Episode 20: Cleaning (The Empty) House

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Collection-Peter-Cushing/dp/B001TE6P78?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Sherlock Holmes Collection" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001TE6P78&tag=thebakerstree-20" /></a>As we finished the last episode, we realized that we never got around to talking more about "The Adventure of the Empty House," as we had promised. We've filled that gap nicely this time out, with a discussion ranging from the multitude of commentary on "The Empty House," to illustrators, to a sneak peek at a future episode.<br /> <br /> We're also running a contest for our listeners. We have a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Collection-Peter-Cushing/dp/B001TE6P78?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes 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=B001TE6P78" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> DVD set from the BBC / A&E (pictured to the left) to give away. <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001TE6P78" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />All you have to do to have a chance to win is leave us a comment here on the site, on our Facebook page, an <a href="mailto:comment@ihearofsherlock.com">email</a>, or an audio comment at (774) 221-READ (7323).<br /> <br /> <b>Listen now:</b><br /> <center> <iframe allowfullscreen="" height="45" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/1115034/height/45/width/250/theme/standard/direction/no/autoplay/yes/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="250"></iframe></center> <br /> <b>Links:</b><br /> <ul> <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tit-Bits"><i>Tit-Bits</i> magazine</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Sherlock-Holmes-William-Baring-Gould/dp/0517502917?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Annotated Sherlock Holmes (Baring-Gould edition)</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=0517502917" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Annotated-Sherlock-Holmes-Complete/dp/0393059162?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The New Annotated 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=0393059162" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li> <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Dorr_Steele">Info on Frederic Dorr Steele</a></li> <li><a href="http://special.lib.umn.edu/rare/holmes.phtml">Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collection</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Hear-of-Sherlock-Everywhere/6723878046">The I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Facebook page</a></li> </ul> <center> <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/24531058/Sherlock-Holmes-Collection-Newsletter-Vol-6-No-2" 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 Sherlock Holmes Collection Newsletter Vol 6 No 2 on Scribd">Sherlock Holmes Collection Newsletter Vol 6 No 2</a> <object align="middle" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="500" id="doc_997907493829296" name="doc_997907493829296" width="450"> <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=24531058&access_key=key-1muifujhtltxpnlvatti&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="play" value="true"> <param name="loop" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showall"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <param name="devicefont" value="false"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="menu" value="true"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="salign" value=""> <param name="mode" value="list"> <embed src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=24531058&access_key=key-1muifujhtltxpnlvatti&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" play="true" loop="true" scale="showall" wmode="opaque" devicefont="false" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="doc_997907493829296_object" menu="true" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" salign="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" mode="list" height="500" width="450"></embed> </object> </center> <br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock020.mp3" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TL5jgdrUh_nM_zlDgxql-jKOFGUVFqhoV6A2JtYklXOu4qmVDyRVbwGV6XrwXZgnG9awSwJ7td-txL1_4KGrpSf4igJLILOim4yJmX5pGTPIdMhCBYLyImSI5gs1MOMUZPAlpAgvtPdb/s200/podcastIcon.gif" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 21px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 46px;" /></a>Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." (File size: 28.5 MB, 31:09 )<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

Episode 20: Cleaning (The Empty) House

As we finished the last episode, we realized that we never got around to talking more about "The Adventure of the Empty House," as...

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by Scott Monty

An Inspired Sherlockian Christmas Card Tradition

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "production of the photograph" [SIXN] </h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8ZzqeeTEcNeFPO7omxknmKL706yCtG-tVEWznfbWv2pq3gKb3DMyn8LKE68G38xoGvQ778ThKxENA9eoDVMU3BuspGrNXuatuGyRkfTcEwsURFJAciFyOU_K4HcYNouuhY2DUFhXec2-/s1600/4201924585_1127286f1e_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="1024" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8ZzqeeTEcNeFPO7omxknmKL706yCtG-tVEWznfbWv2pq3gKb3DMyn8LKE68G38xoGvQ778ThKxENA9eoDVMU3BuspGrNXuatuGyRkfTcEwsURFJAciFyOU_K4HcYNouuhY2DUFhXec2-/s640/4201924585_1127286f1e_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Each year for the last five or six years, I've been lucky enough to receive a Christmas card from fellow Sherlockian Richard Ray Green of the Genus Loci of Birmingham, Alabama. His son Joshua has been a fellow co-conspirator in Richard's interest in the Canon and in many ways has eclipsed his dad with his own activity in plays and other local events.<br /> <br /> But the highlight of their year - something they take great pride in - is their Sherlockian Christmas card. It's always a set of photographs that recreate scenes from the Sherlock Holmes stories that are well known. And you can tell that they really put serious thought and hard work into making their creation a reality.<br /> <br /> This year, they chose a number of appearances of Holmes in comics and graphic novels, and a couple of stills from the latest film thrown in for good measure. Here's <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsjoYYt2R" target="_blank">a slideshow</a> of the original images that inspired their card and the resulting scenes that they shot:<br /> <br /> <center> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/albums/72157622916655031" title="Sherlockian Christmas Card"><img alt="Sherlockian Christmas Card" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/2590/4201922459_22c24f1e7f_z.jpg" width="485" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center> <br /> <br /> If you like what you see here, you can get an entire 2010 Sherlockian calendar with images from Richard and Joshua. The Sherlockian purveyors <a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.com/paper.htm">Classic Specialties</a> have used their images, along with the matching Canonical images and Sherlockian dates of interest throughout the year. As Classic Specialties themselves wrote:<br /> <blockquote> In order to show the degree of canonical authenticity which Joshua, his contemporaries and his dad have achieved, we have taken the liberty of including appropriate illustrations from the original magazine publications (The Strand and Colliers). As has been our custom during the past couple of years, we also include on each month of the calendar, annotations of the birth dates of all our Sherlockian friends who were kind enough to share that information with us, and, of course, annotations of important canonical events with their associated dates. The graphic at your right shows the Greens' re-enactment of the slaying of The Hound of the Baskervilles (the insert is the Paget version). We certainly hope that you will receive this unique exposition of these Young Sherlockians' energy and creativity with the same enthusiasm that we have.</blockquote> You can <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/sherlockholmes2.413504042">purchase a 2010 Sherlockian calendar for yourself by clicking here</a>.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

An Inspired Sherlockian Christmas Card Tradition

"production of the photograph" [SIXN]  Each year for the last five or six years, I've been lucky enough to receive a Chri...

