I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

"Every Modern Improvement" [MILV]

<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2532/4181746159_881cb2eab3_o.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2532/4181746159_881cb2eab3_o.jpg" style="float: left; height: 394px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; width: 252px;" width="127" /></a> 
Recasting Holmes in a more modern context might lead to mixed results - when done right (as in <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/05/i-came-away-baffled-houn.html">Steven Moffatt & Mark Gatiss' BAFTA-winning series</a>), it has the same thrill and excitement as the Canon; but some efforts have led to mixed results (for example, some people dislike the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce movies from the 1940s, although I would argue that they do have a strong appeal) 
 
But one of the better modern "takes" on Holmes seems more like a pastiche, but 1998's <a href="http://www.chronologicalsnobbery.com/2008/01/zero-effect-tenth-anniversary-of-daryl.html"></a><a href="http://www.chronologicalsnobbery.com/2008/01/zero-effect-tenth-anniversary-of-daryl.html" target="_blank">Zero Effect</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0780623223" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is a great example of "recasting" Holmes and Watson in modern times....with "modern times" a synonym for "1990s Los Angeles & Portland". 
It would be easy to simply write this movie off as pastiche, with Bill Pullman's "Darryl Zero" and Ben Stiller's "Steve Arlo" as merely renamed versions of Holmes and Watson and the plot derived rather heavily from <a href="http://sherlockholmes.stanford.edu/readings1.html">A Study in Scarlet</a>. But scratch the surface, and you will see that writer/director Jake Kasdan (in his first feature) has managed to channel Doyle's sense of atmosphere and drive into the movie, providing a great lost example of "translating" Holmes for the modern audience. 
 
First, there's the sense of atmosphere - Kasdan makes 1990s Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon come alive visually - there's very little of the cliche "hard boiled" atmosphere within Los Angeles (although some the dialogue may reflect later Holmes works), and Portland settings (some of which are rather unique) seem visually stunning. (A key sequence at a planetarium stands out as a great cinematic moment). Throughout the movie, Kasdan is able to channel Conan Doyle's ability to create atmosphere, as well as his narrative drive. (Granted, the movie has a relatively low-key tone, but it's the kind of movie that lingers in one's consciousness after viewing). 
 
Most importantly, however, Kasdan's script shares Conan Doyle's knack for characterization through dialogue. It's sharp, incisive, and almost seems plagiarized from Conan Doyle himself. The Internet Movie Database lists <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120906/quotes">a variety of quotes</a>: let me choose a few and let you judge for yourself: 
 
<blockquote>
It's an uncompromising standard of his practice. He never meets any of his clients. He doesn't speak with them, or, for that matter, communicate in any direct fashion. That's his policy. But I am his sole representative and he is my only employer; and as such, I have full authorization to speak on his behalf on all his matters of business. I have with me a signed letter to that effect. He doesn't negotiate his fee. He works at a flat rate. Under some unusual circumstances, he'll work pro bono - never in between.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Passion is the enemy of precision. Forget the misnomer 'crime of passion'. All crime is passionate. It's passion that moves the criminal to act, to disrupt the static inertia of morality. The client's passion for this dead woman had facilitated his downfall. And the blackmailer's passion will facilitate hers. When you live with no passion at all, other people's passion come into glaring relief.</blockquote>
 
Zero Effect is a movie that has great personal resonance for me - it was the last theatrical movie I saw before leaving Chicago for the first time, and was <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/2006/02/franchise-that-shoulda-been.html">one of the first movies I blogged about</a>. Youthful enthusiasm notwithstanding, it's a film I try to see at least once a year - it not only contains some great nods towards the canon, but also contains some much deeper - and more profound - emotional truths. 
 
This is a film that is well worth seeking out, and can be enjoyed by Sherlockians and non-Sherlockians alike. Have you seen it? Share your thoughts below. 
 
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0780623223&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>  <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00138KORM&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>  <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000VIH2BQ&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> 
 
Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>. 
 
 
 
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"Every Modern Improvement" [MILV]

Recasting Holmes in a more modern context might lead to mixed results - when done right (as in Steven Moffatt & Mark Gatiss' BAFTA-...

