tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46392171302219933442024-03-04T21:04:12.164-08:00Elementary SchooledIn which two media scholars, who love Sherlock Holmes, pick apart the new CBS show while rediscovering the classic Doyle stories.Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-42787412209187815442014-10-23T16:38:00.000-07:002014-10-23T16:38:09.573-07:00Book Review: "The Adventure of the Abbey Grange" (Doyle, 1897)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Come, Watson, come!”
he cried. “The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and come!”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Abbey Grange</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">: </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">*Rummages through
boxes. Clears away dust. Comedic coughing ensues.*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">There it is! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Hey, did you
know we have a blog? I know, I was as surprised as you are! But here it is! We
do! We have a blog! And I've even been told it's about Sherlock Holmes so...We
should probably talk about that. Right. Yeah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The latest
adventure of the World's Greatest Detective that we're looking at is the
Adventure of Abbey Grange. It starts off with Holmes saying one of his most
famous lines, telling Watson he sucks, and leaving London for Downton Abbey. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Holmes tells
Watson, not for the first time, that he over sensationalizes the stories and
adds too many romantic details and doesn't stick to the facts of the mystery at
hand. So Watson, after having his feelings obviously hurt, says, "FINE!
YOU write your own damn stories then!" And Holmes responds, "FINE! I
WILL." And that is the end of that. I don't know if it's me just wanting
more interpersonal drama between the detective and his biographer, but I wish
this had been brought up more or even again. Watson is an important part of the
duo but Holmes often times just pushes him to the side and only talks to him
when he's retelling what he did when trying to figure out a mystery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">When the duo
finally arrive at Downton Abbey, the mystery isn't actually a mystery. The lady
of the house's husband is killed and she says that it was a group of well known
robbers who have been burgling houses all across the country. She provides
numerous details that all point to the fact that this is true and that she
didn't make it up at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"You're right. The murderer is definitely not someone in the house."</span></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>And then
Holmes takes one look around the dining room, sidestepping her dead husband and
goes, "Nope, she's lying." How he does this though is nice. Most
adaptations have the well known detective Lestrade walking around, telling
Holmes how awful he is and how he's going to take all of the credit. Rarely
mentioned is Inspector Stanley Hopkins who is in a handful of adventures as
well. Holmes actually likes Hopkins and instead of shoving him to the side and
making him figure everything out on his own, Holmes gives him a couple of vague
but very pointed hints that should help him figure out the mystery. He's
forcing Hopkins to think critically about the clues at hand, much like those
professors who want you to figure out the answer without just spoon feeding us
the answer to the stupid question that was asked. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The mystery
is quickly solved by Holmes being Holmes. The conclusion is another one of
those moments when Holmes takes the law into his own hands. Throughout the
mystery, we are told how awful Sir Eustace is, I mean, he set a dog on fire. A
live dog, on fire. That's reason enough for him to have his head bashed in with
a fire poker. Or at least also set on fire. But because of his general
awfulness, Holmes lets his killer go free, along with the help of Watson who
says he's not guilty in a very cute scene. It's a weird moment though where
both Watson and Holmes, knowing who the killer is, just lets him walk out the
door because twue wuv or something. The ending didn't sit well with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What is your
opinion, Lugar?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">HOLY CRAP WE HAVE A BLOG!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So I also had
plenty of thoughts on the ending. They had this fantastic setup at the
beginning where Watson is trying to argue the value of his stories and Sherlock
being a dick. Then at the end, there’s this potential for an awesome bookend.
Like you said, Sherlock is bragging about how he walks in the line in
administrating justice and assigns himself as judge. This makes Watson the
jury. It’s his decision that will decide this man’s fate. Like all twelve of
those angry men, this is a moment of decision, possibly indecision and then a
life changing moment. What is the internal conflict of the good doctor? What
are those emotions that are tormenting his soul? Let’s read an excerpt:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">“…Do you
find the prisoner guilty or not guilty?”</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">“Not
guilty, my lord,” said I.</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">“Voux
populi, vox Dei. You are acquitted, Captain Crocker.”</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">That’s it.
That bugged me more than Holmes oddly not judging the killer. Have the roles
reversed? As Watson become more analytical in his approach in these later books
and Holmes is the warm chum? Like you said, Holmes has an admirable mentor like
quality with Hopkins. He leaves it up to Watson to make the big decisions. He
is even romantic in his gesture to have Crocker and the woman meet up a year
later like it was a gosh darn affair to remember. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Is there
something here or am I just incorrectly counting glasses?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">You ever start writing a story and throw in a detail and think,
"Oh! I should revisit that." and then never do? I feel like this is
what happened with Watson and Holmes in the beginning of this story. It was the
perfect little set up for some nice drama and plot points and then it didn't go
anywhere. Maybe Doyle forgot about it? Maybe this was a story that was late to
the printers or something. What ever the reason, it should be revisited. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">At the end, I
don't feel that Watson was really thinking through the whole situation. We get
his internal dialogue more often than not and this time it was just him
retelling the story, not what his opinions really were or what the hell Holmes
was doing. He just goes along with it, which, if he is becoming more analytical
and less emotional, he should've at least paused and gone, "Hold up. Wait
a minute. Let me put the beat back in it." Instead he blindly follows. I
know he trusts Holmes' opinion but he should've at least paused. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Maybe Doyle
was drunk when writing this story. I don't think he drank, at least not in
excess but the character differences are more drastic than I feel should be
from previous adventures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"I was supposed to write about something.....Shit, what was it?"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Maybe we're
both miscounting wine glasses here...?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">WILL SOMEONE JUST COUNT THE WINE GLASSES AND
TELL ME HOW MANY WERE ORIGINALLY HERE? Is that too much to ask?</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">This is a format change that I think snuck up on me. Perhaps our hiatus
was a good idea. (We planned everything.) Does it seem to you that Watson has
less comments throughout all of the story? For I’ve noticed that the client’s
monologues tend to be a lot longer in the Return of Sherlock Holmes. In my
paperback edition, I’m seeing monologues go on for three pages and there are
two doozies in this story. Luckily I thought they were compelling enough but
while I was reading them I took notice of how long it was where people are just
walking around the room describing every minute nuance that is popping into
their head. This story used that in a curious way of a litmus test—do you
believe this story? Since we’re about four pages in when the first one appears,
it’s fair to have a little bit of doubt.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I’m not sure if it’s because it’s been a few months since I read a story
but I rather liked this one. I was disappointed by Doyle’s approach to Watson
but aside from that I thought there was a clear picture of what happened and
Holmes was fun to be around. I’m very excited for the final story in this volume
since it has already been aluded to before….</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Since this is the story with the famous line, which you can read at the
beginning of the blog, we decided to review a Sherlock Holmes video game. A
popular one that popped up this year was one for iOS and Android called The
Network that ties into the BBC game. Right now it’s free and we’re going to
check it out next week. Thankfully there’s nothing horrible going on about
women reviewing video games so we’ll be fine! Join us, won’t you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">: At last, we have
a blog again!</span></div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-70872564530030210672014-08-26T18:17:00.002-07:002014-08-26T18:17:23.677-07:00In-Class Movie: "The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter" (Hobbs, 1955)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holmes put his finger
to his lips and glanced at me.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So we’ve covered a lot of different Sherlock Holmes stories in our
year+ on this blog, but we’ve had one major omission so far. Sherlock Holmes
has always been very active in the radio community. In many ways, that seems to
be going against its own strengths. Sherlock is the master of observation and
with audio that tends to be a bit difficult. Yet how different is it to hear Sherlock
say, “Ah look at this!” then have a TV show that doesn’t put the clue in focus
until the hero mentions something?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Our first
venture into this auditory adventures is with Carleton Hobbs as the acclaimed
hero and Norman Shelley as Watson. (Despite the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O09n9lHzdag"><span style="color: #386eff;">YouTube
link</span></a> saying John Gieguld….we’ll get to him soon.) The two of
them were in 80 radio adaptations for the BBC starting in the 1950s. They feel
very much into the rhythms of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. While Shelley
never seems as outright dumb as Bruce, he does have that flustered feel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I think what
builds to the strength of this audio adaptation is the chance for more acting
nuance with the story. We just covered this one and it goes into some dramatic
territory and one of the most noticeable things about this audio drama was the
ending. It goes from a fun adventure equipped with the sound of a dog, to a
really melodramatic conclusion. This turn seemed to work better for me in this
because you really got to hear the response of the characters above all else. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What did you
think, Leigh? Was this your first Sherlock audio drama? Would you want to hear
more from these two or are you more prone to find different leads? Or are you
saying that radio is dead and we should only cover the written page or filmed
adaptations WITH NO MIDDLE GROUND?!?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: My experience with radio dramas is
very limited. I've listened to War of the Worlds, as is required by law, I
believe, for people who work at radio stations, and that's about it. I'm one of
the few people who hasn't gotten into Welcome to Nightvale, by no fault of the
show, I would just rather watch one of the many TV shows on my ever growing
"To Watch" list. So when I finally sat down and listened to this, I
was a bit disappointed. The story was basically word for word from the story
but I just felt like that other element was missing, which doesn't make sense
since the audio medium allows us to use just as much of our imagination as
reading it does. I've said before that I listen to the audiobook versions of
our stories most of the time just because it allows me to do something else
like knit or play dumb games online while still getting the story and the
information. The radio drama added very little more to what the audiobook
version already had. Sure there were more voice actors than the lone reader
attempting (and sometimes succeeding) to do various voices, and there were the
occasional sound effect to add to the story but I just felt that it didn't add
anything. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"And then they came down like A WREEEECKING BALL!"</span></td></tr>
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The acting
for me was just as melodramatic as the Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies and I
honestly thought it was Nigel Bruce as Watson when he first spoke. I had to do
the aural equivalent of a double take. I have to remind myself of the time
period though. If people recognized the actors as being Sherlock Holmes and
Watson without having to actually say, "Hey look, Watson! I think there's
something over there, Watson!" every line, then you'll have more listeners
and people will be more interested in it. It makes sense and if I were a child
of a different era where I didn't have a camera in my phone that I can stick in
my pocket after I'm done playing a video game on it, then the audio drama
might've interested me more. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">As for the
story, I'll say again that it was basically a line by line adaptation, which I
appreciate. But because it was, we didn't really get any new insights to this
story. The only thing that was added for me was the actor who played Holmes who
really changed tones when the story did. That's not something I got from the
story itself so having that was nice to show that Holmes really does pick up on
things like social cues and such.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I feel like I'm
being too harsh. Is it just that I'm a child of a different age or was this not
the best adaptation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Ah, I completely forgot that you
listen to the audiobooks. Then this feels a bit redundant, most likely. My
praise for being faithful and approachable in an audio format is a bit silly
when you already listened to the most faithful audio adaptation one can have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I think I
have more of a history of radio dramas but they’re all new-age radio dramas. I’m
a podcast junkie and one of my favorites is the Thrilling Adventure Hour, which
is a comedy show that is in the style of “old-time radio”. So you get to have
serial space western stories like Sparks Nevada: Marshall on Mars or a
paranormal <i>Thin Man</i> send-up like Beyond Belief. Very rarely does
that show go for a meta-approach to their medium—usually only when the audio
cue was late. When listening to something like that or a Big Finish Doctor Who
drama, I think it’s all about how to create the image in your mind. Much like a
written story is supposed to do. If you want a great one in recent years,
listen to the BBC Radio adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere with James
MacAvoy, Natalie Dormer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee and more amazing
people.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Is he part of the mafia?"</span></td></tr>
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In this
story, the most vivid image I had was in the final moments because it’s easier
to imagine an outdoors scene than something like 221B Baker Street. It would
ruin the illusion if Watson and Sherlock just start describing everything
around them. When you’re outdoors the sound effects can create all that you
need without any awkward dialog. While I feel this story could have had more of
a production to it, I think this fits in well with the more casual scope of the
story. This wouldn’t work for something like "The Sign of Four”, but it
feels nice here.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I didn’t mind
the melodrama because the story itself was melodramatic. I always like that
genre when it’s done well and that means a complete commitment to the
heightened drama. By the end, all the of emotions worked thanks to the actors
willing to go for that understated sadness/disappointment when they wanted a
happy just ending. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">[Between this response
and the next over a month has passed. Austin moved from Indiana to Chicago.
Leigh moved from Florida to Indiana. They both started new jobs. A LOT
HAPPENED.]<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Again, the varied emotions were nice.
It's not something that you always get when just listening to an audio book.
Not every reader is Stephan Fry. They don't always bring the nuances of dialog
and tone that the story needs, that your brain puts in there when you read a
story. Having actors performing it, even if it is just audio, adds more than I
normally get with the just an audio book.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"And that's when Sherlock Holmes discovered something <i>quite interesting</i>...."</span></td></tr>
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I do
wish that it might've been more adventurous than just repeating the story line
by line. I wanted something more, something that we couldn't get just from
reading the story aloud with a few friends in a living room. I don't know how
they would've gone about it, maybe with more/better sound effects or something.
Maybe brightening up the dialog. I felt that it needed something more than just
what we were given.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Next
time, we deal with a murder, some wine and burglars. Good times!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Also, I'd like
to apologize. This time the post is so late because of me. My life imploded and
got in the way. Things are starting to calm down now so maybe we'll get back on
some semblance of a schedule!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And here is
Austin Lugar with the final word…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I definitely remember this audio drama
very clearly!</span><br />
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-78277689960253799412014-06-24T11:01:00.000-07:002014-06-24T11:05:11.899-07:00Book Review: "The Adventure of the Missing Three Quarter" (Doyle, 1904)<i>“You live in a different world to me, Mr. Overton—a sweeter and healthier one. My ramifications stretch out into many sections of society, but never, I am happy to say, into amateur sport, which is the best and soundest thing in England.” </i><br />
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<i>— Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Missing Three Quarter"</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt;">Leigh</span>:
Yet again, our story matches up with our recent viewings without any sort of
planning. We actually changed what movie we were going to watch to something
easier to discuss to get back into the swing of things. We're getting good at
this. On the first page, Watson discusses that he's worried about Holmes going
back on drugs in a paragraph that might be one of Doyle's best written
paragraphs. We have a bored Sherlock Holmes who is is teetering on falling back
into drug use and a very concerned Watson who doesn't want that to happen to
his friend. <o:p></o:p></div>
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AND LO AND BEHOLD, in walks a mystery! Not an incredibly
serious mystery, but the mystery of a missing rugby player. The best in the
world or county or something. I don't know. I didn't really pay attention to
the rugby bits. In fact, the rugby bits actually confused me. I found myself
drifting off and not paying attention when anything about a three quarter or
goals or tries or quaffles were mentioned. If anything, it made me not
interested. I'm sure that for those who know anything about rugby at all besides
that the New Zealand All Blacks are the scariest/sexiest men in the world, it
at least made sense. It makes complete sense that Doyle wrote a story that had
a sports theme since he founded a football team (since disbanded) and played
cricket (which I think is impossible to learn how to play and people just
pretend that they know what's going on). In fact, I'm a little surprised that
it we haven't encountered another story like this before. Sherlock Holmes and
the Case of the Missing Cricket Bat or something. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWD8qcCyA4MCoK2XKx2hDiv8zhcjM1T0ex9_R31dRhOANELRRGLaUYwAdKiCjIwh7DGDzlZSehwHPI0EihJBpbZxK0eIgoqLO5_iRKe0BUl1E0rsBKe9lGHSlpTy6pATHGB8_RMt3gDtK/s1600/al-blacks-haka-sebastiano-pessina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWD8qcCyA4MCoK2XKx2hDiv8zhcjM1T0ex9_R31dRhOANELRRGLaUYwAdKiCjIwh7DGDzlZSehwHPI0EihJBpbZxK0eIgoqLO5_iRKe0BUl1E0rsBKe9lGHSlpTy6pATHGB8_RMt3gDtK/s1600/al-blacks-haka-sebastiano-pessina.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">This is all that Leigh understands about rugby, but really, who needs to know more?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What we do have though, once we wade through all of the
rugby talk, is a man who is missing. A man who, while relatively scant of money
now, is set to inherit a lot of money from his uncle, Scrooge McDuck. The
missing man sent a very intriguing telegram before he up and disappeared which
leads Holmes and Watson to a doctor who IS NOT HAVING IT. He actually
challenged Holmes, not so much so Holmes couldn't figure it out, but enough to
put a bit of padding into the middle of the story. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
What did you think? Did you enjoy the rugby ties? Or did it
just muddle the relatively straightforward mystery?<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #8E8E8E; color: #222222; font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Austin</span><b><span style="background: #8E8E8E; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></b>The rugby bits
were confusing because they ultimately weren’t a major part of the story. The
European sport was a bit of misdirection, which was disappointing since while
we’re writing this we’re in the middle of an exciting World Cup. I’ve had only
a limited experience with rugby. I saw the movie Invictus and my
brother played rugby for a year—but I only attended one game. I mostly
understood it. It’s like American Football except they hug more and play
faster.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You mentioned the parts of this story I really liked which
was examining Sherlock out of his element. His boredom is causing a major toll
on him and then the case that is supposed to get him out of his rut begins with
a name he is expected to know but doesn’t. I think it’s rather fitting that by
the end, Sherlock isn’t even the one to find the exact location of Geoffrey; he
has to have the help of a scent hound. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVg098MGv8mpOSW4xAJSxo36IXkVPm_vMoG1Ve7X1nq62_r7vxi_oNb7Ta-81BTrtNccVhOALAX3VObbbsBOaEtqdvo_hG8GKYjDq-tf-ssQecmcF5pjai834Sh_2BcmSkJW8Ouk4xhdo3/s1600/Beagle-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVg098MGv8mpOSW4xAJSxo36IXkVPm_vMoG1Ve7X1nq62_r7vxi_oNb7Ta-81BTrtNccVhOALAX3VObbbsBOaEtqdvo_hG8GKYjDq-tf-ssQecmcF5pjai834Sh_2BcmSkJW8Ouk4xhdo3/s1600/Beagle-4.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Not just used for the "DAWWW"s any more! </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yet throughout all of this, Sherlock keeps his cool. He
never panics or even feels that embarrassed that he doesn’t know about rugby.
(AND NOBODY SHOULD) It fits true to his MO of going forth into the strange and
unknown even if that means amateur rugby. It ends up having the same sort of
elements that we see in his crimes like mysterious notes and money grabbing
plans. However, it still feels like an underdog story for our brilliant hero. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This isn’t one of the great stories and I’m not sure I’m
entirely happy with the conclusion, but I enjoyed the point of view of it all.
Am I crazy or did you see some of that too?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt;">Leigh</span>:
I thought the conclusion was...lackluster? Inappropriate? I don't know. It was
a let down though to have Holmes run all around the countryside and then it
ends with a man crying over his dead wife and the doctor saying, "GUESS
WHAT?! YOU WON. YA HAPPY NOW? JERK!" I don't know. I just wanted something
a bit more fantastic to go with the rest of the story. Holmes was facing a
great opponent and yet the story ended with the missing Three Quarter (do I
capitalize this? I don't know.) mourning over his recently dead wife. It just
felt like a bummer after what was a really fun adventure. Almost like we were
having all of this fun and Holmes was doing his best and then when we find out
what happened, I almost feel guilty for having so much fun. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know that some Sherlock Holmes stories are going to be a
bit more relaxed and not as crazy as some of them but I was hoping for a
conclusion to at least match the rest of the story in intensity and intrigue
and instead we are left with a melancholy ending. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But it felt to me like Watson should've stepped in at the
end and had a discussion with Holmes about how they went about things and maybe
if they should've stopped searching for the missing rugby man. It feels like a
moral story, like we the audience should learn something from it like that some
people's business is private for a reason or that sometimes people go missing
who don't want to be found. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What do you think? Should we, the audience, take something
away from this story or is it just an odd ending?<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #8E8E8E; color: #222222; font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Austin:</span> I thought it was a fine
ending. Not one of the best but the dead wife element threw me off a bit. I
thought it would have a more emotional appeal, but since it was so much looking
at different directions it didn’t work for me on that level. Plot wise, I
thought it was fine. I guess I didn’t think this was a super happy fun
adventure! Not that I thought it was a darker tone throughout but the rugby
element felt more like a new setting than a wacky setting—like a gaggle of
gingers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Watson felt like an observer this entire tale. It was almost
like Sherlock told him this story once and now Watson is telling it second
hand. I’m happy when Watson isn’t involved heavily in the plot when he can add
an interesting observation like he did at the beginning of the story. After
that he seemed to fade away rather heavily. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think the world of Sherlock Holmes always feels a bit
bleak at times. Not just because there are always crimes happening but it’s
because they’re happening without much eye-raising. It’s never a shocking act
that’s happening, it just feels so much like normal society. Sherlock is trying
to maintain order but it will never stick. This isn’t like a comic book world
where goons are going to do bad things but they know Batman could be right
around the corner. Sherlock’s presence isn’t making an impact on crime; they’re
just carrying on often in very selfish ways. Sometimes they’re goofy and
sometimes this town is rather cruel. That’s why we need heroes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Silly Sherlock! You can't fly!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And here is Leigh Montano with the final word!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt;">Leigh:
</span>HAKA!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Leigh Montanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212709793900015111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-76957648400154622082014-06-04T15:50:00.003-07:002014-06-04T16:46:01.326-07:00In-Class Movie: "The Great Game" (Sherlock, 2010)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“A simple case, and
yet, in some ways, an instructive one,” Holmes remarked, as we travelled back
to town.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">: </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We’re back! Again!
We keep having these random little hiatuses but we never really leave. We just
keep climbing up the Reichenbach Falls, jumping off, messing around for a bit
and then come back to the world we know so well. Apologies are on my end this
time but now we’re back. Instead of reviewing a Jeremy Brett movie, I thought
it’ll be best to change up our plans to review our next episode of Sherlock
since that might be of more interest to our readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We’re now up
to the Season One finale where from the first scene we return to the edge that
Sherlock seemed to be missing in "The Blind Banker". He’s mocking someone who is
about to die, he’s shooting his own apartment, he’ll probably get around to
taking care of that head in his fridge. This is all because he’s bored and the
show’s response is to get him a wheelbarrow’s full of plots all with different
degrees of danger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6F_nhS5c4gPyNXlZmDLxkV3u6TXxLPAHrsYFGe-CRoXGHwAMMlFkrjaPKG9FgVTilq_vvAdp569ZpEL7V2wnS5dTRah-QAbLtproWjVQgZmGC0IJ2bPTBsmZtybjkIpbbI9AnajFTZST/s1600/Fridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6F_nhS5c4gPyNXlZmDLxkV3u6TXxLPAHrsYFGe-CRoXGHwAMMlFkrjaPKG9FgVTilq_vvAdp569ZpEL7V2wnS5dTRah-QAbLtproWjVQgZmGC0IJ2bPTBsmZtybjkIpbbI9AnajFTZST/s1600/Fridge.jpg" height="185" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Honestly, this is better than abandoned smelly leftovers. Watson shouldn't complain so much.</span></td></tr>
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In the first
two episodes, we had one plot and barely and subplots to deal with for 80
minutes. This is dramatically different where it feels like they’re adapting an
entire anthology. Mycroft wants stolen missile plans back, a bomber is setting
up a series of mysteries to solve and this is all happening while Sherlock is
desperate to use any free minute he has to figure out who is Morarity.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I found this
to be very successful because of the time limits with the bombers. They made
the possible bomber victims very sympathetic because of how scary their
situation is. I found the subplot with Watson earning his stripes to be a bit
lacking because government secrets is just gibberish at this point because we
know it won’t have any actual impact on our characters and their world. So that
is lesser priority even though Martin Freeman is fantastic in those scenes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What did you
think of the format of this show? Was it too messy for you or did it all fit
like a crazy explosive puzzle?</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">: </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">As I've mentioned
before, I watched this show one summer when I didn't have anything else to do
except watch Netflix. I loved the first episode and felt like the second
episode was just a vehicle to get me to the third episode. Does the third
episode make sense 100% of the time? No. Was it an absolute blast to watch?
Yes. Oh yes. Definitely yes. This is the only season finale to make me actually
shout at my computer, at like 3 AM, much to my neighbor's dismay. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This episode
is great because it uses so many different points from the stories, and in
interesting ways, and makes Sherlock work. The first two episodes, we don't see
Sherlock work for it. He just shows up, looks at some things and figures out
the multi-layered mystery. In this case, we have Sherlock actually running
around trying to figure out the clues and plots before half of London is blown
up. And almost gets it wrong. And doesn't win all of the time which is nice to
see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Now, the
individual mysteries. When thinking back about this episode, I forget that all
of that actually happens in only one episode. There is SO much going on that
sometimes the plot gets lost and muddled. It would've been nice if something
was dropped so other things could be expanded and explained a bit more. I
would've liked Sherlock to explain his homeless network just a bit more, maybe
like even a line of dialogue more. There is so much going on that I didn't
recognize the homeless woman the second time she showed up when I watched this
episode the first time. And I honestly still don't really understand the
Golem's role in this all. He was hired by the gallery director? Or Moriarty? Or
both? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But then
there's that finale. Holy crap. What did you think about Jim in IT? Does that
reveal make up for the rest of the muddled episode? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnMMRhRBoTgsVTdskaMaQlEJMN0R054qTFN6zz43PkgigOPUTvnk-XtG50ol4rCPzeD856kChzsQ-iPAXMNdaVbv7G39q07FUJbDF4Vn0aHillOhmI58aRhRc3h65X488c33UMKqyRIAL/s1600/Jim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnMMRhRBoTgsVTdskaMaQlEJMN0R054qTFN6zz43PkgigOPUTvnk-XtG50ol4rCPzeD856kChzsQ-iPAXMNdaVbv7G39q07FUJbDF4Vn0aHillOhmI58aRhRc3h65X488c33UMKqyRIAL/s1600/Jim.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Here is the advent of Tumblr.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: What made you shout?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">That is
something this episode gets to do really well: play in the entire playground of
Sherlock’s world. "The Blind Banker" was able to focus on the one story, but this
allows to jump around all parts of London to see how everybody functions with
the whole spectrum of Sherlock villains. More than enough way to challenge
Sherlock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">In fact, I
love what they do to Sherlock. It was as if Moriarty was testing his
vulnerabilities. He presents Sherlock a child’s shoe, the mysteries of space,
reality TV and even a flirting encounter. I thought the use of Jim was
absolutely brilliant. They had tricked me once when I thought Mark Gatiss
was Moriarty but to put him right in front of our face in the middle
of chaos was incredible. I spent the gap between Season One and Two really
defending Morarity because some people thought he was too flashy. To me, all of
these tests is a way of mocking Sherlock. Look what you aren’t able to do or
understand. Morarity is able to have friends and girlfriends and hide himself
amongst the public and Sherlock can’t. Then he can be smarter because
ultimately if he wanted to, he could kill Sherlock and Watson. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Even if it’s
a bit hard to figure out how the pieces fit together, I enjoy the rapid fire
storytelling and the constant feels of stakes. (I
think Moriarty hired the Golem to bring Sherlock to the museum as
well as giving him more of a lethal challenge; it was getting too easy for
him.) Ultimately this brings out the real Sherlock and I think it’s
Cumberbatch’s best performance in the season. In fact it’s something I miss in
the later seasons because he feels like so much of an outsider. It is a blend
of a reality we recognize and one where a psychopath can create a great game.
