Book Description

Jean Marsh (Upstairs Downstairs) stars in this chilling tale of voodoo, extortion, murder and romance from Agatha Christie's bestselling novel.

Drama, approx.mins. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

British Films
Many British films deal with characterization and personal reasoning and thought. Pale Horse falls under this umbrella.
If you are looking for alot of action, like in American movies, you won't find it here. But it is unfair to call this movie boring just because the viewer is not familiar with the British way of expression. This is not the best dramatization of an Agatha Christie book, but it does deserve viewing.

Most Americans should not review British productions
It is very unfortunate that fully 70% of the reviews for 'The Pale Horse' are negative as it is an excellent few hours of viewing. It is also a perfect example of why most Americans should not review British productions. They just don't see the subtle nature of the British approach to television production, mystery-suspense writing, or for that matter, life in general. Put bluntly, they just don't get it. We share a basic language with them, but unfortunately, not much else. Americans tend to be Brits on steroids and expect their TV and movies to be the same way. No surprise most simply don't like or appreciate programs like 'The Pale Horse'. It isn't what they want from their viewing experiences.

Most reviewers called this a "movie". It isn't. It's a made for British television mystery-drama. In the US, this would be seen on PBS Masterpiece Theater, A&E, or The Mystery Channel, not FOX, HBO, or other major networks. To compare it to programming of that nature is absurd.

Brit TV is not blessed with the huge, unlimited production budgets of American studios. The fact that their production values are often superior to American TV is remarkable when viewed in that light. They use what the have. Actors often wear their own clothes in current day programs. They don't build many fake, costly sets. Most drama is actual location work. Their idea of 'action' is not computer generated special effects, endless physical and verbal aggression, pointless violence, or a blur of mind numbing, rapid fire scene changes. If that is what your looking for, look elsewhere.

British mystery-suspense TV like that featured in 'The Pale Horse' is quiet, subtle, mentally challenging, and has infinetly more depth than equivalent American programs. It is, like the British themselves, charming, slower, and mellower. They don't hit you over the head so often that it no longer hurts. Things that go 'bang' on American programs, go 'bump' on British ones. They love character development, something we have no use for since our characters are either weakly written on purpose to be the butt of someone elses sharp tongue or are killed off by a violent car crash, a series of impossible explosions, a rash of random gunfire, or some other such 'fast action' violence before the opening credits are over and you've finished the second slice of pizza.

In short, either you love British TV or you don't. If you do, this is a very solid bit of British mystery-drama. If you don't, why are you reading this?

Quiet and spooky
I am disappointed but not at all surprised that nearly all the customer reviews for The Pale Horse are poor. I am not astonished that many found this movie dull, because they are Americans and Americans are used to fast pace action movies and when they think mystery movie they of course think action, violence, etc. Some people were surprised that an Agatha Christie story would be this spooky and set in the 60s, although as they should know Christie wrote mysteries until her death in the 70s. Like Miss Marple, Christie was a people watcher, she studied not only people but the times they lived in and the crimes those times were likely to contain. And in the 60s Christie's stories did become darker and spookier.
Some reviewers complained of useless characters and misleading/useless dialog and confusing hard to follow scenes, well if they dislike that than they shouldn't complain only about this movie, because that is precisely the way Christie writes, she uses all of those elements to conceal the truth of the mystery until the very end. Christie also uses many one dimensional characters; this makes many think it is the fault of the actor/director/script writer that characters appear unusual/one sided and unbelievable.
I think this is a very good movie and perfect for someone who likes a quiet interesting mystery. I also recommend watching it multiple times, ten to on e you will notice something that you didn't the first time. This movie is somewhat special because it does not contain any of Christie's famous detectives.
For people that want superior character development and better explained motives, but still want a good mystery. I recommend Ross Macdonald's mystery novels.

The Pale Horse
I didn't like the movie The Pale Horse. I couldn't follow the storyline and I had trouble distinguishing the motive of the killer. I didn't like how the police automatically accused Mark Easterbrook of killing the priest after he turned the list of names into the police. It seemed as if they didn't investigate, they jumped right to conclusions. I didn't like how they made it seem that the witches were the murders; it seemed kind of cheesy to me. Why witches? And where did the wheel chair man come from? It seemed as if he came from nowhere and killed these people on this list that Mark Easterbrook gave to the police. However, it seems as if it's always the unsuspectable that are the killers. Generally, I was very disappointed.
I give this movie only one star because I did not like it and because it did not hold my attention. This movie was not suspensful and not in the least bit interesting. I found the plot boring and the charaters not interesting. I did not like how the characters were not affectionate to each other. I thought that the movie was cheap and not thought through. I found the movie hard to follow and confusing. I really didn't find any good aspects of this movie. My opinion would be not to waste your time watching this movie.

