Search - The Madness of Sherlock Holmes on DVD

Not Impossible,but highly improbable

Apratim | india | 05/14/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"A biography(printed or filmed)should be faithful to its own subject and this dvd is NOT.I find it hard to swallow and very biased from the outset.It is far-fetched and doesn't help to understand conan doyle much.Actually, it has got less to do with holmes and doyle,than with occult and supernatural itself.It looks at doyle's life from a occultist view point and tries to explain away everything from that perspective only-which is a mistake.let me give you a brief list of what the documentery doesn't offer--
1.any scenes containing the details of doyles dwellings,real life adventures.
2.no scenes in and arround the sherlock holmes museum,baker street.
3.no logical criticism of doyle as a writer.
4.no footage on mediums.
It does contain some bizzare music and visual effects that dominates a large portion of the dvd and has nothing to do with doyle.still i have given it 2 stars because it has two interesting features in it--
1.some rare sherlock movie scenes from the b/w era.
2.extracts from a newsreel that shows doyle speaking about his creations and his beliefs.This is something to cherish.
The biographical solution that is provided is,as i have headlined,highly improbable.THE REST IS SILENCE!"

An Author's Mysterious Life Revealed

DL753627 | USA | 03/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Philip Gardiner offers a provocative look into the psyche of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the classic Sherlock Holmes detective stories. As bizarre as one of the 37 short stories written by Doyle, "The Madness of Sherlock Holmes" (2007) follows the author's spiritual journey from his time as a student at a Catholic Jesuit school to his peculiar explorations into the occult and membership in secret societies. Comparable to Gardiners other productions like "Secret Societies" and "The Ark, The Shroud, and Mary" his research into the intricacies of Doyle's background is thorough, and the numerous photographs from the author's life add to the historical authenticity of this documentary. The odd characteristics of Doyle's family and friends are also disclosed. While anyone who likes psychic exploration or biographies of prominent authors will find this DVD interesting, I was most intrigued by the suggestion that "Doyle's quest to solve the riddle of his own existence is expressed in the riddles solved by Sherlock Holmes." If you have ever wondered if Doyle and the methodical Holmes have similar personalities or how Dr. Watson was created, then this is the place to get those questions answered. I was both surprised and engaged in all that is revealed in "The Madness of Sherlock Holmes" (2007).
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Houdini, the occult and more

June Stirling | West Covina, CA | 11/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A few years ago there was a movie on the "fairie" sightings in the UK back in the early 1900's that was very interesting. This DVD shows that Conan Doyle was ridiculed for believing that the fairies existed although it was never proven otherwise. A very well made documentary which reveals many hidden facets to this famous author including his relationship with Houdini and various occult figures. It makes sense that such a great author whose works will last forever was a spiritualist.
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