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by Scott Monty

The Asylum's 'Sherlock Holmes' Is Unique

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "Enough to drive a patient into an asylum" [DYIN]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://amzn.to/3h4iwCZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fVZAHZHKKCrHt_Ie35WPMbucm3NWf3OfNMsWpMrnfXwBaMDl65sBJAI__iEfJU4pplJ_xRgUriw3x_pE5pb22NEmFWeFcF-N2ITlJdJJAqAAhNjFEwrZAej9ak1hulQK63VHBago41CZ/s1600/Asylum's%2BSherlock%2BHolmes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Everyone wants a piece of the action that Warner Bros is stirring up. Certainly we here at the blog are happy about the additional attention that the greatest literary detective is getting. But as with any push in the entertainment industry, we get all sorts of attempts to cash in at varying levels of quality.<br /> <br /> Using the very original title <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1522835/" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes</i></a>, a home entertainment company aptly named <a href="http://www.theasylum.cc/index.php" target="_blank">The Asylum</a> has developed the crazy idea that Holmes should be battling robots and giant monsters in Victorian London (!) as they release their creation directly to DVD. To show you how serious they are about their work, <a href="http://www.theasylum.cc/blog/2009/12/were-number-1/" target="_blank">they take great pride</a> in having their video<i> <a href="https://amzn.to/339v9b4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus</a></i> named by <i>Entertainment Weekly</i> as the worst DVD of 2009. Says The Asylum: "They obviously didn't see any of our other films..."<br /> <br /> <a href="https://amzn.to/3lXptte" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><i>Wired </i>magazine ("<a href="http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/ff_the_asylum/all/1" target="_blank">Now Playing: Cheap-and-Schlocky Blockbuster Ripoffs</a>") has a term for this: <b><i>mockbuster</i></b>. And they refer to the Asylum as "a low-budget studio specializing in shamelessly derivative knockoffs." Evidently, their version of the eponymous film will be made for less than $500,000 thanks to "cheap digital technology and even cheaper talent," and will join the pantheon of other B-movie titles such as <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2F8oCow" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Snakes on a Train</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/335UuSS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Transmorphers</a>,</i> and<i> <a href="https://amzn.to/3jOHsQA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Day the Earth Stopped</a></i>  that have made the company $5 million in the last year. not only includes robots, dinosaurs and giant squid, but the creators have graciously added hookers and a bomb-throwing dragon to the mix as well. <div><br /></div><div>Originally, we had thought it might have been <a href="https://amzn.to/3lY7inh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Lost World</i></a> meets Sherlock Holmes, but something tells us that there's more (less?) to it than that. <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3h4iwCZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes</a></i></b> by Asylum is a fun and fanciful romp that is neither historically nor Canonically factual.<br /><br /> <br /> Count us even less excited to see this version. If completist collector <a href="http://www.ash-nyc.com/JBS.htm" target="_blank">John Bennett Shaw</a>, BSI ("The Hans Sloane of My Age") were alive, you can bet he'd add it to his collection. Will anyone else? Until then, we recommend picking up a copy of <a href="https://amzn.to/32YnZWS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Schlock Homes: The Complete Bagel Street Saga</i></a> by Robert L. Fish. At least that volume is clearly a parody.<br /><br />Perhaps Asylum's <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3h4iwCZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes</a></b></i> will achieve something of an underground/cult-like status in the years to come. And if people have fun with it, that's all that matters.<br /> <br /> A tip of the deerstalker goes to <a href="http://movingpictureblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/whats-this-sherlock-holmes-tangling.html" target="_blank">MovingPictureBlog</a>.<br /> <br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B004HN74A0"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "d473c4c47964a6a656a2470302070260"; </script> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script></div>

The Asylum's 'Sherlock Holmes' Is Unique

"Enough to drive a patient into an asylum" [DYIN] Everyone wants a piece of the action that Warner Bros is stirring up. Ce...

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by Scott Monty

"A Large Collection of Valuable Curiosities" [SIGN]

The <a href="http://www1.umn.edu/news/multimedia/2009/UR_CONTENT_165024.html">University of Minnesota Libraries</a> have a valuable claim to fame: they house the Sherlock Holmes Collection - positively the largest collection of material about the great detective than any other in the world.<br /><br />The curator, Tim Johnson, is a very knowledgable Sherlockian and librarian. He brings his personal passion and professional expertise together in a way that few can. Please sit back an enjoy a few minutes with Tim and others as they take you through some of the wonderful collection you can find at the library.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><br /><object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PHKdBSZo5is&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PHKdBSZo5is&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br /><object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T1VmX63qaR8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T1VmX63qaR8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br /></center><br />It goes without saying that if you're ever in the upper Midwest, take some time to get to the collection. They're always happy to have visitors. And you can even join the <a href="http://special.lib.umn.edu/rare/holmes.phtml">Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collection</a>.<br /><br />Here are some previous posts about Minnesota and its connection to the Sherlockian world:<br /><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2007/11/for-sixty-years-bulwark-blac.html"><i><b>"For Sixty Years the Bulwark..." [BLAC]</b></i></a><br /><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2007/07/my-collection-of-ms-is-fine-one-empt.html"><i><b>"My Collection of M's is a Fine One" [EMPT]</b></i></a><br /><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2007/06/he-has-peremptorily-requested-seco.html"><i><b>"He Has Peremptorily Requested" [SECO]</b></i></a><br /><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2007/03/at-this-conference-maza.html"><i><b>"At This Conference" [MAZA]</b></i></a>

"A Large Collection of Valuable Curiosities" [SIGN]

The University of Minnesota Libraries have a valuable claim to fame: they house the Sherlock Holmes Collection - positively the largest col...

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by Scott Monty

"An Element of Comedy" [3GAB]

It seems that the great detective is showing up everywhere in popular culture lately - certainly the film, but online, in print and on the air as well.<br /><br />In this case, NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon takes a stab at a sketch featuring Fallon as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law making an appearance as Dr. Watson. Take a look here at their attempt.<br /><br /><center><script src="http://widgets.nbc.com/o/4727a250e66f9723/4b31b113f3f51045/4727a2501a2a0f59/16fa843/widget.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div style="font:10px arial;width:400px;margin-top:3px;"><a href="http://www.nbc.com/Video/library/" target="_blank">Video Recaps</a> | <a href="http://www.nbc.com/Video/library/full-episodes/" target="_blank">Full Episodes</a> | <a href="http://www.nbc.com/Video/library/webisodes/" target="_blank">Webisodes</a></div></center>

"An Element of Comedy" [3GAB]

It seems that the great detective is showing up everywhere in popular culture lately - certainly the film, but online, in print and on the a...

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by Scott Monty

A Petition to Support Grade II Status for Undershaw

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "sombre face of the old house" [VALL]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZb75-flUfCTbBIhxfkF5bLuo-K5vC1AGWck4ZhFZU-6q4ru_x3RD4TQXbgfEY22bF8mhNRh0To6AbP50SrG5PSSK8nzqD4J5f_aF9Hq1O71rJvwpUpPYY3WFuAie4EwcHpf-AgATw0-E/s1600/DSC00087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZb75-flUfCTbBIhxfkF5bLuo-K5vC1AGWck4ZhFZU-6q4ru_x3RD4TQXbgfEY22bF8mhNRh0To6AbP50SrG5PSSK8nzqD4J5f_aF9Hq1O71rJvwpUpPYY3WFuAie4EwcHpf-AgATw0-E/s640/DSC00087.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> And now for something completely different - an I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere post that's <i>not</i> about the movie.<br /> <br /> Alexian Gregory, BSI ("The Grimpen Postmaster") has forwarded along a petition to help save Undershaw, the home that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's designed in 1897 and in which he wrote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=https://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=0&ref_=nb%5Fss%5F0%5F14&y=0&field-keywords=hound%20of%20the%20baskervilles&url=search-alias%3Daps&sprefix=hound%20of%20the%20b&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i><b>The Hound of the Baskervilles</b></i></a> in 1902. The home is now in danger of falling into the hands of developers, as it has not achieved the appropriate grade for saving as an historic home.<br /> <br /> You can <a href="http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/undershaw/" target="_blank">click here to view the petition</a> and sign it electronically. If you choose, you can also donate a nominal amount through PayPal. The text of the petition is here:<br /> <blockquote> 'Undershaw' the former home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes and spiritualist's greatest ambassador is under threat from the property developers who plan to split the house up and build apartments in the heart of the Surrey countryside in the middle of National Trust land. The organisation Hindhead Together and many local supporters would like to see this historical house restored to it's former glory and opened to the public as a museum and tea rooms welcoming visitors worldwide.</blockquote> <blockquote> The developers are due to submit their plans to the planning department very shortly. This petition is to object to private residential dwellings and to prevent 'Undershaw' from being split up and to retain public access to the grounds and building.</blockquote> <blockquote> It is intended to forward this petition to Russell Morris, the Historical Buildings Officer of the local planning office as and when the plan for the housing complex becomes registered.</blockquote> <blockquote> Mr John Gibson FRICS has set up and registered 'The Undershaw Preservation Trust' with the government as a Museum and Cafeteria. We desperately need your help, <a href="http://undershawhelp.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: black;">please visit the blog</span></a> to find out how you can help us support this valuable cause.</blockquote> Please take the time to read up on this important effort and do what you can to help support it.<br /> <br /> <b><i>Related posts:</i></b><br /> <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/02/can-hardly-explain-it-nobl_7.html#.VTBnmyFViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"I Can Hardly Explain It" [NOBL]</a> - February 7, 2007<br /> <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/02/i-sign-here-blac_21.html#.VTBoOiFViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Shall I Sign Here?" [BLAC]</a> - February 21, 2007<br /> <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2006/07/you-have-seen-pictures-and-read_6.html#.VTBn1SFViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Possibly You Have Seen Pictures and Read Descriptions of the Famous Old Building" [MUSG]</a> - July 6, 2006<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

