Now Screening - What Are You Watching Right Now?

[Macca]

Morning Matinee is Sherlock Holmes Faces Death. 1943.




Dr. Watson's revolver is an 1878 Colt M1877 "Lightning", an improbable choice for Watson as a service revolver since it was never chambered with a British service cartridge.

an interesting one that as we know Watson served in 2nd Afghan which was 1878-1880 so the standard issue sidearm at the time would have been the Colt 'Navy' although that began to be replaced in 1880 with the Enfield .442 and .447

So his 'service revolver' should have been one of those two.

However there may be a connection with the policeman Jerome Caminada who was head of Manchester CID in the late Victorian era. He carried a Colt 'Lightning' and has been described as the 'real life' Sherlock Holmes.

[struth]

great end quote... but we are still awaiting it?.

Sherlock Holmes: There's a new spirit abroad in the land. The old days of grab and greed are on their way out. We're beginning to think of what we *owe* the other fellow, not just what we're compelled to give him. The time is coming, Watson, when we shant't be able to fill our bellies in comfort while other folk go hungry, or sleep in warm beds while others shiver in the cold. And we shan't be able to kneel and thank God for blessing us before our shining altars while men anywhere are kneeling in either physical or spiritual subjection.

Dr. John H. Watson: You may be right, Holmes... I hope you are.

Sherlock Holmes: And, God willing, we'll live to see that day, Watson.

[Opti-cal]

What actually does constitute a Christmas film?

'Home Alone' is set at Christmas but it could just as well be at any time of year, doesn't matter to the plot.

Same with 'Die Hard', 'Die Hard 2' and 'Trading Places'

My apologies for dragging this up Macca but the Christmas theme IS integral to the plot of Home Alone! Less so Die Hard but still somewhat. . . .


Firstly the "Wet Bandits" (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) obtain the entire streets 'Christmas' lighting schedules as they are on automatic timers to turn their Christmas lights on at a certain time (as it's an affluent area, very rich pickings etc).

Secondly a lot of Kevin's 'booby traps' are made up of things you would find out around Christmas, including baubles underneath potential entrances (windows) after he has systematically removed said bandits socks with tar on an earlier booby trap, resulting in pain for the intruder and alerting Kevin to their whereabouts.

Also in the second film (Home Alone 2 - Lost In New York) his mum (mom) is only able to travel home because she meets up with a band (led by John Candy) whom also cannot get a flight home (because its Christmas) as they wish to get home to see their families too for the aforementioned reason of Christmas.

Also the now renamed "Sticky Bandits" plan to rob a toy store on Christmas Eve because it's the only night of the year when all the takings from that week are kept in the registers (because the owner likes to take the money down to various children's charities on Christmas).


There are numerous more reasons why these films must occur at Christmas, the plots simply wouldn't work without that factor.


Sorry I totally agree that a lot of films are branded 'Christmas Classics' only due to them being repeatedly aired around the same time, must be cheap or something. In Die Hard the staff are having a Christmas party, hence all of them being unaware of the goings on (inebriated etc). The story-line with the policeman 'driving home for Christmas' would not be so appropriate and a lot of the scenes (machine gun ho-ho-ho) would not really make much sense if it wasn't Christmas.

Also the lack of interest initially by the police department in John Mcclane's calls to them are a result of everyone there being a bit tired/merry, again due to Christmas. I agree though, it probably would have worked just as well without any Christmas references in it, unlike Home Alone.

Arguably Die Hard II (although not as good) is more 'Christmassy' as at least there is a lot of snow.


As some integral films from my childhood, I couldn't let that slide, sorry.

[Macca]

okay was wrong about Home Alone but have to confess I've never really watched it properly.

[Opti-cal]

okay was wrong about Home Alone but have to confess I've never really watched it properly.

Haha, yeah fair enough as it was all the rage and came out at the right time for me to have most of it imprinted on my brain (as you can tell!).

Like reading through this thread by the way chaps, always brings up some interesting stuff.

[Macca]

Haha, yeah fair enough as it was all the rage and came out at the right time for me to have most of it imprinted on my brain (as you can tell!).

Like reading through this thread by the way chaps, always brings up some interesting stuff.

it's from 1990 so I was 22 when it came out. I did see it a couple of Christmas's ago as my niece and nephew insisted on watching it, but I'd had two dinners and drunk all the beer so I was sort of zoning in and out.

[Barry]

Sherlock Holmes: There's a new spirit abroad in the land. The old days of grab and greed are on their way out. We're beginning to think of what we *owe* the other fellow, not just what we're compelled to give him. The time is coming, Watson, when we shant't be able to fill our bellies in comfort while other folk go hungry, or sleep in warm beds while others shiver in the cold. And we shan't be able to kneel and thank God for blessing us before our shining altars while men anywhere are kneeling in either physical or spiritual subjection.

Dr. John H. Watson: You may be right, Holmes... I hope you are.

Sherlock Holmes: And, God willing, we'll live to see that day, Watson.

Sadly, at the moment there are powerful parties, both here and abroad, intending to deny and reverse those sentiments. But that's a topic best discussed elsewhere.

[struth]

The Spider Woman, 1943. starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, the seventh of fourteen such films the pair were involved in.







At one point Holmes says to Watson, "If you ever see me getting too sure again, fancying myself more clever then Adrea Spedding, just whisper one word to me: pygmy." This line was inspired by the short story "The Adventure of the Yellow Face," in which Holmes tells Watson, "If it should ever strike you that I am getting a little over-confident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper 'Norbury' in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you."

[Barry]

Nah! Sherlock Holmes not only enjoyed his 8% solution, he was also into bondage. "Pygmy" and "Norbury" were code release words for when things went a bit too far!

[struth]

Nah! Sherlock Holmes not only enjoyed his 8% solution, he was also into bondage. "Pygmy" and "Norbury" were code release words for when things went a bit too far!

lol... think it was 7% tho.