Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Something different,
By A Customer
This review is from: Sherlock Holmes: Mazarin Stone [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Some fans of the great Brett films will be disappointed in that Holmes does not appear in this film, but rather his brother Mycroft fills in. Furthermore, the script is a curious attempt to combine two entirely separate Doyle stories. And yet, somehow it's all enjoyable, as Mycroft is good fun and there's a palpable atmosphere throughout.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mycroft, Watson, and the Mazarin Stone,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Sherlock Holmes: Mazarin Stone [VHS] (VHS Tape)
First off,I would like to mention that I have a soft spot for the much put-upon story on which this dramatization was originally based. I always thought that it had its fill of Holmesian brilliance and Holmes was never badly out of character. I also liked the clever additions of a second exit and waiting room in baker street. It might seem somewhant stale compared to Doyle's other tales and the third person narration is not as enjoyable as Watson but the story was, never the less, an engaging and enjoyable Holmes story in my opinion... Anyway back to the 1994 Granada film. This adaptation was broadcast as part of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Granada's final series and it is victim to several of what could have been crippling blows. First off an adaptation of a story as short as the Mazarin Stone was conceptually problematic. The story would probably take less than half the alloted 50-55 minute runtime to read aloud and the writers and producers of the show had to some how get around that while still keeping the basic plot of the stolen crown diamond intact. Secondly, Jeremy Brett recently diagnosed with a fatal heart condition and already very ill, was unable to appear as Holmes for principle photography of the episode;lucky then that Mycroft (Charles Grey) had some spare time to dispose of! In this rather unusual adaption of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1921 shortstory, Mycroft Holmes, who always had something of a nose for crime behind it all (see The Greek Interpretor as an example) is called upon to investigate the theft of the Mazarin Stone in the wake of his brother Sherlock's absence from London to 'drown the ghost.' Meanwhile, Dr. Watson accepts a case from the Garrideb sisters who beleive their brother, an old college professor of Watson's, has been falsly promised a large sum of money and want to get to the bottom of it. A link between the two cases is eventually found and Watson and Mycroft investigate together. What is the result of this adaptation? Of course Holmes' absence is felt heavily throughout the film but the reasons for his depature as so brilliantly bridged by Jeremy Brett in a scene shot later on, are quite in character with Holmes' darker side and Watson does keep correspondanse with him on the Garrideb case... As Holmes himself says before his departure (to Watson), "I'll be watching you with my third eye" he gestures at his forehead between just his eyes. Holmes' presence is felt throughout despite his lack of onscreen appearences and his "Brother mine, bravo" bit is particularly chilling, spoken as it is in the dim and foggy night. Apart from Brett's fine, if minimal, performance, the supporting cast is the usual great with Edward Hardwick his reliable self and Charles Grey particularly excellent in what could easily have been an awkward position for an actor as Mycroft. Also noteworthy are the fine British thespians who play the three Garrideb siblings. Each sibling comes with his or her own quirk or strange characteristic. For example Agnes is hard-of-hearing, or Nathan is half-deluded and money-mad in his old age. Their performances are first rate, expecially as the exitng and clever climax attacks the viewer and, in a way, the Garrideb sisters are the 'heroine(s) of the occasion.' Nathan's half-sung, half-muttered version of Camptown Races is particularly amusing. I hate to ramble about just those three characters but I feel I have to say what's on my mind: each of these characters, despite being silly, come across as beleivable ( if not entirely the same as in the canon) eccentric, old-fanshioned and (in some cases) nosy people. I would,however advise that those who detest 'light' comic relief will most likley be turned off of this episode. Additionally, Jon Finch is deliciously evil, if slightly over the top at times, as the chief villian Count Sylvius. The other villian of the piece, the one who offers Nathan Garrideb the money, is James Winter, alias John Garrideb and proves to be the link (no telling how) between the two cleverly interwoven Holmes stories present here (the other is The Three Garridebs)and is essentially the closest thing to Sam Merton replacment we will ever get ( the character is entirely different, however.) The portrayl of the character by Gavan O'Herlihy is easily the weakest in the program, although this can be at least partially atributed to the somewhat psuedo-American nature the of the character as written by Granada but the performance is overall a strong, sinster one which reaches high point with an especially exiting scene involving Watson, the villian and a diamond clever. (This scene is similar to one in the Three Garridebs, except there Holmes was present and Watson was shot rather than wounded with the diamond clever.) The direction and especially cinematography and lighting (be prepared for some unusual, highly haunting shots here) are superb and some of the camera angles and edits are realy worth noting. I will also say that the stories were, again, very skillfully interwoven with a screenplay, nothing short of marvelous. On a more particular note involving this side of the production, Mycroft's investigation of the theft is almost entirely as per what we are led to beleive Holmes did in the original story and the excellently played out scene of Sylvius' and Mycroft's confrontation at Baker Street is almost exactly like the initial confrontation between Holmes and Sylvius ( initial as in before Sam Merton was brought in), except for Mycroft being in Holmes' place. That scene was a personal favorite of mine from this production along with Garrideb sisters 'saving the day' (watch to see how), and fondley reminds me of the original story and how Granada, regardless of the circumstances, would try to be as faithful to the original story as reasonably possible. Of course there are always improvments to be suggested and I would, personally, have liked if Mr.Brett could have appeared because (A) Granada could have stuck to more of the original story and (B) we might have gotten to see the excellent ending of the original story involving Holmes and client Lord Cantlemere- it was always a favored part of the original story for me and in hindsight it would have been nice to see it brought to the screen here. But Cantlemere is still there (somewhat) and the film stands as a fine piece of drama in its own right and a well-made adpation of the short stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Long live Holmes, Watson, and Baker Street!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"Brother mine, Bravo",
By
This review is from: Sherlock Holmes: Mazarin Stone [VHS] (VHS Tape)
+++++
This movie is based on the story "The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone" (1921) written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 to 1930). This Doyle story is actually an adaptation of his play "The Crown Diamond," first performed in 1921. What's unfortunate about this episode is that the incomparable Jeremy Brett who plays Sherlock Holmes is only in about 30 seconds of it (20 seconds at the beginning and 10 seconds at the end to shout out the line that titles this review). He was unable to act in it due to his illness. Another thing that's unfortunate is this story is not entirely faithful to Conan Doyle's story since it combines another Doyle story ("The Adventure of the Three Garridebs," 1924) with this story. Thus, what we have is the presentation of two unrelated Doyle stories with one being investigated by Dr. Watson (Edward Hardwicke) and another being investigated by Sherlock's brother, Mycroft (Charles Gray). A connection is found between the two cases. In this episode, "The Three Garridebs" is the lesser story to "The Mazarin Stone." This is why this episode has the title it has. Therefore, this episode will appeal to two different types of viewers. The first is those viewers unfamiliar with this series. They will find that the story presented is quite good with plenty of action and with the fine acting of Charles Gray. They might rate this episode 4 stars. Those viewers familiar with the series (like me) will probably have a different reaction. As mentioned, no Jeremy Brett and not a faithful adaptation to Conan Doyle's original 1921 story. For me, this episode turned into a standard crime drama and felt contrived. They might rate this episode 2 stars. My final rating is an average of these two separate ratings. Finally, as with all the episodes in this series, the costumes, background music, attention to detail, and cinematography are quite well done. In conclusion, I have to give credit to the writers for their creativity for making the best of a bad situation and coming up with a decent story! (1994; 55 min; British drama; made for TV; full screen) +++++
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
|
