- George Orwell, "Nineteen Eighty-Four"

[nothingnothingaaa]

Olivia Hussey

English actress Olivia Hussey was the darling of late 1960s/early 1970s frock flicks. After her star-making turn in Romeo and Juliet, the dark-haired, Madonna-faced actress went on to key roles in Death on the Nile and the TV miniseries The Last Days of Pompeii … and then things sort of flickered out. According to a 2018 interview in Variety, it seems to have been just dumb luck. But she has kept working (her last production was in 2015), and she’s very active on social media.

So, let’s appreciate this frock flick as an ingenue and a mature actress!

Romeo and Juliet (1968)

Still a classic, and for a good reason! 15/16-year-old Hussey plays a beautiful, age-appropriate Juliet in the adaptation that actually did historical accuracy (and great filmmaking) right.

Beautiful 15th-century costumes.

Hussey’s HAIR. Is so gorgeous!

A promo for the film.

Look at those sleeves! And the other actress’s hair pearls!

Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

Alright, I know nothing about this period, but this seems plausible.

Gotta have your black-clad weeping women!

Death on the Nile (1978)

This big-budget Agatha Christie adaptation (of a Hercule Poirot mystery) includes Hussey as Rosalie, protective daughter of a dramatic romance novelist.

Set in the 1930s, Hussey CUTS HER HAIR!!

Luckily she looks great with a Marcel wave.

She suits this period beautifully.

The Bastard (The Kent Family Chronicles, 1978)

Is this where things went awry? In the 18th century, a literal bastard (i.e., illegitimate son) goes from France to England to America in search of his fortune. Hussey plays Alicia, one of the love interests.

I have no idea who thought this was a good idea, but I was highly entertained!

I will say she plays against type in this.

She’s back to her long hair (and very few hairpins).

The Thirteenth Day: The Story of Esther (1979)

Hussey plays the title character in this TV adaptation of the Biblical story of Esther, the Jewish wife of a Persian king.

I have my suspicions!

Edited to add:

Ivanhoe (1982)

I CAN’T BELIEVE I FORGOT THIS!!!!

The Last Days of Pompeii (1984)

A major TV miniseries about, you guessed it, Pompeii before the eruption. Hussey plays Ione, “a soon-to-be priestess of Isis; sister of Antonius, and love interest to Glaucus.” We’ve gotta review this sometime, just for the laughs!

Hussey is nicely costumed compared to many of the other female characters.

Okay, I like the drapey tunic and the braided coronet.

I guess this is priestess gear? It seems very Egyptian.

The Corsican Brothers (1985)

A TV adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas novel, which is about twin brothers from Corsica (shocking, I know) who follow different paths. Both are in love with the same woman, played by Hussey. You know I’m tempted to track this one down for Snark Week!

18th-century feathered bangs!

The Jeweller’s Shop (1988)

A jeweler sells rings to two different couples, and various truths about love and marriage are revealed. I THINK this is period? mid-20th century? But I’m not positive. Hussey plays “Thérèse.”

Right? This looks 1930s or 40s to me.

Quest of the Delta Knights (1993)

I have heard Sarah mention this film so many times as what I think may be the ultimate cheese, but I admit, I don’t really know anything about it! But when I saw it on Hussey’s filmography, I knew I had to include it. Ah, I just saw it was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, which tells us something. Oh! And it was filmed at our renaissance faire (Black Point), in northern California, which sadly no longer exists but was The Best! Ok, now I gotta watch this.

Per Wikipedia, “The plot revolves around a young boy named Travis who learns from his master that he is the key to saving the world from an evil plot. He joins the secret organization of the Delta Knights and embarks on a quest to attempt to recover the lost treasures inside the fabled Lost Storehouse of Archimedes.” Hussey plays “The Mannerjay.”

SO many questions!

Lonesome Dove: The Series (1994)

A TV series continuation of the ultra-popular 1980s Western miniseries. Hussey is in three episodes as “Olivia Jessup,” and I’m guessing she’s some kind of saloon girl/gambler?

Ringlets, fringe … all very stereotypical!

Hey, her hair’s up!

Mother Teresa (2003)

As, you guessed it, Mother Teresa in what was originally an Italian TV miniseries that was then released as a feature film.

zzz

Chinaman’s Chance: America’s Other Slaves (2008)

What I think must be a low-budget film set in the 1870s, about discrimination against Chinese Americans. Hussey plays “Mrs. Duncan.”

The hair looks VERY faux-period.

What’s your favorite Olivia Hussey frock flick role?