A Petition to Support Grade II Status for Undershaw

"sombre face of the old house" [VALL] And now for something completely different - an I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere post th...

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by Scott Monty

A Review of the Marketing of the Sherlock Holmes Movie

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "a touch of madness" [3GAB] </h4> Marketing blogger Chris Thilk keeps a site called <a href="https://christhilk.com/2009/12/22/movie-marketing-madness-sherlock-holmes/">Movie Marketing Madness</a>, in which he summarizes and assesses the efforts of Hollywood in their creativity and execution around marketing new films.<br /> <br /> As you can imagine, he's done his homework for the Warner Bros film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988045/"><i>Sherlock Holmes</i></a> starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law, directed by Guy Ritchie. You can see previous mentions of the film on our site by <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/movie">clicking on this link</a>.<br /> <br /> Thilk includes in his assessment a mention of the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/08/was-he-gay-lothario-one-would-expect.html">posters</a>, the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/10/shown-by-increased-length-stud.html">trailers</a> (yes, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/05/i-was-sure-you-would-pick-up-trail-veil.html">there were two</a>), the online component - including <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/11/i-knew-game-was-in-my-own-hands-stud.html">the 221B game</a>, the television advertising and cross-promotions such as <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/11/great-convenience-copp.html">7-Eleven</a> and the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/11/exact-knowledge-of-london-redh.html">Visit Britain tie-in</a>, and the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/12/we-could-plainly-see-figures-on-her.html">TweetDeck theme</a>.<br /> <br /> In addition, there's an extensive section on press coverage, which very kindly lists the Baker Street Blog / I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.<br /> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000X9LTL2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />

A Review of the Marketing of the Sherlock Holmes Movie

"a touch of madness" [3GAB]  Marketing blogger Chris Thilk keeps a site called Movie Marketing Madness , in which he summarizes ...

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by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes OST Available for Preorder

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "scored once more" [MISS] </h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaqXJCsOiKKxDE6vBGxUS0JH_CNmyjr1SlwfmFU6tsVdh5jNqMIEVUa5E6Q9zdOi99o9hjkhPgurRixYHjNMSsI1bRG6CZlB6_ndZ7MDjsjRK04Wsp_nZg5xMMLxDigFSddlzMdIiRGu-/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+soundtrack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaqXJCsOiKKxDE6vBGxUS0JH_CNmyjr1SlwfmFU6tsVdh5jNqMIEVUa5E6Q9zdOi99o9hjkhPgurRixYHjNMSsI1bRG6CZlB6_ndZ7MDjsjRK04Wsp_nZg5xMMLxDigFSddlzMdIiRGu-/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+soundtrack.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Previously mentioned in passing on these pages, we're happy to revisit the topic of music and the new Warner Bros. film. The original soundtrack score to "Sherlock Holmes" is by Hans Zimmer, who is also known for his musical work on <a href="https://amzn.to/2Uer2W4">The Pirates of the Caribbean</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="https://amzn.to/2MMoM7t">The Dark Knight</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="https://amzn.to/346bc4l">Batman Begins</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2zuxSxd">Gladiator</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004STPT" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and many others.<br /> <div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> The <a href="https://amzn.to/2NGFFQO" target="_blank"><b>Sherlock Holmes Original Motion Picture Soundtrack</b></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=B002ZMZBD2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is now available for pre-order on Amazon. It's expected to be available on January 12, 2010. Probably too soon to be able to be in your hands for a trip to the <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/">Baker Street Irregulars Weekend</a> in New York later that week. But stay tuned - maybe we'll have the iTunes version announced here at that time (hint, hint). You can keep up with the latest Sherlock Holmes news by subscribing above via email or RSS.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <br /></div> </div> <div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> If you're interested in other soundtracks related to Sherlock Holmes, please check my review of the original soundtrack of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb%255Fss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dprivate%2520life%2520sherlock%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dpopular&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />: <b><a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/04/composer-of-no-ordinary-merit-redh_18.html#.XWfzzihKjb0">"A Composer of No Ordinary Merit" [REDH]</a>.</b><br /> <b><br /></b> <b>--</b><br /> <b><br /></b></div> </div>

Sherlock Holmes OST Available for Preorder

"scored once more" [MISS]  Previously mentioned in passing on these pages, we're happy to revisit the topic of music and...

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by Scott Monty

"We Could Plainly See the Figures on Her Deck" [SIGN]

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSaSvn6ePx8W_KFRgR3ckhJXM-As4eCuAGJK5TXMOkBxve4NvhLb6UBGLhs8qhXz0fIYEjQ39oTXaep6AGbMkXbSNIZ09sLJW0eeVJR1pXgXVd2vAbK7XMLmVnP9vtVdsKh3MQh6XhBkGf/s1600-h/Tweetdeck.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSaSvn6ePx8W_KFRgR3ckhJXM-As4eCuAGJK5TXMOkBxve4NvhLb6UBGLhs8qhXz0fIYEjQ39oTXaep6AGbMkXbSNIZ09sLJW0eeVJR1pXgXVd2vAbK7XMLmVnP9vtVdsKh3MQh6XhBkGf/s320/Tweetdeck.PNG" width="320" /></a>In the continued marketing effort for the upcoming Warner Bros. "Sherlock Holmes," we're seeing more of an online push.<br /><br />Tweetdeck, which is a desktop application for people who use Twitter, has developed a new theme called the <a href="http://www.tweetdeck.com/sherlockholmes"><b>Tweetdeck Telegram Co.</b></a> - prominently featuring the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2009/11/games-afoot-abbe.html">221B game we reviewed here last month</a>.<br /><br />If you use Twitter, there are applications such as Tweetdeck that allow you to sort your followers into groups, in order to manage the flow of information. You can create a number of columns, to make the scanning easier. For example, you can create a column with just replies to you; a column that features results from a search term you've input (such as "Sherlock Holmes"); and the Sherlockian version of Tweetdeck allows you watch a column called "Inside 221B" which shows you updates of characters in the game, such as Madame Rowena and Mrs. Hudson's Diary.<br /><br />It's a very nice interface, with a Victorian / <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2007/10/we-do-all-our-correspondence-with-this.html">Steampunk</a> flavor to it. Here's what it looks like after you get things going.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmUtwvFqS5o3NGz_T-yxYbVckJGY9nYpn5lN56aMk76kvgB_9R-cOmD6JuCxm7lbJUwH2xAJTIZUjxsFC4zazbUtL2_kzpBARIYXlzMVqdB_iE67URFDr-CsAabTXLlUJPSGv83IA_88W/s1600-h/Tweetdeck+in+action.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmUtwvFqS5o3NGz_T-yxYbVckJGY9nYpn5lN56aMk76kvgB_9R-cOmD6JuCxm7lbJUwH2xAJTIZUjxsFC4zazbUtL2_kzpBARIYXlzMVqdB_iE67URFDr-CsAabTXLlUJPSGv83IA_88W/s400/Tweetdeck+in+action.PNG" /></a><br /></div>

"We Could Plainly See the Figures on Her Deck" [SIGN]

In the continued marketing effort for the upcoming Warner Bros. "Sherlock Holmes," we're seeing more of an online push. Tweetd...