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by Scott Monty

"His Eyes Kindled" [CROO]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181738033/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="musg01 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="musg01" height="240" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/4181738033_a6cdac5e49_m.jpg" width="216" /></a>Now from the forums of <a href="http://www.holmesian.net/forums/">Holmesian.net</a>, a new group of writers are staking their claim on the world's first unofficial consulting detective with a new publication - a first, according to our knowledge -  <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Celebration-Holmesian-Net-ebook/dp/B0053ZKEV2?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: A Celebration The Holmesian.Net Collection</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0053ZKEV2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> - an Amazon Kindle edition of a forum-based anthology. Inspired by a series of writing challenges and edited by Holmesian.net's own David Ruffle, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Lyme-Regis-Horror/dp/1844267229?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes And The Lyme Regis Horror</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1844267229" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, this compilation has been assembled from online submissions within the very active discussion forum on Holmesian.net. While not Canonical, these stories take inspiration from it, as well as from the countless incarnations of Mr. Sherlock Holmes and his dear friend, Dr. John H. Watson, have experienced since their first meeting in 1881. The online forums provided a place in which to illustrate the remarkable qualities of Holmes and Watson, while at the same time offering "a fair field for [our] talents" [CARD]. In a collection featuring the work of over a dozen different writers, we now offer to the public fresh, fun and innovative tales in the chronicles of Holmes and his Boswell. Perhaps the Master would say that we have erred in our latest accounts by endowing them with the tinge of romanticism rather than the cold, unemotional and exact "science of deduction" [SIGN]. But, as Watson would no doubt tell him, that does not make for good storytelling. As Ruffle says in the introduction: "We might be indeed guilty of degrading a course of lectures into a series of tales and ruined what might have been an instructive and even a classical series of demonstrations by looking at everything from the point of view of a story, but we make no apologies, we enjoyed every moment of it!" And we hope you do, too! For a summary of the contributors and a table of contents, please <a href="http://www.holmesian.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=3382&view=findpost&p=126013">click on this link to the post within Holmesian.net</a>. You may purchase a copy for your Amazon Kindle - one of the most popular e-readers around - by clicking on the title of the work above or on the link below. If you do pick up a copy, be sure to let us know what you think. UPDATE (10 June 2011): It seems that this project is now on hold. Evidently<a href="http://www.holmesian.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=3382&view=findpost&p=126256"> the site administrator did not give permission</a> for the site to be mentioned, even though every author granted permission. The editor/publisher is now reconsidering his involvement in the project. Editor's note: Jennifer has had a life-long interest in English and American literature (particularly of the 19th century), and grew up watching both the Rathbone/Bruce & the Granada incarnations of Holmes and his Boswell. Some of her favorite authors are Charles Dickens, George Gordon Lord Byron, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe. One of her two current efforts include research into the Holmes Canon for a collection of short stories centered around Dr. Watson. The other is a historic fiction novel-in-progress dealing with reform methods for London prostitutes in the Victorian Era. She has a decade of experience in the field of 19th century living history, and enjoys <a href="http://bozwellmd.livejournal.com/">sharing little tidbits and musings on her blog</a>. <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0053ZKEV2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>  <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002FQJT3Q&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>  <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002Y27P3M&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>

"His Eyes Kindled" [CROO]

Now from the forums of Holmesian.net , a new group of writers are staking their claim on the world's first unofficial consulting detecti...

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by Scott Monty

"There Are the Numbers" [SILV]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/whsieh78/5183559644/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="221B Baker Street by www78, on Flickr"><img alt="221B Baker Street" height="180" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1407/5183559644_cb601b4857_m.jpg" width="240" /></a>It is our intent to be deliberate about everything we publish here. That includes the titles of each post, of course. You will have already noted that each entry on this site contains <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/p/title-abbreviations.html">an appropriate Canonical phrase</a> that somehow connects to the subject matter. We also try to take equal care with the numbers we choose, which you may have noticed. Every post is timed at 2:21 a.m. - obviously a nod to 221B Baker Street. We recently published the monthly "Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press" at 11:22 p.m. - that being the number of pages in Doubleday edition of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Sherlock-Holmes-Doubleday-Set/dp/B000KK8YC6?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Complete Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000KK8YC6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. In doing our research though, we came across another number: the number of reviews of that book on Amazon. Take a look at this screenshot. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKIq0KcMAq0kIGzxj6pImM8bGKM5T4TthRk69kF-udc47o4a4BdgCi2vofubkjiuj7GHWub8T5GcBljk-IRIGhyphenhyphenxhXy8XcQ3mMj3JzTrccMQy6GtTxzwrK3SyNWZ-B9RW8U4baci0-HZW/s1600/CompleteSH221.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKIq0KcMAq0kIGzxj6pImM8bGKM5T4TthRk69kF-udc47o4a4BdgCi2vofubkjiuj7GHWub8T5GcBljk-IRIGhyphenhyphenxhXy8XcQ3mMj3JzTrccMQy6GtTxzwrK3SyNWZ-B9RW8U4baci0-HZW/s640/CompleteSH221.PNG" width="640" /></a></div> What are the odds of that? Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40243520@N02/5183559644/">www78 (Flickr)</a> Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site. --

"There Are the Numbers" [SILV]

It is our intent to be deliberate about everything we publish here. That includes the titles of each post, of course. You will have already ...

