Customer Reviews

John Cleese - The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

When Dr. Henry Gropinger (a caricature of Henry Kissinger, played by Ron Moody), has his diary stolen, causing him to be killed, the finest detectives of the world discover than the one behind it is Professor Moriarty's descendent. Who else can they call for help but the descendent of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Sherlock Holmes (John Cleese)? With the incredibly stupid Dr. William Watson (Arthur Lowe) in tow, he sets a trap that Moriarty cannot resist. Sadly, this Holmes is only a pale shadow of his illustrious grandfather, and his combination of quick-action and slow-thinking do not serve him well. [Color, released in 1977, with a running time of 56 minutes.]

OK, let's start off by saying that this movie has only the thinnest of plots, and the humor is beat-you-on-the-head dumb! But, in spite of that, it actually is a fun little flick. There's no subtlety here, but if you are willing to put your brain into neutral, you will get a kick out of it.

And, I must say, what I appreciated the most about this movie was seeing so many of my favorite British actors in one place: John Cleese (Monty Python), Arthur Lowe (Dad's Army), Joss Ackland (Lethal Weapon 2, They Do It With Mirrors), Denholm Elliott (Indian Jones and the Last Crusade), Nick Tate (Space: 1999), Josephine Tewson (Elizabeth on Keeping Appearances), Burt Kwouk (Cato on the Pink Panther movies) and Connie Booth (Fawlty Towers).

So, if you love British television, and want to see some familiar faces in a goofy, off-beat production, then this movie is for you. If you are looking for a cinematic masterpiece, then look elsewhere, this movie is definitely not for you!

The quality of the production isn't all that great, the sound is terrible and the movie is rather short but I still found this new "Holmes" movie to be extremely funny! I'm also a big Cleese fan but the man of the hour in this film is Arthur Lowe! His Dr Watson is great! Hey, if you're looking for a great movie, go check out AFI's list of comedies! If you can appreciate a piece for it what it is and its own merits, this is worth the hour! Good God, Holmes! Amazing!

It is a very stupid movie, but it has moments of great hilarity and Cleese is in great form. The who's the real Watson scene is worth the price of the DVD alone. Holmes:One of you is an imposter! Watson:Good Lord! Is it me?

I have seen many silly movies but this one is by far the most silly movie ever seen and made. All you parttime sillybillies though would probably not get the slightest clue of what is going on here. You better not buy this very strange case of the end of civilasation as we know it. Go for som Laurell & Hardy instead. On the other hand. If you really want to get a grap of the essense of English comedy as we know it. "Pay your ticket like a man, man ".

Actually I'd have given this little gem '4 stars' but for the quality of the cd. It has very obviously been copied from a sub-standard VHS tape. It was an unpleasant surprise in an otherwise funny movie.

As for the movie itself, very good. I liked the caricatures, the sight gags, the silliness. John Cleese, Arthur Lowe, Denholm Elliot, Connie Booth -- all good British actors and it was fun seeing them (and others) here. An untypical Sherlock Holmes film, with semi-mystery, semi-suspense, a wonderful Watson, and Cleese being Cleese. (A must watch for Cleese-ers is A FISH CALLED WANDA, where he proved once again in a classic scene that he can do more with facial expressions than many actors can do with a page full of lines.)

I really enjoyed this film despite the shoddy quality. If you're a Cleese or even a Holmes fan, get it and have some fun.

This is a non-stop pun fest.
Filled with sight-gags, puns, take-offs, wonderfully overdone japes, pokes, ribs and alliteration.
From the opening shot(s) [really] through the "Herb Jar lables" on to the crossword bit...
One finally comes to the "Solid Gold Woofer"... and the climactic "But Holmes..."
I dearly love it.

"The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It" is an outrageous comedy which was first shown on the 18th of September in 1977. It is a spoof staring John Cleese, and it spoofs the American Government, Sherlock Holmes, other famous detectives from literature and television with just a bit of James Bond and the Six Million Dollar Man thrown in, just in case that wasn't enough. Also appearing in the film is Connie Booth, who was Cleese's wife and also appeared with him in "Fawlty Towers" (one of the funniest British comedies of all time). This movie was made between the first season (1975) and the second season (1979), and has a much wilder premise than that series.

In this movie, the grandchildren of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Professor Moriarty are once again at odds, as Moriarty is threatening to end civilization as we know it. Cleese is Arthur Sherlock-Holmes, the much less effective detective grandson. Arthur Lowe plays Dr. William Watson, the most dimwitted one ever, and someone that Homes keeps around just for his bionic bits (nose and leg).

The plot of the movie is outrageous and really doesn't matter when all is said and done. It plays out like "The Bicycle Tour" episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus, in that it seems to be a series of skits all linked together by a rather odd story line. There are very funny spoofs of Kissinger and Ford, and ridiculous stereotypes played to the max in a couple of world delegate scenes. Other funny scenes include Holmes and Watson doing a crossword, Watson pulling the knife out of the chief inspector's back and then realizing that it would have been better had he left it in, and the where Holmes finds there are two Watsons.

I admit I have had a soft spot in my heart for this movie ever since I first saw it when I was young. I was worried that it would not be as good now that I am older, but while it is certainly very silly it still has a lot of laughs. I would have gone with four stars on this, but I was disappointed with the video quality and to a lesser extent the sound. It is a short film, running roughly 55 minutes long. There are no extra features on the DVD.

To enjoy this film you have to not have Monty Python expectations. It is much more of the style of Fawlty Towers. In some ways it is like the Carry On films. The actor playing the bus conductor was also one in the Carry On series.

It is a send up of Sherlock Holmes with Watson being even more of a buffoon than Nigel Bruce.

The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It (1977) Running Time: 55 min. ' John Cleese Connie Booth The Strange Case of the End of Civilization As We Know It is a spoof of the Sherlock Holmes detective series, as well as the mystery genre in general. The film begins aboard a luxury aircraft as US diplomat Dr. Henry Gropinger (a Dr. Henry Kissinger parody) travels on a goodwill tour. His diary stolen, he no longer knows where he is or is supposed to be next. Stepping off the plane, he is shot dead after offering woefully erroneous greetings to a reception committee of Arabs. Soon after, the U.S. President (a President Gerald Ford parody) receives a threatening letter signed only "Moriarty", claiming responsibility for the death. The letter also claims Moriarty has set in motion a plan that will allow him to gain control of the world. True to form, this latter-day Holmes also has a taste for certain illicit substances, stashed in containers bearing legends such as "Grand Royal African Special Selection" and "Herbs Au Sherlock Holmes".

Cleese's performance is reminiscent of Basil Fawlty, with Arthur Lowe's Watson standing in for Manuel, although Manuel of course was not the blithering dolt this sidekick is. This show aired once or twice in the US, and many critics regard it as the least of Cleese's works, citing flat humor, low budget, and ethnic references which may be inappropriate by modern standards. The last has probably received the greatest assault in dismissing this movie, yet the original Monty Python series had far more racially-charged material. All in all, even if this is not the best work that John Cleese ever did, it is still John Cleese. And that alone puts it head and shoulders above 99% of the rest of what passes for comedy these days. So there.

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As of now, whenever I watch this DVD, I find myself in a laughing out loud situation. Arthur Lowe steals the show as Dr. Watson. Well, well, well--good Lord! Classic tomfoolery.