There’s no shortage of brilliant detectives in novels, film and television, but one of the greatest — or at least the one with the fanciest facial hair — is Hercule Poirot. The Belgian investigator, created by Agatha Christie, has appeared 33 novels, more than 50 short stories, and has been played by a variety of iconic actors.
But for whatever reason, Poirot has only sporadically appeared on the big screen, with many of his earliest movie appearances being lost to time, while some of his other noteworthy adventures were rewritten as vehicles for Christie’s other beloved creation, Miss Marple.
Here we take a look at the various theatrically-released adventures of Hercule Poirot, from the 1930s to today, and see which of his mysteries were truly worth solving.
Photo credit: Columbia
Honorable Mention: “Murder By Death” (1976)
Neil Simon’s wacky spoof of the supersleuth genre, directed by Robert Moore, features an all-star cast...
But for whatever reason, Poirot has only sporadically appeared on the big screen, with many of his earliest movie appearances being lost to time, while some of his other noteworthy adventures were rewritten as vehicles for Christie’s other beloved creation, Miss Marple.
Here we take a look at the various theatrically-released adventures of Hercule Poirot, from the 1930s to today, and see which of his mysteries were truly worth solving.
Photo credit: Columbia
Honorable Mention: “Murder By Death” (1976)
Neil Simon’s wacky spoof of the supersleuth genre, directed by Robert Moore, features an all-star cast...
- 9/15/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
We all know Mystery Science Theater 3000 as the show in which a human host and a couple of robots make fun of bad movies. According to in-universe lore, the movies come via mad scientist members of the Forrester family, who test the sanity of a human subject by forcing them to watch terrible films. The humans — beginning with Joel Robinson (series creator Joel Hodgson), followed by Mike Nelson (Michael J. Nelson), Jonah Heston (Jonah Ray), and Emily Connor (Emily Marsh) — fight back by riffing on the films, a task made easier not just by the robot sidekicks Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo, but also by the genuine awfulness of the movies.
But MST3K didn’t always have mockery in mind as its central premise. As seen in the recently-unearthed early episodes recorded for Minneapolis public access channel Ktma, Joel spent more time enjoying Invaders from the Deep and Revenge...
But MST3K didn’t always have mockery in mind as its central premise. As seen in the recently-unearthed early episodes recorded for Minneapolis public access channel Ktma, Joel spent more time enjoying Invaders from the Deep and Revenge...
- 8/24/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
When Jim Mallon's "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie" was released in theaters back in 1996, many noted that it had a shorter running time than a single episode of the show on which it was based. "MST3K" ran for two hours, or 92 minutes with the commercials removed. The movie, in contrast, was an incredibly brief 77 minutes. This was in spite of an arch premise that needed to be explained to the audience, and multiple "host" sequences.
As it so happens, the original cut was much longer.
For the uninitiated: "MST3K" was a two-hour program that debuted on public access TV in Minnesota in 1988, and aired on Comedy Central and then the Sci-Fi Channel from 1989 to 1999. It has since been revived a few times and runs to this day on its own streaming service, the Gizmoplex. "MST3K" was typically scheduled late at night, recreating the experience of watching randomly programmed B-movies on after-hours network TV,...
As it so happens, the original cut was much longer.
For the uninitiated: "MST3K" was a two-hour program that debuted on public access TV in Minnesota in 1988, and aired on Comedy Central and then the Sci-Fi Channel from 1989 to 1999. It has since been revived a few times and runs to this day on its own streaming service, the Gizmoplex. "MST3K" was typically scheduled late at night, recreating the experience of watching randomly programmed B-movies on after-hours network TV,...
- 4/21/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The longevity of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" has been fascinating to behold. Beginning on Minnesota public access television in 1988, Joel Hodgson's watch-bad-movies-with-sarcastic-buddies cult TV series has deeply entrenched itself into the collected Jungian lore of every Gen-Xer worth their weight in flannel. For much of its life, "MST3K" lived either on Ktma in Minneapolis or, when it became more successful, running at midnight on Comedy Central.
Throughout, the show famously included the phrase "Keep circulating the tapes" in its credits. That was an acknowledgement from the show's producers that world-of-mouth and shared VHS recordings of "MST3K" were responsible for its modest cultural foothold. Fans would call friends, mail them cassettes, and implore that the cult grow. In 2008, when "MST3K" was finally made widely available through DVD box sets, Dr. Forrester/Crow T. Robot actor Trace Beaulieu said in an Av Club interview to "Keep circulating some of the tapes.
Throughout, the show famously included the phrase "Keep circulating the tapes" in its credits. That was an acknowledgement from the show's producers that world-of-mouth and shared VHS recordings of "MST3K" were responsible for its modest cultural foothold. Fans would call friends, mail them cassettes, and implore that the cult grow. In 2008, when "MST3K" was finally made widely available through DVD box sets, Dr. Forrester/Crow T. Robot actor Trace Beaulieu said in an Av Club interview to "Keep circulating some of the tapes.
