The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Collection

Rating:
Summary: A Fond Farewell
Review: To love Conan Doyle's great detective Sherlock Holmes was never so satisfying as when the brilliant actor, the late and profoundly missed Jeremy Brett, breathed life into his fictional bones giving us arguably the greatest depiction of the Baker Street sleuth ever captured on film.

For me, Brett's is the truest Holmes ever attempted in movies or TV, and the Granada productions more authentically Victorian-era London than any made before this fantastic series or since.

There are some who deride Brett's later portrayals of Holmes, when the actor was very ill and had lost the sleek, angular look that Holmes had been endowed, both by his creator Doyle and his most popular illustrator, Sidney Paget. For me, that criticism is pure balderdash.

When taken in its entirety, the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes series stands the test of time as the definitive telling of the stories, the later episodes underscoring Brett's courage as he faced personal tests that shattered his emotional and physical well-being. I would argue that it is that very human element in Brett's portrayal that makes his Holmes so breathtakingly accurate, compelling and poignant. Holmes denied his humanity and in so doing became more vulnerable as a human being exposing deep character flaws and weaknesses. In Brett, we not only see but feel those shortcomings, and something deeper, too: each person's ultimate struggle to find his or her place in life before death calls us home.

There are 36 episodes and five feature-length films in the Brett-Granada series that spanned 1984 to 1994. Holmes' "Boswell," otherwise known as Dr. John Watson, was adeptly played by David Burke until 1985, then Edward Hardwicke for the remainder of the series. This box set, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, represent the last of the episodes and were produced in 1994 by June Wyndham-Davies. After a decade as Holmes, Brett filmed these last episodes then died Sept. 13, 1995.

The episodes collected here include: The Three Gables; The Dying Detective; The Golden Pince-Nez; The Red Circle; The Mazarin Stone; and the Cardboard Box. (The Dying Detective is especially haunting as Holmes feigns a fatal illness to capture a killer and it is obvious that Brett is very ill.)

Other boxed sets from MPI include the remainder of the series: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; The Return of Sherlock Holmes; The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes; and the Featured Film Collection that includes The Master Blackmailer, The Last Vampyre, The Eligible Bachelor, The Sign of Four, and the immortal Hound of the Baskervilles.

I am thrilled that MPI has FINALLY put the entire series out on DVD. I also remain deeply grateful to Jeremy Brett and everyone involved in creating these productions.



Rating:
Summary: Not the best but good
Review: Being a real fan of the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Conan Doyla, I couldn't help feeling disappointed on this Memeoir series by Granada. Jeremy Brett portrayed Sherlock Holmes the best and yet in this series Granada took too much risk of playing around with the original Sherlock Holmes character. Add to that the illnesss Jeremy Brett suffered clearly dampened his performance and the appearance of the beloved character. I recommend the book instead of this dvd really. But if you insist on wanting to watch it, then watch this dvd before reading the book. Other than Memoir series, I highly recommend the Adventures of S.H., The Return of S.H. and the Casebook of S.H. dvds. Those are simply great! In my opinion Granada should've waited until Jeremy recovered somewhat from his illness and in a better shape before continuing this series. Sometimes Watson is missing, and sometimes Microft comes out where he's not supposed to. Some had too talkative Watson. Basically it's a bit confusing series of the entire Sherlock Holmes production by Granada. But for all their efforts I have to give at least 3 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Finally!
Review: Finally, MPI media is releasing the fifth and final installment of the critically-acclaimed Granada Television "Sherlock Holmes" series on DVD! Suffice it to say these are the finest and most "authentic" productions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes ever made. Most fans consider the late Jeremy Brett to be the quintessential Holmes, and Edward Hardwicke is a fine actor in his own right and a most excellent Dr. Watson.

Sadly, Jeremy Brett was in quite bad health when these final episodes were created and would die several years after. Too bad. He was a gifted actor and should rightly be credited with "bringing to life" one of the 20th Century's most beloved fictional characters.

People may quibble about liberties taken here and there with the stories, but for the most part the "Memoirs" series, like all the others, is very high quality, well-written, produced, and acted. Again, I'm anticipating techno-files may complain about the "transfer" as they have on past releases, but I believe MPI has done the best they can and the DVD is still FAR superior to owning these on videocassette.

Don't purchase these as an introduction to the series, start with the "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." However, if you're here, its probably because you already own the 3 prior DVD packages, "Adventures," "Feature Film Collection," and "Return," all of which are excellent.

