1182 replies to this topic

[hartley_bond]

Orson Welles?

Yes. This Orson Welles:

[DLibrasnow]

Which movie?

[hartley_bond]

Which movie?

Not a movie. The Geilgud/Richardson radio series. It should be out there online somwhere. Welles was absolutely superb and the Holmes/Moriarty scene in Baker Street absolutely crackled with energy.

[Hitch]

If you can, pick up a copy of Stephen Fry's "Paperweight". It's a wondrous collection of his newspaper columns and other witterings. Fry is at his best in these short spurts - a phrase I think he would enjoy - rather than in his somewhat patchy, though very readable, novels. I admit to some embarrassment in criticising him, however mildly, because he is such a superb wordsmith. But caveat emptor, etc.

Anyway, Fry was once the youngest member of The Sherlock Holmes Society of London and remains a complete Holmes nut. "Paperweight" contains a Holmes short story called "The Adventure of the Laughing Jarvey". It is well worth seeking out. The man can write.

Even if you don't like that story there are many entertaining diatribes, treatises, fantasies, parodies and wibblings to entice the reader. Some of the titles might give a flavour of the book: "Don't Knock Masturbation", "Give Us Back Our Obfuscation", "Drawing Up a Hate List", "Grammar's Footsteps" and "Patriot Missive".

Be prepared for rudeness and japery.

Edited by Hitch, 07 February 2005 - 05:34 PM.

[JKD68]

I'm reading "Memoirs" for the first time. How does this collection compare to the "Adventures" quality wise? I understand that the Holmes historians rate "Adventures" as Doyle's best but I'd like to know what people consider his 2nd or 3rd best collection, & if "Memoirs" is rated almost as good as "Adventures. I've only read the first 3 stories and am pretty impressed,especially by Silver Blaze.

[hartley_bond]

I'm reading "Memoirs" for the first time.  How does this collection compare to the "Adventures" quality wise?  I understand that the Holmes historians rate "Adventures" as Doyle's best but I'd like to know what people consider his 2nd or 3rd best collection, & if "Memoirs" is rated almost as good as "Adventures.  I've only read the first 3 stories and am pretty impressed,especially by Silver Blaze.

Well, personally, I like The Return better than The Memoirs, even though The Memoirs contains The Final Problem, which is one of my favourite stories. But The Memoirs would definately be a close third to Adventures and Memoirs.

[Jim]

They've just released the Basil Rathbone collection on DVD here in the U.K,i can't wait to get my mits on it.

Am working way through these with the children, the oldest two now being about the age I was when I saw them first. The bolos guy in "The Adventures of..." and most of "The Scarlet Claw" are still pretty creepy, Rathbone's hair in the first few Universals simply unbelieveable, Nigel Bruce pretty tiresome and the RathboneHolmes musings of the "Canada..." ilk (The Scarlet Claw) most hootsome.

Bit of a cheat to have the same documentary on all of the discs, although some of the production notes are entertaining (especially the attention to detail given to the histories of some fairly obscure actors).

Sherlock Holmes in Washington's still rubbish, though.

[zencat]

Yes, what is up with Rathbone's hair in those first few? LOL.

Holmes in Washington....not a fan. But I do like Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror. Of all the Holmes battles the Nazis episodes, Voice of Terror is my fav.

I do love the little uplifting speeches Rathbone makes at the end of the first few films.

[Jim]

I do love the little uplifting speeches Rathbone makes at the end of the first few films.

"Canada -- lynchpin of the English speaking world, whose relations of friendly intimacy with the United States on the one hand and her unswerving fidelity to the British Commonwealth and the motherland on the other. Canada -- the link which joins together these great branches of the human family"

Fab.

[marktmurphy]

Is that the one where Basil has a wonderful line about the villain who has just been killed by his own weapon? I wish I could remember it but's gone.

'Pygmies!'

[DLibrasnow]

I do love the little uplifting speeches Rathbone makes at the end of the first few films.

"Canada -- lynchpin of the English speaking world, whose relations of friendly intimacy with the United States on the one hand and her unswerving fidelity to the British Commonwealth and the motherland on the other. Canada -- the link which joins together these great branches of the human family"

Fab.

I was surprised to discover that THE SCARLET CLAW is the favorite of most Sherlockians. Personally I like SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH and THE HOUSE OF FEAR.