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by Scott Monty

"If I Might Offer You" [STOC]

From time to time, I'm approached by advertisers with offers for you, my readers. As you can imagine, there are all sorts of Sherlock Holmes-related products out there right now. The discriminating Sherlockian can probably tell the difference between the real thing and the hastily assembled also-ran items.<br /><br />In the spirit of full disclosure, on any of the Amazon links that I share with you, I receive a small commission. It's not much, but it lets me buy one book or CD about every month. And since I'm doing this blog as a labor of love and not asking any subscription fees or support from my readers, I hope that you'll consider clicking on the links or using the Amazon search box in the sidebar to make your purchases. And I should also note that I won't post an advertisement or offer that I don't personally believe in.<br /><br />In this case, I've got a pair of great offers from Fandango - you can reserve your tickets to the new movie now, through this link, and get a free download of the song "Holmes" from the soundtrack on iTunes:<br /><a href="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2477560-10735866" target="_top"><br /><img alt="Get a free song download for Sherlock Holmes" border="0" height="75" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-2477560-10735866" width="600"/></a><br />And you can also enter the sweepstakes, giving you a chance to win a trip for two to London, with a four-night stay at a 4-star hotel and admission to the Sherlock Holmes Museum:<br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-2477560-10735870" target="_top"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-2477560-10735870" target="_top"><img alt="Enter to win a trip to London!" border="0" height="250" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-2477560-10735870" width="300" /></a><br /></div><br />I hope you'll take advantage of this offer, and consider sharing it with your friends. Enjoy!

"If I Might Offer You" [STOC]

From time to time, I'm approached by advertisers with offers for you, my readers. As you can imagine, there are all sorts of Sherlock Ho...

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by Scott Monty

"Formidable Machinery In Motion" [STUD]

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2781/4182503292_0ba8e05557_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2781/4182503292_0ba8e05557_m.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 238px;" /></a>Hold onto your seat, folks. That is, if you happen to attend a screening of the new <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/search/label/movie">Sherlock Holmes film</a> and you're in a theatre that happens to accommodate the technology described below - one that will literally move you.<br /><br />Of course, this isn't entirely new. You may recall hearing of a film from 1959 called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000K3U3?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00000K3U3">The Tingler</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00000K3U3" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, in which a pathologist discovers that a parasite growing on the spine - a "tingler," can only be stopped by screaming. Director William Castle employed the gimmick of electrical buzzers installed in seats and set them off during appropriate moments during the film. More on that from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tingler">Wikipedia</a>.<br /><br />Anyway, here's what D-Box is bringing us for Christmas:<br /><blockquote><br />D-BOX Technologies, Inc., a leader in innovative motion technology for the entertainment industry, has announced its ninth major motion picture release and fourth one with Warner Bros. for its new holiday blockbuster, Sherlock Holmes, opening Christmas Day.<br /><br />Audiences will experience the classic, adventure-mystery like never before from seats that move simultaneously with the onscreen suspense and intense action. With motion effects embedded frame by frame, sensations of motion occur during action scenes, while seats remain still during quieter, dialogue-driven sequences.<br /><br />"With nine new releases, a fourth one with Warner Bros and 10 movie theatre locations to date, we are thrilled with how well D-BOX has been embraced by the industry and movie fans alike," said President and CEO, Claude McMaster. "Since introducing D-BOX Motion Code(TM) in Hollywood earlier this year, we have continued to experience rapid growth, offering the D-BOX experience to moviegoers in the Western United States and Midwest as well as in Canada. We look forward to adding new theatres and continuing to build on our strong support from Warner Bros. and many more industry leaders."<br /><br />D-BOX motion seats are available at 10 movie theatres in North America including the Mann Chinese 6 Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif.; UltraStar Cinemas in Surprise, Ariz.; Theatres at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.; Galaxy Highland Theatre in Austin, Texas; Cineplex Odeon Queensway Theatre in Etobicoke, Ontario; Galaxy at the Cannery in Las Vegas, Nev.; UltraStar Apple Valley in San Bernardino, Calif.; Cinema Beloeil in Montreal, Quebec; Wehrenberg Theatres' Ronnies 20 Cine in St. Louis, Mo.; and Emagine Theatres' Canton Theatre in Canton, Mich.<br /><br />For additional information and theatre details visit <a href="http://www.d-box.com/">www.d-box.com</a>.</blockquote><br /><br />Makes us glad we live in Southeastern Michigan. Of course, we have to wonder how the seats will react to Rachel McAdams' appearance as Irene Adler...<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-2477560-10735866" target="_top"><br /><img alt="Get a free song download for Sherlock Holmes" border="0" height="75" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-2477560-10735866" width="600"/></a></center>

"Formidable Machinery In Motion" [STUD]

Hold onto your seat, folks. That is, if you happen to attend a screening of the new Sherlock Holmes film and you're in a theatre that h...

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by Scott Monty

Mixed Reviews for "Sherlock Holmes"