In the later seasons it feels like Sherlock is the king of his own world, here
is can sometimes disappear in the crowd. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUz1qR824BXLTkl9uXFgpdE-8uQgPvO5W14J5zi2zwQjXJQwi93uCI9UUQ1nA4PYRWdIWegkELlr8xT4-bdM5wu4p5xLiGlg7GyDYPiA0dXok3CUHL4b9mqr9TBozwk5LC_ALfIS3wqbb/s1600/Bored.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUz1qR824BXLTkl9uXFgpdE-8uQgPvO5W14J5zi2zwQjXJQwi93uCI9UUQ1nA4PYRWdIWegkELlr8xT4-bdM5wu4p5xLiGlg7GyDYPiA0dXok3CUHL4b9mqr9TBozwk5LC_ALfIS3wqbb/s1600/Bored.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">I sit among the angels but I am not one of them. Actually scratch that, this guy is guilty.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We’ll get to
see more of Sherlock and Moriarty in the next season but what do you think
about the two of them and the worlds they create for themselves? Also how does
Watson fit into it all?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I shouted when they're all standing in
the pool, tension is rising and then BAM! CREDITS. The most frustrating season
finale. Until, you know, the next season. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_jbxXRNQqS3qNAHGwF9JINIORFhfv1qXeeuSrDFIT1Hjh11dXrpvdm3x7f3qNT9bepqZ7qJA_RsS2YV9VXygOecb6wW0rLporQe9H-zc_PbndlI8kpC_K3PUG1XiZgmRW6ovigLUUUle/s1600/Scream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_jbxXRNQqS3qNAHGwF9JINIORFhfv1qXeeuSrDFIT1Hjh11dXrpvdm3x7f3qNT9bepqZ7qJA_RsS2YV9VXygOecb6wW0rLporQe9H-zc_PbndlI8kpC_K3PUG1XiZgmRW6ovigLUUUle/s1600/Scream.jpg" height="177" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Put your hands up and...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I, too, was
fooled by Gatiss as Moriarty. I thought it would've been cool to just introduce
him right up front but having him be Mycroft instead works well too. I am a big
Moriarty fan. I think that, while it isn't canon accurate, this representation
of him is the best I've seen. He's smart. He knows it. And he knows that he can
beat Sherlock Holmes. So instead of just beating him, he's toying with him.
Making Holmes a part of his web of crime. It's so subtle that even Holmes
doesn't realize this. Moriarty is SO GOOD that he was literally right under
Holmes' nose and Holmes didn't even know it. He had no idea that Jim from IT
was a mastermind criminal. Moriarty has created his world very meticulously. He
even has a spot and a purpose for Sherlock Holmes who really just seems to be a
player in Moriarty's play at this point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And can we
take a second to give a shout out to Molly who broke up with one of the most
dangerous men in the world and lived to tell the tale. I bet that break up talk
was awkward and hilarious. I want to see this now. Moffat should make that
happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I think
Watson is Holmes' heart in this series. He's always a loyal companion and
biographer, but in this series he really brings out Holmes' humanity. In
the canon, he tends to just scoff and chuckle at Holmes when he's being
"like an automaton." But in this series, Watson points out the things
that Holmes should pay attention to, from the mundane like the solar system to
the more important things like the people who are strapped to bombs. He's showing
Holmes how to become more human and that some of those pesky human things are
important. I'm gonna be really nerdy here but Watson is to Moriarty as Love is
to Voldemort. I think that's the best explanation I have. Watson might be seen
as a weakness to Moriarty but he is a driving force to keeping Holmes active
and sharp. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I loved the
pacing of this episode. I wasn't complaining when I said that when remembering
this episode, it felt like more than one episode. I get distracted a lot while
watching things, especially on the computer since Twitter and Candy Crush are
right there, but this is an episode that I can sit down and watch with very
little interruption. I think my only interruption while watching it this past
weekend was to talk to my boyfriend about when we were seeing Godzilla. Even
though I knew what was going to happen and the fact that I've seen this episode
numerous times, I was still enthralled. It is such a great and fun story
that does show the complexities of the Sherlock universe and just how great
Moriarty is. I think that there might be only one episode since that matched
the complexity of this episode. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Next time, we
get to learn about rugby! And there's a missing person too, but RUGBY!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And now Austin
with the final word!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: THE VAN BUREN SUPERNOVA!</span></div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-73763528075679854952014-03-29T07:52:00.000-07:002014-03-29T07:52:33.630-07:00Book Review: "The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez" (Doyle, 1904)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="background: #8E8E8E; color: #222222; font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Leigh: </span>For a while lately, I've felt that the stories we've covered have been a little...traditional. A little run of the mill. Nothing really stands out and nothing is that exciting. The last story we covered was literally about cheating students. Yawn, amiright? But this one, this one I feel is different.<br /> <br /> <br /> The audience is given a chance to see Holmes finer skills, some that we don't see all too often. He takes something as mundane as a pair of fancy glasses and is able to give an accurate description of the person who owns them. I'm a glasses wearer and while I do have some distinguishing marks on them, I don't think someone would be able to deduce an accurate description of what I look like. And yet Holmes is able to tell from the pince nez what the woman looks like and even how she carried herself. <br /><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6l-hhT64DBgZWg0ucS1yO8EBRqr38PbbdL3CO4IsKWNg7QkZIhkZcm_Gts55RYjKGED_2dn7UZI3ftoWpKgqiccgGqBkw7nPZ5sfLlVvPwmMZT7pjEMWXJj4qxz6o88SPbnb2oxV79UuB/s1600/teddy-roosevelt-pince-nez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6l-hhT64DBgZWg0ucS1yO8EBRqr38PbbdL3CO4IsKWNg7QkZIhkZcm_Gts55RYjKGED_2dn7UZI3ftoWpKgqiccgGqBkw7nPZ5sfLlVvPwmMZT7pjEMWXJj4qxz6o88SPbnb2oxV79UuB/s1600/teddy-roosevelt-pince-nez.jpg" height="288" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Probably looked something like this...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
And then the audience actually gets to go with Holmes (and Watson) to figure out who this lady is. It was such an intriguing story that I didn't even mind the story time towards the end of the book. We we able to enjoy a different adventure with some detail work that we don't see in every story. We also see what might be Lestrade's replacement who actually supports Holmes and his theory of detection. I enjoyed this because it showed that minute detective work was slowly becoming more popular in the Holmes universe just like it did in the real world.<br /> <br /> <br /> Overall, I was happy with this adventure. What about you? Did you enjoy the plot twist at the end? Did you like how Holmes came to his conclusions?<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /><div>
<span style="background-color: #8e8e8e; color: #222222; font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20.5pt;">Austin: </span>This one was a lot of fun. The story time entirely worked because it was a lovably crazy moment. We had a woman come out from behind the bookcase with plenty of accusations, conspiracies and to top it all off, she poisoned herself before she started her speech. Bam!<br /><br /><br />While the story had plenty of other successes, it was this type of drama that really worked for me in this story. I enjoyed the secluded world of this professor and his quiet co-habitants. I was worried Doyle would become too particular with the angles of every room, but this felt a lot clearer. (The map definitely helped.) Perhaps it was because the stakes felt higher than those cheating students or perhaps Doyle was just able to be more concise in this story.<br /><div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Leigh didn't have a map since she listened to it. <br />She can only assume it looked something like this.</span></td></tr>
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<br /><br /> I enjoyed the glasses bit because it wasn’t just an amusing trick to start off the story in 221B Baker Street. This fit into the story, which helped a lot with the pacing. Also the glasses moment reminded me of the great scene from 12 Angry Men and that’s always a plus.<br /> <br /> <br /> Something I’m finding amusing as I’m reading and watching mysteries is the path the detective takes. Is the narrative hunting down motivation or simply looking at the evidence? Sherlock Holmes, by nature, will always look at the clues and not entirely know why the mystery woman fits into this story. Does that make for a more satisfying story? What would we do if she popped into the room, refused to say anything and was taken away for questioning and then the story ended?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">"Something tells me we'll have this whole case wrapped up in the next 40 minutes."</span></td></tr>
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<br />We like to have our curiosity sated. Why do you think so many people tried to figure out what Bill Murray said to Scarlett Johansson at the end of Lost in Translation (A MOVIE I HAVE SEEN! WHAT! I KNOW! I'm as surprised as you!) Why does Brad Pitt shout "WHAT'S IN THE BOX!?" (Okay, another movie I haven't seen.) We like to know what happens next. We like to find out just exactly how that odd shaped puzzle piece fits into the whole scheme of things. Also, writers want the audience to know why things happened. James Bond supervillains always have a monologue telling their evil plans because they have to have a reason for James Bond to beat him up and save the day. It just isn't satisfying to have find a puzzle piece but not know where it fits.<br /> <br /> <br /> Does my metaphor work? Are there some key examples I'm leaving out? <br /><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="background: #8E8E8E; color: #222222; font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Austin:</span>TRUE DETECTIVE WAS QUITE AMAZING.<br /> <br /> <br /> Yet Sherlock doesn’t have the skills that we see from other detectives. In Doyle’s world a confession can be caused simply by asking politely. In a short story, it’s about conservation of words and story so you can’t have a long drawn out break-down like you see on The Shield or The Closer. (Especially when they’ve poisoned themselves.) While I really enjoyed this story, I’d like to see a bit more challenge on the character beyond the initial puzzle. Again, this is me asking for a type of story that Doyle isn’t interested in, but I admire what he is doing.<br /></div>
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By the end, everything fits together really well. He’s not in the nature of being ambiguous because this is about puzzle solving. Rust Cohle was about examining a generational look at evil where one exact answer wouldn’t be satisfying. In Sherlock’s world, one person (or sometimes two) caused this strange thing to happen and it’s up to one to figure it out. If she would die before revealing everything, then Sherlock loses because these stories are about a full and complete tale—fit for Watson to print. </div>
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<br /> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4yd9-nOH0yt33FGqtOvJOv7Oz4n-LG28uOuR4KHlcFkCtWs_j-5LdbPEoQ17EJLDr1MTCjyczdEp1GiPSIPnq88552Ztqd7zRlnKiHppI9mVM_5F_NTuZI8jY6BAn8rpBX-DwoBXBOqL/s1600/o-true-detective-trailer-facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4yd9-nOH0yt33FGqtOvJOv7Oz4n-LG28uOuR4KHlcFkCtWs_j-5LdbPEoQ17EJLDr1MTCjyczdEp1GiPSIPnq88552Ztqd7zRlnKiHppI9mVM_5F_NTuZI8jY6BAn8rpBX-DwoBXBOqL/s1600/o-true-detective-trailer-facebook.jpg" height="170" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">"There is definitely a larger evil at work. Just look at those glasses!"</span></td></tr>
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Apologies to everyone for inconsistent postings. I just started a new job. (It’s called Books and Brews! If you live in the Indianapolis area come on in and I’ll recommend you a great book and an in-house crafted beer. Leigh, I believe, has been reading the human genome and adapting into a comedic podcast. Next time, we’ll go further into the Golden Pince-Nez by seeing the Jeremy Brett adaptation.<br /><br /><br />Before I pass it over, it is important to say this…Brad Pitt already kinda knew what was in the box when he was screaming that. To open it was just confirming all of our dark suspicions. Leigh, watch Se7en! It’s good!<br /><br /><br />And here’s Leigh Montano with the final words…</div>
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Leigh Montanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14212709793900015111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-55642728017903368722014-03-02T13:05:00.002-08:002014-03-02T13:05:58.566-08:00In-Class Movie: "The Blind Banker" (Sherlock, 2010)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Wastson, you here! I’ll
take the armchair in the middle. I think that we are now sufficiently imposing
to strike terror into a guilty beast. Kindly ring the bell.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of Three Students”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So I watched <i>Sherlock</i> weekly when it first aired in
August in the UK. (I saw it through magic.) My brother and I adored the pilot
and were so excited to watch this one. After it was done, we both thought, “Huh.
So this is the kind of show it’s going to be.” This isn’t a bad episode, but it’s
a midseason filler. No advancements in the main storyline except for name
dropping Morarity as if he was Bad Wolf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Thankfully
the show has evolved to make each episode count more, but this still remains as
a bit of an odd bird in the series. A group of Chinese smugglers sneak in goods
to the UK and leave ridiculous yellow markings to communicate and threaten
their colleagues. This leads to some fun action scenes and an exciting (yet
still ridiculous) conclusion involving a compacted deathtrap. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFri_d9fK9lU0_FjVFxLMdZNpR1QQBalwu3gNE4l2O8PNPyiosNGBGCPcEOahDfuzyUU-LfZLu8wJRFSO-mDw1ncNPpmdh2NVU7YYIra5xt3b-GYTO1bhK6n9TnjGreiHPbmcV9siW3iGA/s1600/Message.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFri_d9fK9lU0_FjVFxLMdZNpR1QQBalwu3gNE4l2O8PNPyiosNGBGCPcEOahDfuzyUU-LfZLu8wJRFSO-mDw1ncNPpmdh2NVU7YYIra5xt3b-GYTO1bhK6n9TnjGreiHPbmcV9siW3iGA/s1600/Message.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Next time you can just send me an invoice.</span></td></tr>
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Yet here’s
where we’ve been talking about for the past few weeks on this blog: the
heightened aspect. Sherlock Holmes stories stand out because of their
superhuman deduction, exotic elements and crazy cases. This has all three, but
when you place this show in some sort of modern day—those elements also stand
out as odd. This is the one episode where the tone really feels off. I shouldn’t
be asking, “Why would you even put those marks like that? Wouldn’t that attract
more attention to your group instead of just sending them a note in the mail?”
As Film Critic Hulk would <a href="http://badassdigest.com/2012/10/30/film-crit-hulk-smash-hulk-vs.-plot-holes-and-movie-logic/"><span style="color: #386eff;">say</span></a>, that is not a plot hole, but it does hurt
the criminal’s credibility in my mind. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Other things
draw me out of this story like the way the story is plotted. No matter how many
times I watch this, I feel there could be a more concise way of telling this
story because it feels like they’re moving from building to building just to
switch locales, especially since they end up going back to the same places
multiple times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What say you,
Montano? Am I being too mean towards this tale? Should ever episode be a
blockbuster or can we just enjoy the finer things in life, like sleeping on the
job and sword fights?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: This episode starts out with so much
potential. We have a funny moment with Watson at the automatic check out (I
think we've all been there) and Holmes is super exciting and has a sword fight
with an unknown assailant. And then it gets kinda boring. And kinda confusing.
There are some things that just don't make sense to me. Like, why did Watson
get a job? We know he needs money but he still goes to his job after him and
Sherlock get a HUGE check from the bank. I understand that he wants something
to do during the day but when he's falling asleep at his day job because of
staying up all night at his detective gig, you'd think he'd re-evaluate the
situation. Also, why is Sherlock so resistant to opening a door for Watson? I
think that alone could've solved some issues. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And why did
the bad guys think that Sherlock had the jade pin? He didn't even know about it
until after they had kidnapped Watson and his lady friend (which, by the way, I
wish had stuck around. She seemed pretty cool). And how did Holmes and Watson
miss the fact that there was writing on the picture of the code that they were
trying to decipher? It wasn't like it was microscopic writing, it was normal
sized writing on the picture. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"GET OUTTA HERE SHERLOCK!"</span></td></tr>
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No, I agree.
There are a lot of issues with this episode (the detective inspector who keeps
changing his opinion on Holmes for some reason?) but we know that not every
Doyle story was a hit either. But the question we generally ask there is if we
can look past the imperfections and look for the good in this episode. Was it
still fun or was Watson's constantly grumpy demeanor frustrating (I thought it
was frustrating and not amusing, to no fault of Martin Freeman, just bad
writing, in my opinion.)</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: This episode is filled with nice
little moments the sword fight scene. I loved when Watson quietly judges
Sherlock for having a big scratch on the table when he gets home. I love
Sherlock trying to free Watson’s brain to remember all of the symbols when he
just took a photo. That was a great use of modern technology in a Sherlock tale
that doesn’t ruin the mystery process. Ultimately I think all the payoffs for
the gang thinking that Watson is Sherlock is a lot of fun, even if that just
makes them look dumb because a quick Google search would show what Sherlock
looks like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjaz57v0FHoP32mRj2-JZo51vgbmBT5Vdez1VCtYrwLg06pIU_rRv-ZCjTePGp6HvptBZ2SfdE1Q5a8lMRRNxzdGyQXh9u44W34_ivoH0f3GsmxFJOwakcrnuY7VuyqTx8p3SOqMnTs-r/s1600/Sherlocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjaz57v0FHoP32mRj2-JZo51vgbmBT5Vdez1VCtYrwLg06pIU_rRv-ZCjTePGp6HvptBZ2SfdE1Q5a8lMRRNxzdGyQXh9u44W34_ivoH0f3GsmxFJOwakcrnuY7VuyqTx8p3SOqMnTs-r/s1600/Sherlocks.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">I literally Googled "What does Sherlock look like" and this was one of the first results. <br />Maybe it's not a perfect system.</span></td></tr>
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It’s
important for Watson to be independent. Even if Sherlock could pay all the
rent, he wants to have his fair share. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I’m not sure
why the villains do most of the things they do in this. Any attempt to silence
or attack Sherlock seems to go against their MO and Morarity’s objective. The
police inspector felt very flat in comparison to Lestrade—why wasn’t he in this
episode? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I think why
this episode doesn’t register with me is that it’s missing the personal drama
of all the other episodes. There’s nothing <i>about</i> Sherlock and
Watson in this tale that the other eight episodes have. It’s just a case to
have a case and that case isn’t that great. It’s still easy to watch because
Cumberbatch and Freeman are excellent in every scene. This may play better in a
season of 20 episodes, but when you just have three per season you want every
one to count. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Is it unfair
to look at the format of the series or is it fair to have that sort of outlook?
Do we change our opinion of Doyle stories when we know they’re one of a dozen,
rather than only looking at the story itself?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">No, I definitely think we should look at it that way. If I were more
mathematically minded, I'd say something here about averages and ratios and
such. But as it stands I'm not so I'll try to explain my thought process on
this as best as possible. The not so great stories from Doyle are only not so
great instead of completely awful because it is one of a collection of many. If
a not so great story was by itself then we'd probably rip it apart more, like
if <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hounds of the Baskerville</i> were
just absolutely awful, we'd probably say so and with great conviction and at
length. But because even the ones that are on the bad end of the spectrum are
part of a series, they don't seem as bad. The good ones around it help prop it
up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">With <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sherlock</i>, we don't have that luxury.
Because there are only three episodes to a season, every moment needs to count.
The other two episodes can only prop up the bad one so much. And because there
aren't as many to compare it to, the bad one sticks out more. If we look at it
compared to the rest of the show, all 9 episodes now, then it really isn't as
terrible because there are more to compare it to and more good to outshine the
bad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I hope this
is all making sense. It makes sense to me. Sorta. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"I think I got it, but in case I didn't explain it all again, I wasn't listening."</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And I have to
agree with the lack of personal information. There's no development of the
characters and when there are only three episodes a season, this is not a good
thing. Yes, Watson shows that he is interested in women and tries to date
someone (that you're working with? I thought that this was universally a
terrible idea.) but we don't get anything else. And I know that we don't get
much in the Doyle stories either but just even a little more interaction that
is just Watson being a grouchy old man would've been nice even if Freeman is
amazing at it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Next time,
there's a professor and a murder and a suicide and a mystery lady! That sounds
like a perfect Friday night to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And here is
Austin with the last words…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: In case you forgot this was a British
show, even the Chinese are obsessed with tea.</span></div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-11079290621258252122014-02-17T15:00:00.000-08:002014-02-17T15:00:38.397-08:00Book Review: "The Adventure of the Three Students" (Doyle, 1904)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Well, Soames, I think
we have cleared your little problem up, and our breakfast awaits us at home.
Come Watson!”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Three Students”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">In Sherlock Holmes' latest adventure, him and Watson go back to
school but not at all in a fun way, more like news reporter going back to high
school to try to find out about youth culture kinda way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Holmes and
Watson are at Generic University using their library to look up information
about some case that sounds incredibly interesting but Watson thinks the one he
is telling us is more worthy of our time. Holmes has a friend come and find him
and tell him all about how the answers to the upcoming Greek scholarship test
were not where he left him and how it was obvious that someone had broken into
his room and copied the answers, a plot point that seems more appropriate for
<i>Animal House</i> than Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is intrigued and goes to investigate
the crime scene. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">There's a reason why Sherlock Holmes was brought in.</span></td></tr>
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We eventually
go and meet all of the possible suspects and this is where I began to have
problems with it. I know it was probably written to be a mirror of the time,
but the insistence that Watson had about the Indian student being the obvious
culprit felt misplaced and disingenuine, almost like an attempt at a red
herring but more of someone pointing and saying, "Look! Over there!"
I also felt that the clue of the weird clay blobs laying about was obvious too. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I enjoyed the
brevity of this story and made for a nice one to get back in the swing of
things but I didn't think that this was Doyle's best effort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What say you,
Lugar?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I liked this because today every
mystery series needs to one-up itself to make everything the BIGGEST CASE OF
THEIR CAREER. In “The Adventure of the Three Students”….the stakes could not be
lower.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p> </o:p></span>Put yourself
in the criminal’s shoes. You manage to cheat on a test but guess who is in
town? The world’s greatest detective. That’s just not fair.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Once you get
beyond that, it’s a fun little mystery. It all comes down to a bunch of facts
and figures of who is able to be tall enough to pull of this element. Oddly, I
very worried about the red herring. I haven’t forgotten about the Doyle from “A
Study in Scarlet” and “The Sign of Four”. They’re even interpreting Greek a la….”The
Adventure of the Greek Interpreter.” I’m just saying that Doyle has a fascination
with foreign people so I absolutely could see him picking the Indian student as
the culprit. Oddly the biggest suspense in this mystery was whether or not
Daulat Ras was a red herring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">No, I don’t
think this is one of the best either mostly because I felt that I needed to
take notes about who was what height and how all the angles worked. What
disappointed you about this one? Does every great mystery need a murder? Or can
we have an extremely low stakes mystery?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: We can totally have a great mystery
without people dying all over the place. “Scandal in Bohemia” and “The Red
Headed League” both have fantastic mysteries without people dropping dead.
There are others, I'm sure but those are the two that I thought of immediately.
Just because there aren't dead people doesn't mean that the mystery can't be
engaging and interesting. (“The Adventure of the Yellow Face”.) The thing that
made those stories interesting though was the fact that they had unique plot
points. Someone hiring only red heads? A mysterious yellow face in a window? A
saucy lady with some damning photographs? These are more interesting than some
answers being stolen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I also think
that if clues left behind were more interesting that might've helped. Doyle
tried with the weird clay globs all over the place but that was genuinely the
only interesting clue. The pencil shavings were boring and expected. I think
where the mystery began falling apart was when the person who stole the answers
could only do so by looking out of the window. This could also be disproved
relatively easily. What if the shorter guys had step stools in their room? What
if one of them stood on a chair or their bed? I think that was a clue of
convenience more than anything else. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">He found all the answers in this adventure with three different students.</span></td></tr>
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But what about
the person who stole the answers? We know he was attempting to get this fancy
schmancy scholarship but he had gotten a really great job offer. Would you
still attempt to steal answers for a test that you didn't really need to pass?
I just don't understand his motivation is all. It seems almost that Doyle wrote
the mystery one way and then changed the ending to throw off readers. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I’m happy with a non-heightened
mystery if there’s something else raising it up. Often my favorite episodes of
TV shows are the bottle ones because that’s when you can get the deepest into
the characters. I was hoping that we’d get something else with this one if we
didn’t have the possibility of a murderer behind every shadow, but alas. It was
small and quaint. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">To me, I
think the awkwardness of the conclusion is because Doyle seems to have some
nostalgia about the school life. The criminal is intelligent and respected and
Doyle bends over backwards to make the audience okay with the conclusion. It’s
strange because the story with no stakes is given a cushioned ending. This didn’t
have the same personal touches that made me like “The Gloria Scott” all those
stories ago, but I did like the atmosphere here as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWbkVuETm58zHd4zfIgoa7_TKBYFTbjYBqAVT-uSTC1pDgqLbFNSbA8zVppW5R15LXxCqegQ5BZOgfPrfZB7DbYoABP9qfzwH9wvx9bsD5aAEInPZi7BElZuv0ai76BvncrU2nOZ_K_xX/s1600/Young.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWbkVuETm58zHd4zfIgoa7_TKBYFTbjYBqAVT-uSTC1pDgqLbFNSbA8zVppW5R15LXxCqegQ5BZOgfPrfZB7DbYoABP9qfzwH9wvx9bsD5aAEInPZi7BElZuv0ai76BvncrU2nOZ_K_xX/s1600/Young.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"These will be the best years of our lives, Watson." "Really, Holmes?"</span></td></tr>
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I felt that
Doyle could have gone back and made this tighter, but this one just screams “deadline”.
