Mystery Summer

 We've been talking about how to spend a movie month on our favorite entertainment for a long time. The trouble is, our favorites aren't really movies at all, they're made-for-tv mysteries. And there are too many of them to fit into a single month-- even if we split them into a month for American and a month for British--we still wouldn't feel like we'd done justice to our favorite genre.  So (drumroll please) we're devoting the entire summer to mysteries! together on three: 1...2...3... "Hooray!!!" And since there is no better way to open than with the most iconic mystery hero of them all, we're beginning with SHERLOCK HOLMES.

 

I think just about everyone has heard of, if not already seen, the brilliant new adaptation Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Holmes and Watson which airs in America on PBS Masterpiece Mystery. (and if you hurry up, you could watch all of season 1 in Netflix and then go to PBS online and watch season 2 which will be available until 6/20.) Set in the modern-era it is witty, fast-paced, beautifully written and shot and has, I think, the most perfectly cast characters. Benedict Cumberbatch does insecure, genius arrogance like he was just born with it. Martin Freeman (we love Martin Freeman. Aren't you so excited he's going to be playing Bilbo Baggins?! Who else? Perfect.) is the most likeable grouch as war-veteran Dr. Watson and their chemistry together is endlessly entertaining. And Moriarty...ah, I cannot say enough how happy the casting and characterization of Moriarty makes me. I won't give away too much because finding out who he is is kind of key to the end of season one, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE how they played him. 

So. If you have already seen and enjoyed Sherlock, feel free to tell us so. We always like to hear our opinions backed-up :) And if you haven't yet, go now before it's too late and you end up having to wait for Season 2 to show up on Netflix or at your local library.
We must however, give a nice nod to the old classic Sherlock Holmes series starring Jeremy Brett. Many of these episodes are also available on Netflix right now and I'd bet they're at your library too. It's fun to compare the old and new series as the new one often hides fun allusions to the older series in its sets and writing. And if you just can't seem to get enough of Sherlock, we can also recommend a movie version of The Hound of the Baskervilles made in 2002 starring Richard Roxburgh, Ian Hart and Richard E. Grant. It's a bit darker than the Brett version of the same story and has tv-worthy special effects but we really enjoyed it.