MURDER BY DECREE (DVD) DVD

Murder by Decree
The murders by the infamous British criminal, Jack the Ripper, catch the attention of Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Plummer), but he does not receive the expected call from Scotland Yard because he is being purposefully excluded from the investigation. Instead, Robert Lees (Donald Sutherland), a psychic who volunteered information to the police about the murders, provides the Great Detective with the necessary incitement to action. As the murders proceed, it becomes clear to all concerned that it is more important to stop them than to announce their solution, and Holmes enters the fray with the help of his trusty aide, Dr. Watson (James Mason). The former mistress of a "prominent personage," Annie Crook (Genevieve Bujold), provides crucial information leading to a final confrontation on London's docks. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Cast Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes James Mason as Dr. John H. Watson Donald Sutherland as Robert Lees Geneviève Bujold as Annie Crook David Hemmings as Inspector Foxborough Susan Clark as Mary Kelly Anthony Quayle as Sir Charles Warren John Gielgud as Lord Salisbury, Prime Minister Frank Finlay as Inspector Lestrade

Crew Peter Childs - Art Director Bob Clark - Co-producer Rene Dupont - Co-producer Judy Moorcraft - Costume Designer Ariel Levy - First Assistant Director Bob Clark - Director Stan Cole - Editor Paul Zaza - Composer (Music Score) Carl Zittrer - Composer (Music Score) Kenneth Ian Davis - Production Designer Harry Pottle - Production Designer Reginald Morris - Cinematographer Rene Dupont - Producer Bob Clark - Producer Robert A. Goldstone - Producer Joe Grimaldi - Sound/Sound Designer Dave Appleby - Sound/Sound Designer Ken Heeley-Ray - Sound Editor John Hopkins - Screenwriter

Murder by Decree
Murder by Decree is an unusual take on both a Sherlock Holmes movie and the Jack the Ripper murders. Unfortunately, unusual is not always good. What's strangest about Bob Clark's film is that it abandons everything viewers have come to expect from a portrayal of the world's most famous detective. Christopher Plummer is a fine actor, but his Holmes is everything the iconic version of the character is not -- emotional when he should be detached, impetuous when he should be rational, morally indignant when he should follow the evidentiary path with neutral disinterest. Instead of cerebral, this Holmes is a man of action, getting into numerous dust-ups and even lunging to strangle a character he considers unjust. When Murder by Decree is not taking itself too seriously, it's taking itself too lightly, framing the relationship between Holmes and Dr. Watson (a passive and ineffectual James Mason) as whimsical fodder for a weekly uddy television series, something like Magnum P.I. The film's small scale also mimics that of TV -- Clark's team floods his locations with fog, ostensibly creating an air of mystery, but actually trying to cloak the fact that his London is just three streets on a small set, shot from different angles. Excepting a few sudden action scenes, the film is basically two hours of turgidly paced talking-head sequences, capped by Holmes prancing around a courtroom, dramatically pointing the finger of blame at every British official short of the Queen of England. Since John Hopkins' script does a poor job generating sympathy for the victims or establishing any sense of London torn asunder, it's hard to understand why Holmes is so agitated. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
 

Bob Clark: Genie Awards, Best Director (winner) Carl Zittrer: Genie Awards, Best Score (winner) Christopher Plummer: Genie Awards, Best Actor (winner) Dave Appleby: Genie Awards, Best Sound (nominated) Geneviève Bujold: Genie Awards, Best Supporting Actress (winner) Joe Grimaldi: Genie Awards, Best Sound (nominated) Ken Heeley-Ray: Genie Awards, Best Sound Editing (nominated) Paul Zaza: Genie Awards, Best Score (winner) Reginald Morris: Genie Awards, Best Cinematography (nominated) Stan Cole: Genie Awards, Best Editing (winner)

General Specifications: Language Options: Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: DD1: Dolby Digital Mono Additional Features: cc Widescreen presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs Audio commentary with co-producer/director Bob Clark Theatrical trailer Behind-the-scenes still gallery Poster and still gallery Talent bios DVD-ROM: Original screenplay DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 124 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Main Titles [3:36] 2. Murder in Whitechapel [6:49] 3. Mysteries [4:47] 4. The Game's Afoot [6:45] 5. Information, Please [6:34] 6. Invisible Writing [3:56] 7. Robert Lees [4:53] 8. Secret Signs [5:28] 9. Blood Ritual [2:51] 10. Intuitive Reasoning [5:18] 11. A Helping Hand [6:09] 12. The Puzzle [3:49] 13. Funeral [6:22] 14. Hospital Search [5:13] 15. In the Madhouse [3:03] 16. Annie Crook [8:18] 17. She Must Be Saved [4:11] 18. Into the Fog [5:39] 19. The Informant Unmasked [4:44] 20. Holmes and the Ripper [4:14] 21. The Star Chamber [7:53] 22. A Case of Conscience [6:59] 23. 221-B Baker Street [2:31] 24. End Titles [3:38]