DVD

The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2 (The House of Fear/The Spider Woman/Pearl of Death/The Scarlet Claw)

Average customer rating:

Unbelievable
Sherlock Holmes DVD Set
Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2
Major Ripoff
Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2

The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2 (The House of Fear/The Spider Woman/Pearl of Death/The Scarlet Claw)
Starring: Basil Rathbone , Nigel Bruce , Gerald Hamer , Paul Cavanagh , and Arthur Hohl
Director: Roy William Neill
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 1 (Voice of Terror / Secret Weapon / In Washington / Faces Death)
Sherlock Holmes Collection Volume 3 (Dressed to Kill/In Pursuit to Algiers/Terror By Night/The Woman in Green)
Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes in Pursuit To Algiers

ASIN: B0000APVBY
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Amazon.com

Here are four strong entries (each beautifully restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive) from the peak of Basil Rathbone's prolific, seven-year run as a definitive Sherlock Holmes for the big screen. Three of these films were released in 1944 alone, beginning with the gripping Pearl of Death, a then-contemporary update (set in the World War II years, as with most of the Rathbone-Holmes features) of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Six Napoleons."

A reluctant Holmes agrees to help a London museum recover a stolen, rare pearl. But the investigation takes a strange turn when the great detective and his sidekick, Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), find their mystery linked to a series of odd murders involving the destruction of porcelain china. Typically, "Pearl of Death" has its share of inside jokes for true Sherlockians, including Holmes's declaration, "If I'm wrong, I'll move to Sussex and raise bees." Of course, that's exactly what Doyle's most famous character did upon retirement.

The Scarlet Claw is an original screenplay with elements loosely inspired by Doyle's "The Adventure of the Dancing Men." A skeptical Holmes and Watson attend a meeting of the Royal Canadian Occult Society in Canada, but are soon looking into a killing spree attributed to a fanciful marsh monster. Fantastic events are soon supplanted by an even stranger horror concerning a master actor bent on revenge.

The Spider Woman employs details of Holmes's apparent death and resurrection between "The Final Problem" and its follow-up, "The Adventure of the Empty House." But the movie takes a different direction when a bizarre series of late-night "pajama suicides" finds Holmes probing the involvement of a femme fatale. Of the quartet of features in this set (all produced and directed by the energetic Roy William Neill) Spider Woman has the most vivacity and familiar textures from Doyle's canon.

Finally, "The House of Fear," adapted from "The Five Orange Pips," is a chamber mystery concerning successive murders of the members of an elite club, the Good Comrades. On film, the tale seems a bit ludicrous, but its conclusion is among the most startling in the Rathbone films. There's also a fair amount of comedy between Watson and Inspector Lestrade's bumbling ways. --Tom Keogh

Description

Customer Reviews:

Unbelievable.......2007-03-08

Excellent quality. It's unbelievable that such a tremendous improvement could be made to the film. After seeing these and comparing to what I've seen broadcast in the past, the films floored me.

Sherlock Holmes DVD Set.......2007-01-03

These are great! They came within a couple days and were well packaged. I've been greatly enjoying watching these old movies and have ordered more.

Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2.......2006-03-15

Perfect Holmes. I just ordered more of this genre. Movies that you watch over again.

Major Ripoff.......2005-12-27

For the price they are asking, and the lack of extras, these collections are a major disappointment. Don't believe the packaging. These disks are far from being 'loaded with extras'. There are no extras on 3 of the disks, and the 4th has only a commentary track, and an 8 minute featurette about the restoration. Don't get me wrong, I love the films themselves, I just hate the way they have been packaged and sold. I mean they could easily have put 2 or even 3 of the films on one disk without any degradation, and issued the entire series in one collection for the price of a single one of these 'volumes'. I guess they are trying to recoup the cost of restoration. My advice, wait a couple of years for them to release the entire collection at a much lower price, because that is what they will have to eventually do.

Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2.......2004-10-21

For all fans of classic mystery films, you should seriously consider investing in this particular set from the 14 original Sherlock Holmes movies starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce during the 1930's and 1940's. Lovingly restored by UCLA and liberally adapted from the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories, there isn't a weak link among the four selected films here.

In "The Spider Woman," Holmes is forced to fake his own demise in order to counter the title character's fiendish plot. Perhaps the best sequence of the film is the circus shooting gallery finale.

In "The Pearl of Death," Holmes and Watson face off with a ruthless serial killer who is intent on recovering a lost jewel by burglarizing the homes of seemingly random victims. Before it is too late, Holmes must realize that he is facing more than one opponent.

Another serial killer is on the loose in "The Scarlet Claw," as Holmes make a rare visit to Canada to attend a convention. In a remote village, a sinister master-of-disguise is at work bumping off a list of unsuspecting victims that he has long sought vengeance on. The mark of death is a gardening tool used as a gruesome claw. I'll note that this particular film is surprisingly violent for the Rathbone series, but it only adds a greater sense of realism to the plot.

Finally, the "House of Fear" may be well the best of the series from the World War II era, as nicely woven humor is added by the befuddled presence of Inspector Lestrade. An insurance company hires Holmes and Watson to look into the bizarre deaths of an exclusive club of recluses known as the "Good Comrades." One by one, the comrades are brutally dispatched by one of their own after they are each left a warning of their impending demise by the receipt of a mysterious packet of orange pips. Holmes, however, is left with too many baffling clues and a narrowing field of suspects. The finale is well worth waiting for.

Of the three available collector's sets, I would recommend starting with this one before making a decision on the other two since all four titles are of a similiarly excellent caliber. I have no doubt that Rathbone and Bruce will likely insure your entertainment for hours to come.

