ANCHOR BAY has just released some fun mystery films adapted from the works of Agathe Christie.  "EVIL UNDER THE SUN" is great entertainment in spite of it appearing dated at times.  As in almost every Christie plot, someone is murdered and there are numerous suspects.  It's up to the sleuth and the audience to figure out "who" did it!  While the film has its flaws, inconsistent pacing, music,etc., one can't help but to smile upon the film's conclusion wherein the crime is thoroughly explained and the killer identified.  The setting for "EVIL UNDER THE SUN," taking place at an expensive resort, provides for some great locales.

The transfer from ANCHOR BAY has preserved the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio "with" their usual 16:9 enhancement.  The colors are extremely solid with great resolution and no oversaturation.  Fleshtones appear natural throughout.  The contrast is fine, with deep blacks and grays.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Monaural sound is in great shape. This is a
dialogue-driven film, and the dialogue is always intelligible, although
there's some minor distortion in a few brief scenes.
ANCHOR BAY has added a featurette, "THE MAKING OF EVIL UNDER THE SUN".  It's got plenty of "Behind-the-scenes" footage as well as interviews with some great actors, including Roddy McDowell.  The theatrical trailer is presented with 16:9 enhancement.

"DEATH ON THE NILE" is another recent release from ANCHOR BAY based on an Agatha Christie novel.  Peter Ustinov stars as the famous sleuth, Hercule Poirot.  While I still prefer Albert Finney's version of the detective in the spectacular "MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS", Ustinov is still quite entertaining here.  Although most of the film's locations are basic, there are some exotic moments, including several scenes in Egypt, giving the film a "big" feel to it!
The basic plot involves a murder during a cruise on the Nile.  Again, there are numerous suspects with motives for the killing, and great alibis.  The cast is terrific, aided by David Niven, Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, Jon Finch, Olivia Hussey and more!
While the story is involving, the pacing is inconsistent.  Much of the blame has to be given to Director John Guilermin.  There are many horrible choices in technique here, including the editing, use of flashbacks, and more. Still, it's to Christie's credit, that even mediocre direction can't always destroy her work.  "DEATH ON THE NILE" is ultimately entertaining in spite of many drawbacks.  One of the film's best features is the performance of Angela Lansbury. While most modern audiences associate her with "Murder She
Wrote", her performance here as a flirt, is wonderful!
ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT has provided the correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio for the transfer with 16:9 enhancement.  The color values are adequate, but not nearly as solid as on most ANCHOR BAY releases.  Perhaps due to the extreme lighting conditions of some of the films settings, many images appear washed
out.  There's also excessive grain in various scenes throughout the film.
The Dolby Digital 1.0 monaural track is fine, although there's some
background noise in spots.  This is a dialogue-driven film, and for the most part, it's intelligible and free of distortion.  The film's score is
wonderful when used, but unfortunately, most of the film is without it.
ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT has included some supplements for this release.  "THE MAKING OF DEATH ON THE NILE" is a fairly lengthy featurette, offering interviews with Peter Ustinov, David Niven, and a producer.  There is also a great sequence in which we visit the famous "Pinewood" studios, where the boat sequence was filmed.