It sucked
The Pale horse

A talkative movie. The movie has a very bad plot also. It is very boring. I have to give it a 2.
Back in 1996 an author by the name Agatha Christie made this movie out of her book. The book was not that bad, but the movie was very boring.
First the plot was kind of a drag along scene. i'd rather sit and watch paint dry, well that is what to expect in watching this movie. The story line was not the greatest, and the characters was not filling up the parts too good either.

The movie was about a murder-suspense movie but to me it had no suspense. I did not jump out of my seat at all. The actors was not that good, again they could have done better for the characters. I could not relate to their characters.
Honestly I fell asleep during this movie.

... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Stranger's past...revealed
Following his previous adventure, In Memory Alone, the Stranger materializes on Earth in the back alley of a nightclub, sardonically described by hostess Tamora Hennessy as a techno-techno place with sweaty dancers and overpriced beer. He keeps passing out, as he somehow recognizes this place, but wonders if he is too early or too late. He also replays a scene in his mind where he climbs up some stairs in the club and has a gun, and opens the door. Tamora though befriends him with a table and coffee, thinking that he's a customer from last night who had one too many drinks. All the Stranger remembers is a girl and a man with a bowler hat (Ms Brown and the hologram from In Memory Alone).

Meanwhile, two unsavory types who turn out to be terrorists, long scraggly-haired Saul and bald, thick, pug-faced Egan get confirmation that a Mr. Raven is the manager of the nightclub, and that he's the victim tomorrow night at ten. They have information about the victim, the time, and that they can get away. However, Egan is uneasy about the situation, especially about the disappearance of their Cell Leader. Imagine their surprise when they run into their missing Cell Leader. It is none other than the Stranger.

It's here that the Stranger's past and memories gradually return, and why he escaped his job as Cell Leader and why Ms Brown became his companion. But who is the mysterious Mr. Raven, whose face is wrapped in blood-stained bandages?

The Stranger's weariness and cynicism comes through when he questions Tamora why she helped him. "Maybe I know this world of yours. I've seen thousands like it. Urban cages, sentient life forms, trapped in concrete warrens. People here don't feel responsible and they don't help strangers." No, they don't, not in the city. Here in the country, maybe.

The scenes take place either in the nightclub or the dingy flat Saul and Egan are in prior to their assignment. And the special effects aren't bad, especially the dematerializations of people.

Like the other stories before it, The Terror Game features two other Dr. Who alumni. Louise Jameson (Tamora) played the Fourth Doctor's companion Leela, she with the huntress tights and knife. She's aged quite well here, and that voice is familiar enough. And David Troughton (Egan) was King Peladon in the Who story The Curse Of Peladon, but his late father, Patrick Troughton, was the Second Doctor (1966-1969). And for those who have seen the first Stranger story, John Wadmore (Saul) played Dane the deaf-mute in Summoned By Shadows. Here, he's more talkative, and at times a bit trigger-happy.

While a departure from the earlier puzzlers, this story deals more with the Stranger's past, and isn't bad in itself. The story is continued in Breach of the Peace, with more of Saul and Egan. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

for fans of Doctor Who and Peter Davison
This video is the second in the P.R.O.B.E. series, a collection of films about the Preternatural Research Bureau. Although well-written, these videos have a low budget, and their primary appeal is that they feature actors and even characters from the Doctor Who television series. If you're a fan, these videos are for you! If you're not, it may be hard to fathom the appeal.

The story: When P.R.O.B.E. is threatened with closure, Liz Shaw (Caroline John) finds herself in direct conflict with her superiors, including her old friend and ally Patricia Haggard (Louise Jameson, reprising her role from "The Zero Imperative"). Liz hopes that her investigation into strange events at a public school will demonstrate the vital need for the Bureau. But she soon finds the fate of P.R.O.B.E. inextricably linked with the lives of three young men, each of whom has something to hide...

The always enjoyable Peter Davison has a prominent role at the Winterborne school. It should be noted that this is not a program for young children; essentially a horror story/mystery, there is a murder, mild gore and other adult situations. Nothing that couldn't be seen on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", but a bit much if you're expecting Doctor Who.

There is a sequel of sorts entitled "The Ghosts of Winterborne". ... Read more

Book Description

Jean Marsh (Upstairs Downstairs) stars in this chilling tale of voodoo, extortion, murder and romance from Agatha Christie's bestselling novel.

Drama, approx.mins. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

British Films
Many British films deal with characterization and personal reasoning and thought. Pale Horse falls under this umbrella.
If you are looking for alot of action, like in American movies, you won't find it here. But it is unfair to call this movie boring just because the viewer is not familiar with the British way of expression. This is not the best dramatization of an Agatha Christie book, but it does deserve viewing.