And possibly it screams that he cheated on a test and maybe feels a bit guilty
about it but not too guilty.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Next up, we
discuss everyone’s favorite episode of <i>Sherlock</i>: The Blind Banker! You
can watch it on Netflix, Amazon Prime and on that DVD/Blu-Ray you probably own
if you read this blog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And here is
Leigh Montano with the final word…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: TOGA!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-S4NGA59ejdB33OFcsK364-gy2kOuUhyphenhyphenJkniOyxDcGq6IxBQ66azBhscQXRMhYG_BxROLAdpPU-8HtwI1aLDFFgjOD8Lw6J_lu26QAYNnbaEC-IScLizY2o8ZOOGMq1bixjbt_g6ak3d/s1600/Animal+House3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-S4NGA59ejdB33OFcsK364-gy2kOuUhyphenhyphenJkniOyxDcGq6IxBQ66azBhscQXRMhYG_BxROLAdpPU-8HtwI1aLDFFgjOD8Lw6J_lu26QAYNnbaEC-IScLizY2o8ZOOGMq1bixjbt_g6ak3d/s1600/Animal+House3.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Hey, Leigh, this is the Animal House picture you wanted me to put here, right? -- Austin</span></td></tr>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-50262967804873539252014-02-05T12:10:00.000-08:002014-02-05T12:53:59.954-08:00In-Class Movie: "Zero Effect" (Pullman, 1998)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Is Mr. Sherlock
Holmes here?”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My friend bowed and
smiled. “Mr. Sandeford, of Reading, I suppose?” said he.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Yes, sir, I fear that
I am a little late, but the trains were awkward.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Six Napeleons”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We’re finally back! Many apologies for our hiatus. It’s entirely my
fault. I was distracted with a number of things and now I’m able to be back on
a proper schedule.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">After many
rescheduling, we’re finally ready to talk about the underappreciated <i>Zero
Effect, </i>the first film by Jake Kasdan (<i>The TV Set</i>, <i>Walk Hard</i>,
TV’s <i>New Girl</i>). It’s a little bit Nero Wolfe and a lotta bit of Arthur
Conan Doyle. Bill Pullman plays the brilliant but difficult Daryl Zero. Ben
Stiller is his often annoyed partner, Steve Arlo. Ryan O’Neal is the client and
the always wonderful Kim Dickens is the woman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Mu9vh_7jKEAOKBZEAGTbtmH6FcU_1OrwYr2VTHInzTYFBFvq7wduPBPXHfvbElCkyDnWMuttt2L0BzcV46DvODpBtb4PNpFM6wRt1EpvUZPE2FCT3pPKP-04zzoyVH5WHydnKD3ZmY0z/s1600/Zero2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Mu9vh_7jKEAOKBZEAGTbtmH6FcU_1OrwYr2VTHInzTYFBFvq7wduPBPXHfvbElCkyDnWMuttt2L0BzcV46DvODpBtb4PNpFM6wRt1EpvUZPE2FCT3pPKP-04zzoyVH5WHydnKD3ZmY0z/s1600/Zero2.jpg" height="135" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Backwards cap > deerstalker?</span></td></tr>
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What struck
me this time watching it was just how damn American this is. Obviously we have
many thoughts on <i>Elementary</i>, but that is a Sherlock that is literally
imported from England to live in New York. Zero is American through and
through. Americans seems more obnoxious in how they break their taboos so
Zero’s rudeness is often seen as exhausting instead of quirky. The whole
mystery plot is definitely influenced by Doyle, but it also reminds me of
American neo-noirs. This isn’t as cynical as something like <i>Chinatown</i>,
but the blackmailers do feel dirtier and more personal than we read about in
Victorian times. There’s more of a willingness to delve into the emotions of
our characters than sticking with the seemingly calm, collected Brits.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Most
importantly, this all worked in the movie for me. I still get lost in the
connecting the dots element of the mystery, but I really liked watching all of
these characters interact especially Stiller’s Arlo. It’s a nice subdued film
that is able to accomplish some impressive things without being tied down by
canon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Did you like
it? Or was this long wait ruined by a lackluster movie?</span> </div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Yay! We're back!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Holy crap,
this is so American. When it comes to quirky/odd/awkward characters, the
British do it so well that in the end you don't find that character awkward but
more charming (see: Every Hugh Grant movie ever). But when Americans do it, it
often ends disastrously (see: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Big
Bang Theory</i>). This is one of those times that I think the character can't
decide what he is doing. Yes, he was introduced as socially inept in a
fantastic introduction that I would have loved to carry throughout the entire
movie instead of being a storytelling device that was quickly abandoned. But
once we meet this character that supposedly can't function outside of a case,
he doesn't seem awkward but just a jerk. The one time the audience should
really see him be "awkward" he actually does what any leading man in
any movie would do and have sex with the sexy lady. I vote that from this point
forward, Americans stop writing awkward characters for at least 10 years. Lets
revisit this when we're a bit more mature as a society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">No one can be <i>that</i> awkward if they work that much on their hair.</span></td></tr>
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As for the
rest of the movie, it was VERY 90s. So 90s sometimes it hurts. The movie did
not age well. This was my first viewing of it but I might've enjoyed it a lot
more when I was younger. But now? This movie felt jumbled and like it couldn't
decide what it wanted to do. The narrator changes, the mystery changes (I
think?). And as for the Great Detective Role, I was largely unimpressed. His
connections seemed to come out of nowhere except the few times where the
director made it blindingly obvious that THE LADY WITH THE BIG ORANGE CASE
OBVIOUSLY TOOK THE MONEY. And he was sloppy. He's writing advice to solve
crimes and mysteries in the weird voice over but he isn't smart enough to keep
the same profession when talking to people in the same gym who probably talk to
one another. That seemed sloppy, really sloppy. I probably wouldn't take his
advice, that's for sure. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And then the
end? I just. I don't think the bad guy was really that motivated to hunt down
the leading lady and have her killed. At least not so motivated to constantly
track her around the world and eventually have her killed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I guess I am
disappointed in it. Even if you do get lost with the mystery and some of the
dots don't seem to connect, is it still a worthy mystery to take a look at?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Hmmmm. So you say the character doesn’t
know what he’s doing, not exactly the movie? For I think the filmmaker isn’t
romanticizing Zero because they make Arlo character very reasonable in why he’s
frustrated all the time. I love the opening where he’s building the legend of
Zero and intercutting that with the reality about how freakin’ annoying that
would be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I say that
American can keep writing awkward characters. Christopher Guest is the genius
at it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<b>SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT</b><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But is this a
valid mystery? No because both times I watched it, my mind zoned out for the
plotting but really started to get into the Zero/Gloria relationship. I found
them very interesting and this can lead into our character breakdown. I adore
Kim Dickens as an actress. She’s the good luck charm for some of the best TV
shows (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deadwood, LOST, Treme, Friday
Night Lights</i>) and she is essentially playing the Irene Adler role. Every
other Adler we’ve seen on this blog is very theatrical with every scene, while
Dickens is playing the harder game. She’s quietly seducing him. Mystery stories
have ingrained in our heads not to trust the woman, but she seems so sincere
with every scene. Yet ultimately she’s still the criminal and he’s still the
detective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">How obscure is this week's movie? More people have seen Kim Dickens in this!</span></td></tr>
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I’m still
very weary on Pullman’s performance but he gets certain scenes really right. I
like his ending when he gives his nod to Doyle, “Perhaps the most able
blackmailer of her time, she was at once the worthiest opponent and the
greatest ally, and the only woman I have ever…the only woman, period.” You make
a great point about how easily he was able to have sex with her but was that
her plan or was Zero just playing the part of the romantic lead (much like how
I think he plays the part of the eccentric.)</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Also what did
you think of this trio as they played the American counterpoints to
Sherlock/Watson/Irene Adler?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Bill Pullman has a problem that a few
actors can relate to. He's stuck in a time period and will never break out of
it. To me, he will always be a definitive actor of the 1990s. He just screams
mid 90s movies to me. Unlike most roles though where, if an actor is typecast
and he wants to break out of it, he can, Bill Pullman can't. No matter what he
is in, I instantly think, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Casper</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Independence Day</i>. Steve Guttenberg has
the same problem but with the 1980s. That being said, I think he did a pretty
good job as a very 1990s, American Sherlock Holmes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"It's never going to get better than this!"</span></td></tr>
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I think that
Ben Stiller is a very underappreciated actor. He does such a great job in <i>The Royal Tenenbaums</i> that after seeing
it, it completely changed my opinion of him as an actor. I think he does a good
job as an American Watson. I wish there was more interaction between Zero and
Arlo. It felt like the majority of the movie it was them talking on the phone
and there wasn't enough face to face confrontation. Ben Stiller does a great job
playing off of other actors and you just don't get that as much when the other
actor isn't there.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">As for Irene
Adler, I was largely unimpressed with her. She does the quiet thing well but if
the script hadn't made it obvious that she was going to be an important
character when her and Zero first met, then I would've ignored her. She needed
just a tiny bit more personality for my liking. I enjoy that she was the
blackmailer but I don't really like how it seemed like she was doing it just
because of reasons. Reasons that might have been explained but if so I don't
remember or it was too convoluted for me to get. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And that's
how I generally feel about the movie as a whole. It was too convoluted and too
1990s. All it needed was some Jamiroquai on the soundtrack. Oh wait, there was.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Next time, we
go back to school and see how Victorians cheated on exams! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I also concur that Ben Stiller is an
underappreciated dramatic actor. I also liked him in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Greenberg, Keeping the Faith</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flirting with Disaster</i>. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"I'm more than being really, really ridiculously good-looking."</span></td></tr>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-19948783720850963472013-12-24T12:19:00.000-08:002013-12-24T12:19:34.959-08:00Book Review: "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons" (Doyle, 1904)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The affair seems absurdly trifling, and yet I dare not call nothing trivial when I reflect that some of my most classic cases have had the least promising commencement."</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #181818;">--Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the
Six Napoleons”</span></i><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">First, I need to apologize, dear readers. I have really
procrastinated on writing this initial email. Why? Because I've been putting
off reading the story, “The Adventure of the Six Napoleons”. Why? Because it's
boring. THERE, I'VE SAID IT! One of the stories from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Return of Sherlock Holmes</i> is boring. Soooo booooring. I tried
listening to it through Librivox, I tried reading it myself, I tried osmosis
and sat on the book a while (not really but wouldn't that be cool if it could
work that way?). But I put it off and put it off and put it off because it is
such a boring story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">"But
Leigh! There's murder! And a crazy man! And Napoleon! How can it be
boring?" Because it's the same story as “The Adventure of the Blue
Carbuncle” which I believe we <a href="http://elementaryschooled.blogspot.com/2012/11/book-review-adventure-of-blue-carbuncle.html">reviewed</a>
around this time last year but instead of a carbuncle, it's pearls and instead
of a goose it's a bunch of busts of Napoleon. I didn't remember too much from
it, just that it was similar and then I started reading it. Once I got to the
murder, I remembered that it is the same story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So Austin. This
is a difficult question: Is copying your own work plagiarism or can we excuse
Doyle for reusing one of his own stories?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I didn't find this one to be that
boring! Perhaps it was because it had more of an oddity than Blue Carbuncle
had. The Adventure of the Six Napoleons wants you to focus on the
"Napoleons" but really the interesting bit is the "Six." "Blue
Carbuncle" had a treasure hidden in three things, but SIX. That's much
better. Basically I see this as a remake because this is a better story. It's
goofier which is impressive since it has far fewer geese. I'm okay with an
artist remakes his work if he improves upon it. Alfred Hitchcock literally made
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Man Who Knew Too Much</i> twice and
I'm a bigger fan of the Jimmy Stewart one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Honey, hang up. I've already heard this call."</span></td></tr>
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We've
reviewed two quasi-adaptations with Basil Rathbone and <i>Monk</i>. So we've had music
boxes, pies and now Napoleon busts. I think why this story is adapted so often
is because it has such an intriguing MacGuffin that can be easily translated.
Once again, I think we have to enjoy the earliness of these stories because now
we're evolved to not trust that someone really hates Napoleon. I don't think
Lestrade's early claims are that dumb because it fits well with looking at the
surface of the absurdity.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The only
thing I really had a problem with was the late revelation of the pearl. Yet in
a story that is filled with MacGuffins, I suppose it's only fitting to end with
another random treasure that works best as a symbol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I didn't know
this until I checked something online, but apparently this will be the last
appearance of Inspector Lestrade. As tribute, Leigh, what did you think of this
character in the Doyle stories? Worthy companion or an annoying obstacle?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I like Lestrade. He is an interesting
character and you can tell through the canon that his opinion of Holmes and
what Holmes does for Scotland Yard changes. At first he's more harumph-y about
the whole thing, perturbed that someone outside the force is doing all the work
and doing it better but towards the end of the canon he really changes and
shows that he does appreciate all that Holmes does for not just Scotland Yard
but London in general. His character evolves and changes like a good character
should. There are times in his arc that he is definitely frustrating like in
the “Boscombe Valley Mystery” but he grew to want to work with Holmes and not
just doing it as a last resort. I didn't know that this was our last canon
mystery with him and I am going to miss him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"It always feels like a last resort..."</span></td></tr>
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For the rest
of the story, "remake" is a nice way of putting it. I don't know, I
guess that I'm mostly upset with this one because it was such a letdown. The
rest of the book is filled with great and interesting *new* adventures and then
we get this one which is a remake of an older story. It just doesn't feel on
par with the rest of the book. All of the other stories, I would read them and
think, "Wow, this is a great story!" and this one I couldn't get into
it. I guess every story can't be great but this one I just felt was just not as
good as the rest of them. This is definitely the weakest in the bunch. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I don't know. I
just feel complain-y. Convince me why I shouldn't hate this one as much as I
do!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I have to convince you? Are we
battling? Has this blog been a competition the entire time? Shit, I need to
rethink my entire strategy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I think it's
okay that you didn't like this one. Your points are valid; this is very
similar. I enjoy the upgrade, for many reasons including the fact that the "Blue
Carbuncle" story almost evaporated from my memory. This one lasts simply because
the premise is weirder than that one. I know we don't have a whole lot of
stories left, but I really hope Doyle has a secret trilogy up his sleeve and
tries to one-up this plot point yet again. I hate to theorize, but I would love
to see Holmes try to solve a mystery involving 104 porcupines. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">One down, 103 to go!</span></td></tr>
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Meanwhile, I
also really liked Lestrade. I hate characters in procedurals who are just there
to slow down the protagonist. Lestrade's point of view was always clear and
more responsible than Holmes. He trusted him throughout the adventures because
it was always worth the time to see another person's point of view. (Doyle has
never been one on speeding up plots.) I'm sorry to see him go so soon because I
think there's still a lot to explore between these two because Lestrade is so
different from Watson. However strong Watson is, he always feels like a
sidekick while Lestrade is an independent investigator who serves as a nice
venn diagram subject to Holmes.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Anywho, next
time we're going to look into an American adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. No,
not that one. This one stars Bill Pullman, Ben Stiller and Kim Dickens from <i>Deadwood</i>,
<i>LOST</i>, <i>Friday Night Lights</i> and <i>Treme</i>. We swear this
exists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Yawn.</span></div>
Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-59865902076645119842013-11-25T14:29:00.000-08:002013-11-25T14:29:14.758-08:00In-Class Movie: "The Snowmen" (Doctor Who, 2012)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I am never
precipitate in my actions, nor would I adopt so energetic and, indeed,
dangerous a course, if any other were possible.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I like to switch things up a bit. Instead of just referencing Doctor
Who in every post, we're going to do that but be on topic! Last year we talked
about the Tom Baker (Fourth Doctor) story <a href="http://elementaryschooled.blogspot.com/2012/12/in-class-movie-talons-of-weng-chiang.html">The
Talons of Weng-Chiang</a> where The Doctor and Leela found their deerstalkers
to investigate a wonderfully ridiculous Victorian mystery. Now we are back in
that time, but it's an episode that was made in 2012 with Matt Smith (Eleventh
Doctor).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This may be
the trickiest one to write because the Sherlock Holmes aspect is just a small
part of this tale. It's really just a straightforward Doctor Who story with The
Doctor hiding himself away after the loss of his best friends. He meets a
mysterious barmaid with a secret that she doesn't even know she has---all will
be revealed in the season finale! There's a monster from the Classic era of
Doctor Who voiced by Sir Ian McKellen. There is silliness, sci-fi gibberish,
the power of the human spirit and plenty of humor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJlrWK-HQF-cIiPdLd4Ncup72Ivg6JooB0ZxiMbtCiO5xcKhb4fd-46jRt-RKM94vfaK6z6VgADjvkiYBtFiIkMFuD08TTwjbbPcUD9ravxNUxpV5VFzz6aKfcN4pih-sd41eKpW6it24/s1600/Snowglobe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJlrWK-HQF-cIiPdLd4Ncup72Ivg6JooB0ZxiMbtCiO5xcKhb4fd-46jRt-RKM94vfaK6z6VgADjvkiYBtFiIkMFuD08TTwjbbPcUD9ravxNUxpV5VFzz6aKfcN4pih-sd41eKpW6it24/s320/Snowglobe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Ian McKellen is the one on the left. Far left.</span></td></tr>
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This episode
was written by the showrunner Steven Moffat who also co-runs BBC's <i>Sherlock</i>.
Since both shows sparked fans so wildly, plenty of people have demanded a
cross-over where Benedict Cumberbatch and Matt Smith can chat about who has the
most ridiculous bone structure in their face. Seeing how a time machine could
ruin every single Sherlock Holmes story, Moffat has made the cross-over
impossible by revealed who really is the inspiration for the Arthur Conan Doyle
stories. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So what would
you like to cover first, Leigh? What do you think of who really is Doyle's
inspiration for Sherlock and Watson or what do you think of the scene with The
Doctor trying to imitate their style?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: As a fan of Richard E. Grant and Ian
McKellen I have to say I was disappointed they weren't featured more. I felt
like the evil bad guy in this episode was disjointed and needed a better
explanation than "snow that learns and mimics." It felt a bit weak. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I also have
to say that the Sherlock Holmes bit just felt like a way to advertise for
Moffat's second show without spending the money. It was such a minor part of
the main show that it felt crowbarred in. I think the scene with the Doctor
acting as Sherlock Holmes would've been just as humorous if the setup with
Madame Vastra wasn't there. And it might've made a bit more sense almost.
Richard E. Grant's character knows who "Sherlock Holmes" is in this
universe so why would he even humor the Doctor when he comes in? Why did his
butler(?) announce Sherlock Holmes was there? Grant could've had a better
dialogue there that would've made the scene stronger. It felt sloppy to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfX-l6O_-gxOGA6SG9Ny4Mo-p9nI6usIFLDGoNnf52TN-3XTvxlAlW0oyW4Be4sUKMFEjNSc5LVlme2wK1FzlFQ5TnJYHzcb1q3NviasTeaI7wgyRprcpiN7GgMPN9qDkTtGPD0z2WBKq/s1600/Vastra+and+Jenny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfX-l6O_-gxOGA6SG9Ny4Mo-p9nI6usIFLDGoNnf52TN-3XTvxlAlW0oyW4Be4sUKMFEjNSc5LVlme2wK1FzlFQ5TnJYHzcb1q3NviasTeaI7wgyRprcpiN7GgMPN9qDkTtGPD0z2WBKq/s320/Vastra+and+Jenny.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Benedict Cumberbatch still looks more ridiculous than Madame Vastra.</span></td></tr>
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What I do
like is that Madame Vastra and Jenny as a possible inspiration of Sherlock and
Watson. It is definitely crowbarred in here but the mini-webisode with them was
much more entertaining and less crowbar-y. (I am going from memory though so I
could be completely wrong about this.) But if they mention the inspiration for
Sherlock Holmes and Watson and mention Doyle was using them as inspirations,
then why not make that connection more obvious than just blatantly saying it. I
don't like it when things are said to me. I like seeing them and making the
connection myself. If there was a scene with Doyle sitting in his livingroom
reading an article about a detective that was solving impossible crimes or even
have Doyle be friends with Vastra and Jenny or have Jenny write the stories
herself with a pen name then I think it would've felt more natural and less
forced. Where it stands, it's a neat concept but needs refining. Come see me
after a few more drafts of this script.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So I wasn't a
fan. As a Moffat fanboy, convince me why I should like this episode. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Whoah. You really didn't like this
episode. This is my favorite one of Season Seven and watching it again just
made me smile all over again because it handled Christmas a better than the
Davies era. (Actually involving snow helps.) I love this version of Clara with
the speed of her wit and the wonderful imagery of the TARDIS on a cloud with
its stars and ladders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But let's get
to your complains. The villains weren't used very well. Ultimately there is a
lot more of an explanation than that but it's scattered throughout the show's
past and future. Ian McKellan voiced The Great Intelligence who was a villain
back in the 60s when he went up against the Second Doctor in "The
Abominable Snowmen" and the recently rediscovered "The Web of
Fear". Then we get him more throughout the season in "The Bells of
St. John" and "The Name of the Doctor." Part of his allure is
that we really don't get how he exists. He uses his psychic powers to take over
the Yeti and Richard E. Grant. But typically I don't watch Doctor Who for its
sci-fi-ness. Gandalf says he can manipulate snow, he manipulates snow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Also even
though The Stand was popular at this time, I think it's reasonable to assume
that the butler doesn't read it. The Doctor has psychic paper; he can say
whoever he wants. Simeon/Grant was interrupted and he probably thought it was
Madame Vastra being amusing. I really really don't think it was a plug for <i>Sherlock</i>,
just a nice little parody. He doesn't need the ratings… To have the theme was
an especially nice touch because The Doctor is too silly to do the Sherlock
investigation right. He doesn't even figure out it's the Great Intelligence
until he goes ahead and gives him a map of the London Underground. (Setting of
"The Web of Fear".) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTbwSqHkzFmn8zjD3CUDGsQ_pzRR4XTfUS1PM8jqEG8u9wzJwA5gPf_lE7MahEOV-hXwDdRVy7r1yAfRlg5qwHNuje-eKEplbr-j35VtUfWyo6kMA-SxgyaL4-V4TkNwDQe3Phaf4bn25/s1600/Dr+Sherlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTbwSqHkzFmn8zjD3CUDGsQ_pzRR4XTfUS1PM8jqEG8u9wzJwA5gPf_lE7MahEOV-hXwDdRVy7r1yAfRlg5qwHNuje-eKEplbr-j35VtUfWyo6kMA-SxgyaL4-V4TkNwDQe3Phaf4bn25/s320/Dr+Sherlock.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Fun fact: Matt Smith first met Steven Moffat when he auditioned to play Watson.</span></td></tr>
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Even with the
parody scene, Moffat still uses Sherlock plotting to play fair with its scenes.
This was a character based episode first. It's about The Doctor getting back
into the swing of things and learning to accept loss and failure. At the end of
this Clara dies (again) and now he is inspired to save the day again. That is
from finding joy and hope in the people around him. Clara is tested several
times in this episode but the most Sherlock one is why did he tell her to grab
an umbrella. Much like a Sherlock story, all the clues are in front of you and
it's up to her to logically get to the point and it's a great sequence. (Aside
from the not so perfect effects of the ice monster.)</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">With Clara
figuring out that mystery and others, Vastra being the real Sherlock, Jenny
being the real Watson (We'll see them investigate their own mystery later in
the season in "The Crimson Horror"), this may be as close as we get
to looking into a female Sherlock Holmes story. (Unless there's a big example,
I don't know about.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Also, I'm glad
Moffat didn't do a scene with Doyle because that would be way too similar to an
amazing scene in Jekyll that involves Robert Louis Stevenson. Thinking back,
Moffat hinted at Vastra being Holmes earlier in the show when in her
introduction she is the one to stop Jack the Ripper...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I think you hit the nail on the head
as to why this episode was so problematic for me. I'm American, if you hadn't
realized this. I'm also only 25 years old. I only started watching <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doctor Who</i> after I saw the guy who
played Barty Crouch Jr on TV one day and decided to look into it more. So with
this knowledge, there is no way that me, a casual fan of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doctor Who</i>, would've been able to know ANY of that backstory about
the Great Intelligence. I'm glad that Moffat is reintroducing older bad guys
from the Doctor Who canon but not at least having a throw away line of
"Oh, you again." or "Didn't I already defeat you?" or
something along those lines to give a clue to the average viewer. There's a
difference between a nod to long time fans and completely alienating a good
portion of the audience. I have absolutely no desire to watch all of the older <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doctor Who</i> episodes and I know I'm not
the only one who watches <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doctor Who</i>
who feels that way. I think to fully utilize this character of the Great
Intelligence, there needed to be more of a primer for those who aren't in their
60s and/or British or have gone and watched all of the episodes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">A clue!</span></td></tr>
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And I
honestly don't quite get the connection of Sherlock Holmes aside from the
blatant references. Yes, Clara explaining a line of logic as to why she has the
umbrella could be seen that way but I saw it more as her showing that she
understands the Doctor even when he doesn't understand himself. She's a step
ahead of him. Now if that's Holmesian or not, I don't think so. We can agree to
disagree there. The Doctor has been compared to Sherlock Holmes numerous times
and there are definitely times when they do seem like similar characters,
especially in the David Tennant years. I think that Matt Smith is too moody to
observe the little details and find the connections so Clara comes around and
helps him.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Next time, we
read a story that seems reaaalllllly familiar......<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And now Austin
with the final words:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">You asked why he could manipulate the snow! That's not essential to
the story and within the episode they said he was a powerful psychic figure
without a physical body. That's pretty much all we know from the old series as
well; in fact "The Snowmen" takes place before those 60s episodes.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Sir, how is the Great Intelligence controlling the Yeti?" "Who cares, they're adorable!"</span></td></tr>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-91383936380797281252013-11-18T10:25:00.001-08:002013-11-18T10:25:09.410-08:00Book Report: "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" (Doyle, 1904)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I’ll tell you Watson.
He is the king of all the blackmailers. Heaven help the man, and still more the
woman, whose secret and reputation come into the power of Milverton! With a
smiling face and a heart of marble, he will squeeze and squeeze until he has drained
them dry.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This story might actually be my favorite. I know I say that a lot
about a lot of them but this one might actually have the #1 spot. It is wacky
and crazy and ends in a way that you don't really see coming, which I
love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Charles
Augustus Milverton is a blackmailer and is so despicable, Holmes calls him the
worst person ON DA EARF which I guess is an easy roll to fill since Moriarty is
dead. CAM decides to get letters of young women that would ruin their career
and then blackmail them so that their lives aren't ruined. These young women
agree because a young woman in Victorian England doesn't have many choices and
if she doesn't marry rich, she's pretty much screwed. Holmes has a client that
happens to be one of these young ladies who can't afford the ransom of her
personal letters and so Holmes decides to break into Milverton's house and
steal them but only after he has gotten himself engaged to Milverton's
housemaid. This isn't one of those situations where Holmes falls in love (HA!)
but one where he is emotionally manipulating a woman to get what he wants. He
doesn't care about breaking the housemaid's poor heart but he CANNOT let that
rich woman gets her heart broken! It seems classist to me and rude but again,
it was another era.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Holmes tells
Watson what he's done and Watson decides he needs to help Holmes break into
Milverton's house. He even goes so far as to say, "If you don't let me
come with you to break into some guy's house then I'M TELLING MOM, I MEAN
LESTRADE!" So Holmes reluctantly lets Watson come along. And then they go
so far as to wear bandit masks when breaking into Milverton's house which I
thought was possibly one of the funniest images ever. And then shit goes down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So before we
get to the crazy plot twist and we like to discuss mysteries here, where's the
mystery? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Like everything in this collection, I
hadn't read this before but recently heard of its fame when Mark Gatiss called
this one of his favorites and one he hopes to adapt soon. What did I think?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This was so
much fun. This may have just been a crazy coke bender for Sherlock, but for us
we got what we've missed for many stories: a proper villain. Most of the time
we just have Sherlock vs. the unknown but here we get to have a real clash with
high emotions because Sherlock HATES this guy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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There's so
much to talk about, but is it a mystery? Yeah, sure. Mysteries don't need to
have the villain be unknown until the last page. This has justice going up
against a criminal. In all of the <i>Columbo</i> episodes, the audience knows who did
it; it's all about getting to the resolution. Here, much like "The Final
Problem", it's Sherlock vs. The Worst Guy in London for the sake of peace
and sanity. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA24USqE2Gws9HzlQ-YcFvUjI7kk9Eg2GCHuMwBN7lHDyVLSOhNaKGeVU749XpjuF7ULFL0jL6Bmu5ev71P02SFv12_6YOXdngO8iTofHYd707TbrrCokYBms0IHtVm-JoalvsZTMAT12X/s1600/Columbo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA24USqE2Gws9HzlQ-YcFvUjI7kk9Eg2GCHuMwBN7lHDyVLSOhNaKGeVU749XpjuF7ULFL0jL6Bmu5ev71P02SFv12_6YOXdngO8iTofHYd707TbrrCokYBms0IHtVm-JoalvsZTMAT12X/s320/Columbo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Milverton? Oh man, I hate that guy."</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Now, I say
sanity, but this one has the funniest moment ever in a Doyle story which
involves Sherlock telling Watson he's now engaged. I'm going to disagree with
you for a little bit on Sherlock's motives. It isn't about him saving the rich
girl over the poor girl, but really just disregarding both of them so he can take
down Charles Augustus Milverton (the first?). It's almost like he's been
waiting for a client to up against Charles Augustus Milverton because this guy
has been annoying him for too long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So are you
ready to talk about the ending? We've had stories where Sherlock assaults the
bad guy, we've had a story where Sherlock withheld evidence until certain
people passed away, but what about a story where we have an eyewitness that
sees someone match Watson's description…?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I honestly think that because Sherlock
Holmes is so genius, he quickly planned their escape and purposefully made it
so that Watson would be seen by one of the house staff so that the mystery
woman could get away safely. Watson has always been described the same way and
aside from his limp which seems to disappear when he feels like it, he doesn't
have any distinguishing characteristics especially for that time frame. Sherlock Holmes has a VERY unique profile and is very easy to describe by the
average person so Watson being seen by a witness makes it easier for Holmes and
Watson to get away without much incident. I also think that the scene with
Lestrade is more tongue in cheek and is all but a WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE away
from Holmes telling Lestrade that they were there. Everyone in that room KNOWS
that Holmes could figure out who did it just by the description but Holmes
decides to blow it off and say that it's impossible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uA8wbwcy34TM2kpXuQKTmiNAtpyH8Wa5uh0GC3htw1CrnXnsn_LKCqadWWpbiD8itmc28Mpmu_YSxkvgHnvbRi51Ltaz06B26G0FnE7kg1X7FslSJLWDwHh25hi1LPVzrpjiEWX4YXGE/s1600/1910+Men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uA8wbwcy34TM2kpXuQKTmiNAtpyH8Wa5uh0GC3htw1CrnXnsn_LKCqadWWpbiD8itmc28Mpmu_YSxkvgHnvbRi51Ltaz06B26G0FnE7kg1X7FslSJLWDwHh25hi1LPVzrpjiEWX4YXGE/s320/1910+Men.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">The original usual suspects.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">For me, the
mystery woman walking in and shooting Charles Augustus Milverton I Esq. was
exactly what I wanted and not what I expected. The whole time Holmes and
Milverton are talking, I kept thinking, "Why doesn't someone kill this
guy? Why doesn't someone stop him? He's being a criminal, why doesn't be a
criminal to him?" So a woman walking in and taking care of him and then
getting away with it completely was a great ending in my opinion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">To me though,
this story still doesn't feel like a mystery. We don't even get to see Holmes
use most of his abilities. He broke into a house when he knew the person would
be asleep and took a path he knew would be empty. That's the work of a common
criminal. They even almost got caught if we're working with the theory that
Holmes didn't plan their escape. I know I said I liked this story and I did
because it was wacky and zany and completely out of the ordinary, but why
should we take the time to analyze a mystery that isn't a mystery and is just a
crime drama and not even a very good one?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span>: This all goes back to the discussion
that we've had in a couple of these entries, including the one about <i>The
Seven-Per-Cent Solution</i>. When I look at these stories, I never think about them
in terms of their genre. Especially since we've been discussing that the genre
is in such early stages at this point. I look at it just as a story and how
that works with its characters. Nothing that Sherlock did in this story did in
this story felt out of continuity of the other Doyle stories. These felt like
the world he's established and this was a very fun, almost comedic, aside in
that world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Looking at
this as just a story to be analyzed, I think this is top marks. It's very well
paced, the twists are highly amusing and it messes with its structure a bit by
having a much longer resolution than normally where they can have fun with them
escaping justice, in a way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">To write 52
stories about the same duo is bound to be repetitive and the best thing you can
do is to experiment. This same pattern falls into long-running mystery series
nowadays. There are only so many murders that can happen in the same small town
before the whole place is dead or in jail. I like mysteries a lot and to me I
have a very vague definition: someone tries to justice by stopping/uncovering a
criminal. In the first episode of <i>The Wire</i>, McNulty knows that Avon
Barksdale is running the towers and I'll still call that a mystery show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBXk2l8ZYZXbSgs_RVBAFOhuriFg33P3e9yRlcaTfaKbWe0FtLqle_NOYKCcYKn8jNlSKfZrpI6NF8skGbTTMMN0nQMlo5eDlp8FInizhUPvGCdGGtKx4ECPFmqYteA-nnGsAmVzMQsYD/s1600/Avon+Barksdale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBXk2l8ZYZXbSgs_RVBAFOhuriFg33P3e9yRlcaTfaKbWe0FtLqle_NOYKCcYKn8jNlSKfZrpI6NF8skGbTTMMN0nQMlo5eDlp8FInizhUPvGCdGGtKx4ECPFmqYteA-nnGsAmVzMQsYD/s320/Avon+Barksdale.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"New plan. Enough with the drug shit. Blackmail only. Get on it."</span></td></tr>
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Here Sherlock
knows that Charles Augustus Milverton is the asshole and now it's about trying
to stop him. He does it just about as successfully as "A Scandal in
Bohemia" with his infiltration system. This time, the criminal was
defeated (In case you forgot, it's Charles Augustus Milverton), the day was
saved and Watson has a story to tell…..that incriminates him. What's the statue
of limitation of fleeing a crime scene and slight temperament to justice?</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Anywho, our
next entry will be another<i> Doctor Who</i> episode! Since this week
features the show's 50th anniversary, we'll look into a recent episode that
revealed who was REALLY Doyle's inspiration for his Victorian hero. So watch
(or rewatch) the 2012 Christmas Special from Season Seven entitled "The
Snowmen." Get excited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And here is
Leigh Montano with the final word...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: It takes a thief to catch a thief...?</span></div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-22193185209503881942013-11-10T15:30:00.001-08:002013-11-10T15:30:27.084-08:00In-Class Movie: "Pursuit to Algiers" (Rathbone, 1945)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Well, I kept my
knowledge to myself, and waited to see what would come of it.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Black Peter”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So we return to the magical world of Sherlock Holmes and Watson
ruled by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. We've had fun in the past, but this is
the first time where we really delve into their time when they spent in 1940s
European espionage. We've seen Sherlock Holmes in plenty of different time
periods like 2012 and 2012 so we know that there is a wealth of stories that
can arise from placing this iconic character in a new situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We'll get
into the duo stopping Nazis later for today they're just escorting a Prince to
safety. By stagecoach? By train? By armored car? Nope. BY A BOAT MOTHERFUCKERS! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJqewD4tWHNYPK1zYG18z-HPd3NenoPdUFuIa20_BxeEorxc6eBtKDirwoqx6dKc7eiVHMHjrkhOhKlxyhkEUKXIhyTbsINbadua2YPeYNwwLUEQx3aXOmFmVVZj07uXovA_3sJP_SI7X/s1600/On+a+Boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJqewD4tWHNYPK1zYG18z-HPd3NenoPdUFuIa20_BxeEorxc6eBtKDirwoqx6dKc7eiVHMHjrkhOhKlxyhkEUKXIhyTbsINbadua2YPeYNwwLUEQx3aXOmFmVVZj07uXovA_3sJP_SI7X/s320/On+a+Boat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Watson, fetch my nautical themed deerstalker."</span></td></tr>
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The boat is
filled with subjects just like <i>Death on the Nile</i> and there is
plenty of false identity going on just like <i>Death on the Nile</i>. Also they
occasionally stop like in <i>Death on the Nile</i>. It's very strange to see
the most iconic detectives ever take its lead from the most popular mystery
writer of all time. Especially when the results aren't that satisfying.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I'll get into
this more in a bit, but I found this to be very disappointing mostly because at
just a bit over an hour this seemed to be stalling for majority of its run. Am
I just being mean or did you find some charm in this one?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I've never wanted to go on a cruise.
