Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Gift

The Gift Review



Oscar-Winner and Golden Globe. Winner Cate Blanchett leads an incredible all-star cast including Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry), Keanu Reeves (The Matrix), Katie Holmes (Wonder Boys), Giovanni Ribisi (Saving Private Ryan), and Oscar-nominee Greg Kinnear (As Good As It Gets) in this stylishly filmed mystery that's as eerie as a backwoods swamp with a dark secret beneath it's even darker surface. Widow and mother of three, Annie Wilson (Blanchett), makes her living by foretelling others' futures...though her own has become cloudier than even she can see. Threatened by a client's violently jealous husband (Reeves) and plagued by visions of a missing towns-girl (Holmes), Annie is unwittingly pulled into a thicket of lies and deception in which her extraordinary gift could be used against her...and get her killed. Written by Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade) and Tom Epperson (A Family Thing), and directed by Sam Raimi (A Simple Plan), The Gift is a gripping tale of supernatural intrigue...and chilling terror.


Monday, November 28, 2011

Sherlock Holmes - Volume 9

Sherlock Holmes - Volume 9 Review



Four more exciting episodes of the rare European TV series featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's master detective.


Saturday, November 26, 2011

Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles

Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles Review



Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles Feature

  • The most celebrated tale of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's canon, "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is set in the Victorian Age and was originally released by Twentieth Century-Fox in 1939. It is the first of fourteen Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. When Sir Charles Baskerville is killed outside of Baskerville Hall, his good friend Dr. Mortimer (Lionel Atwill) fears t
Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce star in this 1939 adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's frequently filmed novel, and the result is one of the most atmospheric and purely enjoyable versions of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Except for minor changes, the script is true to Doyle's enthralling mystery about a centuries-long curse against heirs to the Baskerville estate, situated within the haunting and deadly Dartmoor in the southwest of England. With the arrival of a new master, Canadian Henry Baskerville (Richard Greene), Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Bruce) are called upon to solve the strange case of the "gigantic hound" that may be readying to savage the poor fellow. Wonderful sets, crisp performances, and Rathbone's accessible but no-nonsense take on the Great Detective make this a real delight. Typical of the 20th Century Fox Holmes pictures, there's an in-joke, a final line of censor-defying dialogue alluding to Holmes's little problem with cocaine. --Tom Keogh The Hound Of The Baskervilles

The most celebrated tale of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s canon, ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ is set in the Victorian Age and was originally released by Twentieth Century-Fox in 1939. It is the first of fourteen Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.

When Sir Charles Baskerville is killed outside of Baskerville Hall, his good friend Dr. Mortimer (Lionel Atwill) fears that the curse of the Baskervilles has struck once again. Mortimer enlists the help of Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone), before yet another Baskerville can succumb to the evil legend.

Sir Henry Baskerville (Richard Greene) arrives in London to claim his inheritance. Mortimer takes Sir Henry to 221b Baker Street and expresses his fear for Sir Henry’s life. Baskerville soon learns that along with the grand mansion on the moor, comes a devilish curse, a curious butler (John Carradine) and a cast of bizarre neighbors.

Holmes, pressed with "other business," sends Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) to accompany Sir Henry to the dreary moor to protect the young Baskerville from the legend of the wicked hound. Of course, with danger afoot, Sherlock Holmes may not be so far from the scene as is assumed.

Special Features
-Audio Commentary with David Stuart Davies
-Selected Theatrical Trailers
-Production Notes By Richard Valley
-Photo Gallery
Run Time - 80 minutes


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles/Pursuit to Algiers

Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles/Pursuit to Algiers Review



Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles/Pursuit to Algiers Feature

  • SHERLOCK HOLMES DOUBLE FEATURE: THE HOUND OF THE B (DVD MOVIE)
A Sherlock Homes Double Feature!

Hound of Baskervilles:

When Sir Charles Baskerville is killed outside of Baskerville Hall, his good friend Dr. Mortimer (Lionel Atwill) fears that the curse of the Baskervilles has struck once again. Mortimer enlists the help of Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone), before yet another Baskerville can succumb to the evil legend.


Pursuit to Algiers....

Holmes and Watson learn that the King of Ravenia has been assassinated and his son Nikolas is now a marked man. The great detective and his comrade are pressed into service to protect the life of the soon-to-be crowned monarch. The detective and the good doctor take to the sea in order to safeguard the young heir on his journey from London back to his homeland and throne.

