Customer Reviews

The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Collection

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
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Finally, MPI media is releasing the fourth installment of the critically-acclaimed Granada Television "Sherlock Holmes" series on DVD! Suffice it to say these are the finest and most "authentic" productions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes ever made. Most fans consider the late Jeremy Brett to be the quintessential Holmes, and Edward Hardwicke is a fine actor in his own right and a most excellent Dr. Watson.

Sadly, Jeremy Brett was in quite bad health when these final episodes were created and would die several years after. Too bad. He was a gifted actor and should rightly be credited with "bringing to life" one of the 20th Century's most beloved fictional characters.

People may quibble about liberties taken here and there with the stories, but for the most part the "Casebook" series, like all the others, is very high quality, well-written, produced, and acted. Again, I'm anticipating techno-files may complain about the "transfer" as they have on past releases, but I believe MPI has done the best they can and the DVD is still FAR superior to owning these on videocassette.

Don't purchase these as an introduction to the series, start with the "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." However, if you're here, its probably because you already own the 3 prior DVD packages, "Adventures," "Feature Film Collection," and "Return," all of which are excellent.

Are these worth purchasing? Absolutely. High quality, intelligent, and family-friendly entertainment you can enjoy for a lifetime. Pull out every couple of years to watch them over and share with friends and family.

As stated in previous reviews, this set is by far the best from a film quality standpoint. They all should have been transferred this way. That being said, Jeremy Brett IS Sherlock Holmes. I have read all of the Holmes mysteries 100 times since I was 7 or 8 years old and these film versions come the closest to what Doyle portrayed in his writings. I was SOOO saddened to hear of Jeremy's death in 1995 and would have loved to see the stage version of THE SECRET OF SHERLOCK HOLMES that he and Edward Hardwicke toured the UK with in the late 80's (discussed in bonus interview on disc 3). All of these DVD's (Adventures, Return, Movies, Casebook & Memoirs) are required viewing for any Holmes fan. They are by far the best depictions of Holmes & Watson and will be viewed by me as many times as the stories have been read. You will not regret this purchase and suprisingly, Amazon had the best price on the net for this set.

The stories featured in this set are every bit as entertaining and fun as those on "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and "The Return of Sherlock Holmes." Technically, the set is even better. The picture quality is much higher and isn't grainy like the previous sets. And the packaging itself is higher quality. The case doesn't feel like it's going to come apart when you open it. Jeremy Brett was by far the best Sherlock Holmes. It is a real treat having these collections on DVD.

They must have been filmed on 35mm or MPI have changed their transfer process. These are sharp with subtle colours. A lesson for those who rush to digital/video, by using film we now have the best ever view of these classic Jeremy Brett episodes. If you're thinking of the other sets, don't be deterred, but if only they could be as good as this one.

Fantastic! That is the word I describe Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke together in the Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. My dad and I love these series and I would recommend this to anyone who wishes to sharpen their skills of deduction. I'm speechless on how these great actors can set up a scene together and not to mention, Holmes' ablility to solve the most strangest cases England could come up with.

Once again, as with the rest of the Sherlock Holmes dramatizations starring Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke, this collection closely follows the original storylines in the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Victorian Era settings and costumes are portrayed quite well and the characterizations are excellent. Most appealing to me, is Hardwicke's Dr. Watson. He is portrayed as the quite able (though not as astute as Holmes) friend and assistant rather than the buffoon as portrayed by Nigel Green in the films with Basil Rathbone. The video and audio quality of the DVDs is great. I would definitely recommend this collection, as well as the others in this series, to Sherlock Holmes aficianados as well as to those who enjoy good mysteries.

Having seen the original series on pbs years ago-I was reaquainted with the series on dvd last month ordering the first 3 dvd's from Amazon. These episodes have not been on public tv for years, in NYC at least. so I was overjoyed to see them. Even seeing Jeremy older and bloated and more haggard-with what he had to endure -no wonder!!,his dynamic and mercurial persona are undiminished.

All kudos to Basil Rathbone, who was a different Holmes-his radio episodes and films were excellent in their time.!!

The stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are not as strong and dynamic in these later episodes-taken from after the turn of the century-so it is not fair to blame the somewhat diminished quality on these episodes on Jeremy and Edward. The acting is superb. Frankly, There really was no was no story with the dynamic appeal of the adventure of the Adventure of the Speckled Band written by Conan Doyle after 1900.

I would like to think Jeremy's Brett stuggle with life's hurdles would somehow mirror Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps it does, since Holmes is a work of fiction, we can imagine his end in any way we wish. But I wish to imagine Jeremy, like Holmes fighting the good fight to the end. God bless you Jeremy for the gift you gave us.

As I fondly remembered. Excellent acting and storylines. I bought the collection to expose my teenage children to the stories of Holmes brought to life. They watched every episode with anticipation. Jeremy Brett is Holmes to our family.

The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes has something for everyone. Fans of Conan Doyle's adventures of Holmes and Watson will appreciate fidelity of this DVD to Doyle's books; historians will appreciate fidelity of costumes, mannerisms and mores of characters, interior and exterior settings, and so on, typical of late Victorian and early Edwardian England.

Most of all, viewers will appreciate greatly the excellent work of actors Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke. This is not your parent's version of Holmsian tales portrayed by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, that often showed Holmes and Watson in comedic fashion; Watson is no bumbling fool and Holmes is not always correct in deducing the truth.

As in other DVDs in the series, Casebook is photographed beautifully, and many scenes could be printed as photographs and displayed in an art museum

This set makes my Sherlock collection complete, that is, the TV series starring the late Jeremy Brett. Brett was the consummate Sherlock Holmes. Whenever I read anything Sherlockian, I visualize Jeremy Brett. I've seen all of the series multiple times on TV, but never get tired of re-watching any of the shows.