The main reason is that I feel that I would be too bored. Everyone who has been
on one always says that there's so much to do but I don't think watching badly
put together productions while eating buffet food would entertain me much. Some
people might enjoy it, I think I'd be bored out of my mind. And then there's
the little factor of EVERYONE ON THE BOAT BEING A POSSIBLE KILLER. Seriously,
this movie made me want to never go on a cruise even more than before I watched
it. What's the point of trying to relax when at any moment someone could open
your window and throw a knife at you. Unless it was a theme cruise where you
have to try to figure out the murderer. Then that might be fun. Someone should
get on that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But this boat
only had like 12 people on it. Surely it wouldn't have been hard to look at the
other passengers and say, "Hey, those guys are trying to murder this
innocent man. We should lock them up or something, how about it?" Instead,
Holmes just calmly goes about, solving every little "mystery" on the
boat while singlehandedly defeating the murderers at every step. I like Basil
Rathbone and Nigel Bruce for the most part but this movie seemed half assed and
convoluted. It felt like one of those that made it more complicated so that the
mystery was more "clever" when it was just complicated. Why couldn't
the murderers have been on the boat the entire time? Why couldn't they have
been disguised as someone else? Why did they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Princess Bride</i> it and just waste time? You're right, it really did
seem to be stalling but I think that's just because of the nature of boats and
cruises. It's a hurry up and wait situation which just ends with me getting
distracted by Candy Crush. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jVEzhBNoOAMHHvTOOQCpsvAJFlPBVULy_CB9UMKTZkm2ODfBS5YM3GSOJ-qjCGmocsDq-xpHX4Kbnkcm5z05ctL-1Md-01-h8ronIJ_MrkRI_NIc1sLdxkxa0T4-Z8_aqBfWqjlB_G3Y/s1600/Candy+Crush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jVEzhBNoOAMHHvTOOQCpsvAJFlPBVULy_CB9UMKTZkm2ODfBS5YM3GSOJ-qjCGmocsDq-xpHX4Kbnkcm5z05ctL-1Md-01-h8ronIJ_MrkRI_NIc1sLdxkxa0T4-Z8_aqBfWqjlB_G3Y/s320/Candy+Crush.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Austin doesn't know what he just posted a picture of. He's more of a Plants vs. Zombies 2 kinda guy.</span></td></tr>
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So we both
admit we don't like it. What would you have done to make it better?</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: First off, I was on the same mindset
with you about cruises until I took one. Extremely relaxing and fun. The
productions aren't cheesy and really aren't a major part of it. I recommend one
unless it's filled with murderers then solve it or take the next one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">My biggest
problem with this movie is that it's so miscalculated. Sherlock is barely in
it. Watson is the main character in this movie and Nigel Bruce is in his most
Nigel Bruce-est. He's a complete buffoon and can not tell a secret if his life
depending on it. When they try to do a wink to the audience of him telling the
story about the giant rat of Sumatra, it's so obnoxious that even Sherlock
leaves the room. It's fine for Watson to be the audience surrogate, but we also
use Sherlock to use a test for what's accurate. When Sherlock says something
there's a 91% chance of it begin true. Having him waiting in the wings for most
of your hour just also feels like a stalling pattern to delay solving anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Holmes, my good man, I appear to have lost my spoon."</span></td></tr>
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These guys made
a bunch of short films; I don't know what it was about this plot to make them
want to push it to an hour. Was it the idea of them being on an ocean liner? Or
was it enough of an Agatha Christie story to make it seem like it would be
successful?</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: They definitely could've cut down some
scenes and some of the setup. The whole plane thing could've been a mention in
dialogue and we didn't need to go to the plane. I think that it should've been
a short, about 30 minutes or it needed to be reworked. Show more of Holmes. I
know that Watson and the audience are supposed to be kept in the dark the whole
time, but everything is a secret for about five seconds before Holmes tells
Watson everything anyway. The only secret he kept was that their steward was
actually the Prince (not Prince, although that would've made for a much more
interesting movie. I'd watch that.) Holmes goes on and on about how Watson
can't keep a secret and yet he basically tells Watson everything anyway.
Honestly, I wouldn't trust either of them with a secret. They both suck at it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Surprise! I was Sherlock Holmes the whole time."</span></td></tr>
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So, if it
were up to me, cut the ridiculous set up, cut the side mystery with the singer,
have the bad guys on the boat the whole time. That could've been a fun mystery
for Holmes to figure out since there were so many possible choices of bad guys.
Or, have the old lady that Watson was skeptical of the whole time be the ring
leader. That would've been fun and then Holmes would've had to fight an old
lady, something that would've spiced this movie up and didn't make it seem like
we were stranded at sea.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Next time,
there's blackmail, a scandalous affair and murder! All in a good day's work!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And now Austin
with the final word!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Why couldn’t Watson stay at home straight
flippin’ copies?</span></div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-78656371094363511022013-11-05T12:41:00.000-08:002013-11-05T12:41:01.357-08:00Book Report: "The Adventure of the Black Peter" (Doyle, 1904)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“[Sherlock’s]
increasing fame had brought with it an immense practice, and I should be guilt
of an indiscretion if I were to even hint at the identity of some of the
illustrious clients who crossed our humble threshold in Baker Street.”<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Watson being coy in “The Adventure of the Black Peter”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This week, the story we read was one that could have easily turned
out awful but I found it surprisingly pleasant. An old sailor called Black
Peter is murdered by a harpoon (which is pretty badass) and then a possible
suspect is arrested and Sherlock Holmes' logic proves that he didn't do it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhhAPZu0ub5srG55X3yzEHZou21To7NzM0SYZuT8xBWvqsdllXfjoCr9uD4TNrhsL80-CS7xuZfGhruguwYC5V0zIQ9MuCxTZRGAkV8tSHwpn3V3Vz5YOBIOKn78EPJdBmMJR3oB3H_l7/s1600/Jaws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhhAPZu0ub5srG55X3yzEHZou21To7NzM0SYZuT8xBWvqsdllXfjoCr9uD4TNrhsL80-CS7xuZfGhruguwYC5V0zIQ9MuCxTZRGAkV8tSHwpn3V3Vz5YOBIOKn78EPJdBmMJR3oB3H_l7/s320/Jaws.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"We're going to need a bigger harpoon gun!" Shut up Quint." </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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I enjoyed
this story. Much like the rest of the book so far, it was more adventurous than
the older Sherlock Holmes stories and yet it still had some of those older
elements that made it a lot of fun. Sure, sitting around waiting for the bad
guy to show up can be boring, but doing it in the middle of the night with
Holmes and Watson is instantly more fun. Also there's the element of a Red
Herring that we don't get too often with Doyle's stories. It is something that
can be overused (<i>Law and Order</i> and <i>Scooby Doo</i> come to mind) but I thought it
was well done in our story and it gives Holmes another chance to show his line
of thinking without just jumping to that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Other than
that, I found this story to be perfectly acceptable. It wasn't outlandish and
extravagant but it wasn't boring and nap inducing. Is this okay or should these
stories be more than just acceptable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I found this to be a little bit more
than acceptable but mostly because of making it a new setting with some fun
weird props. Like last story, this felt like a Curious George-esque sitting.
Sherlock Holmes Goes to the Harbor!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfg9tyB5mrDEbFsf1WvFg44Btr6Qr1zlj_AtInKz76l2wf7yKhc13sw6G0mv4bJx2340vJSfp9Asg-FXRJrNm05lp6-xBD4n2SWbz3l4CZH12EH6d54pDrShHHbi_D5Y1KNUfdtvLZ8Ac/s1600/Docks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfg9tyB5mrDEbFsf1WvFg44Btr6Qr1zlj_AtInKz76l2wf7yKhc13sw6G0mv4bJx2340vJSfp9Asg-FXRJrNm05lp6-xBD4n2SWbz3l4CZH12EH6d54pDrShHHbi_D5Y1KNUfdtvLZ8Ac/s320/Docks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">"I lost your yellow hat." "DOES YOUR DEPRAVITY KNOW NO BOUNDS?!"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
To me it
worked because we saw a cocky Sherlock Holmes. Most of that was created because
Watson begins with such an introduction that there's no question the word
"bromance" is used a billion times with these two characters. People
know about Sherlock Holmes now in this world and that makes him famous.
Apparently even the Pope calls upon his services. So that has created even more
of an ego with Sherlock. He gets to say lines like:</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><i>"I
assure you that I am innocent."<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><i>"We'll
see about that."</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And who is he
staring in the eye? The man believed to be the murderer. The police are
satisfied, they completed their mystery but Sherlock defies them and continues
the mystery anyway. The character seems to become a bit more larger than life
and I think that's a good thing for the series. In between stories, this guy is practicing stabbing bodies with a harpoon because of course he has!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Am I reading
too much into this or has fame gone towards Doyle's and Holmes' head?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: While Doyle was obviously a very
popular writer at the time, I don't think he ever really abused his fame. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters</i>,
he always seemed really down to earth for being as popular as he was. He didn't
flaunt his fame too much and wasn't a personality of the time really. If he was
a celebrity, it was in no way the way we think of celebrities now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Now Sherlock
Holmes on the other hand, he has definitely gotten full of himself at this
point. Yes, we know he's the Greatest Detective in the World, but we also know
that he makes mistakes (“The Yellow Face” comes to mind). He could've made a
mistake in this mystery and the scrawny little guy who was just trying to get
back his father's money might've been faking his sickliness. Because we weren't
there and the audience has to rely on Watson, we don't know how thin and weak
he actually was, we just know he was thin and weak from what Watson has told
us. And Watson isn't the MOST reliable narrator. We believe what he says but he's
added in commentary from Holmes when Holmes criticizes him for romanticizing
things too much. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR1g_lB4HrqLLmBdDN_Ld65FIW3HbPmOrDksNfFcbMnOezH_UNdQc81BMo4ef_4NP1p5I_1WI69ypS6o0ZhwTzUJH2aITd5GIUgJyxocDYhafZHexJCm8f6AAT8a95NglQMW2lpJPOFrD/s1600/Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR1g_lB4HrqLLmBdDN_Ld65FIW3HbPmOrDksNfFcbMnOezH_UNdQc81BMo4ef_4NP1p5I_1WI69ypS6o0ZhwTzUJH2aITd5GIUgJyxocDYhafZHexJCm8f6AAT8a95NglQMW2lpJPOFrD/s320/Blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"How can I accurately depict what Sherlock looks like without making him sound made up..."</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Or, could it
be Watson who has gotten full of himself? He's the one who writes the final
draft. He's the one who records these mysteries for readers to enjoy. He's the
one who writes the dialogue. Maybe he's the one who has gotten too used to fame
and excitement and wants more simple mysteries to be outlandish? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What do you
think? Is it Watson or Holmes that needs a reality check?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Personally, I think that Watson always
needs a reality check, but that's what I love so much about his point of view.
Yes, I fully understand that Watson is an important member of the team but he's
also the Jimmy Olsen to Superman. (Or a better example would be Peter
Bogdanovich to Orson Welles.) His best friend is a crime-solving genius. He's
literally roommates with one of the coolest people alive and the character is
so cool, we're blogging about him over 100 years later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AA5_ECAJvZdBgEIXledgAJAGAvRcEMv5qjuPXXurYAKTHxk1fHGUUsBNZr5zMpvENb_SD88JJcrwjd5qlS22kil1t3pIuCRdeYrRBQApK1D-FeT_Rgyv59iwJ6wrcEW-iJaNUuZCTZ6K/s1600/Welles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AA5_ECAJvZdBgEIXledgAJAGAvRcEMv5qjuPXXurYAKTHxk1fHGUUsBNZr5zMpvENb_SD88JJcrwjd5qlS22kil1t3pIuCRdeYrRBQApK1D-FeT_Rgyv59iwJ6wrcEW-iJaNUuZCTZ6K/s320/Welles.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">This is quite possibly one of the funniest pictures ever.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
So Watson's
hyperbole is part of his charm. He claims to be a journalist and a doctor but
throughout the stories you can almost see the drool on his own pages. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We already have
a super logical person in this duo. I never want Watson to take his biography
duties super-serious because then we'll lose the fun and joy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NXRWdySrjDc" width="420"></iframe>Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-52266460620320388692013-11-03T18:33:00.001-08:002013-11-03T18:33:23.896-08:00Extracurricular Reading: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (Meyers, 1974)Warning: The following blog entry contains spoilers for the entire novel of <i>The Seven-Per-Cent Solution</i> and briefly has one for Series Two of <i>Sherlock </i>that is marked. So go read/watch those. Because they're awesome.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>"But--" I was running alongside the train now--"what about your readers--<u>my</u> readers! What shall I tell them?"</i><br />
<i>"Anything you like," was the bland respond. "Tell them I was murdered by my mathematics tutor, if you like. They'll never believe you in any case."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>--Nicholas Meyers, "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution"</i></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: </span>Lately we've been reviewing a lot of
various movies that play with the idea that Holmes is crazy. Moriarty isn't
real, he's a figment of his imagination and Holmes really just needs to get a
grip on reality. But what if Holmes were crazy? What if he had succumbed to his
addictions and became insane and created the fiend that is Moriarty? <i>The
Seven-Per-Cent Solution</i> explores just that idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The story
starts off with Holmes showing up in Watson's sitting room like he has numerous
times, but this time he is high as a kite. He is mumbling and sweaty and
resembles more of the traditional idea of a crazy person than of Sherlock
Holmes as the audience knows him. Watson, as a doctor and the detective's best
friend, decides that something needs to be done. He actually hunts down
Professor Moriarty and finds out he's an elderly mathematics tutor that taught
Holmes boys when they were younger. He's completely harmless and quite upset
that Holmes is now stalking him and accusing him of being a criminal
mastermind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">At this point
Watson decides that Holmes needs to go to rehab and Mycroft agrees. The two
men, along with the often forgotten Mrs. Watson, plan a dastardly plan to get
Holmes all the way to Vienna to meet Sigmund Freud. Now, here is where most of
the time when an author decides to introduce a real person that actually
existed into a fictional universe that I get skeptical and start purposefully
trying to find flaws. I know this is a fault of mine but as soon as I decide
that I don't like something, I try to find all of the problems with it ever. I
honestly didn't do that with Seven-Per-Cent. I thought the addition of Freud
(even though I'm incredibly skeptical of a lot of his research and findings
[women like orgasms? NO WAY!]) was interesting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUHVVz3EHC-xpFUKigqW_CaO05hs-hh6eAHBYnMx3oJoGb1ArNEpSBEs59GdKpgmfyicrGU_JBTwNfuG_2Peth3TkVz7scRr4SgC5VC2IEFzCd25K6CAU3PhqjTIuSFUcicFqHOLNRrxG/s1600/Breaking+Bad.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUHVVz3EHC-xpFUKigqW_CaO05hs-hh6eAHBYnMx3oJoGb1ArNEpSBEs59GdKpgmfyicrGU_JBTwNfuG_2Peth3TkVz7scRr4SgC5VC2IEFzCd25K6CAU3PhqjTIuSFUcicFqHOLNRrxG/s320/Breaking+Bad.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">That's not what Walter Jr. has learned from his experiences.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But I wanted
more. Half of the book, and it's relatively short (I'm trudging through the
Harry Potter series again right now so ~224 pages is short to me) is all about
Watson and Mycroft getting Sherlock to Freud. And while I liked that wackiness
of it and a Rube Goldberg machine of a plan to get Sherlock to willingly go to
Vienna. It was fun but I wanted more with Freud and Holmes. To me, once it
finally got to the one-on-one between the two, it's just a Sparknotes version
of what happened. I wanted more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So what did you
think of it? Do you buy that Holmes was crazy? Do you believe the wackiness of
the it all? And what about the lack of mystery? Can it be a Holmes novel
without a mystery?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: What's amazing about this book is that
I didn't know if Moriarty was real until the last pages. I could see it going
either way because we know this character throughout as a conniving mastermind.
That is a word we are not supposed to trust. So I laughed at the idea of
Sherlock harassing this stranger with telegrams, but as he led the way for
Holmes to follow him to Vienna, I couldn't help but think this is all part of
the plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Until it
wasn't. That last chapter was such a heartbreaking moment because even though
we've seen Sherlock go through some serious difficulties I still saw him as our
superhero detective. It was like Superman being affected by Krypotnite. Yeah
he's moaning now, but once they knock away that space rock he'll fly around and
be awesome. Once they revealed that Sherlock was--for a lack of better
word--nuts, it was devastating I now want to reread this book because now I'm
revisiting scenes and seeing him as a vulnerable human being not Our Hero.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This whole
element of "Is Holmes okay/Is Moriarty real?" served as the real
mystery. Sure we had this adventure with the Baron and the wife and the
crazy/awesome train sequence but that was a way of flipping the authority. When
we meet Freud, Holmes becomes the patient. He doesn't dominate the room because
he's following orders and trying to get better. Yet once that crime starts,
then Freud gets to be the sidekick and Holmes returns to his domain:
wonderfully ridiculous crimes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Is it obvious
so far that I loved this book? I loved loved loved this book. It was so funny
and felt like the counter-balance I've been begging from Doyle for so long.
This basically is an examination into all of our favorite characters with a
special guest star of one of the most famous psychiatrist of all time. (Even
though I liked the dramatic reveal, it does cheapen the surprise if all over my
paperback it says HOLMES AND FREUD TOGETHER!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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So much of
this book is about deflating the legend status of so many people. (A la BBC's <i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Sherlock</span>'s</i> "The Reichenbach
Fall", Season Six of <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><i>Doctor Who</i></span>.)
We have a whole story about making Sherlock Holmes mortal, but also in a very
amusing bit of madness we have footnotes openly mocking Watson's prose and use
of detail. Myers is just setting up Watson to be wrong for comedic reasons but
also to suggest that this biographer isn't gospel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPY4ye4aptIn7IX3prLH89nwX6in5RmEGBZEcpW09GHqCWefY_9rRifZt1QSbke7XeebZIpIAmXrwzCtwY2TUXLRDo8N2afzHbH5B9Q5wsDMx_aw_akfDNq2dwzjKz_FTbviDFc8bYOqq6/s1600/Good+Man+Goes+to+War.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPY4ye4aptIn7IX3prLH89nwX6in5RmEGBZEcpW09GHqCWefY_9rRifZt1QSbke7XeebZIpIAmXrwzCtwY2TUXLRDo8N2afzHbH5B9Q5wsDMx_aw_akfDNq2dwzjKz_FTbviDFc8bYOqq6/s320/Good+Man+Goes+to+War.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Doctor, I'd like you to meet Dr. Freud..."</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">How do you
now see these characters after going through this adventure? Not just Holmes
and Watson, but Mycroft, Freud and especially Moriarty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>: <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">For me, the big reveal was spoiled when my mom told me about the
book YEARS before I read it. But yeah, the back cover needs changed if it's
supposed to be a surprise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">It was nice
to see another aspect of these characters that felt genuine. More often than
not, I am left wanting more with the character development and interactions
than Doyle gives us because as we've said before, he just didn't want to focus
on that aspect. That's obvious by the fact that the death of the first Mrs.
Watson is very subtly mentioned offhandedly in one story. But in this
book, while Sherlock Holmes is the main focus, he isn't as much of the main
character. It feels, at least the first part of the book, that Holmes is the a
topic and not as much a character. And the Holmes that we know is definitely
more abstract than in the Doyle stories. We know who Holmes is (for the most
part) when he's solving crimes and zany mysteries but when he walks into
Watson's sitting room, the audience realizes that we don't know him at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85ERtQe9hlfsFcESp8SojdiNZtZCKv3F4Q-nHXi8wWakzmjGpuiZyKgfF-NQvpQhbIUg9J3Wgu6GHVEJrxudkkQx2zb9Q4bXmAXaMeWR7sEQQmGnSmp_kIANXQSLfICXVWD5RUD19DAMm/s1600/Mad+Men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85ERtQe9hlfsFcESp8SojdiNZtZCKv3F4Q-nHXi8wWakzmjGpuiZyKgfF-NQvpQhbIUg9J3Wgu6GHVEJrxudkkQx2zb9Q4bXmAXaMeWR7sEQQmGnSmp_kIANXQSLfICXVWD5RUD19DAMm/s320/Mad+Men.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">We know so little about him, we don't even know if he minds that his office is flooded.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And that's
where the book starts to get interesting to me. We have this character that we
thought we knew. We've been with him for numerous adventures and have seen most
of the inner workings of his mind and yet, he is nothing like what we've
experienced so far. The audience can really start to question here the
unreliable narrator. We usually think of Watson as truthful although he does
romanticize, as Holmes says, but only now do we get the full picture of who
Holmes is (or who Holmes is in this version of his universe). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But as I
started to say and then got distracted by dumb games online, I like the fuller
pictures of the characters that we get. We've only dealt with Mycroft once (I
think) at this point and he was not what you could call caring or close or
brotherly but after Watson comes to him and says, "Bro, we gots a
problem," he realizes that his actual brother does need help and he takes
steps to make sure he gets the help he needs. Sure, he still isn't the most
brotherly person but with the relationship that we know between these two
characters already, what some would call a little step is really a big step for
Mycroft. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Now for me, I
would've loved for Moriarty to have been "real" and not just a
figment of Holmes' drug addled imagination. It would've been great to get the
audience to finally agree that Moriarty is just a crippled old tutor and then
turn around and say "Psych!" just as the audience starts to realize
Holmes was making it up. That twist would've added more to the book that I was
wanting, I think. Sure the little mystery at the end with the train chase is
fun but I honestly forgot about it until I was rereading your email just now.
It was fun at the time but a little forgettable. At the end of the book though,
I guess I just wanted more in general. I felt like the interesting parts were
too short and nothing was really extraordinary like we normally get from Holmes
stories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Am I just being
picky? Can you find fault in the book even though you love it soooooo much? If
you love it so much why don't you marry it? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: In many ways, Sherlock Holmes can be
seen as a topic for all incarnations of the stories. Watson is always the
observer as well as the second lead. We're seeing the man through his eyes and
that has always proven to be unreliable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I fully agree
that Sherlock was a topic in the first half of this book and part of that is
because all of the characters are putting him under a microscope. In many ways,
I was doing the same to Moriarty trying to figure out his actions in all of
this. Same with Mycroft because we're so used to wondering how this all fits in
terms of a twisting mystery, not a mystery of the brain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I like the
book so much more because Moriarty isn't real. The gotcha twist is what we've
expected in every single Moriarty story ever because he's a pure supervillain.