- 12/7/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
After three and a half decades and nearly as many cancellations, cult favorite comedy show Mystery Science Theater 3000 proves that sometimes a premise is just too damned good to die. To promote the fifth iteration of the beloved series, the cast – including creator Joel Hodgson, returning host Jonah Ray, and newcomer Emily Marsh – recently appeared Rolling Stone’s Twitch channel to discuss latest revival.
Originally airing on local Minneapolis station Ktma-tv from 1988-1989, MST3K has always been scrappy at heart. The show’s premise saw creator Joel Hodgson play the character Joel Robinson,...
Originally airing on local Minneapolis station Ktma-tv from 1988-1989, MST3K has always been scrappy at heart. The show’s premise saw creator Joel Hodgson play the character Joel Robinson,...
- 5/10/2022
- by Christopher Cruz
- Rollingstone.com
When comedian Joel Hodgson created "Mystery Science Theater 3000" back in 1988, he couldn't have possibly imagined the cultural impact the show would have had on a generation. "MST3K" became one of the biggest cult hits of the 1990s, and its whimsical, sarcastic jokes thrown in the face of terrible cinema introduced many young viewers to the notion that even bad movies had value as entertainment. Joel Robinson (Hodgson) and his two closest robot companions, Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo, became everyone's laidback, late-night movie-watching buddies, mining unremarkable films for comedy and camaraderie ... and criticism. While there was a lot of bare-faced...
The post The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Robots Each Had a Unique Inspiration appeared first on /Film.
The post The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Robots Each Had a Unique Inspiration appeared first on /Film.
- 3/23/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
“Mystery Science Theater 3000” is coming back strong.
The beloved cult series will be back with more original episodes and a custom online distribution platform thanks to another successful Kickstarter campaign. The campaign, which concluded May 7 after 30 days, raised over $6.5 million with over 36,000 backers.
Series creator Joel Hodgson will use the money to fund 13 new episodes, including the show’s first 3-D episode, 12 new short film riffs, a holiday special that will feature Hodgson, Jonah Ray and Emily Marsh as co-hosts, and to build The Gizmoplex, new virtual theater and online community hub that will be the exclusive home of the next season for its initial run.
Each new episode will be released one at a time as they are ready for release, rather than holding them until the entire season is complete. The Gizmoplex is also expected to host live episode premieres, watch parties, and special events. The most...
The beloved cult series will be back with more original episodes and a custom online distribution platform thanks to another successful Kickstarter campaign. The campaign, which concluded May 7 after 30 days, raised over $6.5 million with over 36,000 backers.
Series creator Joel Hodgson will use the money to fund 13 new episodes, including the show’s first 3-D episode, 12 new short film riffs, a holiday special that will feature Hodgson, Jonah Ray and Emily Marsh as co-hosts, and to build The Gizmoplex, new virtual theater and online community hub that will be the exclusive home of the next season for its initial run.
Each new episode will be released one at a time as they are ready for release, rather than holding them until the entire season is complete. The Gizmoplex is also expected to host live episode premieres, watch parties, and special events. The most...
- 5/10/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Sometimes a long-running TV show finds itself linked to a certain holiday. Community had Christmas. The Simpsons has Halloween. Brooklyn 99 had Halloween, then changed it to Cinco de Mayo for scheduling reasons. Saturday Night Live has…Election Day, I guess? I probably should have thought this through a bit more.
While Mystery Science Theater 3000 has done a handful of Christmas-themed episodes, the series has a much deeper relationship with Thanksgiving. Turkey Day is essentially its legacy. It started on Thanksgiving and it always comes back to that one Thursday in late November, whether the show is on the air or not.
Back in 1988, Joel Hodgson created a new show idea inspired by a random image from the liner notes of an Elton John album, wherein a couple of silhouettes sit in front of a movie screen. He and some robot puppets would watch bad movies and crack jokes. While the...
While Mystery Science Theater 3000 has done a handful of Christmas-themed episodes, the series has a much deeper relationship with Thanksgiving. Turkey Day is essentially its legacy. It started on Thanksgiving and it always comes back to that one Thursday in late November, whether the show is on the air or not.
Back in 1988, Joel Hodgson created a new show idea inspired by a random image from the liner notes of an Elton John album, wherein a couple of silhouettes sit in front of a movie screen. He and some robot puppets would watch bad movies and crack jokes. While the...
- 11/25/2020
- by Gavin Jasper
- Den of Geek
It’s an unfortunately quiet time for Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans. About a year ago, it was announced that Netflix was not going to be picking up the series for another season. While waiting for the contract to run out so they could move the series elsewhere, creator Joel Hodgson was able to fall back on doing a third tour of live shows through the country. This plan dissipated once Covid reared its ugly head.
As we wait for time to move forward so that MST3K can breathe again, we can at least take solace in Thanksgiving, the holiday where MST3K truly gets to thrive. Since its inception, MST3K has been linked to Thanksgiving and it’s been an annual tradition to celebrate the series with a Turkey Day marathon. Especially in the digital age, Turkey Day means getting to sit down and enjoy six classic episodes of MST3K...