Average customer rating:

A Ghostly Killer? Or a Rational Explanation?
sherlock holmes - the scarlet claw
The Scarlet Claw
"Here I am, Holmes... I've fallen in another hole!"
One of the darkest entries in the Rathbone series

Sherlock Holmes - The Scarlet Claw
Starring: Basil Rathbone , Nigel Bruce , Gerald Hamer , Paul Cavanagh , and Arthur Hohl
Director: Roy William Neill
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Sherlock Holmes - The House of Fear
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
Sherlock Holmes in Pearl of Death
Sherlock Holmes in The Spider Woman
Sherlock Holmes: The Voice of Terror

ASIN: B0000APVC7
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Amazon.com

Here is another strong entry (beautifully restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive) from the peak of Basil Rathbone's prolific, seven-year run as a definitive Sherlock Holmes for the big screen. The Scarlet Claw (1944) is an original screenplay with elements loosely inspired by Doyle's "The Adventure of the Dancing Men." A skeptical Holmes and Watson (Nigel Bruce) attend a meeting of the Royal Canadian Occult Society in Canada, but are soon looking into a killing spree attributed to a fanciful marsh monster. Fantastic events are soon supplanted by an even stranger horror concerning a master actor bent on revenge. --Tom Keogh

Description

The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm to original condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This newly restored version of the classic film includes the period war bond tag and studio logo and credits from its original theatrical release. Filled with ominous shadows and interesting camera angles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson journey to Canada to attend a meeting of the Royal Canadian Occult Society in Quebec. Before long, they find themselves investigating a series of gruesome murders that the locals attribute to the legendary phantom marsh monster of La Morte Rouge. But Holmes suspects a master of disguise is the real killer, who might be anyone in the village. He contrives a clever trap and courageously sets himself up to be the killer's next victim.

Customer Reviews:

A Ghostly Killer? Or a Rational Explanation?.......2007-02-01

A ghost is seen in a swampy area, and numerous people confirm the sighting of this obviously-luminous ghost. Bodies of sheep and humans are found nearby. Each has the same, distinctive throat wound. Sherlock Holmes does not believe in ghosts. But how is he to find out what exactly this "ghostly" killer is? He fearlessly goes alone into the swampy area at night to encounter and examine this "ghost". Shivers!

Later, the clues begin to pile up: A fragment of rarely-made clothing gets torn off the "ghost", the throat wounds of all the victims fit the pattern of a mini-rake garden tool, a half-torn photograph matches its complementary part found at a suspect's home, and there are astonishing coincidences in the presence and absence of particular people in the town.

But Sherlock Holmes does not have it easy. The killer is very clever and elusive. What's more, the killer keeps changing his identity. At one point, he even masquerades as a woman. Finally, Sherlock Holmes is held up at gunpoint by the killer. Will Holmes become the latest victim of this murderer? If not, will Sherlock and Watson be able to finally apprehend the killer? I will not spoil the ending by revealing it.

The sensitive viewer may appreciate the fact that this old movie, unlike the new ones, is conspicuously free of gory scenes. For example, a woman whose throat was cut, but who manages to ring a church bell before dying, is not shown with a throat wound, even when the face of her body is viewed by Sherlock Holmes. Nor is any trail of blood shown.

sherlock holmes - the scarlet claw.......2007-01-16

Very pleased with product. Haven't seen this episode in a while, very enjoyable.

The Scarlet Claw.......2005-11-02

An excellent film but I would say that as I think Basil Rathbone was a brilliant Sherlock Holmes.

"Here I am, Holmes... I've fallen in another hole!".......2005-02-23

On the surface, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SCARLET CLAW is just another entry in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series. One could make an argument that it's a Holmes-by-numbers production. Indeed, I can't think of any major story element that wasn't done in some earlier or later picture. There's the ghostly apparition, the grisly murder, the mysterious marshland, the secretive villagers, the disguises, etc. Yet, all the standard elements are done exceedingly well here. Everything is firing on all cylinders. It may not be the most original of adventures, but it is one of the most enjoyable.

THE SCARLET CLAW is an above-average atmospheric movie in a series that thrived on providing a grim, tense feeling. Director Roy William Neill was more than used to delivering a stark thriller, but he's really going all out here. There's nothing extremely out of the ordinary, which is perhaps why the movie is such a success. With no propaganda to ram through, no experimentation, and no surprises, the cast and crew can simply concentrate on what they do best -- making a damn entertaining movie.

The direction is superb. The acting is up to it's usual high standard. By this point, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce could play these characters in their sleep, so their performances are precisely what you would and should expect. Bruce's Dr. Watson is again relegated to comic relief, but it's a role he plays very well. The supporting cast is made up of the usual entertaining character actors.

The script contains enough of the standard Sherlock Holmes elements for it to feel familiar, even considering that it is not a straight adaptation of story actually written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Although I've not seen all of the Holmes Universal movies (I have watched most of them), this is the one I think of as the standard by which all others are measured. It did a lot of the things we expect these movies to do and it did they very well. If you're only interested in viewing one in this series, then a very strong case could be made for making this the one.

One of the darkest entries in the Rathbone series.......2004-08-21

For only the second time Rathbone's Holmes and Watson are taken out of the UK (the first was their visit to Washington), this time into the Canadian backwoods.
Some strange apparition appearing in the village, La Morte Rouge (The Red death), kills Lady Penrose. Holmes travels to the village to look into the murder but is met with hostillity from the people. Soon, more murders take place, and the villagers place their blame on the monster of the village.
What follows is one of the darker entries in the series with the worlds most famous consulting detective putting the pieces of the mystery together in an adventure that bares more than a passing resemblence to the earlier "Hound of the Baskervilles".
Definately recommended

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Drift

Paris When It Sizzles

Saving Private Ryan (DTS) [1998]

DVD: Gothika (Widescreen Edition)

Beau Travail