dddionys

It is really astonishing to see how movies from the sixties could get to be very exciting in the horror genre, hardly using any special effects and relying exclusively on the acting of the cast. In this goo die, the old lady really scared me with her eager emotions and the well played desire to live a more dangerous life. Though not really exceptional in one way or the other, the movie creates a very realistic and horrid atmosphere, based upon the simple assumption of mind control. When compared to modern horror movies where bad acting seems to be a basic requirement, the attention is constantly drawn to the tits of the leading, utterly stupid actresses, and the only -supposed to be - scary effect is raised by some fast moving camera shots and horrid gore scenes, this film is a real gem. It furthermore charmed me as a documentary of the sixties, as in a no nonsense style the popular youth culture is shown as it must have been...

I thought Rupert Everett did a great thing in impersonating sherlock Holmes. I have read Conan Doyle's books, and i always thought that many of the actors, including the classic ones, came short when it comes to his arrogance and eccentricity. Everett on the other hand really plays the eccentric hand very well, and of course proves to be right always.

Ian Hart as the ever dumb assistant Watson obviously is having a lot of fun in his role; the Watson inherent vanity contrasts superbly with Holmes superior mind. Though the story in its foggy setting is in itself a very nice thing to watch on a dark December evening, I guess the acting part of the two lead actors is more exciting than the allover predictable course of investigation.

A very good scene indeed is the moment when Holmes throws some dice to estimate depth... look out for it.