Ten Little Indians

Agatha Christie's novel has made it to the big screen now four times: the classic And Then There Were None, and three times as Ten Little Indians. This latest is, far and away, the most atrocious filming yet. Rather than attempting to solve the mystery, the 10 people, who have been lured on a remote safari by an unknown host who intends to murder them, instead vie for the most idiotic lines of dialogue. Some good "B" actors and actresses--Donald Pleasance, Herbert Lom, Brenda Vaccaro--take an extra step down the ladder of success here. But the grand prize finally belongs to Frank Stallone (brother of Sylvester) who not only has his share of dumb lines, but unwisely tries to act (rather than opting for the attempts at parody by the veteran thespians). The lucky ones die off in the first or second reel--but Frank sticks around to the bitter end; making corny passes at the love interest while everyone is dropping like flies around him. The ultimate identity of the killer is not the mystery here. The real enigma is what possessed Cannon Films to make this turkey. Not recommended. (R. Pitman)