4K UHD Review: Kino Lorber’s Evil Under the Sun (Special Edition) 

There is murder afoot at a secluded island resort, and Hercule Poirot is on the case in Evil Under the Sun. New to 4K UHD from Kino Lorber.

The Films 

Murder Mysteries are my cinematic catnip. Since seeing Clue as a kid, the concept of solving a crime has been an intriguing one.  Though I love the genre and one of its greatest heroes, Hercule Poirot, Evil Under the Sun has remained a mystery sight unseen to me.   Imagine my delight to find that the Guy Hamilton-directed adaptation has some of the most alluring aspects of Agatha Christie’s series… exotic locales, a cast of shady characters, and a devilishly clever whodunit a the center.  

Poirot (Peter Ustinov), after consulting on the death of a woman, is asked to investigate why a millionaire is attempting to insure a fake diamond.  The case does not tempt the famous Belgian sleuth until the prospect of a bright, sunny locale and a luxurious vacation is on the table.  Poirot is lured into not just the mystery of the diamond, but of the death of a fading Starlet (Diana Rigg) and the guests at the seaside hotel she was staying at.  All are suspects, all have motives, and it will take all of Poirot’s skills to figure out who is at the center of this murder.

The best Agatha Christie stories are the ones with the best cast of characters, not necessarily the best mysteries.  Though Murder on the Orient Express is the best because the characters and mystery are top-tier.  Evil Under the Sun does not have the greatest of mysteries, but the movie does make up for that in the catty, deplorable cast of miscreants and outcasts that Poirot must wade through to find who is responsible.  

The film is leisurely taking its time before even having the murder occur.  This is one of the strongest points about the adaptation.  It allows the script by Anthony Shaffer to really twist the verbal daggers into the various hotel guests, giving them all motives for the killing.  In the center of this is the star Peter Ustinov, relishing every moment as Poirot.  The character actor is perfectly suited for this iteration of the detective who loves vacationing and food as much as he loves getting the better of egomaniacal psychopaths.  

Beyond Ustinov, the usual who’s who of amazing character actors and British thespian royalty line the cast.  Diana Rigg and Maggie Smith are the best as the former rivals of the stage.  Roddy McDowell and James Mason are suitably pithy as a gossip columnist and Broadway Producer, respectively.  Jane Birkin, Colin Blakely, Sylvia Miles, and Denis Quilley fill out the rest of the cast in plum roles.  

Evil Under the Sun is the kind of old-fashioned murder mystery good time that fans of the genre will not be disappointed by.  

The Transfers 

The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is a beautiful representation of this gorgeously shot film by cinematographer Christopher Challis.  The sun-drenched 35mm shot film on location around the Spanish Coast looks appropriately bright, awash in beautiful colors.  The Dolby Vision encoding helps bring out the subtle contrast between light and shadow.  The 4K Transfer is razor sharp with beautifully rendered fine detail, making this a worthy upgrade from Kino’s previous Blu-ray release.  Bravo to the boutique label for continuing their truly marvelous upgrades to 4K UHD. 

The Extras

They include the following;

DISC 1 (4KUHD):

• Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson

DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):

• Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson
• The Making of Evil Under the Sun
• Radio Spots
• Theatrical Trailer

The archival Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson begins with introductions before diving into the artwork that opens the film by Hugh Casson and his importance in the art world.  Some of the other details include the original soundtrack release that did not include the score arranged and conducted by John Lanchbery; the series of Hercule Poirot films and Agatha Christie adaptations of the 1970s and 1980s; where murder mysteries were in the popularity cycle with audiences at the time of release; a discussion of the “all-star” cast and how they got less “illustrious” as time went on with these adaptations; Agatha Christie’s relationship with the Poirot character and how she wrote the last Novel in the 40s but wasn’t released until her death in the 1970s; the TV version and what was cut out of it; the work of cinematographer Christopher Challis; the work and style of director Guy Hamilton; the changes done in the adaptation both in story, character, and more; a discussion of the other actors approached/played Poirot including the work here of Ustinov; a great discussion of the British film industry and how crews worked and promoted within; a larger discussion of the murder mystery in the modern era including how Knives Out proved that audiences will show up to a theater; the failure of this movie at the box office at the time;  a discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; a discussion of the locations they used in Spain and why they changed the setting from the book; and much more.  

The Making of Evil Under the Sun (15:17) – this archival making-of featurette is from the era in which the film was produced.  Shot on film and on location around the Spanish Coast, this featurette is the kind of EPK we rarely get, if at all.  Ones that feature the all-star cast and behind-the-scenes crew discussing not only their characters but also selling the film itself.  Featuring interviews with director Guy Hamilton, stars Peter Ustinov, Diana Rigg, James Mason, Maggie Smith, Roddy McDowall, Jane Birkin, Colin Blakely, and more. 

Radio Spots (1:26) – three thirty-second radio spots that feature the voice of Peter Ustinov.

Rounding out the special features are trailers for Evil Under the Sun (3:13); Murder on the Orient Express (2:38); Death on the Nile (2:51); Endless Night (3:15); The Mirror Crack’d (2:48); Ordeal by Innocence (2:06); Ten Little Indians(1:28); 

The Final Thought 

Kino Lorber has given us another worthy 4K UHD upgrade.  Highest Possible Recommendations!! 

Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD Edition of Evil Under the Sun is out January 20^th