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "curiously mixed" [SHOS] </h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzfdkphJqSZJ_7kVo_x52a3a-X5h5EU3EdLaYb2YqYmuubRoYAqsvkn1Hm_QExE1MisdF8kcGLl4AGQ_7vpPukhX2YeWOuNv8yHkZxs8xtHhMC4qfegN5YOAsninBqAvuBoFcaV_BK7qc/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+movie+poster+2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzfdkphJqSZJ_7kVo_x52a3a-X5h5EU3EdLaYb2YqYmuubRoYAqsvkn1Hm_QExE1MisdF8kcGLl4AGQ_7vpPukhX2YeWOuNv8yHkZxs8xtHhMC4qfegN5YOAsninBqAvuBoFcaV_BK7qc/s640/Sherlock+Holmes+movie+poster+2009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> The new <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> film directed by Guy Ritchie has premiered in London and there have been early screenings in Los Angeles. And so far, <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5icoIQzQE9kavXyyDrAjAyHj1n5CQ">the reviews are mixed</a>:<br /> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/dec/15/sherlock-holmes-film-review" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> gives it 2 out of 5 stars and calls it "high-end hack work"</li> <li><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/6812014/Sherlock-Holmes-first-review.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Daily Telegraph</span></a> says that it's "an undeniably rollicking romp"</li> <li><a href="http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article6956664.ece" style="font-style: italic;">The Times</a> says that Robert Downey Jr. is "terrific" as Holmes but that it was an "overlong film."</li> <li><a href="http://www.inthenews.co.uk/interview/entertainment/film/review-sherlock-holmes-$1347293.htm" target="_blank">inthenews.co.uk</a> gives it 7 out of 10, calling it "immensely enjoyable."</li> </ul> <br /> <br /> But you see, here at I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, we won't leave you to trust the reviews of the mainstream press. Oh no. We're about much more. In fact, we've got a review from a member of the Baker Street Irregulars - Sean Wright ("The Manor House Case"), who saw the film over the weekend. Sean is the co-author of <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2ZAit9h" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Enter the Lion: A Posthumous Memoir of Mycroft Holmes</a></i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0460044834" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> and knows his way around the Canon. Here is his guest post:<br /> <blockquote> My son, DeForeest, and I saw <span style="font-style: italic;">Sherlock Holmes</span> at a screening for the Writers Guild in Hollywood. We learned that members consider the film a "hot ticket", sure to make Warners a bundle.<br /> <br /> This cinematic Holmes adventure comes to us courtesy of former Warners' executive and graphic novelist, Lionel Wigram who wrote it up originally as a graphic novel. Realizing that today's youth knows next to nothing about the character Warners made sure to hire box office champ Robert Downey, Jr. to lure teens into theatres. If the gushing two-page puff piece appearing in the NY Times last January is to be believed, adolescent girls will line up for blocks just to gaze dreamily at Downey's "abs".<br /> <br /> The trailers had me all set to detest the movie but, and not at all grudgingly, I enjoyed it. The film is a fine adventure, happily peppered with canonical quotations despite liberties taken with chronology as John Rabe noted <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/12/i-reviewed-whole-extraordinary-sequence.html" target="_blank">earlier on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a>. I also agree with him that it is LOUD.<br /> <br /> As for the actors, Rachel McAdams is quite fun but her "Irene Adler" has little in common with her canonical counterpart aside from the fact that she's cunning, fearless. and runs about in men's clothing. Despite this she looks disturbingly right as Irene.<br /> <br /> The Lestrade and Watson cinema stereotypes are pleasantly guyed - with a measure of revenge one might say. Eddie Marsan plays Lestrade with gusto and would look even more like him if he lost the beard. 'Tis a pity Kelly Reilly is not given more to do as Mary Morstan but the little she's given she handles well. It would also be nice to see a bit more of Geraldine James who makes the most of the little screen time she's allotted as Mrs Hudson.<br /> <br /> I was all ready for Lord Blackwood - ably portrayed by Mark Strong - to turn into Professor Moriarty a la <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2MIKOrO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Young Sherlock Holmes<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></a></i> since he looks "curiously reptilian." Problem is he hasn't enough scenes to give the audience a really good reason to loath him.<br /> <br /> Having played the good doctor many times it was a joyful revelation to see Jude Law's portrayal of Watson in his prime. Honest, able, upright, a man of action, recognizably a former soldier, who is not above gambling (yes, Holmes keeps his chequebook locked up). He is even allowed to be shown in practice as a doctor. It is to the screenwriters' credit that Watson is allowed to display his deductive talent which anyone who reads the Canon knows Watson to possess.<br /> <br /> The nicely-wrought screenplay has several memorable sequences, such as watching Holmes improvise a disguise as he shadows Irene Adler. There is an homage to Basil Rathbone and another to Jeremy Brett but I'll let the reader find them. And, professionally speaking, I recognized two script details which were, um, "inspired" by a memoir entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Enter the Lion</span> written by Mr Mycroft Holmes which I "edited" 30 years ago. I was nevertheless impressed that the film's dénouement depends so heavily on logical deductions convincingly explained by Holmes.<br /> <br /> A crass concession to the present age has Holmes naked, shackled to a bedstead after spending the night with Irene. This is offset by a fascinating sequence showing Holmes mentally mapping out an attack on McMurdo during a bare-fisted boxing match alluded to in SIGN. Warners has long touted this film as emphasizing Holmes as "action hero" and why not? It is a neglected part of Holmes' character on film although Nick Meyer included a memorable duel spotlighting Holmes' prowess as a fencer in <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2NI4Lib" target="_blank">The Seven Percent Solution</a></i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />.<br /> <br /> The one drawback with the film that just won't go away is Robert Downey, Jr. as Sherlock Holmes. God love him, he's to be commended for doing all he can to make the role work. Every so often he sounds right but it's not enough. Downey is simply miscast. Contributing to this problem is the producers' decision to make him unlike any previous Holmes.<br /> <br /> While there is a canonical purple dressing gown, the producers have understandably jettisoned the deerstalker to avoid cheapening the character with stereotyping. Many of us remember the disconcerting image of Christopher Plummer in <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2Lkdc0r" target="_blank">Murder by Decree</a></i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002Q3MYA8" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> arriving at the opera attired in deerstalker and capecoat.<br /> <br /> Downey's costumes are inspired more by Toulouse-Lautrec posters than by anything Sidney Paget illustrated for the <i>Strand Magazine</i>. Holmes is now attired in the costume of an insouciant poet or artist at home in Soho or the Rive Gauche, his collar dashingly turned up a la Heathcliff in <span style="font-style: italic;">Wuthering Heights</span>. When forced to sport neckwear, instead of his proper under-the-collar bowtie, this Holmes simply ties on a cravat and lets it dangle from beneath his collar in a most ungentlemanly way. But this Holmes is anything but a gentleman, as Victorians understood the term.<br /> <br /> The producers seem bent on turning Sherlock Holmes into a Victorian Batman, solving crime, not to see justice prevail, but due to a mental unbalance. Watch for more of this in later installments.<br /> <br /> Months ago I remarked that Warners was treating this film like a franchise and I was not disabused of that fact by the film's conclusion. Like it or not, there will be more of the Lionel Wigram vision of Sherlock Holmes just as long as Warners is confident in Downey's bankability among teens and other adolescents.</blockquote> <br /> So there you have it. I'll be interested to hear your reactions as the film rolls out.<br /> <br /> <div class="alignleft"> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_ad_type = "banner"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_placement = "assoc_banner_placement_default"; amzn_assoc_campaigns = "primeent"; amzn_assoc_banner_type = "category"; amzn_assoc_isresponsive = "true"; amzn_assoc_banner_id = "1JDKYZ80A7KX1C3HKRG2"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "d4870f9020807dfce364f7796e641d9e"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&Operation=GetScript&ID=OneJS&WS=1"></script><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div>

Mixed Reviews for "Sherlock Holmes"

"curiously mixed" [SHOS]  The new Sherlock Holmes film directed by Guy Ritchie has premiered in London and there have been e...