Are these worth purchasing? Absolutely. High quality, intelligent, and family-friendly entertainment you can enjoy for a lifetime. Pull out every couple of years to watch them over and share with friends and family.

Rating:
Summary: For the Brett completist
Review: I've enjoyed many portrayals of Sherlock Holmes. None has delighted me quite as much as Jeremy Brett's. This collection of the final six hour-long episodes from the Granada series are a mixed lot, and they may only be for those of us who MUST own the complete Holmes/Brett DVD library. But there is one absolute gem here, "The Cardboard Box." This clever adaptation resets Doyle's classic story during Christmas, and the result is macabre enough to put a grin on the faces of even the gloomiest Sherlockians.

Rating:
Summary: Final release of Holmes has pristine prints
Review: Jeremy Brett was the definitive Holmes and all who know the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and those who have seen Brett's portrayal, will agree. These last releases of MPI have mastered prints from the original Granada tapes and they are easily the best pristine prints of the series. Though Brett was in poor health, he still does an amazing job as Holmes. The last portrayal of Brett as Holmes is included in this set, "The Cardboard box." There were sound problems on the first MPI release on two episodes, from "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. One." These were "The Dancing Men" and "The Naval Treaty." Perhaps MPI could go back and re-master that first volume with these fantastic Granada master tapes?

Rating:
Summary: worth buying, yet not the best collection
Review: Let me preface this review by saying I'm a huge fan of Brett's work as holmes, and I now own the entire Brett sherlock holmes DVD library. Every penny well spent, I think.

Sadly, Jeremy Brett's illness began to take a serious toll on the series at the end, and the quality suffered - but not because of Jeremy!

Of the six episodes here, there are 3 brilliant gems and 3 stinkers. One might simply buy the good ones and not bother with the rest.. anyway, here's the lowdown:

The Three Gables: overwrought melodrama, with actress Mary Ellis engaging in some woeful overacting.
The Dying Detective: One of Brett's finest, as he outwits an amateur scientist at his own game.
The Golden Pince-nez: Watson's gone, and Mycroft takes his place. It has its moments, but the chemistry of watson+holmes is sorely missed. I don't know who directed this one, but the over-artsy direction did not help make up for watson - Bad.
The Red Circle: One of the most suspenseful stories. Thoroughly enjoyable.
The Mazarin Stone: Holmes is gone this time, watson and mycroft solve the case. Mycroft is completely out of character, and the end is ridiculous.
The Cardboard Box: One of my all-time favorites. A truly worthy finale for one of the greatest TV series ever.

Rating:
Summary: NOT written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Review: These are NOT originally written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. These are vague and poor adaptations of the original which come across as cheap plots. These are meant for Jermey Brett fans and not Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fans.


Rating:
Summary: Some Good Material, But Buy Other Sets First
Review: This is a nice final edition to the 21 disc Sherlock Holmes collection (featuring Jeremy Brett). Unfortunately, Jeremy Brett was terminally ill during the filming of these episodes. He eventually died of cardiomyopathy in 1995. His failing health is quite noticeable in these final mysteries. Ironically, it was most evident in "The Dying Detective," where Holmes fakes a terminal illness to capture the killer. This would have been a great episode if it had been filmed when Brett was in better health. Holmes (Brett) is absent completely from one of the episodes ("The Mazarin Stone"). Sherlock's brother Mycroft and Dr. Watson solve the case this time around. Mycroft also plays a vital role in "The Golden Pince-Nez," an episode missing Dr. Watson. Both episodes are OK, but lack the strong chemistry between Watson and Holmes. "The Cardboard Box" is one of the darkest Sherlock Holmes programs and depicts a particularly dramatic and ugly result of infidelity and jealousy. The episode takes place during the Christmas season, which provides an interesting backdrop not seen in other episodes. The best case in this collection, though, is "The Red Circle," which depicts a young couple escaping the vengeful wrath of an Italian mob/terrorist organization. It is the most suspenseful and intriguing mystery in this set.

This collection also includes an interview of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's son Adrian. He gives the interviewer a tour of a Sherlock Holmes museum and provides commentary and insight into the personality traits and legacy of Sherlock Holmes.

Overall, this a good set to have. And it is transferred from the original negative, so the visual quality is pristine. But I would make sure you have the "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," "Return of Sherlock Holmes" and "Casebook of Sherlock Holmes" collections first. They are more consistent and feature a healthy, vibrant Jeremy Brett.