A peculiarly American Yorkshireman
Many's the lad fought on that day
Well the Claymore could wield
When the night came, silently lay
Dead in Culloden's field
Some time before Christmas the local library bought The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) on DVD. Since then I've been thinking about seeing it, and now I'm glad I did. It's a beautiful film: The colours, the costumes, the sets and spectacular action scenes are really marvellous.
And of course it's the matter of the cheeky actor in the main role as well, one Errol Flynn. Christ, with thighs like that it would be a crime not to have him running about in green tights.
But to my own surprise I found I ogled Flynn less and less and instead held my breath each time Sir Guy of Gisbourne made his cape-swishing entrés. Oooh, that Basil Rathbone. I believe I've used to the words "stone-cold fox" about him previously.
And rightly so. Aquiline nose? Check. Steely eyes? Check. Facial hair of Evil? Check. Attractive amount of male pattern baldness? Check. Slightly effeminate villain? Check check check.
If I had been Maid Marian in this particular story I think I would be hard pressed to decide between Robin and Guy. I wouldn't mind being in the middle of that man sandwich, nudge nudge. Hoh no.
And so with that we return to audio play-land again.
The Reigate Squires: I'm amazed by Merrison's portrayal of Holmes on the brink of exhaustion. He conveys this quiet frailty that's simply heartbreaking. Also, Peter Davison as the young fresh-faced policeman who's such a fanboy for Holmes. Aw.
The Resident Patient: Good, good, good.
The Retired Colourman: Yay more Mycroft! They're taking him in a slightly different direction than I'm used to, setting up a more antagonistic relationship between them. Works for me. It was quite amusing how he riled up his brother with stinging sarcastic observations.
All in all I think all arguments are really well executed in all of these audios. When Watson is deeply offended by Holmes' careless words, it really sounds like Holmes is just so socially clueless he can't quite understand why people would be offended by the things he says, or how to make things right again. Trying to flatter Watson on his way with women obviously doesn't do it, though it had me grinning ("No member of the fair sex can resist you. Yes yes, I can picture you, whispering sweet nothings to the barmaid at The Blue Anchor, recieving some things in return..." WATSON YOU SLAG).
Also, you know RETI is where it starts to get sad. I wasn't half as devastated by Holmes announcing his retirement or being too much of a coward to say properly goodbye to Watson, as I was to the little hints of him starting to lose his edge. When he talks about attending the opera and tells Watson how the famed prima donna is past her prime and should have quit while she was on top, I was just going "aww Watson can't you tell he's talking about himself!"
Scandal in Bohemia: I love how Bert Coules is doing his best to solve the niggly bits that have annoyed people for a century now, like the problem of Mrs. Turner. And then Watson and Holmes meets again after Watson has moved out of Baker Street, and they're awkward and hesitant, and I'm thinking "oh no please no more of this" and then they both burst out laughing and they're together and wonderful again. Also, I love listening to Merrison doing different dialects and accents. At one point he does this wonderful thing where he starts talking to Watson in his affected broad lowerclass dialect and then gradually goes over to his normal one mid-sentence.
Also, Andrew Sachs is the King of Bohemia. Little did he know he would be Watson a couple of years later.
Well the Claymore could wield
When the night came, silently lay
Dead in Culloden's field
Some time before Christmas the local library bought The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) on DVD. Since then I've been thinking about seeing it, and now I'm glad I did. It's a beautiful film: The colours, the costumes, the sets and spectacular action scenes are really marvellous.
And of course it's the matter of the cheeky actor in the main role as well, one Errol Flynn. Christ, with thighs like that it would be a crime not to have him running about in green tights.
But to my own surprise I found I ogled Flynn less and less and instead held my breath each time Sir Guy of Gisbourne made his cape-swishing entrés. Oooh, that Basil Rathbone. I believe I've used to the words "stone-cold fox" about him previously.
And rightly so. Aquiline nose? Check. Steely eyes? Check. Facial hair of Evil? Check. Attractive amount of male pattern baldness? Check. Slightly effeminate villain? Check check check.
If I had been Maid Marian in this particular story I think I would be hard pressed to decide between Robin and Guy. I wouldn't mind being in the middle of that man sandwich, nudge nudge. Hoh no.
And so with that we return to audio play-land again.
The Reigate Squires: I'm amazed by Merrison's portrayal of Holmes on the brink of exhaustion. He conveys this quiet frailty that's simply heartbreaking. Also, Peter Davison as the young fresh-faced policeman who's such a fanboy for Holmes. Aw.
The Resident Patient: Good, good, good.
The Retired Colourman: Yay more Mycroft! They're taking him in a slightly different direction than I'm used to, setting up a more antagonistic relationship between them. Works for me. It was quite amusing how he riled up his brother with stinging sarcastic observations.
All in all I think all arguments are really well executed in all of these audios. When Watson is deeply offended by Holmes' careless words, it really sounds like Holmes is just so socially clueless he can't quite understand why people would be offended by the things he says, or how to make things right again. Trying to flatter Watson on his way with women obviously doesn't do it, though it had me grinning ("No member of the fair sex can resist you. Yes yes, I can picture you, whispering sweet nothings to the barmaid at The Blue Anchor, recieving some things in return..." WATSON YOU SLAG).
Also, you know RETI is where it starts to get sad. I wasn't half as devastated by Holmes announcing his retirement or being too much of a coward to say properly goodbye to Watson, as I was to the little hints of him starting to lose his edge. When he talks about attending the opera and tells Watson how the famed prima donna is past her prime and should have quit while she was on top, I was just going "aww Watson can't you tell he's talking about himself!"
Scandal in Bohemia: I love how Bert Coules is doing his best to solve the niggly bits that have annoyed people for a century now, like the problem of Mrs. Turner. And then Watson and Holmes meets again after Watson has moved out of Baker Street, and they're awkward and hesitant, and I'm thinking "oh no please no more of this" and then they both burst out laughing and they're together and wonderful again. Also, I love listening to Merrison doing different dialects and accents. At one point he does this wonderful thing where he starts talking to Watson in his affected broad lowerclass dialect and then gradually goes over to his normal one mid-sentence.
Also, Andrew Sachs is the King of Bohemia. Little did he know he would be Watson a couple of years later.