Riddle me a riddle... Solve my secret... I really enjoy traveling with Holmes thanks to the Granada TV classic The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984) and its sequels. And today I invite you with me, no, no, not to London. This time we are waiting for the same, still desirable Victorian England, but a kind of country option: the fashionable Grappenhall estate, the majestic family estate St George's Hall, the tranquility of a typical countryside, where the shooting of the television series "Sherlock Holmes Archive" took place.
Yes, I have a case.
Yes, Holmes in business, as they say, but still in conversations with Watson slips irritation about the forced downtime. And flashes an involuntary comparison with an episode from the modern Moffat mini-series, when Benedict-on-a-she-Sherlock experiences true suffering in a period of inactivity and boredom. Amazing, but the fact: at first glance, such completely different Brett Hills and Cumberbatch Sherlock paradoxically similar!
But closer to the point. The Archive consists of 9 episodes of different duration, of which the first 6 to 60 minutes, the last 3 to 104 minutes. A characteristic feature is a pronounced mystical component.
What is your theory then?
- I have none. I have insufficient facts to construct a theory!
Why are these files in the archives? Not enough actual material? Nope. The audience's not ready? Personally, the "archive" episodes seemed even more interesting than the previous ones. All stories are screened in accordance with the author's logic. Follow the canon? For example, it varies because different teams worked on the script and directing.
Watson! Quick, man! It's life or death - a hundred chances on death and one on life!
From the beginning – and immediately death?! The odds, according to Holmes, are 100 to 1. Not enough for a living? Watson is habitually calm and reasonable, at his invitation we urgently proceed to the investigation ... no, not the murder ... yet, but the disappearance of the eccentric Lady Francis Carfax in the brilliant performance of Cheryl Campbell. And then?
No weapon, no mark, no clue...
Indeed, there are no clues or clues in The Mystery of Thorn Bridge. But what chic interiors and magnificently flowering gardens, strong passions and fatal women ...
Don't let yourself to love someone too deep, Mr. Bates. It will destroy you.
Sensual and expressive beauty Maria Gibson in the amazing performance of Celia Gregory, rare shots, the penultimate work of the actress. The charming governess Grace, in the role of which Catherine Russell made a bright debut, probably you will remember her, as I do, by the cameo of colleague Colin Firth in the film Bridget Jones Diaries: The Edges of Reason.
You dismiss my case?
-I dismiss you.
Holmes’ sharpness and straightforwardness is aimed at millionaire Neil Gibson, who burst into Baker Street to ask, but no, to demand help in investigating the murder of his wife. A dynamic start. Daniel Massey, a 1968 Golden Globe winner, put all the power of talent into his role. Jeremy Brett is not just a virtuoso player, he is Holmes. I will not go into the details of all the episodes of the series, I will leave you to get a true pleasure from the journey and, together with the famous detective duo, notice unexpected coincidences, find various artifacts.
Do vampires exist, in your philosophy?
- In human terms... maybe.
Whatever you want, I can't miss the last vampire episode. It turned out something Hammer, worthy of special mention. Let's get this straight. An ordinary English village ... ruins of a family estate, long abandoned and forgotten by everyone. All of them? Signs...a faded rose on an ancient tombstone...a fresh rose on a new grave...a cross encircled with garlic... The clock... There is a sense of danger, as Holmes himself says. Corresponding to the moment music ... A real thriller! Some of the shots refer to the ... yes ... movie "Birds" by Hitchcock.
I can discover facts but I can't change them.
Facts are a stubborn thing, but is it easy to maintain sobriety when femme fatale is around again? Dolores-Juliet Aubrey, by the way, sensation of Brit Award TV-1995. This about her? Or is it about the stunningly luxurious Carlotta-Yoland Vazquez? Both sultry beauties. The plot is further confused by the worthy and mysterious opponent John Stockton-Roy Mursden, who studied the ancient mysteries of the American Indians. Exotic, at the time.
A matter of life and death? It's not a puzzle, you can't fold it. It looks like a kaleidoscope, with each turn a new picture. The church scene... Funeral...What about Jack? Watson suggests that claustrophobia. What is the biggest church in the world?! Shock? Or...? Rather, it seems to be "or." Not an answer? I didn't promise you any answers. I promised a secret.
Of course,
10 out of 10