He is someone who can achieve anything unless Sherlock, our superhero, stops
him. (SPOILER FOR SHERLOCK SEASON TWO) You're even thinking that Moriarty has
the power to come back from the strongly presumed dead. (END SPOILER. GO WATCH
SHERLOCK, PEOPLE.) While that level of character is a lot of fun, I like it
more when the characters bleed. John McClaine gets his ass kicked throughout
all of <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Die Hard</span>. The Doctor is
crippled by guilt. Batman is all sorts of messed up. Jason Bourne has issues,
the current James Bond has issues, all of the Avengers have issues. What I love
about heroes is the opportunity to stop and ask, "What sort of person
would put themselves in this lifestyle?" And with Sherlock we have a
glimpse into his sad motivations. A man who desperately searches for justice
and logic in a world where it's almost impossible to see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRG4wi7MO5LQ3TR3hkLPwQLrVnTluH6A6oFxtSOfYZr7Z7YHJrsSdmoNS2oRklbNfpci_qJxXxDcYikGqD0E39Q1znanEV43ge9mgVmKBHPpJmWwA3M-pcQayVsWtrBu5IqDPCtOCbT_GF/s1600/Jason-Statham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRG4wi7MO5LQ3TR3hkLPwQLrVnTluH6A6oFxtSOfYZr7Z7YHJrsSdmoNS2oRklbNfpci_qJxXxDcYikGqD0E39Q1znanEV43ge9mgVmKBHPpJmWwA3M-pcQayVsWtrBu5IqDPCtOCbT_GF/s320/Jason-Statham.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Honestly, Jason Statham may be a real life superhero. He once had an issue but then he punched something and he was fine.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p> </o:p></span>To me, this
almost doesn't count as a mystery novel but a novel about beloved mystery
characters. The mystery elements were just there for characterization more than
anything else and that's why I loved this one. I'm excited to read the other
two by Meyers and to finally watch the movie this is based off of. Until we uncover
another excellent one, I'm confident to say this is my favorite Sherlock Holmes
pastiche.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And here is
Leigh Montano with the final word...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Oh! We're back!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLqpLRPlxheqglxeq2S0eejMSjeRNXVk6a8pFbRn6Rw-pyDET4voWvs8uy3YQnwTFv6CrM94eLHD1Wh19cFlDO5iBtRFoPMnkuAam3izy1-ZR9sw45BvuaqI6eBMKuHqSf9xc24cAZ4eX/s1600/We're_Back!_Movie_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLqpLRPlxheqglxeq2S0eejMSjeRNXVk6a8pFbRn6Rw-pyDET4voWvs8uy3YQnwTFv6CrM94eLHD1Wh19cFlDO5iBtRFoPMnkuAam3izy1-ZR9sw45BvuaqI6eBMKuHqSf9xc24cAZ4eX/s320/We're_Back!_Movie_Poster.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
ATTENTION EVERYONE: This hiatus was entirely Austin's fault. He was too caught up in the very long hours of the <a href="http://www.trulymovingpictures.org/">Heartland Film Festival</a> to be able to answer any emails let alone think of any coherent thoughts about Sherlock Holmes. The Festival is now completely over so we're back on track. The next Doyle story is already done and will be up on Tuesday and the Rathbone movie shall be reviewed later in the week. Thank you all for your patience. Feel free to send all angry words at Austin's Twitter feed: @AustinLugar. Thanks for reading!</div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-10539648822686584432013-10-01T18:02:00.002-07:002013-10-01T18:03:21.910-07:00In-Class Movie: Elementary - "Step Nine" (2013)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“No, the murderer has escaped.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sherlock Holmes smiled
demurely.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Your Grace can hardly
have heard of any small reputation which I possess, or you would not imagine
that it is so easy to escape me.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Priory School”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Now I'm the one feeling like the
addict.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We've quit this show. Then I tweeted the Super Bowl episode. Then we
reviewed the last four of the season. Now we're back for the premiere and once
again.....I just want to quit the show. I know it's the name of our blog and
our initial premise, but we need to stop this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The last four episodes gave me some hope. I really liked one of them
and it did some interesting things. Now we have this big premiere that was
filmed in London where we get to meet Lestrade and Mycroft and see 221B
and.....all of them felt worthless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CLWvClxZA31E6XxOn7-cg2EabkfV3lsjsffxDwkuAQ9OaaDbYP5V-34_gRGy6I2xxb8yejmnHTU90OUX2roU8lS70n29XH2cnVfrmbPST6ub-TY-p-ACqOlQVEJJZL_5OHtpIb-NGjet/s1600/Mycroft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CLWvClxZA31E6XxOn7-cg2EabkfV3lsjsffxDwkuAQ9OaaDbYP5V-34_gRGy6I2xxb8yejmnHTU90OUX2roU8lS70n29XH2cnVfrmbPST6ub-TY-p-ACqOlQVEJJZL_5OHtpIb-NGjet/s320/Mycroft.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">If you didn't know the show, could you tell which one was Sherlock and which one was Mycroft?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The mystery that drives Sherlock back to the most emotional place on
the Earth is flimsy and forgettable. There is no drama about him returning.
Mycroft has no personality. Lestrade, I actually liked quite a bit thanks to
Sean Pertwee. (Yes, he is the son of the Third Doctor because--everyone
together--there are only 15 British actors.) Pertwee brought this extra energy
and friction that I've been craving on this show. And yet once the mystery
started, that all faded away to the point where I forgot he was in the room.
There was this really poor attempt at character study by saying that he craves
attention, but that was only done because Sherlock kept repeating it over and
over again. (Just like how Mycroft is lazy. No evidence of it; just Sherlock
repeating it.)<br />
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<a name='more'></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I have more
positives and negatives about this episode but let's hear what you think first.
What did you like about the episode? Do you wish the show would stay
permanently on this side of the pond or should it stay in New York with
Gregson?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: This
episode felt to me like someone giving me a pony and then in the last half of
the episode, slaughtering that pony in front of me. Bear with me here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We have Watson, who I've complained about being worthless and weak,
who beat the crap out of a fleeing suspect. Awesome. BUT, 11 minutes into the
episode once Watson and Holmes arrive at Baker Street, SHE GIVES HOLMES HER BAG
TO CARRY FOR HER. *massive eye roll* She's strong and independent but only
until she has to carry a bag up some stairs. I want Watson to be a strong
feminist icon and yet she gladly hands Holmes her bag like she's Scarlett
O'Hara waiting for the hand of the groomsman as she steps out of her coach. As
soon as they do something to make Watson an extraordinary female character,
they take it away by making her weak or the blatant discussion of her sexuality
the entire frikkin' episode. Why would Sherlock care if Watson slept with
Mycroft, unless Sherlock wants to sleep with her. An interested party would've
brought it up once, an obsessed party would bring it up multiple times and even
make a wager about it. At this point, please print a plastic gun and shoot me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPa14WbNObU4fluiIaaqt-ZvbNxe6cdUPh9RpOtZtCYJu0NwvXwe-oqb9aYUrA-Ojj57ZNGgGBFVY9bGDStT0b24hl_EhtEn85fwmTZ1ciJsdH2HNaioHOhLuZyzKjoFVm5YPHyYXGhqO/s1600/Efans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPa14WbNObU4fluiIaaqt-ZvbNxe6cdUPh9RpOtZtCYJu0NwvXwe-oqb9aYUrA-Ojj57ZNGgGBFVY9bGDStT0b24hl_EhtEn85fwmTZ1ciJsdH2HNaioHOhLuZyzKjoFVm5YPHyYXGhqO/s320/Efans.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">What if this man wanted to sleep with your partner in crime?</span></td></tr>
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The first act of the episode, aside from the goddamn bag thing, was
enough to make me think, "Well, maybe this might be good. Maybe they found
their stride after last season. Maybe we won't be disappointed." And then
every character seemed watered down. The introduction of Lestrade was awesome.
And then he kinda fizzled and became a drunk rat in the episode. I enjoyed the
introduction with Mycroft. I didn't enjoy the unfounded laziness accusations
(owning multiple successful restaurants in London isn't easy and even the
dumbest version of Sherlock Holmes would realize that) or the fact that the
character of Mycroft lost all of his power. Mycroft is intriguing because he's
better than Sherlock but doesn't care as much as Sherlock. And <i>Elementary's</i> version of Mycroft has him
as basically a normal pleb. I would say that this is a front for something to
happen later in the season but I don't have that much faith in the show.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And then the
mystery that ties it all together. What did you think of the 3D printed gun?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Guns
from 3D printers? It just reeked of the danger of the INTERNET in a movie like <i>The
Net</i>. "It's technology I don't understand! It will kill us all!" I
liked the imagery of Sherlock holding his signs to the camera to ask about the
printer sales, but that was about it. It's not like we're living in a crazy
world where nobody can find a gun that we must only use 3D printers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXhrPky00mhtyTS0jcnQo_mat_bMmk2a2VEHP8gubHyRnYfACihZtxM9jx8q0iqJ_0wdrR3D8kfD2WjN5xWUhzJRaHsfdlnHaK4nOghTUgpI0k6PY6nozQqDEFHkL3T_JrCLj_z1zSXqB/s1600/The+Net.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXhrPky00mhtyTS0jcnQo_mat_bMmk2a2VEHP8gubHyRnYfACihZtxM9jx8q0iqJ_0wdrR3D8kfD2WjN5xWUhzJRaHsfdlnHaK4nOghTUgpI0k6PY6nozQqDEFHkL3T_JrCLj_z1zSXqB/s320/The+Net.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Why won't this floppy disc eject?!? It holds the secrets of the internet!"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I agree. The introduction of Lestrade was awesome. The introduction
of Mycroft was not. I don't understand what it's like to be a fan of this show.
They hate to use any opportunity. When you have Sherlock talking about how grand
221B is as he climbs the stairs (and Watson, forever not giving a shit) it was
so obvious they were going for the cheap joke in that his room has been messed
with. The real question is what that obvious joke worth the creative
opportunity to show what the untethered home of Sherlock Holmes looks like?
Yes, he already has an eccentric place in NY but that is also occupied by a
"normal" person and he ranks that below 221B. This was the writers
simply avoiding creating something new.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What was the purpose of Mycroft? They have a great actor who can do
a variety of dramatic and very silly things and all they have him do
is....speak nicely? Maybe hypothetically to sleep with Watson? (Once again,
Watson can't even give a shit about this. SHE HAS JET LAG. GET HER A GODDAMN
PILLOW.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">By the end we have Lestrade take credit for the case and who cares?
This was definitely not connecting to his obsession with fame. (Also little
evidence of.) Also why couldn't Sherlock just give him the credit to help out
his career. Isn't that why he ultimately traveled back here? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I know that episodic shows are different than serial ones. They both
have their place. Yet if the last finale is supposed to change the landscape
and finish up one story. This doesn't set up anything new to explore. London
was a dead-end. I guess we'll see if Natalie Dormer's schedule opens up later
in the year and then maybe we'll see another non-sensical criminal mastermind
plot but as of right now: Sherlock is fine, Watson is his friend, his brother is
cool with him, Lestrade is fine, Gregson probably has a pulse, Bell is
agreeable, Morarity is gone, Sherlock's addition is fine. The water is so still
it's sickly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">You're the <i>Law
and Order</i> fan. What are the bare essentials an episodic show needs to
have to make you come back every week?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>: For me episodic mysteries are like
crack because they're mentally stimulating enough to make me feel productive
while starting at the TV but simple enough that they make me feel smart when
I've solved the murder by the first commercial break. It's like a little guy
sitting next to you saying, "Boy this sure is a hard mystery but don't
worry, Leigh, you've got this." It's a confidence booster in a 45 minute
TV show. There is such a formula to <i>Law and Order</i> that you know it isn't the
first guy they talk to but he will lead you to the guy who will lead you to the
murderer. There's a checklist that each episode has to adhere to: murder,
suspect(s), motive, court case/evidence. It has to his all of these on the list
to be a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Law and Order</i> episode. And
you know what? It works. Sure, the original <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Law
and Order</i> isn't on air anymore (because NBC are idiots but we all knew
this) but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SVU</i> is, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Criminal Intent</i> is still doing well in
syndication along it's original older brother. NCIS and its various spinoffs
follow the same formula and those shows are the most watch in the country. It's
comforting and rhythmic and hypnotic. Many a time I have been sucked into an
episode of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Law and Order</i> and then 13
hours later when the marathon ends, I remembered that I had important things to
do that day like bathe or eat or go to class. People, myself included, like
these types of shows because they're safe. They give the audience a bit of
danger without them even leaving their living room.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqvLutznsF8IO_r5O3sI3OkBVJW32n-jdu_KNr0j2wOd5XSwReq23VYrNP2-kjq_O9kEXgSg-pJKqlX1o0fKRqhFpbpLZ04YGozp-rZFSoNXhRS80r-mgmMq1w8pAGTzwN9n8BJ4vdodJ/s1600/Nero+Wolfe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqvLutznsF8IO_r5O3sI3OkBVJW32n-jdu_KNr0j2wOd5XSwReq23VYrNP2-kjq_O9kEXgSg-pJKqlX1o0fKRqhFpbpLZ04YGozp-rZFSoNXhRS80r-mgmMq1w8pAGTzwN9n8BJ4vdodJ/s320/Nero+Wolfe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">We'll get to you soon.....</span></td></tr>
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Now, if
we look at that simple checklist I wrote earlier, we'll see that <i>Elementary</i>
doesn't hit some of these checks, or at least the episode at hand doesn't. The
audience is never given another person who could've killed that guy's wife
except for an unnamed burglar who is never tracked down. The only evidence is
an obscure bottle of "milk," which, I'm sorry, is one of the worst
pieces of evidence ever. I'm too frustrated to list out the reasons why but
long story short, it doesn't let the audience play along. No one, EVER would
make the connection of "random bottle of milk in a house full of vegans
-> OBVIOUSLY ACETONE." </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And
then, the thing that bothers me the most: Why? Why did this guy kill his wife?
We know why he killed the guy who helped him but we don't know why he killed
his wife. Did she cheat? Did she steal money from him? Did she have really
smelly farts? Give me something other than, "just 'cause." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And
you're absolutely right. New seasons of TV are happening all over right now and
each one that is in its second+ season has something in the season premier that
connects it to the previous season finale. There is no mention or Moriarty,
there is no mention of how she was Sherlock's former "dead"
girlfriend, the introduction doesn't tie AT ALL to the finale. It's like the
finale arc didn't happen. This could've been picked out of the middle of the
season and you wouldn't be able to tell. So what? He goes to London. This could
easily happen as a mid season premiere and didn't need to be the season opener. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Unless
Dormer or Vinnie Jones comes back, I'm done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Next
time we talk about a story that I don't remember at all but there's a harpoon
so it should be fun!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And now Austin
with the final word…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Piss off…</span></div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-77851231225974171672013-09-27T17:31:00.001-07:002013-09-27T17:32:18.313-07:00Book Report: "The Adventure of the Priory School" (Doyle, 1903)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“But surely this is
somewhat irrelevant?”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Not entirely,” said
Holmes.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Priory School”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We have another mystery this week
that focuses on bicycles. This time, more specifically bicycle tires instead of
people riding on them. We have a very important Duke whose son has gone missing
from school. The headmaster then contacts Sherlock Holmes and says that he's
missing along with the German teacher. Of course kidnap is the obvious red
herring here but it's a Sherlock Holmes mystery and these are rarely that
simple. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Holmes goes to the school to attempt to figure out the problem and
Watson and the audience actually gets to come along. Holmes and Watson go all
along every bit of field and anywhere there might be a path to find the bicycle
tire marks from the missing bicycle that was presumably used in the possible
kidnapping. They eventually find the trail and then the dead German teacher.
DUN DUN DUN! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcI1HDU6H482hKhie8evoWrGCGA5cc8OAjOmFLlbdSvGqQhPkImg7ACLds7oWxjAAeRiKhDWAxd57_XlQcK-Q4xxFKORgckTH-hSIFXomdCIArYhJYxbsOerGPtsISmXwV7gN15unIzGf/s1600/Dun.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcI1HDU6H482hKhie8evoWrGCGA5cc8OAjOmFLlbdSvGqQhPkImg7ACLds7oWxjAAeRiKhDWAxd57_XlQcK-Q4xxFKORgckTH-hSIFXomdCIArYhJYxbsOerGPtsISmXwV7gN15unIzGf/s1600/Dun.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">My God.....</span></td></tr>
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And that's when the mystery gets exciting and slightly convoluted
and becomes a bit of a rip off. There's a worker who had been fired from the
Duke's home. There's an illegitimate son who's jealous of the Duke's younger
son. There's of course a murder and murderer and still a missing boy. Holmes
ends up solving the whole thing because the tread marks left by the cows along
the trails didn't follow a cow's natural stride. This annoyed me. Did it annoy
you?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I honestly didn't remember reading this one even though I'm pretty
sure I have. The whole mystery seemed less logical and more fantastical than
normal. Is this part of the new style that Doyle has created with this new book
or is it just a lack of planning?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I wasn't
bothered by those elements as much as you. The cow stride made enough sense to
me. Maybe it needed more of an explanation, but imagine when there are cartoon
footprints in the snow or in the dust they look like they were 100% flat
instead of someone leaning into the step. I imagine the science of a cow's
stride is actually quite fascinating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I dug this one. It felt like another fun mystery where you can
really walk around the crime scene. This one is equipped with a personalized
map and I could easily imagine our heroes walking around the yard trying to
play out exactly what happened much like "Silver Blaze". Also it had
a really fun client entrance with the way he was described as a very frantic
man who quickly needed a pillow and brandy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyLKTH2KumvshFceGBqAwkxHtB5f1bg051rqXa7zjCTHY1c71zw35gEc_YRNRvtLZRmpjA2rmG5ctMxOy1zTkXP1PEUPncl_9jG1SdpWKs0rCczaTw77K1skLIHUKOQgN8qyESZUkGgcP/s1600/Wilder.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyLKTH2KumvshFceGBqAwkxHtB5f1bg051rqXa7zjCTHY1c71zw35gEc_YRNRvtLZRmpjA2rmG5ctMxOy1zTkXP1PEUPncl_9jG1SdpWKs0rCczaTw77K1skLIHUKOQgN8qyESZUkGgcP/s320/Wilder.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Now I'm WET! And my student is missing....and I'm still hysterical!"</span></td></tr>
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I think often times for me, it's the change of locale that really
freshens up a Sherlock Holmes story. This priory school was a nice change of
pace, although I wish they snuck in a nod to Sherlock's origin story. (Or did
they? Was it too subtle?) I'm actually rather surprised that Doyle didn't use
this format to let Holmes go to wilder and more exotic locations, but even a
wide open space like this felt new and exciting.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Now, I'm curious exactly what you mean by this feeling less logical?
This actually was a couple more pages than the usual story. To me, it seemed
like Doyle wanted to go through step by step to go through all the pieces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I liked the element of the cow
strides, I just felt like it was cheating. The audience can't see that clue and
if the strides were described in such a way that the audience would realize
there's something wrong with them, then it would feel like cheating the other
way. I liked the idea, I just wish it were executed better. And yes, the gait
of animals is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaQ03CZopXw">fascinating</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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And maybe "less logical" was a poor choice of words. To
me, it felt like there was added drama that didn't help the story. Sure the
bastard older son not liking the younger son was a good plot point but I feel
like, "just because he's the actual heir" is a lame excuse as to why
he doesn't like him. Sure, this was a time when inheriting something meant you
were set for life, but surely if his father cared as much for the older son as
he did the younger son, he would make sure that he would be taken care of in
some way or another. I know from <i>Downton Abbey</i> that breaking the entail is no
easy task but the Duke surely has more money elsewhere that isn't all going
towards the younger son. This is another one of those times where I feel like I
need a basic course in Victorian/Edwardian law to understand what's going on
and why. If there was the addition of having the younger son be an all around
dick, then maybe I could get behind the older son wanting to kidnap him for
ransom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">What is a "cow"?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I also didn't understand why the Duke didn't just go and get his son.
I felt like this was a poorly described plot point. The Duke has more power and
money than some guy he fired, surely he could get his son and not leave him
with people who might kill him if they so decide. I felt that Sherlock Holmes
was right for judging him as harshly as he did. I also appreciated that Holmes
described kinda his code for who he turns over to the police and who he
doesn't. That was a nice insight into the character and we don't get those all
too often. As you said, this would've been a great time to reference Holmes'
background (if it was mentioned, I didn't get it either) but the audience isn't
told. I think that if it were written in a more modern time, then we would've
been told but we've talked before about how ACD just doesn't focus on that
aspect of the characters. Do we need to know Holmes' past to understand what is
going on? No, so why add it here? </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I also like the
change of scenery. It makes the whole mystery feel different when at the end of
the story, the mystery probably would've been incredibly similar if it took
place in London instead of in the country. So is a new location enough to spice
up these stories or is there something more that we get from these field trips
that we wouldn't if we stayed home?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I think
with the Sherlock stories more than other mystery series, there's value in the
unexpected. When you have a cozy, the familiar is an asset as we continue to
investigate crimes that happen on the same island every time because the
characters and the town is so warm. Sherlock's world requires there not just to
be a crime, but a crime too ridiculous for the police to solve. It's the
extraordinary turned into something shockingly simple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So the locations can help with that. When you're just standing in
rooms around London, it can grow stale. Yet if you use the 221B sitting room as
a jumping off point then it's exciting. When a client walks in, that means
these two and the audience can be whisked away to adventure which can involve
anything and anywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Now I'm romanticizing the series quite a bit, because the Doyle
stories don't dramatically change its format every week. Aside from some crazy
flashbacks, we stay in the UK. I hope that with the remaining stories Doyle is
tempted by his exotic love and takes the characters into some weirder places.
Until then, I continue to value Doyle when he adds the extra bits of weirdness
into the world surrounding his readers. With the help of characters named
Thorneycroft and red herrings like gypsies.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This week we're going to change up the schedule a little bit and
review the season premiere of <i>Elementary</i> because we almost forgot
what our blog was called for a second. It introduced two major characters of
the Doyle canon so we figured we ought to check it out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And here is
Leigh Montano with the final word....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Moooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!</span></div>
Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-30013222150455115162013-09-25T18:41:00.000-07:002013-09-25T18:41:20.538-07:00In-Class Movie: "The Solitary Cyclist" (Brett, 1984)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The case is clear
enough against you, and all I ask are a few details for my private curiosity.
However, if there’s any difficulty in your telling me, I’ll do the talking, and
then you will see how far you have a chance of holding back your secrets.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Now that we've reviewed “A Study
in Pink”, I want to bring up the BBC series again as a point of comparison.
Don't worry internet, this isn't about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elementary</i>.
It's about the Jeremy Brett led series, <i>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i>.
We are now watching the earliest episode for us, with "The Solitary
Cyclist" being the fourth. When we last reviewed him in "The Resident
Patient" and that showed a more prickly Holmes than we were used to with
Basil Rathbone, it's nothing compared to this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">In this episode, Sherlock Holmes is an asshole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And the episode is better for that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_jCl7Bk-riE6QYyIU6Z15JR_JMA1oN7dyabmQK1_kn_QuImSv1r5XnBHmaO17VUOBvUjl20Wi0JM3D2VoHJTJwoGiuaJg74sznoIPska6ow5d0SI-New7rh8pAX1Wg_WtghPY1t1g2V6/s1600/Brett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_jCl7Bk-riE6QYyIU6Z15JR_JMA1oN7dyabmQK1_kn_QuImSv1r5XnBHmaO17VUOBvUjl20Wi0JM3D2VoHJTJwoGiuaJg74sznoIPska6ow5d0SI-New7rh8pAX1Wg_WtghPY1t1g2V6/s320/Brett.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Hush. Still my turn to speak."</span></td></tr>
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This episode has plenty of the plot problems we had in the story
earlier this week--oh man the wedding scene in particular is just crazy to
watch. Yet it was always fun because of Brett. Many people looking for a warm
hero would probably be put off by him, but since not every Sherlock Holmes is
like this, I'm all for a break into a very grumpy area. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">It's the cruelty towards Watson, the aggressive attitude he has towards
the case and the plenty of jabbing sarcasm. That's where the writers seem to
focus because the one-liners are really great. Nowadays, this is the strength
of plenty of episodic TV shows. People will join in week after week, not
necessarily because of the mystery set-up but because they like the characters
walking around this world. (<i>Bones, NCIS, </i>every single USA show, etc).
It's clear that this version of Sherlock is an inspiration towards the type of
characters Benedict Cumberbatch could play. How far he could go with being
unlikable, but still a charismatic hero. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Did Brett save
this for you or was it all sorts of crazy? Is it unfair to compare him to
Cumberbatch? Or after that fist-fight scene should we go back to comparing him
to RDJ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I was
pretty vocal in my not liking Brett (or at least I was in my head) when we
reviewed him but I have to say that I somewhat enjoyed this one. It definitely
still had that air of a knock off of a knock off that a teacher would show in
school one day and would only show this version because they happened to have
it in the library but if I would've had to watch it in class, probably when
there was a substitute teacher, I would've paid attention instead of trying to
sleep or drawing. Brett definitely saved this for me though. Before his
assholishness seemed out of place and rough, but in this episode it felt
appropriate. (At this point, I would just like to say that Chrome recognizes
"assholishness" as a word.) The writers tried (although I think,
failed) to show that Holmes was busy so therefore a bit more stressed than normal
which would make anyone prickly. I have to say that I definitely enjoyed the
parts with Brett more than the parts without...Except for that bar fight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Speaking of that bar fight: Worst bar fight ever. Just. Ugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhna-ZVDDUCrpI6sYQk8_qILQ4lYGjVoDTGnSbg8H3wqKBTvSdW5R-m_CBHpChyiI1lFLjLXzKxk54JvTr_iknb7cN-IJTLNJxgAzdjOezsc-vh12GwmX5dlygfVaVnawZ4bTC8cHm2tWj2/s1600/Fight.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhna-ZVDDUCrpI6sYQk8_qILQ4lYGjVoDTGnSbg8H3wqKBTvSdW5R-m_CBHpChyiI1lFLjLXzKxk54JvTr_iknb7cN-IJTLNJxgAzdjOezsc-vh12GwmX5dlygfVaVnawZ4bTC8cHm2tWj2/s320/Fight.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Through clever deduction, I've analyzed the best course. I'm going to punch you in the nose."</span></td></tr>
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But the poor filming and choreography and fighting skills of the
actors isn't what we're talking about here. Maybe they decided to spend their
budget on craft services instead of a fight instructor. You ask if this scene
would be more appropriate for Robert Downey Jr. and I have to say that I think
any of the Sherlock Holmeses we've seen to this point would've had fun with
that scene. Sure, RDJ paired with Guy Ritchie would've made that a main plot
point that was a significantly larger portion of the episode (and better
choreographed) but I think that Cumberbatch would've done a great job with it
too. I definitely would like to see Rathbone take a jab at it and see if he
can't add some spice to that scene.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Both "fight" scenes in this episode seemed lackluster to
me. They took one of the most exciting parts of the whole story and made it
bland and boring. Someone was shot? Really? Are you sure? Sorry, I was yawning
at the time. And the added bar fight wasn't all that exciting either. Sure
there were a couple of punches but I felt the scene afterward with Watson and
Holmes was much more entertaining.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What do you
think? Did the cheese factor ruin it for you too? And how about how they
portrayed the mystery? Did the direct adaptation work?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: It's
amazing how much cheese I'd tolerate. The fight scenes didn't bother me because
I was amused by their placement in the story than the execution. Maybe it's
watching all of the 60s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doctor Who</i>,
but I'm really tolerant towards cheaper British productions. I think there's
also something to say about British actors. Since so many are formally trained,
they give it their all in scenes like this. Brett puts up his dukes like he's
in a Shakespeare play. There is no winking at the audience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Yet that all depends on the focus. I brought up BBC's <i>Sherlock</i> because
I respected the hell out of Martin Freeman's performance as Watson even more
after seeing this episode. Since Sherlock in this is such a dick, it's
important to see how people react to him. So why did this Watson stick around
him? Yes, he's brilliant but you could read about his exploits in the paper.
Why tolerate this?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">In "A Study in Pink" we see Watson get annoyed. He finds
it ridiculous that he had to be called over just to pick up a phone from the
table. It's a waste of his time and his patience and we see that. This Watson
just took every punch like he has been doing this for years and years and
ending the friendship would take too much work. So in yet another edition of
Losing Respect For This Adaptation's Watson, I found myself recognizing that
this was a very flat character especially when standing next to such a
charismatic one. Part of that is definitely the writing, but a lot of that was
the performance in this episode.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Watson, move more to the left. You're covering part of my tie."</span></td></tr>
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With a role
like this, how important is it for you that people recognize the absurd acts?