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by Scott Monty

"Upon One of the Panels" [STUD]

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmgqymUPgLJtwWv37ZSFYICyILrXd2BunJ3_LBMsRwy-8xYm4xPAMZlvX0jNuC6XjMezVwmazqEZEilAUdq9wLxtlhhXWfq-l8ZMqi6ifqBf704MbrLsCWe7_eqsHlziOFrzeOnYV9eHK/s1600/card-03.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408697963711548610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmgqymUPgLJtwWv37ZSFYICyILrXd2BunJ3_LBMsRwy-8xYm4xPAMZlvX0jNuC6XjMezVwmazqEZEilAUdq9wLxtlhhXWfq-l8ZMqi6ifqBf704MbrLsCWe7_eqsHlziOFrzeOnYV9eHK/s200/card-03.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" /></a><div>For those of you in the New York City area at the end of January 2010, you may be interested to know about a panel of Sherlock Holmes and mystery experts that's being held in Manhattan.</div><div><br /></div><div>Author E.J. Wagner (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470128232?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470128232">The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0470128232" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />) will act as moderator of a panel of authors that will discuss Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's influence on mystery writing and detective fiction. Other panelists include:<br /><ul><li>Lyndsay Faye, member of the <a href="http://www.ash-nyc.com/">Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes</a> and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416583300?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416583300"><b><i>Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1416583300" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" /></li><li>Jonathan Maberry, a multiple Bram Stoker Award winner and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312382855?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312382855"><b><i>Patient Zero: A Joe Ledger Novel</i></b></a><b><i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312382855" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" /></i></b></li><li>Reggie Nadelson, columnist and author of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fentity%2FReggie-Nadelson%2FB001H6O7H8%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dsr%255Ftc%255F2%255F0&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957"><b>Artie Cohen mysteries</b></a><b><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" /></b></li><li>Charles Salzberg, freelance writer and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159414656X?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=159414656X"><i><b>Swann's Last Song</b></i></a><i><b><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=159414656X" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" /></b></i></li></ul></div><div>This astute panel will convene at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 on the 6th floor of the Mid-Manhattan Library, which is part of the New York Public Library at 40th Street and 5th Avenue (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=40th+Street+and+5th+Avenue+New+York,+NY+10016&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=35.219929,66.621094&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=5th+Ave+%26+W+40+St,+New+York,+10018&z=16">map</a>). </div><div><br /></div><div>More details about the event and the panelists can be found on <a href="http://www.forensic.to/webhome/ejwagner/NYPLsherlockFlyer01.html">EJ Wagner's site</a>.</div><br /><a href="http://www.sherlockpeoria.net/Who_is_Sherlock/Christabbrev.html"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What are those four-letter abbreviations in the headlines?</span></i></a>

"Upon One of the Panels" [STUD]

For those of you in the New York City area at the end of January 2010, you may be interested to know about a panel of Sherlock Holmes and m...

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by Scott Monty

"A Very Workmanlike Little Bit of Analysis" [VALL]

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2652/4182504640_2a8203087a_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2652/4182504640_2a8203087a_m.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 197px;" /></a>Any time a film is inspired by a book, one will see the inevitable comparison between the two. It's really somewhat of a false game, as each medium is intrinsically designed to bring the viewer or reader on a journey that involves different sensory areas of the brain. Without sounding too Holmes-like, it's about connecting to emotions, logic and senses, and each medium does so differently. Which is why we rarely see a movie that's just like it's written counterpart.<br /><br />Over the next few weeks, we'll see all sorts of movie reviews (and not only on this site! <grin>) that compare Downey with actors who portrayed Holmes before, that analyze the Canonical faithfulness of the characters and setting, that delve into the cinematography, the score, the sound design, etc. Brace yourselves.<br /><br />But here, courtesy of Randall Stock, BSI ("South African Securities") we're delighted to see a writeup of the new <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/search/label/movie">Sherlock Holmes film</a> that includes a serious number of references to the original Canon and do so in a very creative way.<br /><br />If you have a moment, please take a look at the Paste Magazine review <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/12/film-friday-comparing-ritchies-sherlock-holmes-to.html">Film Friday: Comparing Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes to Conan Doyle's Stories</a> by Robert Davis. Two things spring to the eye. The first is that Davis states: "I don’t think I’ve ever been spotted defending a Guy Ritchie movie, and I’m not yet convinced that I’ll defend his latest... but I’m eager to defend its subject." This is a good start.<br /><br />The second is one how he does it. Davis proceeds to analyze some of the actions of the characters and then finds Canonical references that support or refute the activities - <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">and he does so with Canonical quotations, backed by Google Books</span>. His links to the stories are direct, so the reader can see exactly in which stories the quotes appeared and in what context. It's a bibliography for the Information Age. Please check it out if you have a moment.<br /><br /><br /></grin>

"A Very Workmanlike Little Bit of Analysis" [VALL]

Any time a film is inspired by a book, one will see the inevitable comparison between the two. It's really somewhat of a false game, as ...

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by Scott Monty

"Child's Play" [STUD]

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8QF0pkU3iiHmgmsdxk_AmXoEpLJjP0yuFSfvWaY2zwQXqAX__qHUII7Aj0CEWEU-7G-uqhMfckd59SbEEMY6edm9qGbtKXvPzvZJowUfslQvXlUmKw_UaxesQkpIlPYDqsxp4jwjcQDi/s1600-h/rootie_kazootie_detective.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414630165771727890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8QF0pkU3iiHmgmsdxk_AmXoEpLJjP0yuFSfvWaY2zwQXqAX__qHUII7Aj0CEWEU-7G-uqhMfckd59SbEEMY6edm9qGbtKXvPzvZJowUfslQvXlUmKw_UaxesQkpIlPYDqsxp4jwjcQDi/s200/rootie_kazootie_detective.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 200px;" /></a>We're closing in on the final days before Christmas, and as you may be aware, the shopping malls can be a danger zone when it comes to parking and fending your way through the crowds. If you're open to the notion of online shopping, we have some solutions for you when it comes to shopping for younger Sherlockians.<br /><br />If you're looking for some Sherlock Holmes themed activities to introduce the great detective to a youngster in your life, a good place to start is Dover Publications. They've traditionally done a great job with their thin volumes like <a href="http://store.doverpublications.com/0486270556.html"><i>Six Sherlock Holmes Stories</i></a>. But they've actually got some other books that will keep the kiddies busy over the holiday break. <div><ul><li><a href="http://store.doverpublications.com/048647481x.html">Sherlock Holmes paper dolls</a></li><li><a href="http://store.doverpublications.com/0486474461.html">A Sherlock Holmes sticker book</a></li><li><a href="http://store.doverpublications.com/0486474801.html">A Sherlock Holmes activity book</a></li><li><a href="http://store.doverpublications.com/048647416x.html">A color your own graphic novel of <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></a></li></ul>Of course, there are other items aside from books and crafts for kids interested in the character. We've selected a handful of toys from Amazon that you may want to consider for your (inner) Sherlockian child.<br /><br /><center><SCRIPT charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822/US/thebakerstree-20/8001/781fbc69-c1c8-4854-9b4c-abd059de4866"> </SCRIPT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthebakerstree-20%2F8001%2F781fbc69-c1c8-4854-9b4c-abd059de4866&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT></center><br /><br />Feel free to browse around - and let us know in the comments section if you have any other recommendations.<br /></div>

"Child's Play" [STUD]

We're closing in on the final days before Christmas, and as you may be aware, the shopping malls can be a danger zone when it comes to p...

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by Scott Monty

"I Came to Baker Street by the Underground" [BERY]

You may recall the recent post <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2009/11/it-is-bust-in-wax-empt.html">"A Bust in Wax" [EMPT]</a> announcing the wax figure of Sherlock Holmes (as impersonated by Robert Downey, Jr.) that Madam Tussaud's will be featuring later this month.<br /><br />In preparation for that, Holmes has been busy riding the Tube. We reproduce the images here for your benefit.<br /><br /><center><iframe align="center" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?group_id=&user_id=39297597@N00&set_id=72157622968847844&text=" frameBorder="0" width="500" height="500" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><small>Created with <a href="http://www.admarket.se" title="Admarket.se">Admarket's</a> <a href="http://flickrslidr.com" title="flickrSLiDR">flickrSLiDR</a>.</small></center>

"I Came to Baker Street by the Underground" [BERY]

You may recall the recent post "A Bust in Wax" [EMPT] announcing the wax figure of Sherlock Holmes (as impersonated by Robert Dow...

