Plot: What’s it about?
If you’re a fan of mystery driven films, usually with an ingenious lead detective who also seems to outsmart the authorities and solve the case before they do, you are probably a fan of Sherlock Holmes. If not, then you need to look up some films and books bearing that name, since the Holmes stories are among the very best mysteries you’ll find, past, present, and probably, future. No matter what those Scotland Yard folk seem to be doing, they can never match wits and detecting skill with Sherlock Holmes, the finest snoop to ever grace the silver screen. When you think of detectives or investigating, more than likely this is the guy you think of. When it comes to digging up the dirt and finding clues like no one else, Sherlock Holmes is simply the best.
FocusFilm has chosen to release some the classic Sherlock Holmes films onto our beloved format, and even went to the trouble of having the films restored by the National Film Museum, which is known for its wonderful restoration work. Instead of just pushing a movie onto a disc, FocusFilm has taken a more involved position with these films. Aside from the extensive restoration work done on all four films, FocusFilm has loaded this boxed set with incredible features, including an interview with Homes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and fifteen hours of the radio serial, The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Also included were trailers and still galleries for all four films, providing much more than just the films. I recommend this set very highly, the presentation is great and the movies themselves are even better. With this release, FocusFilm has become a bigger player in the game, and I hope they continue this watermark of excellence. Below you will find summaries of the four films included in this boxed set.
1. Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon- Sherlock Holmes battles his old nemesis Dr. Moriarty, who is in the process of helping the Nazis in their quest for global domination. This was the second in the twelve volume series of Holmes films from Universal, also the first directed by Roy William Neill, who would go on to direct the remaining ten films for Universal as well.
2. The Woman In Green- Sherlock Holmes finally rids himself of the nefarious Dr. Moriarty, played here by Henry Daniell. Another in the Universal series, this installment happens to be my personal favorite of the set, due to the happenings with Moriarty.
3. Terror By Night- Yet another Holmes mystery aboard a train, this volume introduced the new villain for Holmes to battle wits with, Colonel Sebastian Moran. This is one of the quicker paced Holmes films, but there is no rush in terms of the storyline, which is a great one.
4. Dressed To Kill- Holmes tries to solve the case while keeping a femme fatale from getting too close in this, the final episode in the Universal series. I like this installment, and all where Holmes is tempted to stray from the path by females, as the back and forths are always quite good.
Video: How does it look?
All four films are presented in the original full frame aspect ratio, and have been restored from the only known prints in existence, which the packaging says were very damaged. The image looks quite good, with very little print damage or wear visible, aside from some minor flecks and blips from time to time. I was prepared for much worse, but I am very pleased with the final result here, as the images look very good. Of course, when compared to newer prints, these will look very poor, but I am judging them with their age and original condition in mind. These films are black and white, so contrast plays the most vital role. Although some scenes show overly dark regions, on the whole, the contrast is well balanced throughout all four films, never obscuring detail or mucking up the image. Again, due to the age and condition of the original prints, I am scoring this release on a different scale than more recent releases.
Audio: How does it sound?
All four films feature their original mono tracks, and although the quality varies a little, overall the audio is tremendous, given the age of the tracks involved. While there is some minimal distortion, this is to be expected, and there was not much present to be truthful. The dialogue sounds clear, and no separation issues arise at all.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This is a four disc set, with each disc housing a group of supplements. The discs each contain a theatrical trailer for the film found on that disc, a gallery of still photos, and either seven or eight original broadcasts of the radio serial, The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This means you have the chance to listen to some classic radio programming of this great serial, and a total of fifteen hours is presented over the four discs! The disc for Terror By Night also includes a very rare on screen interview with Sherlock Homes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This interview, which runs a little over eleven minutes, is a wonderful chance to hear from Doyle himself on the origins and evolution of the Holmes character.
