Sherlock Holmes on Screen: The Complete Film and TV History FROM THE PUBLISHER
Conan Doyle's master detective Sherlock Holmes has appeared on screen more times than any other fictional character. Sherlock Holmes on Screen surveys over a century's worth of his exploits in film and television, from the silent era to the present day. Actors Peter Cushing, Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett have all been praised for their portrayals of Holmes. Sherlock Holmes on Screen casts new light on their performances, and introduces many less familiar Sherlocks, too -- including John Cleese, Roger Moore and Larry Hagman. Illustrated with rare archive pictures throughout, Sherlock Holmes on Screen is now updated with entries on the BBC's third version of The Hound of the Baskervilles, Professor Moriarty's appearance in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, two more in the Matt Frewer series and the absinthe-addled detective of the iconoclastic TV movie Sherlock. Expanded coverage of Holmeses from Soviet Russia and 1930s Germany, among others, makes this revised edition the most comprehensive Holmes filmography ever published.
SYNOPSIS
This illustrated filmography—the most comprehensive ever published—is the ultimate guide to the screen appearances of Arthur Conan Doyle's immortal sleuth.Revised Edition
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Alten's (Meg; Domain; etc.) latest near-future techno-thriller opens with a riveting burst of action an attack on an American aircraft carrier and its escorts by a rogue U.S. super-sub called Goliath ("the equivalent of an underwater Stealth bomber big, fast, and near impossible to detect"), which has been commandeered by Russian-born Simon Covah, a brilliant computer scientist who's bent on saving humanity by destroying nuclear stockpiles everywhere. If this scenario sounds improbable, the author's suspenseful, information-laden style makes it otherwise. Covah and his fanatical crew soon start making threats with the nuclear weapons that they retrieve from the remains of the U.S. fleet sunk by Goliath. Complications ensue when a lightning bolt jolts the sub's immensely powerful bio-engineered computer, Sorceress, into self-awareness la Frankenstein's monster. Luckily, a couple of good guys are aboard to oppose the Nemo-ish Covah and the HAL-like Sorceress: U.S. Army Capt. Gunnar Wolfe, who served time in prison for trying to sabotage Goliath's production, and Gunnar's onetime sweetheart, gutsy Navy commander Rochelle "Rocky" Jackson. Tom Clancy fans will lap up the endless, repetitive heroics seasoned with jargon and acronym-filled dialogue, while others will appreciate the many blatant borrowings from classic SF novels and films. More seriously, Alten offers readers, particularly young adults, much to think about, morally and politically, in a world haunted by weapons capable of universal destruction. (July 24) Forecast: National print advertising and targeting to military publications will help ensure a fast start.. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
Master detective Sherlock Holmes has proven to be one of the most popular, parodied, and durable characters in screen history. Barnes (Tarantino A to Zed) presents a comprehensive catalog of all Holmes films, plus the large number of international television series based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters. Each film gets a complete cast and credit listing, a summary of the mystery, and the "spoiler" (the story's solution). Lengthy essays (most written by Barnes) highlight the major points of interest and rank the film in the Holmes pantheon. Copiously illustrated with rare photographs and including a helpful chronology, the book deserves credit for featuring parodies starring Gene Wilder and Dudley Moore. However, it lacks an index, which makes it almost impossible to trace actors and directors, locate references to little-known Holmes appearances by surprising actors, or quickly find obscure revisionist films. Unfortunately, this relegates the work to a library's browsing collection, not the reference section. An optional buy for large public and academic film collections.-Stephen Rees, Levittown Regional Lib., PA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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