Or does that get to be a bit to self-congratulatory of characters keep
responding how CRAZY and QUIRKY he is?</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Wikipedia
says that Jeremy Brett did a lot of Shakespeare so It is impressive that he
took that fight so seriously. I wouldn't have been able to do it without that
wink to the audience. I guess we can agree at this point that Jeremy Brett is a
better actor than I am. (My only acting roles are as extras in student films.
But I was good at being an extra, dammit!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1cPfaGPCIS84azOkTgRf7GVVlErhnYa1EeGsBt_DNyrJOVNNlxRSPMzDvcMZw9UmEu33q4Sk-h4v4JW_vqKRRozPCL17Zqm1LtycbbDq1lKowudroLRqHaocwguntGT7QdZHqsTWX5t5/s1600/Midsummers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1cPfaGPCIS84azOkTgRf7GVVlErhnYa1EeGsBt_DNyrJOVNNlxRSPMzDvcMZw9UmEu33q4Sk-h4v4JW_vqKRRozPCL17Zqm1LtycbbDq1lKowudroLRqHaocwguntGT7QdZHqsTWX5t5/s320/Midsummers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">If you can play this scene seriously, you can do anything.</span></td></tr>
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You bring up a very good point. I am always saying that Watson has
to have a reason to stay with Sherlock Holmes and yet I don't think this Watson
has a reason. We've only seen two episodes for the blog but even the
introductory episode is Scandal in Bohemia. The show jumps right in to the
canon and doesn't allow the audience to see this Watson and this Holmes meet. I
think if they did though, Watson would've run away and they wouldn't have
become the characters as we know them. Brett's Holmes is constantly rude and
mean towards Watson and gives him the smallest bit of nuggets of "good
job" when he does something correctly as Watson sits there making a very
British, "Well, I never..." look. I don't feel like this Holmes
appreciates Watson and the characters are just there to fill the roles and not
create a deeper relationship between the characters. I think this show as a
whole is more about telling the stories of Sherlock Holmes and not necessarily
about Holmes and Watson. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Martin Freeman adds a bit of depth to the character that is lacking
in a lot of Sherlock Holmes adaptations because he does get upset and
frustrated with Holmes and is still enamored by him. David Burke's Watson acts
like a puppy who just got yelled at for stealing a cookie when he didn't. He
takes it and apologizes for it and still sticks around. This is a type of
loyalty that we appreciate from the Watson characters but we don't see why he's
loyal. (I am reminded of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=GbycvPwr1Wg#t=66">this
video</a>.) This relationship reminds me less of Holmes and Watson and more of
Bella and Edward. I think we can both agree that we don't want that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Next time we go back to school! Damn, we really should've timed this
better so it would be when normal school people are going back to school...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And now Austin
with the final word…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: What else can I say but “assholishness”?</span></div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-82863395077745474572013-09-17T19:43:00.002-07:002013-09-17T19:43:15.492-07:00Book Review: "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist" (Doyle, 1903)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You will go down?”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“No, my dear fellow </i>you<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> will go down”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Watson and Holmes totally in context, “The Adventure of the Solitary
Cyclist”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Before I start on a feminist rant,
I'm going to openly remind myself that this was written in another time period
where arranged/forced marriages were commonplace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Now, on with the story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The introduction of this story is a bit like Watson bragging, I
think. He says that Holmes was SO busy and they have SO many stories that he
has to pick and choose more than normal when deciding which stories to write
about. I thought this seemed a little out of place and more like Arthur Conan
Doyle saying, "Don't worry, guys, I gots stories to last for YEARS! Holmes
isn't gonna die again any time soon!" I think it was supposed to be a
reassuring nod to readers but felt more like a pompous, "Don't worry, I
got this." That could just be me though.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">A young woman is mysteriously contacted by two men after her uncle
dies in South Africa (exotic locale!). She is then hired by one of these men
for a lot more money than she was expecting to teach his daughter music while
the other one is a legitimate creeper and stares at her like he's going to
molest her at any moment, both in the Victorian sense and the present day sense
of the word. She is then followed by a mysterious man on a bicycle whenever she
goes to visit her mother. Holmes is then so busy that he again sends Watson out
to do some investigating and when Watson comes back with what he thinks is very
important information, Holmes tells him he did a shit job. Holmes then goes and
does everything he told Watson he should've done after the fact. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpMOvwMsRq4Vwo7T5whmrqRvvMpcpVgZRRlOzQvnP4I4hAKaTo_lzAkSuXENz7Day6wpZBpc5L9f7XhIgt6xVS78JPyj7aM9-K2pP__N1-UGBTOUsuNg6wbECWl7PXbWXh_FS1mT4hjKd/s1600/Kermit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpMOvwMsRq4Vwo7T5whmrqRvvMpcpVgZRRlOzQvnP4I4hAKaTo_lzAkSuXENz7Day6wpZBpc5L9f7XhIgt6xVS78JPyj7aM9-K2pP__N1-UGBTOUsuNg6wbECWl7PXbWXh_FS1mT4hjKd/s320/Kermit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Miss can you describe the cyclist?" "He had bulging eyes, terrible skin and an impossible to place accent."</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So the mystery. This is one that I felt like Holmes was cheating a
lot. The audience didn't get nearly enough information to figure out what was
going on so by the time the conclusion comes around, I was scratching my head
going, "Huuuh?" This one that I've read a couple of times and I never
remember it and I blame it on the fact that the conclusion comes out of left
field. A lot of the conclusion would be left to guesswork if the audience were
the ones solving it. How were we supposed to know there was a secret deal about
who got to marry the young woman? How were we supposed to figure out her dead
uncle left her with a small fortune? Why is her boyfriend mentioned if he never
shows up and is only mentioned in the introduction and in the last paragraph of
the story? I enjoyed this story for the drama of it all but I have to stay from
a mystery aspect, it seemed to fail. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What do you
think? Am I just in a bad mood or are some of my complaints legitimate? Also,
what is with ACD naming his female characters the same thing? This is the
second Violet we've come across and it completely threw me off. I have half of
a completely different email written but what I was talking about happened with
a DIFFERENT Violet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I was
also a bit disappointed by this one. I was intrigued when Violet was telling
her story but then once they stopped their huddle and shouted
"BREAK!" it lost my interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We've seen Watson explore and detect by himself before, most
famously in The Hound of the Baskerville. In that, through all our blog
entries, we valued the idea that Holmes was serving as a mentor figure
encouraging Watson to use the skills he's learned. Yes Holmes still swoops in
to save the day, but there was respect there that was missing here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">On the Wikipedia page for this entry, it says that the Strand
refused the first draft because Holmes wasn't as involved with the plot. This
could be the cause of the structural issues where Holmes suddenly arrives
because it could have easily been a late edition change. So now I can just
think of Doyle plotting instead of the character having reason for splitting
things up. Oh, I know...he was SO BUSY. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wRvqwiWqbTFN54YqhwZ9yCk7gEVwgvtgBVds00vmBr5LFJEl5Oe0P_4z4E7DjD9ZVZm4GA7DbyYgbs7xOnUcm4A-cfDW8GReSMjoCxN9dyZSyLuXSfQFP8nHqljTv1wGzLNf-TiNjERp/s1600/Patch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wRvqwiWqbTFN54YqhwZ9yCk7gEVwgvtgBVds00vmBr5LFJEl5Oe0P_4z4E7DjD9ZVZm4GA7DbyYgbs7xOnUcm4A-cfDW8GReSMjoCxN9dyZSyLuXSfQFP8nHqljTv1wGzLNf-TiNjERp/s320/Patch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"I would ask Mrs. Hudson to go but she couldn't hear me."</span></td></tr>
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We've discussed
the rise in excitement in this collection, but is this perhaps one of the most
violent stories we've read? We have fistfights and gunshots and all sorts of
stuff that would be ideal for Robert Downey Jr. Is this a case when Doyle was
trying to amp up the action that he severely lost track of the mystery?</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I hate to
agree with you all the time because a lack of drama can be boring, but the
"BREAK" moment is the perfect moment of when I stopped caring too.
Everything was SO interesting until that point. And it's not like the rest of
the story isn't interesting when you look at the facts, it just wasn't
presented in as intriguing of a manner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I don't think the additional action is what lost the mystery. You
can have an action packed adventure that surrounds a mystery and it still be a
logical conclusion. I think that this one really needed another editing. It
makes sense now that you've mentioned that Holmes wasn't in it in the first
submission. He does really feel like he was shoehorned in the story. As an
audience member, I would've been completely happy with Watson doing the
investigation by himself. At this point in the canon, I feel like Watson is
completely capable to get 75% of what Sherlock Holmes does in his
investigations. I think this story though was purposefully (re)written so that
Watson was doddering about the countryside and Holmes had to come in to save
the day, which of course upsets me because I love Watson and I hate the
doddering dullard Watson-stereotype.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9PKjQbvulYHSqe0IytTEt5yOh4U7tDVKCJjdXjNT2TvQlAhIxZ-EBdvWPTynv6cefkT6fl-n6Or7t_ZJL33FKfMxD8nihyphenhyphenNNWAl3ptw8Q8rsq4CRqCnJWgy0lZX0-G-6X3dgAKo9kcbn/s1600/Dawson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9PKjQbvulYHSqe0IytTEt5yOh4U7tDVKCJjdXjNT2TvQlAhIxZ-EBdvWPTynv6cefkT6fl-n6Or7t_ZJL33FKfMxD8nihyphenhyphenNNWAl3ptw8Q8rsq4CRqCnJWgy0lZX0-G-6X3dgAKo9kcbn/s320/Dawson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Coming soon....</span></td></tr>
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Because Sherlock Holmes was SO BUSY, I would've loved to have like a
side by side story that is an adventure of Holmes and Watson solving the
multiple mysteries at the same time and how they might overlap or not. I think
it could've added some interest there that was lacking in the last 2/3 of the
story. I know everything is written from Watson's POV but it would've been
interesting to have an omnipotent narrator describe the multiple mysteries
going on at the same time. It would at least have given a reason as to why
Holmes was so busy and why he made Watson go do his busy work.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What do you
think, Lugar? Is there any way to save this mystery?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I think
it's something that we're talked about this entire blog. Focus on what people
care about. For us, it seems that means the characters and the fantastical
elements. When those things are hitting just right, we typically love the
story. We aren't exactly the type of mystery fans that will sketch out every
single step to make sure it all works. If the elements are heightened in a
cohesive way, then we're game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">When things stumble around and it leaves us focusing on the broken
pieces then we have to wonder what's going on. We're fine with someone sending
a snake up a pipe to kill someone if the ride to that conclusion works even
though I'm pretty sure a simple poison would be more effective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I'd be curious to one day read a proper biography of Arthur Conan
Doyle. I know nothing about his romantic life, but from these stories he
doesn't have the happiest sense of relationships. Mrs. Watson was killed off
without me noticing. Sherlock won't ever be in a proper relationship.
Then--perhaps for the sake of the genre--if a spouse comes to Sherlock Holmes
with some marital issues, it never really ends well. This story was no
exception.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60Eh8UXrrbmPxS5SikwnIW1JZ-_Ibte-Qcc0hNnzp6cCX6mqK1nPE9MIjpFC7sxT5xz68l9sUeoDh8HJvRYTPG9w7W_clIcmofZ59YSVS4HEA8KhxSIv49WKb5BXXqU2nKLQE39ATmpJ-/s1600/Morarity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60Eh8UXrrbmPxS5SikwnIW1JZ-_Ibte-Qcc0hNnzp6cCX6mqK1nPE9MIjpFC7sxT5xz68l9sUeoDh8HJvRYTPG9w7W_clIcmofZ59YSVS4HEA8KhxSIv49WKb5BXXqU2nKLQE39ATmpJ-/s1600/Morarity.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Molly and Jim were the happiest couple on the show.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Anywho, we'll revisit this story again but this time we'll get the
intensity of Jeremy Brett as we revisit his show <i>The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes</i> with the episode cleverly titled "The Solitary
Cyclist".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Here is Leigh
Montano with the final word....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Daisy, Daisy...</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">I'm sorry, Leigh, I'm afraid I can't let you keep quoting films you haven't seen.</span></td></tr>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-26799342303025001172013-09-10T19:30:00.002-07:002013-09-10T19:30:32.050-07:00In-Class Movie: "A Study in Pink" (Sherlock, 2010)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Tell me,” said Holmes—and
I could see by his eyes that he was much excited—“was this a mere addition to
the first or did it appear to be entirely separate?”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Dancing Men”</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Obviously, it has been well
established that we are a massively successful blog that is highly acclaimed
not only in the English language but also in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
This has been well reported on and it's not egotistical to ponder that I think
millions--nay, tens of millions--have been waiting for us to finally review the
hit BBC series <i>Sherlock</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">WELL WE'RE FINALLY BLOODY DOING IT. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Just a few weeks away from our one-year anniversary we're reviewing
the show that arguably makes us such active Sherlock Holmes fans today. We have
been fans of the stories for years but what Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss
created, at least for me, renewed that love in a major way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So this week when I revisited the pilot, "A Study in Pink"
for the umpteenth time it was that canonical love that felt very apparent
throughout every minute. The idea of updating the Victorian hero to the modern
day sounds like a gimmick but putting a story into a new setting really allows
for them to make their homage/appreciation into a dramatic setting without it
just being a repetitive wink.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The original story of "A Study in Scarlet" is just a
jumping off point in structure. Using modern dramatics they are able to
re-examine what it would be like for Watson to meet Sherlock for the first
time, how Sherlock would interact with modern police/technology and who really
are these famous characters. There is a rich psychological examination going on
with the two leads (with Watson literally seeing a shrink before the opening
credits). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">It's a look at Doyle's original stories made by true fans. There are
plenty of little Easter eggs with my favorite being the fact that one of the
detectives reads RACHE on the floor and assumes it's German for
"revenge" which was Sherlock deduced in the original story. When we
first see Sherlock's apartment, it's just a treasure trove of odds and ends
that are designed with a loving care that encourages exploration. This world is
a playground for them to make adventures and this episode is just oozing with
potential.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Sherlock where are my keys?" "Ask the skull." "I did; he was looking guilty in your direction."</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So what about
this episode's giddiness resonates with you the most? The banter, their
mystery, the characters, the tributes or just the fact that Mrs. Hudson
sometimes gets high?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Gather
'round kids for I have a yarn to spin (GET IT?! IT'S A PUN BECAUSE I JUST GOT A
SPINNING WHEEL FOR MY BIRTHDAY BECAUSE I CAN'T GET ANY NERDIER!). Once upon a
summer steamy, as I pondered weak and weary (that's all I remember of The Raven
so I can't parody it anymore) I was bored. It was yet another summer that I had
nothing to do. No job to be found, no classes that were offered that I needed,
no air conditioning to soak in. All I had that summer to entertain me was my
knitting and my Netflix. I was bored and had just watched the first season of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Downton Abbey</i> and then a few not as good
period dramas and needed something to entertain me when what pops up in my
"Recommended for You" column but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sherlock</i>.
There was that guy from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Office</i>
that I enjoyed and another guy who, wait, really? His name is Benedict
Cumberbatch? Surely that's a stage name like Engelbert Humperdinck. I decided
to give it a go because, again, I had nothing to do. I was doubtful, I'll admit
The opening scenes being about Watson's PTSD, while a nice way to modernize it,
was a bit cheesy. And then there was this <a href="http://benedictcumberbatchgenerator.tumblr.com/">Beezlebub Cumbersplat</a>
who just didn't look like how I pictured Sherlock Holmes and we all know that
if the casting doesn't fit EXACTLY what I had pictured then it is obviously
wrong. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But I'll tell ya, they won me over. I was skeptical up to the scene
where Sherlock and Watson meet and then when Holmes walks out the lab door, I
was hooked. I thought the script, while not a direct adaptation, was a great
way to modernize and pay homage to a great series. The little references to
various stories, not just A Study in Scarlet, throughout the whole episode were
also nice. This episode is much like other movies we've talked about and
discussed. It wasn't a direct adaptation, thankfully, but it had enough
references and nods to Sherlock Holmes that it was able to capture the feel of
the mysteries and the characters without feeling like it had to hit every plot
point to remain faithful to the canon and was still a successful modernization. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The characters to me also had a fantastic chemistry. Even the
tertiary characters like Anderson, don't feel useless or in the way of the
story. This is one of those shows that to understand every scene, you need to
have your eyes looking at the screen the whole time. I tried watching Sherlock
with my mom but she thinks that the TV is something you have on in the background
while doing something else. There were numerous times that I told her she
needed to see what was going on to get what was happening. Even after watching
this episode multiple times, I still felt the need to be physically looking at
the TV screen the whole time because of the nuanced acting and the little
Easter eggs like you said. This is a show that has so much thought put into
every little thing that even the coffee cups that Watson and his friend at the
beginning of the episode are drinking out of are a nod to the canon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I completely agree that this show was made by people who not only
loved the Sherlock Holmes novels and stories but also respected it. That
respect is how you get such throw away details that most people won't notice
but the hard core fans will like the coffee cups. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So we both
admit that we love this show and this episode and it's part of the reason why
we're writing this blog right now. But what are some of the problems with it?
Surely you've found some? How about that mystery?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I
actually think this mystery works rather well. It's an original concept that
manages to make sense of the idea of serial suicides. ("How can we protect
ourselves?" "Don't commit suicide.") That oddball crime is
something that is purely fitting with Doyle stories especially some of the
really goofy ones from <i>Adventures</i>. The creators didn't just want to play
with the Sherlock characters; they wanted to evoke the plots of those stories
as well. That is the part that is often forgotten in recent adaptations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Solving the crime made sense to me on a beat to beat level. Analyzing
the pink woman and discovering she was an adulterer from her jewelry and where
she was based on what articles of clothing were wet was top-notch Sherlock
observation. The audience is not able to pick up the ring, but before Sherlock
solves it we are given the clues (Dirty/clean). By the way that Sherlock was
able to deduce things from her body and how he was able to learn about Watson
proved immediately we're dealing with a very smartly written character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Because he's that smart, it's disappointing that I solved the
mystery before he did. During the fun chase scene of the cab, the whole time I
figured they were chasing the cab driver. So when Sherlock looks at the
passenger and gives I found it problematic that he didn't look at everyone in
the car. It's another 20 minutes or so before he figures out it's the cab
driver and really he just solves that because the cabbie literally goes to 221B
Baker Street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Then there's the really unfortunate element of the plot. The fact
that <i>The Princess Bride</i> exists. On a purely thematic level it's
fantastic. The idea that the two poisons are identical and it tests the
arrogance of Sherlock Holmes to the point where he's on the verge of killing
himself just to prove he's smart enough. Excellent stuff. Yet a really famous
movie did this entire thing as a joke. Not everything needs to be 100%
original. I'm sure there are astute mystery fans who can point to random novels
through the years that had cab drivers as the murderer or a moment when a
detective realized there was after work collaborations through knee bruises.
The problem with this episode is that <i>The Princess Bride</i> is so
famous that even though I've seen "A Study in Pink" more times than
that movie I can't help but watch that scene and not think of the original
inconceivable trick to the death. Especially when the cab driver is especially
like Wallace Shawn when he's screaming MORRRIATTYYYYY.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But like I said I still really like the scene because the direction
is top-notch and it is a wonderful character moment for Sherlock that shows how
far he risks his own life and why he needs someone like Watson to keep him
safe/sane. Just cut the Moffat-y dialog that says "Here's the really
clever bit...." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">How about you?
Do you have problems with the episode at all? Are they able to be done in
service of examining characters or are they just straight-up mistakes?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I
honestly don't remember if I had thought it was the cabbie after the chase
scene. I did think it was a neat idea to bring up though because there are just
some people we inherently trust because they're not supposed to be serial
killers or sociopaths. Cabbies, nurses/doctors, policemen, teachers, and it
takes us aback as an audience when these people who have some level of control
over our lives, abuse that control and power. Having the cabbie be the serial
killer/serial suicide convincer? was interesting, I thought. I do remember
thinking after watching this episode for the first time that it was a neat move
that I hadn't seen too much of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The Princess Bride</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> bit though... I love <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Princess Bride</i>. It's one of the
movies I quote relatively frequently, like the rest of the world. I instantly
thought of that scene when watching Sherlock and the cabbie battle over who is
smarter. Some of the dialog seemed incredibly reminiscent and while I know that
it would be hard to write any scene like that without accidentally quoting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Princess Bride</i>, I just wish that it
was a bit different, add almost a different level of logic behind the move to
try to outsmart Sherlock, something so that it wasn't SO familiar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">As an episode as a whole, I can't think of any moments that are
mistakes. There was a lot of thought put into each scene and each reference and
each of the modern aspects. Things that are clumsy are meant to be like Watson
attempting to hit on a woman who is definitely not interested. We see why
characters do what they do and their actions make sense. Watson is challenged as
to why he has become so loyal to Sherlock Holmes so quickly and yet it makes
sense as to why he stays. Watson is enamoured and impressed by Sherlock Holmes
and sees helping him as a way to not be stuck into a predictable after-war
life. Lestrade's desperation on not knowing what to do about cases is blatant,
especially when he just comes out and says it. He doesn't go to Sherlock for
help because that's what the canon says, he goes to him for help because he is
out of ideas as to how there could be serial suicides.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNepCQXNDFL5edafT4fU-88jTIIyhZj_KdZTu0CDaW5Y7GYkYtdFMek0MywZRmimwqT-XSNpxEKAMyjGoHJ3xMsgOf_vygjfK943HJHuMx4sP4wHq-zJBjykei7kqYUaMtQCfpIFhYPLW/s1600/Sherock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNepCQXNDFL5edafT4fU-88jTIIyhZj_KdZTu0CDaW5Y7GYkYtdFMek0MywZRmimwqT-XSNpxEKAMyjGoHJ3xMsgOf_vygjfK943HJHuMx4sP4wHq-zJBjykei7kqYUaMtQCfpIFhYPLW/s320/Sherock.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Damn twerking..."</span></td></tr>
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And the mystery is
complex enough that I don't think TV cops could figure it out. Maybe a CSI team
or one of the more specialized shows but then those detectives are just a
Sherlock Holmes-type device. The episode might not be flawless, but there is a
reason why it is one of the most talked about shows on TV right now.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Next time,
Sherlock Holmes finds looo-oooveeee! (But not really).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And here is
Austin Lugar with the last word…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: </span></div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-5703816866239092342013-09-03T21:28:00.001-07:002013-09-03T21:28:27.092-07:00Book Report: "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" (Doyle, 1903)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I ought to make you
sign a paper to that effect.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Why?”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Because in five
minutes you will say that it is all so absurdly simple.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I am sure I shall say
nothing of the kind.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, “The Adventure of the Dancing Men”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Leigh</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I feel like I've started every
email of the new book off with, "I really liked this story" but it's
true. I really did like this one. The first time I listened to it, the person
reading it tried to read every little picture as well which just made it frustrating
to listen to. Add to the fact that I was working at 5am while listening to them
and needless to say that I didn't remember this one much while reading it this
time around so it was like I was reading it for the first time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And while I liked this story, the first half of it, I couldn't help
but think, "Didn't we read this one already?" It seems that there are
a lot of Sherlock Holmes stories that have a wife who has a secret that she
won't tell her husband so he goes behind her back to find out what is going on.
I felt a little ripped off while reading the first half because I felt like
I've read this before with “The Yellow Face”. There always seems to be a bit of
a formula with Doyle's stories but this one felt more formulaic than normal at
first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8-FXDCGx5oNqyjMFuMwD6_mFgHHbh1fUxpGWVOQGykZ0LQ4mtjA-BAzC78VbgHrwBVMT-R5NBGDfIi7OnBYCJrfgQf1AdeJluhbKfuwif8mJi25pj8lZG3YyZhQb_uyjRHRIApihA7xL/s1600/Dancing+Men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8-FXDCGx5oNqyjMFuMwD6_mFgHHbh1fUxpGWVOQGykZ0LQ4mtjA-BAzC78VbgHrwBVMT-R5NBGDfIi7OnBYCJrfgQf1AdeJluhbKfuwif8mJi25pj8lZG3YyZhQb_uyjRHRIApihA7xL/s320/Dancing+Men.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">I can't translate this. It's way too vulgar.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
But then it gets interesting. There's a murder that is the turning
point in the story for me and which seems to be happening more often in
Sherlock Holmes' world, and a crazy set of dancing guys which is a secret
language made up by an organized crime group of some sort. So possible mafia
and a murder definitely makes it more interesting than a little girl with a
weird mask. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Is it just me, or do the stakes seem higher more often now? It feels
like every story has a possibility of murder or an innocent being blamed for a
crime. It doesn't seem like it's as simple as a husband who is posing as a bum
or a girl being held captive by her family. Those could be considered serious
but murder is more serious I feel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
What did you
think?<br />
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<!--EndFragment--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Austin</span>: You're
right. This seemed very similar to that earlier story when there was the young
married couple who didn't communicate well. What's great about this opening is
that even Sherlock thinks is familiar. He felt like Abed at the beginning
calling out Watson for his repetitive responses. Then during the story Sherlock
even says, why don't you just ask what her secret is. Like the previous story,
I was really impressed with Doyle's writing during the huge exposition dump. He
really made Hilton Cubitt (dumb name) feel like a real person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">THEN HE FLIPPIN' DIED.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I did not see that coming and I felt genuinely bad about this.
You're right, the stakes are raised. This isn't a stupid mystery where an
affair is hidden. There's something crazy going on and it involves these
dancing men. Was this Doyle's homage to <i>Treasure Island</i>? Because these
symbols reminded me a lot of the Black Dot. (However this was more
complicated.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHKOHCD_KbOXRWu5wMXfCpqtKpIBNbZt_gB5v1_DTuPfi_rX6hv1ryCAOmiqj5VH2QmkhrNydrqz6uB_E6S6xtAnUyyR4LMSSMvvC17CKzUPSqYxFaOoqwYkcx86YFIDslwG-JaQSNrmJ/s1600/Muppet+Treasure+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHKOHCD_KbOXRWu5wMXfCpqtKpIBNbZt_gB5v1_DTuPfi_rX6hv1ryCAOmiqj5VH2QmkhrNydrqz6uB_E6S6xtAnUyyR4LMSSMvvC17CKzUPSqYxFaOoqwYkcx86YFIDslwG-JaQSNrmJ/s320/Muppet+Treasure+Island.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Treasure Island. Muppet Treasure Island. Cabin Fever song. Dancing Men. KEEP UP.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p> </o:p></span>Things become more exciting as Doyle explores a new exotic terrain:
Chicago! Which is filled to the brim with mobsters. Abe Slaney (also dumb name)
was a good villain because of how ruthless he was and bizarrely threatening.
Honestly, I'm not even sure he needed a code to get his message across but he
did it anyway. The use of the code was such a wonderful Sherlock Holmes oddity
with the darkness of the message with the gleeful absurdity of dancing stick
figures. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Now as fun as
it was, did it entirely play fair? Did the story connect the dots in an
intelligent manner or were there some jumps? I know one thing bugs me a little
bit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Leigh</span>: If
there's one thing that we can agree on it's that after Sherlock Holmes and Dr.
