Sherlock Holmes - The Definitive Collection [DVD]

If you're looking for the best ever Sherlock Holmes Boxset, featuring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, then look no further. Your search ends right here, with this beautiful magenta boxset. I can guarentee that once you purchase it, you will be overwhelmed at its priceless value. All the movies are here and so intense and fast paced that you will have watched it before you know it. The entertainment value is unbeatable and the monochrome pristine blue ray featurettes are A CLASS. My favorite, so far, (as I have watched 8 so far) is The Spider Woman. I love the chemistry between the famous due and the comedy sequences with Nigel Bruce and how he is always mumbling and talking to himself are beautifully acted. Basil Rathbone shows his affection by saying, "Oh, dear old Watson!" I am going to watch these again and again. I love the inside blue tinted cover and stills from the movies. It is decorated with the greatest love and care so the least any fan can do is to purchase it and treasure these beautiful cult classics. I want to thank Basil and Nigel for giving their heart and soul in their performances and, coincidentally, they are also Aquarius and Gemini, which are the same signs for another famous comedy duo; namely Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Thank you so much, Amazon and to the seller too. I LOVE MY SHERLOCK HOLMES magenta boxset.

This set is absolutely stunning. And at the price - its also a 100% bargain.As a big Sherlock/Rathbone fan, in a mad attempt to get decent copies of these films, I've been buying Sherlock DVDs on many different labels since I've had a DVD player. Most of the ones I have acquired originate from USA. They've all been released in this country by Orbit Media. The quality of the pictures & sound is generally poor. Some of the copies I've paid out for are nothing short of miserable.This set absolutely wipes the floor with EVERY other Rathbone Holmes DVD on the market. For picture quality & sound clarity it is positively without rival. Quality is simply pristine.As for the films themselves - you probably know! I'm aware the Brett fans will argue til the cows come home that he was the best (and I can see why), but for me, Rathbone WAS Holmes. Nigel Bruce's bumbling Watson has been an iritant of serious Sherlockians since these films were made, but as someone who largely came to Holmes through this series, I personally have a lot of affection for both the actor and his clumsy, pompous Watson.One of the discs contains a short documentary, detailing the lengths that the producers went to get this set as brilliant as it is. It was 10 years in the making!There are expert and insightful audio commentaries by David Stuart Davies on 5 of the films. These were full of fascinating facts about a whole range of subjects connected to the pictures you were seeing; from subtle props (that I hadn't previously spotted) through to mini biographies of the actors who pop up throughout the 14 films. It's honestly just wonderful!The films are;1939: The Hound Of The Baskervilles1939: The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes1942: Sherlock Holmes And The Voice Of Terror1942: Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon1943: Sherlock Holmes In Washington1943: Sherlock Holmes Faces Death1944: Sherlock Holmes And The Spider Woman1944: The Scarlet Claw1944: The Pearl Of Death1945: The House Of Fear1945: The Woman In Green1945: Pursuit To Algiers1946: Terror By Night1946: Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Code ("Dressed To Kill" In The USA)Cheers to whoever's idea it was to finally give these films the respect they deserve! You've made my decade (at least in a DVD sense)!

Let me start by saying that I think this item is excellent value for money. Given the mix of the quality of the films and the price charged, you will be hard pressed to do better. As a long-time Holmes fan (since childhood and watching these Basil Rathbbone movies on a Sunday afternoon - when the rich offer of TV channels was 2!) - I have a lot of different versions of these moovies and am constantly looking to improve on their quality. Frankly, some have been appalling, grainy and unappealing with scratchy soundtracks only outdone by washed out images.Not so here. Quality of both picture and sound is at least 'Good'. There aren't enough of the eaarlier movies included; but having said that, the very latter movies with Rathbone's 'Bobby Charlton Comb-over' are also missing. Since I don't watch those anyway (the great man being well past his prime at that point!), this collection is a good addition to my collection.I also have a complete set of the radio shows that Rathbone did for Petri Wines. Recorded live, they reveal real pace and dynamics in the performances that is also evident here. And whilst the movie offered chances to re-take any fluffed lines, Rathbone didn't need many and you can get a good sense of that in these films as well.All in all, Rathbone in his prime and well worth the money. If you are only casually interested in Holmes movies, this would be in my top 3 buys. My only issue with this group of films is the rather cynical use of the Holmes character outside of his natural historical period. Transposing him and Watson to 1940s America in unashamed efforts to encourage US involvement in WWII is more than a bit of a stretch. But that is a minor niggle and should not stop anyone buying these.