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by Scott Monty

Episode 19: The Return of I Hear of Sherlock

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYjsgYxIIRYCmlChTfZTlVBrQ4X6yH-14IIi8G86eqFjkaRE5FffC56ewxCOrfaZB1W0ywWesWquPq8Nhp925qoNTn6dnCVVwgNWTQxI5XocB6KdTcpSKRp23enHL2KKO1nj05YnTrmN-/s1600/The+Return+of+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYjsgYxIIRYCmlChTfZTlVBrQ4X6yH-14IIi8G86eqFjkaRE5FffC56ewxCOrfaZB1W0ywWesWquPq8Nhp925qoNTn6dnCVVwgNWTQxI5XocB6KdTcpSKRp23enHL2KKO1nj05YnTrmN-/s320/The+Return+of+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" width="288" /></a></div> <br /> In the Sherlockian world, the "Great Hiatus" is known as the period from 1891 to 1894 when Holmes was presumably dead after his showdown with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. In the real world, it meant that publication of new Sherlock Holmes stories ceased after "The Final Problem" in December 1893 and didn't resume until <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hound of the Baskervilles</span> appeared in 1901 as a retrospective (not a resurrection) of Holmes. It wasn't until 1903 that the world saw <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_Sherlock_Holmes">The Return of Sherlock Holmes</a> in "The Empty House."<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7ie47zUdEW0XTCfqmxFmsHTGrqXVdb_cge_8dHa42srVSCbD_IzzUoBdOQgk8APaKu8VgJGsAiKKWpEg66xP_XBqgj1CqIrQ1ROwjhp2QZ7d2EjnOpXh3Y3B4Dl1tTC9X6-XOwaGdJq-/s1600-h/empt-02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413274007885419314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7ie47zUdEW0XTCfqmxFmsHTGrqXVdb_cge_8dHa42srVSCbD_IzzUoBdOQgk8APaKu8VgJGsAiKKWpEg66xP_XBqgj1CqIrQ1ROwjhp2QZ7d2EjnOpXh3Y3B4Dl1tTC9X6-XOwaGdJq-/s200/empt-02.jpg" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 164px;" /></a></div> <br /> For those of you who have been following, this podcast was on a hiatus of its own. Scott and Burt have been busy in our professional lives (not to mention having equipment issues and a hard drive failure thrown in for good measure). But we're back!<br /> <br /> <br /> In this show, we recap of what went on in the world of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts for 2009, as well as what's coming up, and we even looked back at the hiatus of that august publication <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Baker Street Journal</span></a>.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Listen now:</span><br /> <center> <iframe allowfullscreen="" height="45" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/1115026/height/45/width/250/theme/standard/direction/no/autoplay/yes/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="250"></iframe></center> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Links:</span><br /> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2009/05/man-of-excellent-birth-and-education.html">Recap of the Arthur Conan Doyle Sesquicentennial celebration</a>/li></li> <li><a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/">The BSI Weekend</a></li> <li><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/christmasannuals.html">The BSJ Christmas Annuals</a> - including the 2006 edition "Quartering in the 'Fifties" - Colin Prestige's Sherlockian Correspondence </li> <li><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/twocelebrations.html">Two Celebrations: Silver Blaze</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4171526019/">The original Caped Crusader</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Hear-of-Sherlock-Everywhere/6723878046">Our Facebook page</a></li> <li>Subscribe on <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=C*JE*kqZKe8&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewPodcast%253Fid%253D258126625%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30"><img alt="Scott Monty & Burt Wolder - I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere - I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere" height="15" src="http://ax.itunes.apple.com/images/badgeitunes61x15dark.gif" width="61" /></a></li> </ul> <br /> <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock019.mp3" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TL5jgdrUh_nM_zlDgxql-jKOFGUVFqhoV6A2JtYklXOu4qmVDyRVbwGV6XrwXZgnG9awSwJ7td-txL1_4KGrpSf4igJLILOim4yJmX5pGTPIdMhCBYLyImSI5gs1MOMUZPAlpAgvtPdb/s200/podcastIcon.gif" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 21px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 46px;" /></a>Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." (File size: 46.5 MB, 50:45)<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

Episode 19: The Return of I Hear of Sherlock

In the Sherlockian world, the "Great Hiatus" is known as the period from 1891 to 1894 when Holmes was presumably dead after his...

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by Scott Monty

"An Agitated German" [HOUN]

For the last couple of years, there have been a number of so-called viral videos that have been modeled on a German movie <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009RCPUC?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0009RCPUC">Der Untergang (or Downfall)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0009RCPUC" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />, about the last days of Hitler. The clip in question was taken from the movie, when Hitler, in his bunker, discovered that the Allied troops were closing in on Berlin and his conquest for world domination was at an end.<br /><br />The clip has been used and repurposed hundreds of times on the web with a variety of subtitles that supposedly describe Hitler's reaction to some modern occurrence or other. It could be his reaction to Michael Jackson's death, Sarah Palin's resignation, being banned from XBox, etc. Here's the original scene, for context:<br /><center><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4bmkUlXp5sk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4bmkUlXp5sk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></center><br /><br />Someone from the Sherlockian movement has developed their own: Hitler's reaction when he discovers the trailer to the Sherlock Holmes movie is real. You can watch it below.<br /><br /><center><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Im2iETxMEvU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Im2iETxMEvU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></center><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">We recognize that any reference to one of the most hated people in history is likely to stir some emotions or to question our editorial judgment. Please understand that we are completely aware of the atrocities committed by this individual and that we are in no way condoning the horrors that he brought upon millions; in fact, we completely denounce them. We are simply sharing something in the popular culture related to our hobby.</span>

"An Agitated German" [HOUN]

For the last couple of years, there have been a number of so-called viral videos that have been modeled on a German movie Der Untergang (or ...