Watson, Arthur Conan Doyle kinda sucked at naming people. His characters that
he creates for these mysteries that are just one offs have some of the dumbest
names. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">There is one thing in the whole plot solving bit (which wasn't so
much Sherlock retelling what he had already done around a fire but more of an
explanation which I really enjoyed) that did annoy me. There is <a href="http://www.hwslash.net/stout.html">a theory</a> that was written by Rex
Stout that Watson was a woman and Holmes' wife. It's a relatively interesting
theory until he gets to the part where he is explaining how he figured it all
out. It is literally him picking random numbers that correlate with Sherlock
Holmes story titles and they JUST SO HAPPEN to spell out Irene Watson. There's
no rhyme or reason as to why he picked the letters he did except that they
happen to eventually spell out Irene. That was the point where I rolled my eyes
so much that Liz Lemon would've been proud of me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSuZUyFmDQwQMdHDwrcsMPNI7Bd2jaNOfRTrZdSZ0FQsO4a4I4WkfBGBOzZ3LYq5Xe_T9GaJLA7uliHV5VrbgTiO8xu0XVH48rkqiCsmliLvGpXRazyrg0Xo7JDWkhCWQxxXieUsXGTpD/s1600/Liz+Lemon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSuZUyFmDQwQMdHDwrcsMPNI7Bd2jaNOfRTrZdSZ0FQsO4a4I4WkfBGBOzZ3LYq5Xe_T9GaJLA7uliHV5VrbgTiO8xu0XVH48rkqiCsmliLvGpXRazyrg0Xo7JDWkhCWQxxXieUsXGTpD/s320/Liz+Lemon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Liz is so proud of you, Leigh, she's choosing to look at you instead of Oprah.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When Holmes was explaining how he started figuring out the code, it
sorta felt like that. Sure, guessing with "e" is a pretty safe bet
but I've watched enough Wheel of Fortune to know that there isn't always going
to be an E in every word. There have been plenty of people lose their possible
$30,000 because they got a word with no E's and 3 L's. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">That scene
seemed a bit more of guessing from Sherlock Holmes than is appropriate, I
think. Holmes has always said that guessing is a bad thing. (“</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I never guess. It is
a shocking habit — destructive to the logical faculty”)</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">and yet, here he is just kinda taking a
stab at it. I also didn't feel that the whole situation was explained. Slaney
shoots at Cubitt and kills him, Cubitt misses Slaney, somehow the wife was
severely injured in all of this. Did I miss that part in my attempts not to
fall asleep (just because I was tired, not because the story was boring) or was
it not explained very well? And really, how obsessive do you have to be to
travel to a different continent to try to marry a woman who is happily married
to someone else? I think the characters here, while interesting, don't really
make sense with their actions most of the time. Just think of how creepy that
guy would've been if it were present day and he had Facebook and things like
that? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Austin</span>: That's
exactly what I was alluding to! Those damned "e's. So many aspects of
mysteries are about cracking the uncrackable codes. Having each dance refer to
a different letter wasn't that crazy of a concept. Everybody take note because
this isn't going to happen again for awhile, but I thought <i>Elementary</i>
handled the code solving techniques better than Doyle did. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Codes are the perfect example of why people are so interested to
this day about the character of Sherlock Holmes. It's about the truth being
hidden in plain sight but only the truly intelligent or perceptive are able to
solve it. I still think the best example of a code like that being used in
media was in the first season of <i>The Wire</i> where it took a brilliant
detective weeks to figure out how uneducated gangsters were hiding their cell
phone numbers. Even though <i>The Wire</i> wasn't popular in its first season,
to spread this little puzzle over a few episodes means that the audience has
all that time to crack it before the characters. Yet the answer is so
wonderfully brilliant because it's so simple. (It helps that it was based off a
real technique used by criminals.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuBvOeIPERPTMaU7BnNGonnbYwIQ3dKIPAKIEjTibV0ns7RO_-ZfJRDeHktfEKrpFo5ywosctiPZDcLxE2RYG-OClmhhoKhkSuWuf9R_Wmz06O_XzWsmF99D0LUMCt0EqtH2LMTV1Uh06/s1600/lester_freamon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuBvOeIPERPTMaU7BnNGonnbYwIQ3dKIPAKIEjTibV0ns7RO_-ZfJRDeHktfEKrpFo5ywosctiPZDcLxE2RYG-OClmhhoKhkSuWuf9R_Wmz06O_XzWsmF99D0LUMCt0EqtH2LMTV1Uh06/s320/lester_freamon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"The code was 1-2-3-4-5 which is also the combination on my luggage."</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As for the complications that were literally witnessed, I'm not sure
how much I can clarify. Holmes seems to have found the murderer and the law
decided the rest of the guilt. The American psychologically messed with the
wife, confronted them, fired at the husband (we'll never know who fired first),
and it all ends with the wife killing herself, perhaps as a dark act of
revenge.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">At the end of
the day, Sherlock isn't interested in being a barrister. He just wants the
truth and he found it even if that truth was ridiculous. This will be
especially true later this week when Sherlock Holmes has a cell phone and that
helps him solve a string of serial suicides. Get excited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And here is
Leigh Montano with the last word…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Leigh:</span></span></div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-51943236702079514612013-08-21T07:32:00.003-07:002013-08-21T07:34:36.500-07:00In-Class Movie: They Might Be Giants (1971)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“From the point of
view of the criminal expert,” said Mr. Sherlock Holmes, “London has become a
singularly uninteresting city since the death of the late lamented Professor
Moriarty.”<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Norwood Builder”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Austin</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I had never heard of this movie
until it popped up on Netflix earlier this year. I'm shocked that being in the
mystery community so long I never heard anyone talk about it. Perhaps because
it's not entirely a mystery movie but we can get to that soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">It is the story of Justin Playfair, a respected judge played by the
tour-de-force actor George C. Scott. Before the film started Playfair suffered
a nervous breakdown and now resides in a mental asylum where he believes he is
and has always been the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. His delusions
aren't helped when he is assigned a personal psychiatrist, a woman by the name
of Dr. Mildred Watson. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KBhBQmATaPVQ1IONu2jOmJNKygEnBnLA0uJyHroaniqXpbPnqWFTx49NiRibb__OlqmUOLzWDAOgEKurWPfcqRQ0WcboG8l7NqiZVJTXeyf0xZN4zgdwF99WQ1YsMJCfmMXbj0e7pfO3/s1600/Sherlock+and+Watson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KBhBQmATaPVQ1IONu2jOmJNKygEnBnLA0uJyHroaniqXpbPnqWFTx49NiRibb__OlqmUOLzWDAOgEKurWPfcqRQ0WcboG8l7NqiZVJTXeyf0xZN4zgdwF99WQ1YsMJCfmMXbj0e7pfO3/s1600/Sherlock+and+Watson.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"I don't care what the fashion section says, Watson, this look is in."</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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The rest of the film is the two of them going around 1970s New York
City as he looks behind shadows and meets lovable strangers as he tries to stop
that criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I thought about this film a lot while reading "The Adventure of
the Empty House" because as Sherlock was telling his dramatic tales to
Watson I couldn't help but wonder.....are we even sure Morairty exists? Our
trusting narrator never met him and until we meet Moran in the flesh, this all
could have been in the mind of Sherlock Holmes. This movie plays upon that
concept and incorporates Don Quixote legend into this delightful tale.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Now we have
plenty to talk about regarding the roles of their "Sherlock" and
Watson especially with their parallels to <i>Elementary</i>. But first let's
talk about the movie as a whole. I find it captivating in a way that only 70s
cinema could be with a gorgeous script and a very ragtag production. (Lighting
is a constant foil in this movie.) What did you think? Should this even count as
a Sherlock movie?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Leigh</span>: I had
some issues with this movie. The first started with Playfair. The characters
name, not the actual character. Playfair. And he was a judge and a lawyer who
only wanted to help society. Really? REALLY!? You couldn't come up with
anything better? Playfair. You just decided to stick with that? Come on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Now to be honest, I was bored with this one. I couldn't get into it.
I actually stopped at one point to go and take a nap. I had to force myself to
finish it. The idea is interesting, a man who goes insane and thinks he's
Sherlock Holmes while his brother is trying to steal his money. But then
there's a doctor, a psychologist, who gets roped into the whole thing. Instead
of trying to cure her patient, she goes along with his delusion for the sake of
the movie...? This is where the whole thing kinda breaks down for me. She knows
that this man had a mental break and is no longer sane and yet she goes on an
equally insane trip around New York. And then makes dinner for him? After
admitting she can't cook? While wearing a bridesmaid dress? I don't quite
understand this plot or why or what the characters are doing most of the time
or what the point of it all is. It really seems to me like a wacky farce
without most of the humor. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBBH86TCshroHBARlgk8YV2ZmuK9f8x15ljLpTRFJ_5lmXc873B14xPouXxYPnb5nRwBSCOcHkx5BiakFvlZbTInm8VexEsMEhQUKWYn1eU-0Lq6tqKknaN0aUyyESAmtcAomVEjD7iO_/s1600/Wedding+Dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBBH86TCshroHBARlgk8YV2ZmuK9f8x15ljLpTRFJ_5lmXc873B14xPouXxYPnb5nRwBSCOcHkx5BiakFvlZbTInm8VexEsMEhQUKWYn1eU-0Lq6tqKknaN0aUyyESAmtcAomVEjD7iO_/s320/Wedding+Dress.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"What's crazy about wearing a wedding dress....?"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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Generally in RomComs, there's a moment when the girl/boy gets
frustrated with the girl/boy and hates them and then something happens and then
they realize how much they love them whether it be an article they wrote for a
paper or a bet that they called off with their friend, and then the girl/boy
goes to be with their loved one and happily ever after and all that shit. But
there wasn't that moment in this movie, or at least not a defined one. Watson
is upset with Playfair and his ridiculousness of being Holmes but then next thing
you know, she loves him. Did I miss something? </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I watched the
whole thing and all that I got out of it was that Rue McClanahan needed more
lines.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Austin</span>: What........?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I found this movie really charming from beginning to end and laughed
several times during it. It had a charm to it like Arthur, one of my all time
favorite movies, where a charming eccentric can impact a grittier world than
most comedies. This one played upon something I've found fascinating in geek
culture nowadays. As we continue to value hero characters (Sherlock Holmes,
Batman, Superman, The Doctor, etc) it's not their gadgets that people are
attracted to but their values.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This movie asks just because Sherlock Holmes is fictional, why can't
Playfair (I like the name!) be Sherlock Holmes. If he follows the creed of
Sherlock does not make him Sherlock? Ultimately this film is all about Don
Quixote. This isn't an original observation; it's literally discussed in my
favorite moment of the movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Dr. Watson: You're just like Don Quixote. You think that everything
is always something else.</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Playfair: Well, he had a point. 'Course he carried it a bit too far.
He thought that every windmill was a giant. That's insane. But, thinking that
they might be, well...All the best minds used to think the world was flat. But
what if it isn't? It might be round. And bread mold might be medicine. If we
never looked at things and thought of what might be, why we'd all still be out
there in the tall grass with the apes.</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Dr. Watson doesn't fall into the RomCom tropes because this isn't a
romantic comedy. Her role is Sancho Panza and she goes through the same mental
struggles as him. The twist on that is she is a lot more educated therefore her
struggles are more interesting. (I SAID IT.) Basically her arc is to denounce
her profession because what harm does this madness create? Is life more
satisfying mad than sane? Also just like Sancho is allured by Don Quixote,
she's attracted to Playfair. Unlike a Watson character, her role is not as an
equal in the crime-solving field but as a follower of someone charismatic and
interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Does that reduce her role as a woman character? I don't think so.
She's a professional, she's intelligent, she's curious, she's fun and she's the
one who actually goes through a character arc in a movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Also George C. Scott is awesome. PER USUAL.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuYusKgzYJf_Z9_bfUokLxmIZIZ3UYDjOoRyVEK6xkrpEuxo-h5nT8vcHf4XHQ_dsIUo-uxXWp2aRogm0XCzKbMCtMR64uG9ZttMses5NMy_hvvDQlm_AtFIyjXYS-gC2SSdtZOqoB37d/s1600/Strangelove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuYusKgzYJf_Z9_bfUokLxmIZIZ3UYDjOoRyVEK6xkrpEuxo-h5nT8vcHf4XHQ_dsIUo-uxXWp2aRogm0XCzKbMCtMR64uG9ZttMses5NMy_hvvDQlm_AtFIyjXYS-gC2SSdtZOqoB37d/s320/Strangelove.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"AND THEN WE LIGHT THE STRAW ON FIRE!"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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So even though
you had a problem with the romantic plotting of this, why are we allowing these
two to get together and we are afraid that Sherlock/Watson may hold hands in <i>Elementary</i>?
Is it because these two are really Quixote/Sancho or is there something else at
play?<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<!--EndFragment--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Leigh</span>: I have
not read Don Quixote but after watching this movie and mulling over why I
didn't like it, I think I figured out why. It's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Equus</i> but attempting to be funny. (Leigh would like to state that
she's only read the play, not seen a performance of it.) The plots are similar;
Psychologist is assigned a patient who is crazy and then the crazy person
convinces the psychologist to be crazy (I'm of course over simplifying it but
you get the idea). I love comedies. 80% of what I watch are comedies followed
by nature documentaries and then mysteries for this blog. But I liked <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Equus</i> a lot more. A LOT more. The
psychologist's descent into Crazyville is more complex and better verbalized
and more believable in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Equus</i> than Dr.
Watson's in They Might Be Giants. It really does seem like a switch. One minute
she wants to save this patient from his own psychosis and then the next she's
encouraging him to walk around New York solving crimes and then she starts
chasing the windmills with him. I don't really believe her eventual insanity.
Becoming insane isn't that easy and it doesn't happen that quickly. I don't
believe her willingness to go with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Speaking of crazy, why does everyone else in the movie believe he's
Sherlock Holmes? Does this question the sanity of everyone or is just that
Playfair happens to come across only the crazy people in New York? I don't
think Rue McClanahan believes him, she's following him as a symbol of defying
her husband but everyone else calls him Holmes and I don't understand why. Is
it normal for people to take on alternate personae in New York? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvYOzfToFbGGALTn57PDleACkyk-to4gctObsHcHQBgW8kypGu_7hGcst0Uej5ocuJLJu29fyFN9FMV5caFyQ5rNPIdhU0LibyrhuGM3jPSnMUOw_hC9r3svIbQZ-T_Y18ztKAHXIv0fy/s1600/Spiderman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvYOzfToFbGGALTn57PDleACkyk-to4gctObsHcHQBgW8kypGu_7hGcst0Uej5ocuJLJu29fyFN9FMV5caFyQ5rNPIdhU0LibyrhuGM3jPSnMUOw_hC9r3svIbQZ-T_Y18ztKAHXIv0fy/s320/Spiderman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I agree that George C. Scott was superb. He's one of those actors
that I would watch read the phonebook and be totally enthralled every minute of
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">While doing research on this movie, because that's what I do, there
was an article said that this was wrongly publicized as more of a RomCom when
it isn't. I have to disagree, this movie feels like a RomCom more than it does
just a fun romp in insanity. It doesn't feel like a straight comedy because
there is that romantic element. Now why is it okay for that romantic element to
be there where we dislike it in Elementary? Because this isn't Sherlock Holmes
and Watson. The majority of the movie, Dr. Watson calls Playfair either
Playfair or Justin. She doesn't call him Sherlock Holmes until the end of the
movie. And even when she does believe that he's Sherlock Holmes, I don't
believe that she thinks she's Watson as we traditionally think of Watson. I
think she still thinks she's herself, she's just succumbed to the idea that
Playfair is Holmes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Next time we deal with some dancing men and I will try not to make a
million Safety Dance jokes but I can't promise anything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And now Austin
Lugar with the final word!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--EndFragment--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Austin</span>: </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<object height="315" width="560"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/WTO10Xgl0eM?version=3&hl=en_US"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/WTO10Xgl0eM?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-13676103016306558492013-08-16T15:24:00.000-07:002013-08-16T15:33:53.297-07:00Book Report: "The Adventure of the Norwood Builder" (Doyle, 1903)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lestrade began to
laugh. “You are to many for me when you begin to get on your theories, Mr.
Holmes,” said he.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Norwood Builder”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p><br /></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This week, in “Norwood Builder”,
Sherlock Holmes decides not to waste his skills by sitting around like he used
to back in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Memoirs</i> and decides to
actually get up and do something. That break where he was pretending to be dead
didn't deaden his ability to solve a mystery. And boy did he solve a mystery!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">A solicitor shows up on Holmes' doorstep one morning, crying and
carrying on about how he's going to be arrested for murder. Lestrade turns up
shortly after, as he often does, to arrest this poor young man while Holmes
promises that he's going to figure out what the problem is. And he does but
only after he almost didn't.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Most of the time when there is a bit of doubt from Holmes about
figuring out a mystery, it is small and short-lived but in "Norwood Builder", he
doubts himself a lot. At one point he says that he knows the solicitor is
innocent but doesn't know how yet. That's some heavy stuff coming from the gung
ho detective. For any of those worrying that Holmes didn't figure it out, don't
worry he did, because of a thumbprint. A random thumbprint in a random spot in
the hallway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We know that Holmes has fantastic detecting abilities and yet
something this small seems a bit too convenient. I'm willing to believe a lot
in this Sherlock Holmes world where he can deduce anyone's profession just by
looking at their sleeve but this thumbprint just seems...lazy almost. I am
growing jaded to the detective's abilities or is it a bit silly?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_u1LplAWIEJWXhdztZZ-1S4nm3YbaEcFjM5u32PtPGU9u___focv_b3k3iWHadJNJeltyxlls2dtPVzrrLzmHR_bIJRy7VhDO-ULOhIJ_azmc5KWbqjRq8R11AHigBNQt7Ouh4pbOTun/s1600/Scooby+Doo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_u1LplAWIEJWXhdztZZ-1S4nm3YbaEcFjM5u32PtPGU9u___focv_b3k3iWHadJNJeltyxlls2dtPVzrrLzmHR_bIJRy7VhDO-ULOhIJ_azmc5KWbqjRq8R11AHigBNQt7Ouh4pbOTun/s320/Scooby+Doo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Jinkies, Lestrade! I think I found something! </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And speaking of
silly, wasn't that the most ridiculous orchestration of shouting
"fire!" that you've ever read?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: We're
getting into a new terrain of Sherlock Holmes stories it seems. This collection
seems awfully theatrical. The resolutions are more visual with people trying to
knock off busts and Watson lighting fire to straw. Are they ridiculous? Yes.
But are they fun to read? Absolutely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">It's almost like Doyle knows that they will be adapted one day
because his writing style seems different. There is more dialog than there used
to be instead of crazy long monologues. They are changing locations and there
are characters vocally questioning Sherlock. It makes for a more thrilling story
even if they aren't as cerebral as they used to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I feel like a Michael Bay fan by writing this, but is it bad that I
prefer these stories more than the last collection? When McFarlane stumbled
into 221B Baker Street, he felt more like a new character than any of the other
clients. The rapid fire desperation in his dialog made him feel fresh and it
became all the more dramatic when Lestrade showed up early in the story to
literally arrest the man on spot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vjmItLGGRgNOZA-phvI58BU13Q0p9CjtAKs1jve1zAEXtG6gu6lUm-ggINDSzfmqOOL6kpJW80uvaHdn4Bphzqu810I-KX09F93mMrIxeZaqu31hrm_sF0_PhPEIESB8Q-_dezAP4Wvu/s1600/Lydia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vjmItLGGRgNOZA-phvI58BU13Q0p9CjtAKs1jve1zAEXtG6gu6lUm-ggINDSzfmqOOL6kpJW80uvaHdn4Bphzqu810I-KX09F93mMrIxeZaqu31hrm_sF0_PhPEIESB8Q-_dezAP4Wvu/s320/Lydia.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">I need you to solve something for me. I mean, it's a crime. It's a case. I didn't do it but there are those that think I did. Wouldn't this seem more natural if you were drinking coffee too?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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Is it just me? Are these stories turning more into blockbusters
instead of quiet PBS dramas? If so are the mysteries suffering to the point
where we should be concerned?</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Also, where the
hell is Watson's wife? I looked it up because the timeline for these stories
are silly. This story definitely takes place years after<i> The Sign of
Four</i>. What is Watson saying when he moved back into 221B? Is he just
referring to his job? If that's true, does that mean he's just hanging out with
his best friend all day breathing in second hand opium hoping that maybe a
client will show up one day and telling his wife that he's hard at work?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Watson's
wife is dead. She died sometime between Holmes disappearing and returning.
Watson doesn't make a big deal of it because he's British/Victorian. It's
mentioned somewhere in “Empty House” albeit very briefly. Watson and Holmes are
roommates again in the Norwood Builder. SPOILER: Don't worry, Watson'll marry
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wNACVDmS4YSXe29txopPiMlxfYDTZ-at9egqn2USBORKWJ8ShQGVknv6ijadAj_ZDPdEBfmqPQvsCLhMmBCHj3hHf6molXxUDL8mtrAbvjI9iSrI1rp0B_i4FbnQ9cPZ2Ac-Zu9MSVth/s1600/Watson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wNACVDmS4YSXe29txopPiMlxfYDTZ-at9egqn2USBORKWJ8ShQGVknv6ijadAj_ZDPdEBfmqPQvsCLhMmBCHj3hHf6molXxUDL8mtrAbvjI9iSrI1rp0B_i4FbnQ9cPZ2Ac-Zu9MSVth/s320/Watson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">A face like this can never be a bachelor for too long.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
No, I completely agree. There is a new life in these stories. There
was a formula, a closely stuck to formula, that Doyle used when writing the
last set of stories. It never quite felt that he was sick of the characters or
of the universe but you could tell that he was phoning it in on a couple of
stories from Memoirs. But with this adventure, it's completely different. We do
start off back at Baker Street but instead of Holmes figuring it out all while
sitting in his chair or leaving a bit then coming back to tell Watson what he's
discovered, Watson (and the audience) get to come along with during the great
reveal! This alone adds a new aspect to these stories that I didn't know I
wanted but after I read I realized I did, if that makes any sense at all.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">There's more excitement and more suspense than there used to be with
these stories. As I said earlier, Holmes never really doubted himself before
and then in this story, he's full of doubt. That creates a new level to his
character that the audience hasn't really seen before. This could be a new
found enthusiasm on Doyle's part or it could be that he's altering the very new
genre of mystery. Before it was "here is the puzzle so let's solve
it." Now it's, "Here's the puzzle but where are the four missing
pieces? And why is this one on fire?!" There's definitely some change and
I'm voting that it's an evolution of sorts on Doyle's part. Maybe he got bored
of sticking to his formula and decided to shake it up a bit!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So we're
talking about the change that's taking place and we both agree it's good, but
is the heart of the mystery affected by this?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: Mrs.
Watson is dead? Christ, now I need to reread "Empty House" and
apologize to every single Sherlockian reading this who is violently rolling
their eyes at me. Maybe Watson should have been grieving a little? Mention it
once or twice to his best friend? Feel the sting of death on a personal level
instead of always being the outsider to crime? Whatever, R.I.P. Mary. I felt I
never really knew you. Probably because you were pushed to the side in every
story except for <i>The SIgn of Four</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Anywho, back to the fire. I really enjoyed that Lestrade showed up
right at the beginning because then we were able to examine the dual methods of
examination. Once again, I admire that Lestrade is not portrayed as a goof. He
is a respected detective who also recognizes that he is not perfect and is
grateful for what Sherlock can bring to the investigation. In many ways, he is
the voice of reason. Anyone on the case would accuse McFarlane of the crime. It
plays like the dumbest version of <i>The Postman Always Rings Twice</i>.
Instead of messing with insurance scandal, he's going right for the will. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">By having Lestrade and Sherlock walk through each room together we
get to see two mysteries. The normal procedural and the guy who lights shit on
fire to make a point. At this point in their friendship, Lestrade has respect
for Sherlock to make his wild leaps of logic because he knows that there is a
point to be made. Even if it's being withheld simply for the sake of theatrics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">At certain parts the duality of the situation is too much favored in
Sherlock's direction because even the dumbest criminal shouldn't be leaving a
bloody thumbprint behind. Just a glance back at the room should point that out
to you. And yet such a thing should be considered as a clue because it is literally
used as an iconic example of what a clue should look like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYxY9Xfs0kui_3YIzc7hshyphenhyphenOmL4yuO6ijNYNLGfs80sGwnoDGR3jBkN2WQh7oAnfS9UnX4Q9clCwBHln2ZqNnTWBJSp4LD_rQpEub2y0SEJSocqoI1383uL2zeiqYORRwvYF9rzYPwpra/s1600/Magna+cum+Murder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYxY9Xfs0kui_3YIzc7hshyphenhyphenOmL4yuO6ijNYNLGfs80sGwnoDGR3jBkN2WQh7oAnfS9UnX4Q9clCwBHln2ZqNnTWBJSp4LD_rQpEub2y0SEJSocqoI1383uL2zeiqYORRwvYF9rzYPwpra/s320/Magna+cum+Murder.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Magna cum Murder will be in Indianapolis this October!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
I'm excited to read more into the <i>Return</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Later this week. (Aka tomorrow) We're going to watch a really
awesome Sherlock Holmes movie that is arguably....not even a Sherlock Holmes
movie. Even though the main characters are Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. It's
<i>They Might Be Giants</i> starring George C. Scott as a judge who has
lost his mind and believes that he is Doyle's famous character and is up to him
to stop Morarity. It's hilarious and heartfelt and on Netflix. Watch it with
us!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And here is
Leigh Montano with the last word....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: FIRE!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePHjdNEX1Ux_8GQUSE-SOsbe9aebcKdnMYOAXSEAFX1_eUgQaUENs_2ZboM8TKmgVuVdF2z_VHYMwoF5cvki4EsqIgfWV5zz5Y5A9jjMN6-yY5PwD9ZFbA9wibQkwMIvw5lZhEW5LnF3J/s1600/Beavis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePHjdNEX1Ux_8GQUSE-SOsbe9aebcKdnMYOAXSEAFX1_eUgQaUENs_2ZboM8TKmgVuVdF2z_VHYMwoF5cvki4EsqIgfWV5zz5Y5A9jjMN6-yY5PwD9ZFbA9wibQkwMIvw5lZhEW5LnF3J/s320/Beavis.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-73296712228636945962013-08-06T14:24:00.000-07:002013-08-06T14:24:07.473-07:00In-Class Movie: "The Woman in Green" (1945)<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">“And you thought the rooms
were watched?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">“I knew that they were
watched.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">“By whom?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">“By my old, enemies,
Watson.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">--Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Empty Room<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Austin</span>: It's
been quite a while but we've returned to one of the most beloved Sherlock
Holmes actors, Mr. Basil Rathbone. This time we're checking out one of his
later adventures, <i>The Woman in Green. </i>When I first started watching
this, it did feel like too long. I love Basil. His intelligence is quiet and he
feels like an Errol Flynn kind of hero. (But a British version, meaning he will
walk slowly from place to place like a gentleman.)</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Ultimately I liked this movie because of how much I liked Basil's
constant performance. There's not too much of a mystery going on here. There is
a weird crime going on that involves cutting off women's fingertips.
