Murder On The Orient Express (1974)

Given it is essentially a string of twelve or thirteen dialogues between Hercule Poirot and one suspect after another aboard the snowed-in Orient Express, scene of a ghastly murder, it is surprising how engaging Sidney Lumet's 1974 film version of Agatha Christie's book is, helped of course by its all-star cast and the fact the story is inspired by the real-life Lindbergh kidnapping, a crime that captivated and so outraged the world one suspects it would have even turned Agatha Christie's world famous eggheaded Belgian detective into a revenge-murder conspirator.

★★★★☆

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Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

As a big fan of British spy action - the serious (James Bond) as well as the not so serious (quirky 70s tv series, The Avengers) - I have a soft spot for Austin Powers and this 1999 follow-up to the 1997 original ups the ante by introducing time travel, big name cameos (Elvis Costello, Will Ferrell..), and myriad new characters (Michael Myers does an Eddie Murphy and portrays several including Fat Bastard), and the sequel succeeds in being funny most of the time, mostly because so much trouble is taken setting up some really lame jokes.

★★★☆☆

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