Young Sherlock Holmes and My Other Film Favorites

To my knowledge, this 1985 movie starring Nicolas Rowe, Alan Cox, and Sophie Ward was my first glimpse into the Sherlock Holmes world.  And I wouldn't realize until years later that this movie was trying to explain what made the Holmes of ACD the way he was.  His distrust/indifference to women, the deerstalker cap and the cloak he wore, even his pipe.  But I didn't see any of that, then.  I just saw it as a really great movie that I absolutely loved once I sat down and watched it.  Or, more accurately, once my dad made me sit down and forced me to watch it.

It takes place when Holmes and Watson are teenagers, and though a disclaimer at the end says that Conan Doyle never had Holmes and Watson meeting as teens, that their initial meeting happens as adults, this movie is respectfully dedicated to 'what could have been.'

Holmes, Watson, and Holmes's girlfriend, Elizabeth, end up investigating a case when Elizabeth's uncle (and Holmes's mentor,) takes up a knife and stabs himself after seemingly going mad.  What the others don't know is that the uncle was hit with a 'thorn' dipped in a poison that, once in the bloodstream, causes the victim to experience nightmare-like hallucinations.  Investigating the case brings them to the heart of a cult, and the leader is determined--  Well, I shouldn't give it away.  I believe it's a movie worth seeing, however.  Purists may not like it, I admit.  But I do think the characters embody the traits of their adult counterparts.  And Watson has an especially ingenious idea towards the end that, as the saying goes, kills two birds with one stone.

Without a Clue is one I've also come to particularly enjoy.  Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley play the duo in this one.  Only with a twist.  Watson (Kingsley,) is the true genius who decided to invent the character of Sherlock Holmes so as to not interfere with his doctor career.  He couldn't be the one with the reputation for going off and solving mysteries, so he created a character who did.  Unfortunately, the public outcry and popularity for Holmes was such that Watson was forced to hire an out of work, drunken, womanizing, idiot actor to play the role.  Example:

Holmes: ::Looking up::  What am I looking for?

Watson: ::Staring intently at the ground, notepad in hand::  Footprints.

Holmes: ::Looks down immediately::  Have I found anything?

Watson: Not yet.

Holmes: Right.  Let me know when I do.

There are other terrific lines, but I don't want to give away too much of the plot.  However, both these movies are ones I'd recommend finding and watching.

I know I probably had another point in beginning this blog entry, but if I did, I can't recall it now.  It's late, I must sleep, so I'll return to this blog later.

Hopefully, I'll have my second interview up soon.  It's a continuation of things with David Ruffle.