The (Egregiously) Underrated Sherlocks

[CSIBakerStreet]

[Amidst my delving, I have found several films which are absolutely amazing but that no one else ever seems to mention or recognize. This is a very sad and unfortunate thing, for they should be better known for their excellent quality.

 

So. I have compiled of list of such films and recommend that, if you have not seen them, to go watch them immediately. They're a part of the Holmesian world you don't want to miss out on.

 

1. The Matt Frewer and Kenneth Welsh versions of Sherlock:

A Royal Scandal

The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Sign of Four

 

It's so sad that there are only four of these but I love them dearly. Frewer was my first Sherlock and he'll always be one whose performance I cherish and enjoy for ages. He holds a lot of similarities to Benedict's Holmes and I find myself wondering if Gatiss and Moffat used a bit of these for the series. He's very animated and his back and forths with Welsh's Watson give you an exact view of how well matched they are. 

 

2. Sherlock Holmes and The Baker Street Irregulars with Jonathan Pryce

 

The timeless great Pryce does not disappoint here as Holmes. An excellent story, allowing us a closer look at the discreet little network helping the detective. A tiny peek into their lives and just how much they really mean to Holmes. Employing one similar storyline as in A Royal Scandal, we also get a worthy match for Pryce's Sherlock in Anna Chancellor's Irene Adler. And, as far as I know, it's the first instance in which Watson is Scottish. Full on Scottish. 

 

3. Sherlock Holmes and The Case of The Silk Stocking with Rupert Everett

 

This one is /fantastic/. Utterly superb. I don't know how anyone could miss it because it is just so completely wonderful. Everett has captured everything we loved about Brett, you look at his Holmes and it's almost as if Brett is brought to life again. His broodings, his expressions, the tone of voice. Everything about his performance rings memories and yet has it's own originality to it that makes it stand out amongst others. And Ian Hart's Watson is incomparable. You may also recognize the truly brilliant villain, a performance that stays with you so well you could almost call it... magnetic.  

 

4. Dr. Bell and Mr. Doyle

 

Now here is something truly unique and spectacular. It's a film about Conan Doyle himself and the man he drew the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes from. It is a fiction film but there's quite a lot of details that are kept and played out truthfully. Having just killed off his most famous character, Doyle finds himself going back through the past that lead him to this point. Robin Laing is charismatic, lively, and truly remarkable as the young scholar destined to write one of the greatest characters in history. In Ian Richardson's Bell, we see precisely how Sherlock came to be. The two are absolute facsimiles of one another. 

 

5. Without A Clue

 

I know this is purely a parody, but... you can't miss out on it. That's simply it. Heralding Watson as the true detective and author of what the world knows to be 'Sherlock Holmes' along with a drunken buffoon of an actor playing the famed genius, you get an unexpectedly wonderful story with comedy to spare. The team of Watson as the great Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine as the charading Sherlock, Reginald Kincaid, is one of a truly delightful nature and one that you won't soon forget. 

 

 

That's about it so far for the list I have. Again, very underrated films and ones that really deserve better recognition. If anyone else has any to add, please feel free to. I'm always eager to dig further into the Sherlock world.]

[Redbeard]

Interesting...I especially like the sound of the Matt Frewer ones, which I didn't know existed (isn't he Max Headroom?), and also the Rupert Everett version which I have heard of but haven't seen!  And the movie about Doyle sounds very interesting too.  And so does the Scottish Watson one.  The only one that I probably won't see out is Without A Clue because I hate comedy movies and it would take a lot for me to overcome that. 

 

Thanks for all the great material to find and watch while waiting for S4!  

[CSIBakerStreet]

[Most people don't know about Frewer which is tragic. The Irene of his Scandal is my personal favorite. (Dunnow what Max Headroom is but looking it up, yes.) Ah, yes, Rupert <3 I love the man anyway but his performance as Holmes is top notch. Wonder if anyone will get the tiny joke... Oh, the Doyle one is definitely a worthwhile watch. I picked it up at my library one day, wondering what it was. It caught my interest and I decided to borrow it. So glad I did. Heh, yes. A Scottish Watson was certainly unexpected but an interesting difference to the others. It was kind of like Doyle was on screen, the similarities between them. The actor in question is Bill Paterson, you might recognize him from the Doctor Who episode Victory of The Daleks. Aww... 