Watch what inspired the upcoming Guy Ritchie Sherlock Homes film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Rachel McAdams!


Sunday, November 20, 2011

The Return of Sherlock Holmes Collection

The Return of Sherlock Holmes Collection Review



The Return of Sherlock Holmes Collection Feature

  • "Sheer enjoyment" USA Today The celebrated duo of Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke are back as the masterful Sherlock Holmes and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson. Based on the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the spellbinding adventures of THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES are packed with mystery and suspense. Don't miss a single clue in these deadly games of cat and mouse! Produce
Granada Television followed The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes with The Return of Sherlock Holmes, 11 more episodes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective played by Jeremy Brett. After his apparent demise at the hands of Professor Moriarty, Holmes is resurrected in "The Empty House." Brett is outstanding as the famed sleuth, whose return from what Sherlockians call the Great Hiatus is challenged by one of Moriarty's most murderous lieutenants (Patrick Allen), already a killer on the run in London. "The Abbey Grange," a bloody mystery with significant moral and ethical implications, was also an early episode in the new onscreen association of Brett and Edward Hardwicke (who ably replaced the departed David Burke as Dr. Watson), and the two actors seem as perfectly meshed as their allied characters. Arguably the most entertaining and satisfying episode from the entire series, "The Second Stain" finds Holmes facing intertwining problems, each with very different consequences. The look of epiphany on Brett's face when the ever-clueless Inspector Lestrade (Colin Jeavons) tells Holmes about an odd detail in the murder victim's home is enormous fun.

Counselor Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation--or rather actress Marina Sirtis--is part of the cast of "The Six Napoleons," a wild mystery that suggests that a madman with a grudge against Napoleon Bonaparte is smashing clay busts of his likeness all over London. "The Priory School," one of the most interesting stories from Doyle's Holmes canon, makes for a particularly taut and exciting episode in which Holmes and Watson are summoned by the desperate founder of an exclusive prep school for boys to locate the missing son of a duke. An extreme rarity in the Holmes canon, a policeman of real competence named Inspector Baynes (Freddie Jones), is also on the case in "Wisteria Lodge," making this tale all the more interesting for Holmes fans interested in comparing and contrasting investigative styles. "The Devil's Foot" finds Watson pressuring the exhausted sleuth into joining him on a vacation on the Cornish coast. Instead of relaxation, however, Holmes and Watson encounter one of the most horrifying multiple murders they have yet come across.

Doyle caught a fair amount of flak for getting a lot of details wrong in "Silver Blaze," a story about the training and racing of horses. Nevertheless, it is one of his most popular yarns and makes a fine basis for a keen mystery with one of Doyle's most inventive solutions. A strong story with some of the sleuth's most impressive investigatory work, "The Bruce Partington Plans" also saw the return of Mycroft Holmes (Charles Gray), brother of the Great Detective and indispensable repository of government business. Holmes's methodical approach to the arcane problem in "The Musgrave Ritual" is a lot of fun, and Brett and Hardwicke seem to be having a particularly good time outdoors, pursuing the solution under a bit of sunshine. "The Man with the Twisted Lip" is one of the most ingenious of the Holmes stories, satisfying from beginning to end, with a witty conclusion and unexpected moral about class pressures. --Tom Keogh THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES DVD COLLECTION The celebrated duo of Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke are back as the masterful Sherlock Holmes and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson. Based on the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the spellbinding adventures of THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES are packed with mystery and suspense. Don’t miss a single clue in these deadly games of cat and mouse! Produced by Granada Television and filmed on location in London.
Includes:
Disc One: THE EMPTY HOUSE & THE ABBEY GRANGE
Disc Two: THE SECOND STAIN & THE SIX NAPOLEONS
Disc Three: THE PRIORY SCHOOL & WISTERIA LODGE
Disc Four: THE DEVIL’S FOOT, SILVER BLAZE & THE BRUCE PARTINGTON PLANS
Disc Five: THE MUSGRAVE RITUAL & THE MAN WITH THE TWISTED LIP
DVD Extras:

-"Elementary, My Dear Watson: An Interview With Edward Hardwicke"
- Director's Commentary with John Madden
- Production Notes