Most Americans should not review British productions
It is very unfortunate that fully 70% of the reviews for 'The Pale Horse' are negative as it is an excellent few hours of viewing. It is also a perfect example of why most Americans should not review British productions. They just don't see the subtle nature of the British approach to television production, mystery-suspense writing, or for that matter, life in general. Put bluntly, they just don't get it. We share a basic language with them, but unfortunately, not much else. Americans tend to be Brits on steroids and expect their TV and movies to be the same way. No surprise most simply don't like or appreciate programs like 'The Pale Horse'. It isn't what they want from their viewing experiences.

Most reviewers called this a "movie". It isn't. It's a made for British television mystery-drama. In the US, this would be seen on PBS Masterpiece Theater, A&E, or The Mystery Channel, not FOX, HBO, or other major networks. To compare it to programming of that nature is absurd.

Brit TV is not blessed with the huge, unlimited production budgets of American studios. The fact that their production values are often superior to American TV is remarkable when viewed in that light. They use what the have. Actors often wear their own clothes in current day programs. They don't build many fake, costly sets. Most drama is actual location work. Their idea of 'action' is not computer generated special effects, endless physical and verbal aggression, pointless violence, or a blur of mind numbing, rapid fire scene changes. If that is what your looking for, look elsewhere.

British mystery-suspense TV like that featured in 'The Pale Horse' is quiet, subtle, mentally challenging, and has infinetly more depth than equivalent American programs. It is, like the British themselves, charming, slower, and mellower. They don't hit you over the head so often that it no longer hurts. Things that go 'bang' on American programs, go 'bump' on British ones. They love character development, something we have no use for since our characters are either weakly written on purpose to be the butt of someone elses sharp tongue or are killed off by a violent car crash, a series of impossible explosions, a rash of random gunfire, or some other such 'fast action' violence before the opening credits are over and you've finished the second slice of pizza.

In short, either you love British TV or you don't. If you do, this is a very solid bit of British mystery-drama. If you don't, why are you reading this?

Quiet and spooky
I am disappointed but not at all surprised that nearly all the customer reviews for The Pale Horse are poor. I am not astonished that many found this movie dull, because they are Americans and Americans are used to fast pace action movies and when they think mystery movie they of course think action, violence, etc. Some people were surprised that an Agatha Christie story would be this spooky and set in the 60s, although as they should know Christie wrote mysteries until her death in the 70s. Like Miss Marple, Christie was a people watcher, she studied not only people but the times they lived in and the crimes those times were likely to contain. And in the 60s Christie's stories did become darker and spookier.
Some reviewers complained of useless characters and misleading/useless dialog and confusing hard to follow scenes, well if they dislike that than they shouldn't complain only about this movie, because that is precisely the way Christie writes, she uses all of those elements to conceal the truth of the mystery until the very end. Christie also uses many one dimensional characters; this makes many think it is the fault of the actor/director/script writer that characters appear unusual/one sided and unbelievable.
I think this is a very good movie and perfect for someone who likes a quiet interesting mystery. I also recommend watching it multiple times, ten to on e you will notice something that you didn't the first time. This movie is somewhat special because it does not contain any of Christie's famous detectives.
For people that want superior character development and better explained motives, but still want a good mystery. I recommend Ross Macdonald's mystery novels.

The Pale Horse
I didn't like the movie The Pale Horse. I couldn't follow the storyline and I had trouble distinguishing the motive of the killer. I didn't like how the police automatically accused Mark Easterbrook of killing the priest after he turned the list of names into the police. It seemed as if they didn't investigate, they jumped right to conclusions. I didn't like how they made it seem that the witches were the murders; it seemed kind of cheesy to me. Why witches? And where did the wheel chair man come from? It seemed as if he came from nowhere and killed these people on this list that Mark Easterbrook gave to the police. However, it seems as if it's always the unsuspectable that are the killers. Generally, I was very disappointed.
I give this movie only one star because I did not like it and because it did not hold my attention. This movie was not suspensful and not in the least bit interesting. I found the plot boring and the charaters not interesting. I did not like how the characters were not affectionate to each other. I thought that the movie was cheap and not thought through. I found the movie hard to follow and confusing. I really didn't find any good aspects of this movie. My opinion would be not to waste your time watching this movie.

It sucked
The Pale horse

A talkative movie. The movie has a very bad plot also. It is very boring. I have to give it a 2.
Back in 1996 an author by the name Agatha Christie made this movie out of her book. The book was not that bad, but the movie was very boring.
First the plot was kind of a drag along scene. i'd rather sit and watch paint dry, well that is what to expect in watching this movie. The story line was not the greatest, and the characters was not filling up the parts too good either.

The movie was about a murder-suspense movie but to me it had no suspense. I did not jump out of my seat at all. The actors was not that good, again they could have done better for the characters. I could not relate to their characters.
Honestly I fell asleep during this movie.

... ... Read more