As we wait for time to move forward so that MST3K can breathe again, we can at least take solace in Thanksgiving, the holiday where MST3K truly gets to thrive. Since its inception, MST3K has been linked to Thanksgiving and it’s been an annual tradition to celebrate the series with a Turkey Day marathon. Especially in the digital age, Turkey Day means getting to sit down and enjoy six classic episodes of MST3K...
- 11/23/2020
- by Gavin Jasper
- Den of Geek
Comic-Con@Home starts today and there are plenty of events for genre fans to take part in! Here's a look at what Shout! Factory has in store for the virtual edition of this convention:
From the Press Release: Pop culture fans rejoice! Although the traditional San Diego Comic-Con will not be held this year, Shout! Factory is pleased to announce it will be participating in the convention’s official virtual event, Comic-Con@Home, as well as programming supplementary content for the company’s streaming channel, Shout! Factory TV. Comic-Con@Home will be held on the same dates as the previously canceled Comic-Con, July 22-26, 2020. All aspects of Comic-Con@Home 2020 are free and there are no limits to how many can attend a panel. MSTies worldwide can tune into the Comic-Con@Home channel on Thursday, July 23 at 6 pm Pt, for Mystery Science Theater 3000 – A Panel Panorama. Join Erik Adams (The Av Club...
From the Press Release: Pop culture fans rejoice! Although the traditional San Diego Comic-Con will not be held this year, Shout! Factory is pleased to announce it will be participating in the convention’s official virtual event, Comic-Con@Home, as well as programming supplementary content for the company’s streaming channel, Shout! Factory TV. Comic-Con@Home will be held on the same dates as the previously canceled Comic-Con, July 22-26, 2020. All aspects of Comic-Con@Home 2020 are free and there are no limits to how many can attend a panel. MSTies worldwide can tune into the Comic-Con@Home channel on Thursday, July 23 at 6 pm Pt, for Mystery Science Theater 3000 – A Panel Panorama. Join Erik Adams (The Av Club...
- 7/22/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
In the not-too-distant past, Mystery Science Theater 3000 returned with two seasons on Netflix, a comic book miniseries, and an annual live tour. Unfortunately, nothing can last forever as Netflix stopped ordering new episodes, the comic miniseries finished up, and the third incarnation of the live tour had to take a powder due to the stupid coronavirus pandemic. That live tour had been something of a way to keep MST3K active enough off TV while killing the time it takes to allow co-creator Joel Hodgson to find a new home for the series.
This Sunday, May 3rd, the MST3K Live crew will be doing a special online event at 6pm Et/3pm Pt. Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live Presents: The MST3K Live Riff-Along!
Now, yes, Joel will be showing up here and there and will be answering fan questions. Otherwise, if you only know the cast through the...
This Sunday, May 3rd, the MST3K Live crew will be doing a special online event at 6pm Et/3pm Pt. Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live Presents: The MST3K Live Riff-Along!
Now, yes, Joel will be showing up here and there and will be answering fan questions. Otherwise, if you only know the cast through the...
- 4/29/2020
- by Gavin Jasper
- Den of Geek
Gavin Jasper Nov 27, 2019
In 1988, an oddball comedy experiment hit a certain Uhf station on Thanksgiving and as it grew, so did the MST3K connection to the holiday.
Sometimes a long-running TV show finds itself linked to a certain holiday. Community had Christmas. The Simpsons has Halloween. Brooklyn 99 had Halloween, then changed it to Cinco de Mayo for scheduling reasons. Saturday Night Live has...Election Day, I guess? I probably should have thought this through a bit more.
While Mystery Science Theater 3000 has done a handful of Christmas-themed episodes, the series has a much deeper releationship with Thanksgiving. Turkey Day is essentially its legacy. It started on Thanksgiving and it always comes back to that one Thursday in late November, whether the show is on the air or not.
Back in 1988, Joel Hodgson created a new show idea inspired by a random image from the liner notes of an Elton John album,...
In 1988, an oddball comedy experiment hit a certain Uhf station on Thanksgiving and as it grew, so did the MST3K connection to the holiday.
Sometimes a long-running TV show finds itself linked to a certain holiday. Community had Christmas. The Simpsons has Halloween. Brooklyn 99 had Halloween, then changed it to Cinco de Mayo for scheduling reasons. Saturday Night Live has...Election Day, I guess? I probably should have thought this through a bit more.
While Mystery Science Theater 3000 has done a handful of Christmas-themed episodes, the series has a much deeper releationship with Thanksgiving. Turkey Day is essentially its legacy. It started on Thanksgiving and it always comes back to that one Thursday in late November, whether the show is on the air or not.
Back in 1988, Joel Hodgson created a new show idea inspired by a random image from the liner notes of an Elton John album,...
- 11/24/2019
- Den of Geek
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.