(Seriously) This is such a dastardly thing that it could only be one man behind
this....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwNOpsJAyMGh-oPSgNelDUR7VNivSzf-KN3X3jATx3M5dFVao2EEvflm7C6OVRg9EzPbPLl5k1wqN7S2HQqSPS6HSDfj-s8jFY4vSi8awEeBfGt0D2J3vZyGLzFeY9Ch6qPn98dbs8jSQ/s1600/Red+Herring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwNOpsJAyMGh-oPSgNelDUR7VNivSzf-KN3X3jATx3M5dFVao2EEvflm7C6OVRg9EzPbPLl5k1wqN7S2HQqSPS6HSDfj-s8jFY4vSi8awEeBfGt0D2J3vZyGLzFeY9Ch6qPn98dbs8jSQ/s320/Red+Herring.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">RED HERRING!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p> </o:p></span>MORIARTY</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">In this version of events, everyone but Holmes thinks that Morairty
is dead after being hung somewhere in Europe, but Sherlock knows that he's out
there. Of course he's right so we get another wonderful sit-down chat with the
two rivals as the plot goes into weirder directions including one of my least
favorite plot devices ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Yet the reason that we choose this movie for this week was that we
heard that it was going to have some elements of "The Adventure of the
Empty House" in it and it sure did have.....one moment. Holmes used a bust
of Julius Caeser to stand-in for him during an assassination attempt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So Leigh, what
did you think of this one? It wasn't too much of a whodunnit so did it work as
a thriller? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Leigh</span>: Well, this was...different?</div>
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I'm going to say the things I liked first before I start
complaining. I LOVED the actor who played Moriarty. He had the perfect
combination of slimy and intelligent that all great British Bad Guys should
have. I would love to see more interactions between this Holmes and this Moriarty.</div>
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Basil Rathbone, again was WONDERFUL. He is intelligent
without being pompous about it and seems to put up with Watson's inability to
do anything well with a smile and a chuckle. He does suffer fools gladly which
is great because Watson seems to have jam for brains.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv1VjbVFNezNBi3Evrrp8K5gXw8EZD5T_wsrbSgaeL9ZumilRVuMGA5jvwn3wOR4mLLxSDwnKQHamVefJoKXlUjaiw9fB2dfIhS-S6pUR0xnHxeXPo5kGpECUJLglBGKTXcEK_Y6RdWqJ/s1600/Basil+Rathbone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv1VjbVFNezNBi3Evrrp8K5gXw8EZD5T_wsrbSgaeL9ZumilRVuMGA5jvwn3wOR4mLLxSDwnKQHamVefJoKXlUjaiw9fB2dfIhS-S6pUR0xnHxeXPo5kGpECUJLglBGKTXcEK_Y6RdWqJ/s320/Basil+Rathbone.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">A hero always poses.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The creepy doctor who was there only for the purpose of
making sure that people who are hypnotized are actually hypnotized. He served absolutely
no other purpose but because of his supreme creepiness and the fact that he
just cut people up made me like him. I want more of him in this movie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the woman hypnotist was an interesting addition and made
the plot a bit more complex and made it a bit more interesting.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the plot in general. *shakes head* What was with that
plot? For some reason it seems to be popular belief that to make Moriarty devilish
and evil but still clever, they have to have overly complicated plots that have
him doing evil. Again, I'm sure there are easier ways to get money and even
easier ways to blackmail people than to have them murder people and stick them
with a random cut off finger.</div>
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I agree that it felt too long. There were a few scenes that
the writers should've cut. The one that comes to mind was the scene where Sir
George is found dead and instead of Holmes noticing his hand is clenched and
then open his hand, he walks through every step as to why his hand *might* be
clenched and what it would mean and how he got to where he was and then that he
might have grabbed something and *then* opened his hand. All of that middle bit
should've been cut or at least cut down so it wasn't such a bleeding long
explanation as to why he was holding a matchbook. Also, I always find it odd in
mysteries that the murder victim is always holding something inconspicuous and obscure
that eventually leads to the murderer. I don't think that, if I were seconds
from death, that I would grab a matchbook that I got at a club where I met a
woman who then led me to her place to be hypnotized. I'd probably grab
something that could be used as a weapon, but that's just me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And then Watson. Ugh. But I've already complained about
Nigel Bruce before as Watson so I won't continue, I'll just say that it's more
of the same and possibly worse.</div>
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<br /></div>
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My question to you, Lugar, is why are bad guys always
written so that they over complicate things? It isn't just in the Holmes movies
that we've looked at recently but other movies as well, James Bond ones coming
to mind. Why is that? And why is the flaw in the plan something so seemingly
simple such as Holmes not taking the drug or Watson showing up on time?</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I was listening to a podcast a few
days ago and they were talking about Loki in <i>The Avengers</i>. The two
critics became very confused about the particulars of his plan. What exactly
was he trying to accomplish with all of these steps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I feel that this Moriarty and most supervillains are falling into a
particular problem. These stories have the point of view of its heroes, in this
it's literally a detective. This means that we have to start off with a limited
amount of information and as more is revealed then we can have twists and turns
in the story. In many ways a villain's strengths come from what we don't know
about him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So in an ideal plotting we have a villain who appears to be doing A
but really he was always trying to accomplish B but no, the hero was
(reasonably) wrong again and the audience and the hero are shocked when the
villain is trying to accomplish C which is the worst thing imaginable. When
this very difficult plotting isn't done well then it just seems like you have a
villain making up a new plan every 20 minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a8u1FcDFpagOOF5W9_Vkgfe6CBpUM_DY4oB7kTEVrK6e_aPhAK7po_nTbV99pXX2rkSbUQCvUi9ScBPKS_i5YFq_zesDbWEIrzRJNFxJ26YBH_js4B_ho236YCwTdv8rm4AqV1frTYnm/s1600/Morarity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a8u1FcDFpagOOF5W9_Vkgfe6CBpUM_DY4oB7kTEVrK6e_aPhAK7po_nTbV99pXX2rkSbUQCvUi9ScBPKS_i5YFq_zesDbWEIrzRJNFxJ26YBH_js4B_ho236YCwTdv8rm4AqV1frTYnm/s320/Morarity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This movie fell into this problem and you know what, I wasn't a huge
fan of the actor who played Moriarty. There wasn't anything bubbling under the
surface with this guy. I felt like he was an annoying banker, not the Napoleon
of crime. Especially since so much of his plan revolved around hypnotism--a
device I always am completely bored by because it's way too convenient--I was
underwhelmed by him. Yet I really liked how the director filmed him. We get the
familiar exchange of dialog between him and Holmes in the sitting room but they
tilted the angle more for Moriarty just to make him seem a bit obtuse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">As we continue
to talk about concepts, not about this particular movie, I'm curious about your
take on how these Basil Rathbone movies operate. They are adaptations but just
barely. As a fan of the Doyle stories but also a fan of cinema, is the the
right path for these movies? Should they be more faithful or should be they be
entirely original?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: We've
talked about problems of direct adaptations before (or I am completely making
it up and just remembering previous rants I've had online) but to sum up the
problem with a direct book-to-movie adaptation is getting a balance of having
enough details to stay true to the story but not get bogged down. Example: If
you did a TRUE, direct book-to-movie adaptation of any of the Harry Potter
books, you are adding anywhere between 1-7+ hours to it and NO ONE wants that.
No matter how much they say they do, they really don't.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I think that these movies do a fantastic job of telling a story
worthy of Sherlock Holmes but they don't worry about adapting an already loved
story and instead make it their own. They have enough details from the stories
to connect them without worrying about getting every detail correct and
specific. If they tried to adapt them word-for-word (or close to it) then I
think they'd run into problems mainly not knowing when to cut superfluous
dialogue. But instead having the movie inspired by the stories in general,
there is a bit more leeway and less people trying to fact check every minute
detail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The problem that we do run into with loose adaptations like this is
that they are more up to the writer's imagination so sometimes they are less
precise and scientific than we would like. We haven't seen one as ridiculous as
<i>Sherlock Holmes Meets the Yeti on the Moon</i> (if this exists, we will
review it next) but we do get more convoluted plots that involve things such as
hypnotism. Hypnotism, especially as it was portrayed in this movie, doesn't
quite work that way so we lose some of the truthiness that makes the plot more
solid and less wishy-washy. There are pros and cons to looser adaptations and a
movie whose plot revolves around hypnotism is definitely a con, in my opinion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowJ_L2VEKNaD-Kl1ZzTjgiFoxCCyDJADj0cfVHqE8KlkJfw13iP6SCEffYy6hjZCKoGYTUpJo2877D5bO9NqlaL8sWcQzFbIKWx6zD2RoeIF3ynP8HdylP0J8hMFfMP8C3X6svE6vBpKn/s1600/Doctor-Who-Yeti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowJ_L2VEKNaD-Kl1ZzTjgiFoxCCyDJADj0cfVHqE8KlkJfw13iP6SCEffYy6hjZCKoGYTUpJo2877D5bO9NqlaL8sWcQzFbIKWx6zD2RoeIF3ynP8HdylP0J8hMFfMP8C3X6svE6vBpKn/s320/Doctor-Who-Yeti.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">You know who does meet the Yeti and go to the moon? THE DOCTOR!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Next time we
deal with a builder, a lawyer and detective walk into a pub and hilarity
ensues.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And here is
Austin Lugar with the final random pop culture reference…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijT050qmAktU3qoDywijkLhmn-SKhOR89TriT0OSvPKY6HjIC9ucU0W2NrFcPglmuMYSRAWi8iz3UJKmAmA-4fMOkDbxVib23X61z_AEpYqWnE-XO4OhPv0MfB87LxT1Qcno8lywAaT9x_/s1600/Atonement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijT050qmAktU3qoDywijkLhmn-SKhOR89TriT0OSvPKY6HjIC9ucU0W2NrFcPglmuMYSRAWi8iz3UJKmAmA-4fMOkDbxVib23X61z_AEpYqWnE-XO4OhPv0MfB87LxT1Qcno8lywAaT9x_/s320/Atonement.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-69927803484277839512013-07-31T14:41:00.001-07:002013-07-31T14:41:30.312-07:00Book Report: "The Adventure of the Empty House" (Doyle, 1903)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I am all right, but
indeed, Holmes, I can hardly believe my eyes. Good heavens! to think that you –
you of all men – should be standing in my study.” <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Dr. John Watson, “The Adventure of the Empty House”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I don't mean to alarm you but
Sherlock Holmes seems to have come back from the dead. This does indeed make
him a zombie since he does not seem to have an affinity for blood or leather
trench coats. I can only praise Moran for attempting to take out the zombie
Holmes before he tried to kill poor, unsuspecting Watson. Really, when dealing
with a zombie it is best not to follow them to a new location. Or is that a
hippie? They really are the same things aren't they? Maybe that's why they're called
Deadheads. This is all tangential because it is early and Leigh has had too
much coffee and not enough food. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDUPZBtyW3naqAOxyVMb3Kgay5CUTcCBueMXbFormF-O8KDRO27IMM5yLAL1-tkQAmkY9Wh_qwxsCGxHK_3HYpgJxmuwk27zaOvYj8ps5aDRf60_cSL4oW53a_hTRcbtud3nk1W9e7XN8/s1600/Shaun+of+the+Dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDUPZBtyW3naqAOxyVMb3Kgay5CUTcCBueMXbFormF-O8KDRO27IMM5yLAL1-tkQAmkY9Wh_qwxsCGxHK_3HYpgJxmuwk27zaOvYj8ps5aDRf60_cSL4oW53a_hTRcbtud3nk1W9e7XN8/s320/Shaun+of+the+Dead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"We need a cornetto."</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Back to the story at hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Holmes seems to have returned from the dead and giving poor Watson a
dead fright. We've seen this scene acted out in a few different films, where
Holmes is disguised as someone else, meets up with Watson and then scares the
living daylights out of him because I mean, who wouldn't be scared when they
see someone who they thought was dead standing in front of him. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This whole story is a bit different than normal. It starts off with
Watson saying that he misses Holmes and that he's tried to fill in his shoes
but it just hasn't worked out that well. There's a particular mystery that
catches Watson's eye, of a man murdered in a locked room. This bit of the story
gets dropped until later in the story when Holmes can explain everything to
Watson. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And boy does he explain everything. Once Watson wakes up, Holmes
explains how he survived Moriarty's final attack, how he then survived Moran's
attack, how he travelled all over the world and then how he's been trying to
throw Moran off of the scent. Watson and Holmes then go across London in the
most convoluted way possible to make sure no one was following them to find
themselves across from 221b and hide while Moran attempts to kill the fake Wax
Bust Holmes. And then the audience finds out that Moran was the one who killed
the guy at the beginning of the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So we have an
interesting re-introduction of a character that has been missing for three
years, an intriguing bad guy and a humdinger of a mystery all wrapped up in a
slightly differently formatted story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The X-Files</i> started this idea in
television called the "mythology" episodes. That's when they stopped
having their alien-of-the-week and looked at the series wide conspiracy with
their smoking man. Plenty of other shows do this too and when you realize
that's happening, you sit on the edge of your seat. Whenever it was Damon
Lindeloff and Carlton Cuse writing an episode of <i>LOST, </i>big stuff were
going to be revealed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"According to these figures, he.......simply went down the other part of the mountain."</span></td></tr>
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Doyle doesn't really play that way except for these "The
Reichenbach Fall" and now this one. We learn about secret societies going
on behind the scenes which put Sherlock and Watson as part of the crime, not
investigating from afar. This made every page more exciting to read, at least
for me.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">That said, this story was crazy. It was a puzzle structure that was
just silly. The bookends of the crime of that random card-playing dude felt so
besides-the-point by the time it was over. We learned about his death first so
I thought that was going to be the priority. Instead we get this very exciting
and elaborate backstory of Sherlock Holmes who ties it back to the murder in
the last page in a non-chalante fashion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So that part didn't work for me (even though I love the idea that
Watson was investigating crimes on his own. Fit very very well after reading
about him in <i>Hounds</i>.). Then we have plenty of excitement. Just like how
Doyle built up the image of Morarity with him on the sidelines, Moran is also
seen as a very powerful threat. I hope we see him again but the way Holmes
operates I doubt that'll happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Since this is
not a plot heavy story (despite the shit-ton of backstory) let's talk about
emotions. We have Sherlock Holmes return to a number of important people:
Watson, Lestrade and his fans. How well did these reappearances work?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: To me,
this story really did feel like the opening scene/act of a sequel movie, like
Sherlock Holmes The Canon: Part 2. The characters are reintroduced and there's
that whole, "The Boys are Back in Town" feel to it. Or the season
premier of a second (or third?) season. At the end of the episode, Watson and
Holmes would laugh and then the scene would freeze as the credits rolled over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxSogKrJaZgSkvyfB9CFRoiod-BMB5yUg6TGih8n_0KWM8L6UE4WiWjCvHshvp7LnddtVkLIYOnmJHVDyc_50nZ6wzSThZPd1P4KGwZADjVUS7Qp9TGnShHm0UIkNQAv0_A7A_1ZCzbDj/s1600/SherlockWatson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxSogKrJaZgSkvyfB9CFRoiod-BMB5yUg6TGih8n_0KWM8L6UE4WiWjCvHshvp7LnddtVkLIYOnmJHVDyc_50nZ6wzSThZPd1P4KGwZADjVUS7Qp9TGnShHm0UIkNQAv0_A7A_1ZCzbDj/s320/SherlockWatson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Cue <i>Entourage</i> theme song. OH YEAHHHHHHH</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
I think all of the characters reacted well to this big bomb being
dropped on them. Watson fainted and then questioned basically why Holmes hadn't
gotten in touch with him. I think in more modern times, there would be more
anger shown here and maybe a, "Bitch! What the hell?!" thrown in
there but for the time period and the characters, I think the reveal scene was
really well done. And Holmes shows how little he's changed by his attempt at a
compliment to Lestrade when he shows up to arrest Moran. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And for the audience, I think that this is a great story to have
Holmes return from the dead and basically say that he needed a break/ACD needed
a break. Holmes had his reasons for staying away and for keeping Watson in the
dark. I think it was incredibly difficult for Doyle to be so famous for the
Holmes stories and then when he made the decision to stop writing them and work
on other things, all the public wanted was more Holmes. As a creator, that has
to be a difficult choice between giving your audience what it wants and doing
what you want to do. This story does a great job of hiding this. Not once in
the story does it feel like ACD is just doing it to make that fat cash or get
his adoring fans to stop bothering him, but it genuinely felt like he was
coming back to a character and a world that he cared about enough to continue
his stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But sure,
Sherlock Holmes had his reasons for faking his own death, I mean, who doesn't,
but do you buy it? Were the excuses believable or were you expecting more from
Holmes/ACD?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Austin</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I found
myself very amused by Sherlock's reintroduction. Of the three I mentioned, I
think his return to the fans was top-notch. He was racing around the world
avoiding detection from various scoundrels with help from his brilliant
brother. All of that is what we like to imagine superheroes are doing when
we're not watching them. Nobody wants to imagine Spider-Man surfing Netflix.
(Yet now that's all I can picture...)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XtX5C25lepH7xUmtoR3di8Kn3GF6yqSdt0mWQ9s97SQMuGGYcm7Srovn6hAjes5xK7bkIPkP0pxQBOCW0GxS68S7QLjh5AB1U43fNedshEHK6EE1Vzld_3l2Tz5tisNvQHGbPh-AaQOj/s1600/Spiderman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XtX5C25lepH7xUmtoR3di8Kn3GF6yqSdt0mWQ9s97SQMuGGYcm7Srovn6hAjes5xK7bkIPkP0pxQBOCW0GxS68S7QLjh5AB1U43fNedshEHK6EE1Vzld_3l2Tz5tisNvQHGbPh-AaQOj/s320/Spiderman.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Thank you internet...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I was ready to be disappointed with how he and Watson hooked back
up. (Take that as you will.) Yet it worked for me thanks to Watson's viewpoint.
He had come to terms with Sherlock's death but still recognized that his
friendship was one of the most important things in his life. He tried to honor
that by using his techniques to still try to be part of the greater good. He
saw Sherlock in such a heroic light that when he returned he was relived more
than annoyed that his best friend didn't speak to him for three years.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">It reminded me a lot of Jesus. So Jesus died (Spoiler alert) and most
of his disciples sat around feeling sad. They were hoping that logic would not
play out and that Jesus would still be alive. When He came back after a long
weekend, there were overjoyed instead of confused. Like Watson, they rather be
in a world where the one they idolize was around than anything else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Meanwhile, Lestrade just seemed grateful to have the help again. In
many ways, this is looking at Sherlock Holmes more a symbol or a tool than a
friend or a man. Perhaps, that's okay. These stories are case-oriented instead
of character-oriented. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA4W1Ayd1jE">We needed our hero</a> and he came back. Now let's have some
more fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And here is
Leigh Montano with the final words...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Leigh</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">: I'M BAAAAACK! </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsjH0b9N-fm6VS4TxcryfBOsv3WZugKRz-c2P2ACAKriZiRJFJQKzegQvCHXCmF8HqR7Pn4ZDFavVjaq-JXQ5Jc7Hbc_4L2QHNqxjFBN0D9crgHAVLShh_j0yVXPiutH5rjLE0hcgwo3n/s1600/Buddy+Christ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsjH0b9N-fm6VS4TxcryfBOsv3WZugKRz-c2P2ACAKriZiRJFJQKzegQvCHXCmF8HqR7Pn4ZDFavVjaq-JXQ5Jc7Hbc_4L2QHNqxjFBN0D9crgHAVLShh_j0yVXPiutH5rjLE0hcgwo3n/s320/Buddy+Christ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639217130221993344.post-25700234882323950462013-07-29T15:15:00.004-07:002013-07-29T15:16:48.054-07:00In-Class Movie: "The Slobbery Hound" (Wishbone, 1995)<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Dr. Mortimer looked
strangely at us for an instant, and his voice sank almost to a whisper as he
answered: ‘Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound.’”<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Hound of the Baskervilles”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Austin</span>:
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So we threw an audible this week
and we're not covering the Peter Cook version of <i>The Hound of the
Baskerville</i> because that link we set up earlier this week....wasn't
the full movie. I'm okay with this because now we're reviewing the story from
the proper point of view: a dog's.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jOleLigsQXQ" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Sadly, this isn't a parody movie where it's all from the giant
hound's POV but instead it's from Wishbone. If you didn't grow up on PBS in the
90s, <i>Wishbone</i> was this short-lived family show where a Jack Russell
Terrier recreates classic works of literature. The other half of the show is
the same Jack Russell Terrier experiencing something in his warm small town
that reminds him of that novel. It's a great way to introduce kids to these
books and they always end with recommending the home audience to check out
their local library. It's very cute and was a huge influence on me because I
would take that to heart and read those classic stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This week we're looking at the episode "Slobbery Dog"
where Wishbone is accused of knocking over trashcans and chewing on property.
So it's up to this wise-cracking dog to clear his name. While that is going on,
he takes the place of Sherlock Holmes as he and Watson investigate this crime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This is a 30 minute kids show where not even that full time is
devoted to the Doyle story. And yet they do some impressive things with it.
They keep in the structural set-up where Holmes and Watson split up but this
time we get it from Sherlock's perspective. They ultimately condense the entire
complicated story to "That guy started the legend....that evil guy looks
like him. SOLVED IT." And yet they still recreate the big showdown where
they confront the hound in the dead of night. Despite this being a kid's show
THEY SHOOT THE DOG DEAD.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Ultimately, it's hard to critique this interpretation of Sherlock
Holmes considering whenever Wishbone recreates the character, it's always
Wishbone in a different plot. So this Sherlock is filled with cheesy lines and
glee. (Nobody in these recreations ever question that the character is a dog
much in the way that Muppet movies never cause characters to wonder when frogs
started talking.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We can deal
with this episode more as a form of entertainment in a bit but for now, was
this a cheap selection for our <i>Hound</i> discussion or is this allowed
to fit into the conversation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<!--EndFragment--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Leigh</span>: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wishbone</i> was always one of those shows
that when it came on TV, I immediately changed the channel. I think I watched
one episode, I want to say that Rip Van Winkle episode, but for the most part
it just bored me. I don't mean to sound braggy, but when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wishbone</i> was on air, I was regularly watching Law and Order.
Wishbone just never entertained me and I'd much rather watch crime procedurals
and syndicated sitcoms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">That being said, I have to say that I was impressed with what they
did with the episode. I'm sure we've both seen movies and TV shows that have
adapted various things, Sherlock Holmes or otherwise, that didn't even hit all
of the main plot points and yet this half hour kids show did a great job of
getting almost all of them. Sure it didn't say just HOW evil the evil
Baskervilles were but it got a lot of the other ones. And while I would've been
more interested if it had just been Wishbone as Holmes for the whole episode
(or even The Hound of the Baskervilles with all the parts played by dogs.
SERIOUSLY WHY HAS NO ONE DONE THIS YET?! Even the anime that where the
characters are all dogs didn't do this. I think they were missing out on a
fantastic opportunity.) I understand that this was for a kid centered audience.
The whole relating the story to a real life situation thing was super cheesy.
It kinda ruined the rest of it for me. Also, just because you take a polaroid
of a dog sitting in your yard doesn't mean he was the one who chewed on your
ugly lawn furniture. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5noxPb5cJ_asiFu2nsOTn7pCRKkaOMFzTUgOXRpYUD_3k0M6JvwsCqOO46LSjRstSuJh2X3NP8Y8QHU1nZBh9YvW3cpZ6fCX6TbI2J7zPqz96pJHRn78W8g9AuouFV5MO50_fP-qtOkxR/s1600/dogs-playing-poker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5noxPb5cJ_asiFu2nsOTn7pCRKkaOMFzTUgOXRpYUD_3k0M6JvwsCqOO46LSjRstSuJh2X3NP8Y8QHU1nZBh9YvW3cpZ6fCX6TbI2J7zPqz96pJHRn78W8g9AuouFV5MO50_fP-qtOkxR/s320/dogs-playing-poker.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Got passed over for the Hounds adaptation again." "Damn, I'm sorry Spot."</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And while it isn't the truest adaptation out there, I definitely
think it has a place in the discussion for the very reason you said: it got you
to read. Whether or not more people are reading today than before the internet
or if it's really just the publishing industry that's being hurt by advances in
technology is a completely different discussion but one thing I think we can
all agree on is that people need to read more. While I hate the Twilight books
(also another discussion) one thing they did do was get people to pick up a book
and read and get interested in reading. There are numerous people I know who
didn't used to read for fun until they picked up those crappy books and found
out that reading could be a form of entertainment. So while Wishbone might not
have gotten all of the details, if it got kids interested in reading the real
story, then I think it should be included. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So if you look
at all of the components it did a great job for what it was. But do you think
there might've been a better way to do this? What if they used a different
Sherlock Holmes story? And why is everyone in that cul de sac so dumb?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Austin</span>: For the
record, I'm a few years younger than Leigh so when Wishbone was on I was at the
prime age. Also you were getting sleepy during the Rip Van Winkle episode? Bit
too on the nose for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So the parallel storyline set in their cul-de-sac is a good and bad
thing in my mind. On one hand, it's very very cheesy. The whole neighborhood
jumping to accuse Wishbone is a bit insane considering he's a small Jack
Russell Terrier with a solid history. When they were gathering some pretty
obvious evidence, nobody mentioned that Wishbone can't even reach that arm
chair in order to chew on it. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBMmjeHdPoE9lk8VkSZ6V8Qq3nzUC-X4QORr2mjjINjrzmTioUW1ZtV3EkAwEiFyPOR9lm6z7cRDlKhZbos83DWAf65WmK4gqBMW8xuz2F7hcTbrjlv1hGE7nwrWbv7NqfyqDMYy8VM3b/s1600/Sherlock+Bones.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBMmjeHdPoE9lk8VkSZ6V8Qq3nzUC-X4QORr2mjjINjrzmTioUW1ZtV3EkAwEiFyPOR9lm6z7cRDlKhZbos83DWAf65WmK4gqBMW8xuz2F7hcTbrjlv1hGE7nwrWbv7NqfyqDMYy8VM3b/s320/Sherlock+Bones.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">"Now I caught you gray-handed." (Just because he's Sherlock Holmes doesn't make him any less color-blind.)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Yet the story also introduced kids to an analytical approach to
solving a mystery. This fit right in with Sherlock Holmes especially their
roles as detectives hoping to defend an innocent client. While it worked for a
children's program, it doesn't work for a full family audience. Every adult in
that story should have known better than to accuse a little dog of this
destruction, but at least they took the time to take the steps to the
conclusion. (Even if one step was a ridiculous computer program that can
analyze the drawing of a paw print. The 90s - Nobody really gets how computers
work!)</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">There's an innocence with Wishbone that I miss from other family
programs. It's slower in pace and doesn't have to be WACKY to get the kids'
attention. Sure the neighbor is a bit weird, but the adults aren't written as
complete idiots. There's a value to storytelling and intelligence that I give
the show a lot of credit for. Even though their scripts are a too simplified. I
had fun watching this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Shockingly there was another Sherlock Holmes episode of Wishbone
where they covered A Scandal in Bohemia. It's of course called A Dogged Expose.
Perhaps we shall cover that one day in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">There is the
interesting question about the structure of this show. Do we need the segments
set in modern day? Could they just do a voice-over from Wishbone at the
beginning saying that today he's reading <i>The Hound of the Baskerville</i> and
not look for parallels? This way they can have a longer adaptation. Or do they
need the modern day elements to make it relatable to its viewers?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<!--EndFragment--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Leigh</span>: First
off, I'm not THAT much older than you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Because I don't have a lot of experience with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wishbone</i>, I'm going to assume that every episode was more or less
formatted this way with half story and half cul-de-sac story. I think that most
kids, or at least kids I know and from what I remember when I was that age, are
smart enough to make connections without something as obvious as a B plot
relating the story to modern day smacking them in the face. I think a whole
episode devoted to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hound of the
Baskervilles</i> would've been great. I would love to see what the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wishbone</i> writing team could do with half
an hour instead of really about 15 minutes. They did a great job of
incorporating much of the story anyway; I think that with the full half hour,
it would've been a fantastic adaptation. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I've always been frustrated in situations where I'm talked down to
and I think that the reason why I disliked this episode of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wishbone</i> so much was because it was, like most television, written
for the lowest common denominator and that must be a dead raccoon. Many
children's movie directors have said that you don't want to talk down to kids.
Pixar is a great example. There are very few moments of the Pixar oeuvre that
are so on the nose that even that dead raccoon goes, "OOOOH! I GET
IT!" and yet their audience, parents and children, love and appreciate the
movies and get what the message was. I think that there are plenty of examples
out there of kid's TV that isn't written for every dead raccoon in the audience
to understand. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrqE2gd_XCIjPayYh3UBWmlTeIiRQmplmuD_bjV5_2DlvLazQsKXVM0FqMOoUg3iFiSq3DpdDsPuRZ5BV5sIrLqI2_OuwsHCm3oGJB-jFmEMXvedGzQ__A0jw3CWYoZKH-300OptujizM/s1600/Cars2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrqE2gd_XCIjPayYh3UBWmlTeIiRQmplmuD_bjV5_2DlvLazQsKXVM0FqMOoUg3iFiSq3DpdDsPuRZ5BV5sIrLqI2_OuwsHCm3oGJB-jFmEMXvedGzQ__A0jw3CWYoZKH-300OptujizM/s320/Cars2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">One of the more subtle moments in Pixar history.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Next time, Sherlock Holmes is a zombie and Sebastian Moran is just
trying to do what you're supposed to do to zombies. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">And now Austin
Lugar with the final words!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--EndFragment--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 20pt;">Austin</span>: Leigh is way older than me.</span></div>
Austin Lugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054213679703476461noreply@blogger.com0