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by Scott Monty

"Where All Gossip is Welcome" [VALL] - May 2011

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMeFYaBiY1B-pW6S11qDWZTvXxsbMkogVb78yuOt7nnQBcsfk3lmq8oAXKkPhukKqWMkffMjPiB8-M8b8FTbbKBqseOv5H13_ynDYtK9ZY18Mdsk9n_bsjIrXa9MoEvZQdUe1qL89XsRV/s1600/blackpeter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMeFYaBiY1B-pW6S11qDWZTvXxsbMkogVb78yuOt7nnQBcsfk3lmq8oAXKkPhukKqWMkffMjPiB8-M8b8FTbbKBqseOv5H13_ynDYtK9ZY18Mdsk9n_bsjIrXa9MoEvZQdUe1qL89XsRV/s1600/blackpeter.jpg" /></a></div>This is the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, Peter Blau's ("Black Peter") monthly newsletter of Sherlockian or Doylean gossip, published in print form since 1971 and as <a href="http://members.cox.net/sherlock1/scuttle.htm">a text-only digital archive on Sherlocktron</a> since 1985. In agreement with Peter Blau, we've arranged to publish facsimiles of the print newsletter here, so online readers can see what the newsletter looks like. Below the scan you can find links to the sites mentioned in the text - in most cases, directly to the article, video or publication, to save you from having to search for the terms. The following is the May 2011 issue; please feel free to share it via email, social network, or embed it on your own site. <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/56776319/Scuttlebutt-From-the-Spermaceti-Press-May-2011" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Scuttlebutt From the Spermaceti Press May 2011 on Scribd">Scuttlebutt From the Spermaceti Press May 2011</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_44436" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/56776319/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-26molunsaf2mwvf7ixww" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(); </script> Links (in order of mention): <ul><li><a href="http://misterantony.com/">Mister Antony</a> (note there's no "h")</li><li><a href="http://www.adampartridge.co.uk/search.php?search=Bruce+Partington&submit=Search">Adam Partridge</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ukrainianbible.org/2009/05/how-sherlock-kept-me-out-of-the-gulag/">How Sherlock Kept Me Out of the Gulag - UkranianBible.com</a></li><li><a href="http://www.acdfriends.org/"> Friends of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/05/it-is-bust-empt.html">Sherlockian Mythbusters (via the Baker Street Blog)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlocknews.com/2011/03/comic-moriarty-coming-in-may-2011-from.html">Image Comics' Moriarty series (via Sherlock Holmes News)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/5587">"When It's Circus Day Back Home" (via the Library of Congress)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.off-broadstreet.com/">Off-Broadstreet Theatre</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bestofsherlock.com/ref/spedegues-dropper-bloomsbury.htm">"The Story of Pedegue's Dropper" MS information</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/05/flickered-and-went-out-houn.html">Edward Hardwicke interview</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSAfF273-8k">Sheer-Luck Holmes (video also embedded below)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.donnaandrews.com/">Donna Andrews</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.malicedomestic.org/">Malice Domestic</a></li><li><a href="http://www.oscarwildemurdermysteries.com/">Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries</a></li><li><a href="http://vincentennial.com/">Vincentennial</a></li><li><a href="http://bsc.deutsche-sherlock-holmes-gesellschaft.de/">The Baker Street Chronicle</a></li><li><a href="http://www.goinbook.com/">InBOOK</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlockholmesadventures.ca/">Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow Watchers</a> and <a href="http://www.anthonydpmann.com/">Anthony D.P. Mann</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bestofsherlock.com/ref/australia-2011-beetons.htm">Beeton's 1887 Christmas Annual in Australia</a></li></ul> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSAfF273-8k">Sheer-Luck Holmes</a> <center><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HSAfF273-8k?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HSAfF273-8k?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></center> Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site. --