 

You're very welcome! Hope you enjoy them. ]

[Pawse]

Rupert Everett was quite good in the Silk Stocking movie. I thought he looked gorgeous!

 

I've never seen the full Without A Clue movie, though I'm aware of the plot and cast.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Interesting...I especially like the sound of the Matt Frewer ones, which I didn't know existed (isn't he Max Headroom?), and also the Rupert Everett version which I have heard of but haven't seen!  And the movie about Doyle sounds very interesting too.  And so does the Scottish Watson one.  The only one that I probably won't see out is Without A Clue because I hate comedy movies and it would take a lot for me to overcome that.

 

Yup, apparently the same Matt Frewer who played Max Headroom (I loved him in that show).

 

Good thing there are different types of movies for us different types of viewers -- Without a Clue sounds like exactly my kinda thing!

 

Thanks for these tips, CSI -- I'd heard of some, but have as yet not actually seen any.

 

 

[CSIBakerStreet]

Rupert Everett was quite good in the Silk Stocking movie. I thought he looked gorgeous!

 

I've never seen the full Without A Clue movie, though I'm aware of the plot and cast.

 

[He most certainly did. *dreamy sighs*  Ooh, I definitely recommend watching the full if you like comedies.]

 

 

Interesting...I especially like the sound of the Matt Frewer ones, which I didn't know existed (isn't he Max Headroom?), and also the Rupert Everett version which I have heard of but haven't seen!  And the movie about Doyle sounds very interesting too.  And so does the Scottish Watson one.  The only one that I probably won't see out is Without A Clue because I hate comedy movies and it would take a lot for me to overcome that.

 

Yup, apparently the same Matt Frewer who played Max Headroom (I loved him in that show).

 

Good thing there are different types of movies for us different types of viewers -- Without a Clue sounds like exactly my kinda thing!

 

Thanks for these tips, CSI -- I'd heard of some, but have as yet not actually seen any.

 

 

[You're welcome, Carol. I'm glad to see you and the others interested in these!]

[BBally]

I've seen Young Sherlock Holmes, I think Nickolas Rowe could've been a great adult Sherlock Holmes.

[softmachine]

sorry but I cannot STAND Matt Frewer.... his version is so OTT and stereotypical. (I cringed during the "we English" bit in Hound when he meets Sir Henry.... this is the only version of Hound that made me GLAD Watson was the central character for most of it)

[softmachine]

that said, Without A Clue is an all-time favourite you can't help but love :)

[CSIBakerStreet]

I've seen Young Sherlock Holmes, I think Nickolas Rowe could've been a great adult Sherlock Holmes.

 

[Oh my goodness, yes! That one I just watched for the very first time not too long ago and absolutely yes! He captured all the aspects of both the things one might look for in a younger Sherlock and the different varieties in the older Sherlocks we've seen. In fact, looking at him just now it's occurred to me how much he in that role is rather like Benedict's Sherlock ^.^ The hair, the bright; colorful eyes that are equal parts emotive and still/passive; the vocal tone and intonation; the nose; the curve of his lips; the facial structure; overall presence in his acting... ]

[softmachine]

Isn't Nicolas Rowe in one of the Brett episodes? 'The Creeping Man' I think...? (a v small role as a shopkeeper or something)

[Arcadia]

Really? I may have to look for that one, I always enjoy when they do things like that.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I've checked IMDb, and while I don't offhand see anything about Nicholas Rowe being in a Jeremy Brett episode, he is playing "Matinee 'Sherlock'" in the forthcoming film Mr. Holmes (with Ian McKellen as the real Sherlock Holmes in his later years).  Apparently Holmes is sufficiently famous in that movie's universe that someone has made a play about him.

 

[SherlockedCAMPer]

I'm watching Nicholas Rowe's Young Sherlock Holmes on movieplex right now. It is kind of fun.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Alex and I just watched Without a Clue (the 1988 spoof with Ben Kingsley playing Watson as the brains of the operation, with Michael Caine as the actor he hired to play the great Sherlock Holmes -- sort of like Remington Steele).  It is definitely cute, with some truly hilarious bits.  Not a great movie, but enjoyable nonetheless.

 

I kept thinking that the big thug looked familiar -- from somewhere -- but he was never on-screen long enough for me to place him till I saw the actor's name in the end credits.  He's Clive Mantle, who 24 years later played Dr. Bob Frankland in "The Hounds of Baskerville"!