[DLibrasnow]

Yes, what is up with Rathbone's hair in those first few? LOL.

Holmes in Washington....not a fan. But I do like Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror. Of all the Holmes battles the Nazis episodes, Voice of Terror is my fav.

I do love the little uplifting speeches Rathbone makes at the end of the first few films.

Zencat - my least favorite of the Rathbone series are those that are so obviously set in the 1940s. I think that is why I like HOUSE OF FEAR or FACES DEATH so much - no nasty Nazi's to fight.

[hartley_bond]

My favourite Rathbones are THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES and THE PEARL OF DEATH. BASKERVILLES and FACES DEATH are both very good too.

[DLibrasnow]

I've always preferred HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES when it comes to the two Fox entries, but certainly THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES has the better DVD commentary.

[Hitch]

Follow this link for The District Messenger, which is probably the best monthly round-up of all things Holmesian:

http://www.sherlock-...enger/dm249.htm

[DLibrasnow]

I've visited that site before -- man, they need forums.

[zencat]

Looks like A Study in Terror is finally coming out on DVD. Says PAL, but it also says Region 0. Does that mean it will play on any player?

http://www.amazon.co...=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

[DLibrasnow]

The player would still need a PAL-NTSC converter I think. But, I could be wrong.

This North American NTSC standard is a big pain in the you-know-what. PAL is by far the superior standard anyway.

I'm not sure how Region 0 works to be honest.

[DLibrasnow]

If you like I can check it out for you. I will be ordering it anyway and I'll try and play it on a friends NTSC Region 1 DVD player to see if it works.

[zencat]

If you like I can check it out for you. I will be ordering it anyway and I'll try and play it on a friends NTSC Region 1 DVD player to see if it works.

That would be great. Thanks. I've also noticed that the Rupret Everett BBC movie is coming to DVD (Region 2). I'm hoping they will show this on BBC America.

[Bondian]

The player would still need a PAL-NTSC converter I think. But, I could be wrong.

This North American NTSC standard is a big pain in the you-know-what. PAL is by far the superior standard anyway.

I'm not sure how Region 0 works to be honest.

I hope you guys don't mind me 'chipping' in here?.

Region '0' will work in any DVD Player, but, your television set would have to be 'Pal' compatible.

I have a multi=region DVD player that convert the NTSC signal to Pal. But I can view NTSC because my television set IS Pal/NTSC.

Zencat. You may want to check your television to see if it's NTSC/PAL. If not, I believe you can purchase a converter to save having to purchase a new television set.

As for the difference, and technicalities of the two standards, I have attached some helpful information on the differences.

Please check this out.

Cheers Gents,


Ian

[zencat]

Thanks, Bondian.

[Bondian]

Thanks, Bondian.

You're welcome John!.

Please check out these!.

I recon you may get these cheaper in your local area.

Cheers,


Ian

[DLibrasnow]

Thanks Ian. Yes, multi-region DVD players here in the US generally have PAL-NTSC converters built into them.

[Bondian]

Thanks Ian. Yes, multi-region DVD players here in the US generally have PAL-NTSC converters built into them.

You're welcome Darren.

[DLibrasnow]

This site sells stand-alone NTSC-PAL video converters and I can recommend them. They are the company that I purchased my region free player from and they have excellent, helpful customer service:

http://www.220-electronics.com/

In the menu down the side click on "Video Converters."

[Bondian]

This site sells stand-alone NTSC-PAL video converters and I can recommend them. They are the company that I purchased my region free player from and they have excellent, helpful customer service:

http://www.220-electronics.com/

Superb Darren.

[SPECTRE ASSASSIN]

Hello all, I'm barely come to appreciate the work of Sherlock Holmes, and want to get started at reading. Which book do any of you reccommend me reading first?

[DLibrasnow]

Yeah, but seriously, if zencat is planning on going down that route, he might as well go for one of their region-free players. That way he is not just limiting himself to region 0 DVDs.

[Bondian]

Yeah, but seriously, if zencat is planning on going down that route, he might as well go for one of their region-free players. That way he is not just limiting himself to region 0 DVDs.

That's very true Darren, but I thought that John had a multi-region!.

Oh, yes. John, go for a multi-region DVD player.