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by Scott Monty

Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes — An Early Review

<br /> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "I reviewed the whole extraordinary sequence of events" [SIGN]</h4> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2625/4165374098_a8f42bc9c3_m.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2625/4165374098_a8f42bc9c3_m.jpg" style="float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 143px;" /></a></div> <br /> There's been a lot of chatter about the new <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988045/">Sherlock Holmes</a> film lately. The general public seems to be pretty excited about it - of that there is no doubt. The Sherlockian community has alternatively greeted the whole affair with trepidation and a wait-and-see attitude.<br /> <div> <br /></div> <div> But we can begin to set aside some of our worries, as the first official review of the movie is in. In this case, it comes from John Rabe, whose father was W. T. Rabe, BSI ("Colonel Warburton's Madness"), a dedicated Sherlockian from the 1940s until the early 1990s. John has <a href="http://scpr.org/blogs/johnrabe/2009/12/05/jrblog-shmovie/">written it up</a> on his blog on the 89.3 Southern California Public Radio site.<br /> <div> <br /></div> <div> Here are the pertinent bits:</div> <blockquote> I saw a preview of “Sherlock Holmes” last night on the Warner Brothers lot.<br /> <br /> Yes, the score and the sound design are bombastic. Note to Guy Ritchie:<br /> <br /> Just because you have Dolby-9.11-Superrumble-Extrabada** doesn’t mean you have to crank the mid- and high-end on every door that closes and every locket that snaps shut. You might be surprised to learn that people – even kids today – can hear okay with the volume at 6 instead of 11, and since we can see the door closing, we can develop our own emotions about it without the sound design telling us what to feel about it. And the camerawork is far too busy. Again, I’m pretty sure kids can enjoy a 30-second scene without 90 cuts, ten zooms, and three flashbacks.<br /> <br /> Overall, I was relieved and pleasantly surprised.<br /> <br /> Both Holmes and Watson are rather more physical than is commonly understood from the Canon, and they spend a lot more time fighting baddies. But, one could say Watson was a former soldier in Doyle’s stories, and Holmes was an expert in "baritsu" and something of a boxer, so their being active is not illogical. Irene Adler is not quite the Victorian lady of the Canon ... since she is an accomplished kickboxer and thief. That said, I'm rather tired of the Victorian ladies who are always fainting or screaming and letting themselves get tied to railroad tracks while the men have all the fun. No ladies scream in this movie.<br /> <br /> Inspector Lestrade is very nicely played by Eddie Marsan (the driver’s ed teacher in "Happy-Go-Lucky" and the evil dude in "Hancock"), and he’s much less the bumbler than Doyle depicts him.<br /> <br /> Speaking of bumblers, other movies have already corrected Nigel Bruce’s moronic Watson...but Jude Law’s Watson is very nearly Holmes’ equal in most areas, and better in some. This is good because, as other commentators have pointed out, it makes no sense that a man like Holmes would hang out with the idiot that Doyle (and Bruce) make of Watson. In the new movie, Holmes and Watson have a very nice intimate relationship, much more like brothers than master and apprentice, which I also find refreshing.<br /> <br /> The plot also takes some nice jabs at the Da Vinci Code movies, and there’s a very funny joke about a certain modern device.<br /> <br /> For all the action and loud music, there are many nice subtleties in plot, script, acting, and the design of the film. To name just one, Her Majesty does not appear.<br /> <br /> The only true blunder/liberty I spotted is that in the movie, Watson is engaged to Mary Morstan before Holmes meets her, when of course, in Doyle, they got engaged after a case Holmes solved.<br /> <br /> Using the Leonard Maltin BOMB-4 stars scale, I'd give it 3.5 stars.</blockquote> <br /> You can read <a href="http://scpr.org/blogs/johnrabe/2009/12/05/jrblog-shmovie/">John's entire review on his blog</a>, and you can check out his weekly show <a href="http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp/"><i>Off Ramp</i></a>.<br /> <br /> <div> And if you'd like to pre-order a copy of the bombastic score he mentioned, you can do so <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WTUBNS?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002WTUBNS"><b>here</b></a>:</div> <div> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceGlgvsQUX5nv-ID83O7CS6erlLJNAK2Wed0lD9XazRPcxurEOXCi2c_u8_y3hZMIU2ZxRoFmBGiVXZbHQAYJvReDJeIKA5xWXX5TlswaaNhQMuH6DOaAMkUV0JWKuonbt_pX_2gT4I3s/s1600-h/SH_score.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412343800748165442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceGlgvsQUX5nv-ID83O7CS6erlLJNAK2Wed0lD9XazRPcxurEOXCi2c_u8_y3hZMIU2ZxRoFmBGiVXZbHQAYJvReDJeIKA5xWXX5TlswaaNhQMuH6DOaAMkUV0JWKuonbt_pX_2gT4I3s/s200/SH_score.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 156px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 160px;" /></a>The original soundtrack score to "Sherlock Holmes" is by Hans Zimmer, who is also known for his musical work on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb%255Fss%255F0%255F16%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dhans%2520zimmer%2520pirates%2520of%2520the%2520carribean%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dpopular%26sprefix%3Dhans%2520zimmer%2520pira&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">The Pirates of the Caribbean</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb%255Fss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dhans%2520zimmer%2520batman%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dpopular&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">The Dark Knight, Batman Begins</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004STPT?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004STPT">Gladiator</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004STPT" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and many others.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> If you're interested in other soundtracks related to Sherlock Holmes, please check my review of the original soundtrack of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb%255Fss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dprivate%2520life%2520sherlock%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dpopular&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />: <b><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2007/04/composer-of-no-ordinary-merit-redh.html">"A Composer of No Ordinary Merit" [REDH]</a>.</b><br /> <br /> <br /></div> <div> <div> Has anyone else seen a screening of the movie yet? Please leave a comment below and share your impressions with us. Or let us know if the Rabe review encourages you or not.</div> <div> <br /> --<br /> <br /></div> </div> <div> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div> </div>

Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes — An Early Review

"I reviewed the whole extraordinary sequence of events" [SIGN] There's been a lot of chatter about the new Sherlock Hol...

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by Scott Monty

When Sherlock Holmes Meets LEGO

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "in square blocks highly polished" [SECO] </h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__X42zmvps8WflI21hV0zdVYTTnpOM9wwBhcYIrXZnuYfJ9biktKLvMR2GGGnJ2fXEXfbVp5gS-ah0KxKAmc-RKrQ3RQbniqpynI8KfJNzs5BaW1f7SZlZiMZOd8Q3LjMP1EnIOqXsP53/s1600/Lego+Minifig+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1024" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__X42zmvps8WflI21hV0zdVYTTnpOM9wwBhcYIrXZnuYfJ9biktKLvMR2GGGnJ2fXEXfbVp5gS-ah0KxKAmc-RKrQ3RQbniqpynI8KfJNzs5BaW1f7SZlZiMZOd8Q3LjMP1EnIOqXsP53/s640/Lego+Minifig+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <div> One of the interesting things about Sherlockians is that we find ways to incorporate our other interests into Sherlock Holmes. You'll find <a href="https://amzn.to/2ZzNoSS">Titanic enthusiasts</a> as well as fans of <a href="https://amzn.to/2MRkQ5N" target="_blank">Jeeves and Wooster</a>, Tarzan and others weaving their interest into books. You'll find railroad enthusiasts, stamp collectors, musicians, oenophiles, and many others finding connections of their other hobbies in the original Canon.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> It would seem that LEGO fans also have this tendency. All around the world, you'll find LEGOs crafted into every shape, building, vehicle and interest imaginable. So it's not surprising that Sherlock Holmes works his way into the LEGO fanbase.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYGFtINvakRfnc6b1WqefCBILJj3ixRfsYVFeP_bMiv-J2GHk7gOuF4Yq7TEKtmAwF3yyVQSmfS7JugWwhgIW3GMo2y9tYkUi41ADXczHOWu6zX5ozmG3_OFlBS0rf5tJAj9uc4ka8uzg/s1600/Lego+Baker+Street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYGFtINvakRfnc6b1WqefCBILJj3ixRfsYVFeP_bMiv-J2GHk7gOuF4Yq7TEKtmAwF3yyVQSmfS7JugWwhgIW3GMo2y9tYkUi41ADXczHOWu6zX5ozmG3_OFlBS0rf5tJAj9uc4ka8uzg/s640/Lego+Baker+Street.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /></div> <div> </div> <div> Above is a street scene of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/legohaulic/3142330292/">221B Baker Street by Legohaulic</a> on Flickr, entitled "Sherblock Holmes." You can check out his <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/legohaulic/">entire LEGO photostream here</a>.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> In addition, the user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minifig/3174009125/">minifig</a> has crafted a series of character sketches in his LEGO set on Flickr, including <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minifig/75325881/in/set-1718116/">Jack the Ripper</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minifig/75325880/in/set-1718116/">a Christmas Carol</a>, and others. Obviously, Sherlockians would be most interested in what he's done with Holmes and Watson (seen in the first photo above).</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> Have you seen any instances of hobbies or interests crossing over and finding common interest? Consider leaving a comment below.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /></div>

When Sherlock Holmes Meets LEGO

"in square blocks highly polished" [SECO]  One of the interesting things about Sherlockians is that we find ways to incorp...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty