Home :: DVD :: Mystery & Suspense :: British Mystery Theater  

Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem
British Mystery Theater

Classics
Crime
Detectives
Film Noir
General
Mystery
Mystery & Suspense Masters
Neo-Noir
Series & Sequels
Suspense
Thrillers
The Sherlock Holmes Feature Film Collection

The Sherlock Holmes Feature Film Collection

List Price: $59.98
Your Price: $44.99
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 >>

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The Worst of Jeremy Brett; buy all others first
Review: The Sign of the Four is quite well done, but the other 4 movies in this collection are either too drawn out and slow (Hound of the Baskervilles), too strange and meandering and at times virtually incomprehensible (The Master Blackmailer, which might be good if you cut out 1/2 of it, namely, the subplot regarding Holme's nightmares which is the incomprehensible part); though the Eligible Bachelor has its moments it too (and features James Bellamy from Upstairs Downstairs) it is too slow and meandering and at times very unHolmes-like. As for the Sussex Vampire, or The Last Vampire as I think they called it in the Film Adaption, I haven't watched it for a long time, but I recall it as being absolutely terrible, the very worst of all Brett's episodes...So if you want to enjoy Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes, and he was the best Sherlock Holmes in history so far as I'm concerned, stick with the one-hour episodes (and perhaps The Sign of Four if you can buy it separately). The best episodes include The Blue Carbuncle (my all-time favorite), The Speckled Band, The Red Headed League, The Cardboard Box (very dark and creepy), The Second Stain, The Greek Interpreter, The Copper Beeches, and just about any of the others. A few one hour episodes (not the above though) do have very odd and overly gothic directing that gets in the way of the telling of the story, but even those are better than the two-hour movies. One of those strangely directed episodes is quite good, however; this is The Mazarin Stone, in which Sherlock Holmes hardly appears; His Brother Mycroft and Watson do all the sluething. It is a quite unusual and very insteresting episode. The two old ladies (the clients) are exceptionally entertaining. Just stay away from The Eligible Bachelor, The Master Blackmailer (which has its moments...), The Last Vampire (The Sussex Vampire), and The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: BRAVO TO MPI VIDEO FROM BAMBERG(FRANCONIA)
Review: there are so many fans here in europe who are big fans of jeremy and the granada series but there ist nothing on dvd only video!
bravo to mpi who bring us these highlights of jeremy ,edward and david in such a brilliant quality on dvd!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: What happens if you try to improve something that's perfect?
Review: This applies to the TV versions that I saw of all the films in the UK and VHS versions of the Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles that I have.

Most Sherlock Holmes episodes with Jeremy Brett were faithful to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories - and have been superb. The few in which the original stories have been altered, including 3 of the 5 in this set, have been poor. In fact, disastrous when compared to the rest. Avoiding them is easy - just like avoiding other Homes stories that people other than Conan Doyle have come up with - but only partly effective because these were original stories that should not have been altered and should have been made with Brett (the very best Holmes ever) faithfully.

My solution will probably be to buy the set but not watch the altered storyline episodes.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Two Hour Holmes worth in 5 DVD's
Review: This collection of the feature length Granada Television Sherlock Holmes stories featuring Jeremy Brett as the famous detective has a few good items in it. The best is "The Master Blackmailer" which is a build upon the original "Charles Augustus Milverton" story and is excellently done and colorful.The standout role of "Milverton" is performed by our friend from "All Creatures Great and Small" Robert Hardy, and he does a GREAT JOB! You may also notice one of the actors from "Brideshead Revisited" in this episode, look carefully! It is Nicolas Grace who gave us "Anthony Blanche" in "Brideshead".The second best is perhaps "The Sign of Four" with John Thaw as the central character to the story, Johnathan Small. Little did we know at the time that he would shortly go on to immortality as Inspector Morse. "The Hound of the Baskervilles" lacks excitement and seems drawn out and dull, and our "replacement" Watson, although good does not quite measure up to the standard that David Burke set for the role in the early 80's original and still best episodes covering most of the "Adventures". The Hammer 1959 version with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee still reigns in color drama and the '39 Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce production in B&W. "The Sussex Vampyre" is a matter of taste and "The Eligible Bachelor" is one of the last of the series that were made and is terrible due to Mr. Brett's ill health (which can be clearly seen)and ridiculous revelations by dreams leading to the solving of the crime bordering on Freudian philosophy. Overall it is satisfactory, but it is a 50-50 mix of Holmeswork, half good, half bad.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Two Hour Holmes worth in 5 DVD's
Review: This collection of the feature length Granada Television Sherlock Holmes stories featuring Jeremy Brett as the famous detective has a few good items in it. The best is "The Master Blackmailer" which is a build upon the original "Charles Augustus Milverton" story and is excellently done and colorful.The standout role of "Milverton" is performed by our friend from "All Creatures Great and Small" Robert Hardy, and he does a GREAT JOB! You may also notice one of the actors from "Brideshead Revisited" in this episode, look carefully! It is Nicolas Grace who gave us "Anthony Blanche" in "Brideshead".The second best is perhaps "The Sign of Four" with John Thaw as the central character to the story, Johnathan Small. Little did we know at the time that he would shortly go on to immortality as Inspector Morse. "The Hound of the Baskervilles" lacks excitement and seems drawn out and dull, and our "replacement" Watson, although good does not quite measure up to the standard that David Burke set for the role in the early 80's original and still best episodes covering most of the "Adventures". The Hammer 1959 version with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee still reigns in color drama and the '39 Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce production in B&W. "The Sussex Vampyre" is a matter of taste and "The Eligible Bachelor" is one of the last of the series that were made and is terrible due to Mr. Brett's ill health (which can be clearly seen)and ridiculous revelations by dreams leading to the solving of the crime bordering on Freudian philosophy. Overall it is satisfactory, but it is a 50-50 mix of Holmeswork, half good, half bad.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Don't believe them
Review: What exactly are they comparing the masterful performances of Jeremy Brett and his cast members to anyway? The terrible performances of virtually every other actor's work in the world today? The films are masterfully intelligent, well written, and certainly as good as the source material. Wonderful, enjoyable, and excellent fun all around.


<< 1 2 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates