Murder In Three Acts (1986)

At a dinner party in Acapulco hosted by a film actor (Tony Curtis) and attended by the renowned detective Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov), a minister (Philip Guilmant) suddenly drops dead. It is assumed a natural death until at another dinner attended by most of the same people, a doctor (Dana Elcar) also suddenly dies. In fact, they were both poisoned and Poirot attempts to solve the case before the next murder for the killer is not done yet. Based on the novel THREE ACT TRAGEDY by Agatha Christie and directed by Gary Nelson (THE BLACK HOLE). This may be the worst film adaptation of a Christie book that I've seen (and I've seen plenty). The book was published in 1934 and the film makers have updated it by switching the location from upper class Brits in England to jet setters in Acapulco! There's a truly awful performance by Tony Curtis that puts a damper on the film. It's not one of Christie's best novels and indeed, derivative of her earlier work. When will these film people realize that Christie doesn't need updating or improving on? Among the cast: Diana Muldaur, Emma Samms, Lisa Eichhorn, Fernando Allende, Marian Mercer, Frances Lee McCain, Nicholas Pryor and Concetta Tomei.