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

Rating:
Summary: The best versions yet!
Review: These digitally remastered versions of Sherlock Holmes are the best ever! All are very clear to see and hear! It allows you to really concentrate on the movie instead of all the imperfections that were in the old original copies, i.e. scratches and lines, etc. contained in the original tapes that are now aged and delaplidated. These new versions are a really good way to immerse yourself in the mystery itself, and actually a joy to watch!

Rating:
Summary: Almost all that they claim
Review: This resurrected series is a delight to see and the restoration by the folks at UCLA is superb. The viewer will not be disappointed with the restored audio and video quality. It brings back those wonderful "late late show" memories to see Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce sleuthing around London again solving murders and making fools out of Scotland Yard - especially in the original crisp, clear black and white that most of us have never seen. However, I was disappointed to discover that the "Bonus Materials" are only on "The Scarlet Claw" disc of the Volume Two Collection. The packaging and marketing would lead one to believe that each film in the series is accompanied by an audio commentary by David Stuart Davies. Unfortunately, "The Scarlet Claw" is the only film that has a commentary track. Needless to say, the "Loaded With Special Features" blurb on the DVD casing is somewhat deceptive. Although there is an introduction by the preservation officer at UCLA, production notes, and a photo gallery of stills and movie posters, MPI Home Video should have at least indicated that the audio commentary was for "The Scarlet Claw" only. Aside from the misleading claims regarding the "DVD Extras", the films are just as entertaining as they ever were and still a bargain. I just wish they had been a little more up-front about the special features since I would have purchased the DVDs anyway. Classic Sherlock Holmes fans are very loyal.