Monday, November 14, 2011

The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Collection

The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Collection Review



The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Collection Feature

  • The celebrated duo of Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke are back as the masterful Sherlock Holmes and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson. Based on the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes features six tales of mystery, deduction, and suspense. Join the famous sleuth and the good doctor on yet another round of adventures. Quick, the game s afoot! Disc One -Disapp
The six episodes of The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes continue Granda Television's excellent series starring Jeremy Brett as as the ideal incarnation of Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional hero, while Edward Hardwicke brings stellar support as the courageous, good-hearted Dr. Watson. The suspense is strong and the acting superb in The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax. Watson is taking a holiday in the English countryside, where he meets the charming Lady Frances and then worries after she vanishes from sight. As in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes puts Watson on the case and instructs him from afar. In The Problem of Thor Bridge, Holmes is approached by an American senator (Daniel Massey, Brett's one-time, real-life brother-in-law) to clear the name of a governess in his employ, the lady having been accused of murdering the senator's wife on his estate and leaving her body on Thor Bridge. The solution is among the most complex and satisfying of the Great Detective's career.

Watson's proclivities toward gambling on horses open the door to the sprawling mystery The Shoscombe Old Place, which finds a famous playboy and equestrian, Sir Robert Norberton (Robin Ellis), in multiple jeopardy. In Boscombe Valley Mystery, Holmes and Watson are brought into an investigation of the murder of a farmer, whose body is found in the woods adjoining land owned by a wealthy property magnate. Holmes's investigation pulls the search in a wide direction, but the revelations are no less ghastly.

In the next story, based on one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's personal favorites from his Holmes canon, Sir James Damery approaches Holmes with a special request from an "illustrious client" (read: King Edward) to intercede in the marriage of an Austrian nobleman who almost certainly murdered his first wife. When Holmes is himself the object of a murderous attack; an outraged Dr. Watson (Edward Hardwicke) has to channel his thoughts of revenge into a bit of undercover work on behalf of the detective.

Finally, Holmes and Watson tackle one of their strangest cases in The Creeping Man, which borders on science fiction. The Great Detective meets an eminent, aging physiologist who has been behaving oddly of late, but the greater mystery concerns who or what may be behind the nocturnal appearances of an ape-like figure that moves rapidly through trees, terrifying the locals. Holmes's pursuit of the solution leads to a stunning revelation in this taut and imaginative thriller that Edgar Allen Poe himself might have appreciated. --Tom Keogh The celebrated duo of Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke are back as the masterful Sherlock Holmes and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson. Based on the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, THE CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES features six tales of mystery, deduction and suspense. Join the famous sleuth and the good doctor on yet another round of adventures. Quick, the game's afoot!

Includes:
Disc 1 Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax The Problem of Thor Bridge Disc 2 The Boscombe Valley Mystery The Illustrious Client Disc 3 Shouscombe Old Place The Creeping Man Bonus Features: Commentary Track with Director John Madden (Shakespeare In Love, Captain Corelli's Mandolin) 1980?? Interview with Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke Sherlock Museum Short Production Notes


Sunday, November 6, 2011

Sherlock Holmes Double Feature: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes/The Scarlet Claw

Sherlock Holmes Double Feature: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes/The Scarlet Claw Review



Sherlock Holmes Double Feature: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes/The Scarlet Claw Feature

  • SHERLOCK HOLMES DOUBLE FEATURE: THE ADVENTURES OF (DVD MOVIE)
A Sherlock Holmes Double Feature!


The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes:

Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) has at long last been brought to trial for murder. But the Napoleon of Crime is acquitted after the court finds a lack of sufficient evidence. Moments after the judge releases the defendant, Sherlock Holmes dashes into the courtroom with proof that will destroy Moriarty s alibi and send the professor to the gallows...or will it?


The Scarlet Claw:

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson journey to Canada to attend a meeting of the Royal Canadian Occult Society in Quebec. Before long, they find themselves investigating a series of gruesome murders that the locals attribute to the legendary phantom marsh monster of La Morte Rouge. But Holmes suspects a master of disguise is the real killer, who might be anyone in the village. He contrives a clever trap and courageously sets himself up to be the killer's next victim.

Based on the novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...

Watch the original films that inspired the upcoming Guy Ritchie film Sherlock Homes starring Robert Downey Jr. and Rachel McAdams.