If you happen to be in Cambridge between now and the end of the summer, don’t miss the University Library’s exhibition about 20th century crime fiction with artefacts and first editions from the likes of Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Wilkie Collins. Crime fiction is by far the most popular form of fiction in … Continue reading “Murder by the Book”
If you’re working on detective stories, or scary stories, these two trailers for the new Agatha Christie film A Haunting in Venice would work well in class depending on context. The first one immediately identifies Poirot and that there is a mystery. If you have already worked on detective stories, pupils could be asked to … Continue reading “Teaching with Trailers: Hercule Poirot A Haunting in Venice”
After Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, Agatha Christie’s detective Hercule Poirot, in the shape of Kenneth Branagh, continues to travel across the world solving crimes. A Haunting in Venice is based on Christie’s Hallowe’en Party, and is suitably spooky to work on at this time of year. Poirot, officially retired, is … Continue reading “Hercule Poirot in Venice”
On 1952 London’s West End, Agatha Christie’s play, The Mousetrap, is a hit. Hollywood comes knocking at the stage door. But plans for a movie version of this smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after the film’s Hollywood director is murdered. Reality The Mousetrap occupies a special place in the work of Agatha Christie. … Continue reading “See How They Run: A Whodunit Within a Whodunit”
Kenneth Branagh fait suite à son succès comme réalisateur et vedette d’une première adaptation d’un roman d’Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express, avec Death on the Nile, où on retrouve Branagh incarnant le détective belge Hercule Poirot. Cette fois un meurtre a été commis non pas dans un train mais sur un bateau naviguant … Continue reading “Death on the Nile”
The Dinard Festival will once again be presenting the cream of British film production from 26 to 30 September, both films in competition and a plethora of first-look screenings at films that won’t been on general release till later in the year. This year’s jury, presided by actor Monica Belluci, will be judging six films … Continue reading “Dinard Celebrates British Films”
If you are using our Murder on the Orient Express Resource with your students, this introductory scene from the film is a great way to introduce the characters. It’s 9 minutes long but with limited dialogue and pupils should be reassured that they are not expected to understand every word. They should have a grid … Continue reading “Teaching With Film: Murder on the Orient Express”
Murder on the Orient Express is one of the most popular detective novels by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie. A new film version with an all-star cast will allow your pupils to discover the story and explore the iconic detective Hercule Poirot with an article and worksheet at A2-A2+ level. They will practise expressing … Continue reading “Murder on the Orient Express”
As the latest film adaptation of the Agatha Christie classic Murder on the Orient Express hits our screens, Alison Bouhmid investigates women thriller-writers’ works, spanning a century of mystery writing. It is undeniable that British women writers have consistently been attracted to and excelled in detective fiction (though the genre was invented by a man, … Continue reading “Murder in the Bookshops”