Thursday, January 5, 2012

TV Review: Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes - "Acquaintance" (1979)


Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes in "Acquaintance" (1979)
Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes

This episode is based on A Study in Scarlet and The Adventure of the Speckled Band.

The opening shot is that of 2 men walking in the distance, approaching the camera. A man is explaining to Dr.Watson about the eccentricities of a prospective roommate. The man talking to Dr Watson is assumed to be Stamford (though we never get to know his name). They eventually meet up with the Bohemian resident of 221 B Baker Street and the rest is history! 

Coming back to the episode, Holmes and Watson discuss each other’s character traits. Dr.Watson proves to be the quiet and retiring one, with Holmes being the exact opposite. As Holmes opens up about his thoughts on astronomy, poetry and philosophy, Watson slowly comes to realize that his roommate is not your regular Joe.


221 B Baker Street
The famous lodgings at 221 B Baker Street

A series of events, including a stranger entering Holmes’s room to never reappear, Watson’s breakfast interrupted by the Baker Street Irregulars, Holmes playing violin at unearthly hours that makes Watson highly suspicious of Holmes’ intentions and character.

He even shares his apprehensions with Stamford, who does not take him seriously. Returning to his apartment, he finds Holmes tinkering with the apartment locks and this proves to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Watson challenges Holmes to a boxing duel. Holmes proceeds to knock him out cold.

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After quickly establishing himself as the world’s only consulting detective to Watson, we immediately meet Helen Stoner from the The Adventure of the Speckled Band. The sequence in which Holmes questions Ms.Stoner and coolly lights his pipe is to me the one money shot that convinced me that I had found my Definitive Sherlock Holmes.

The rest of the episode very closely follows the The Adventure of the Speckled Band.


Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes with Baker Street Irregulars in "Acquaintance" (1979)
Sherlock Holmes gets a visit from the Baker Street Irregulars

What worked best: As always, the casting, music and direction. It was a very inspired choice to combine the initial parts of A Study in Scarlet and The Adventure of the Speckled Band.  The transition from one story to another is flawless and will work fine irrespective of the viewer’s familiarity with the Canon.

The addition of Baker Street Irregulars and the boxing duel were nice touches as well. The background score for Helen Stoner is extremely well done and is probably the best in the series. 

Click here to read all my posts about the Russian adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. 

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Image Source: Lenfilm Film Studio 

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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center


The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, Montana
Grizzly Bears at The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, Montana

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have visited The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, situated at West Yellowstone, Montana. 

This is a paradise for all Grizzly lovers. As I entered the Center, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that 2 huge forms were lounging around in the hot sun. The size and magnificence of these creatures was truly jaw-dropping. To see a pair of immensely powerful creatures indulge in casual play is truly a sight to behold! I discovered these bears to be Sam and Illie, the twin brother-sister pair. Sam, weighing more than 1000 pounds and Illie, at 800 pounds, are truly giants in every sense of the word. 

In addition to Sam and illie, there were couple more set of bears that frequented the display enclosures. While I do not remember the names of the other bears, I do remember their playfulness and the amazing intelligence that makes these bears so curious about their surroundings. I remember the bears using their well-documented sense of smell to explore and analyze the world around them. 

It is a testament to the charisma of the Grizzly bear that I was so overwhelmed with awe at the sight of these magnificent creatures that I do not remember most of what I saw about their neighbors at the center: The wolves. 

My visit to The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center remains one of the cornerstones of my life-long fascination with Nature, as I discovered for the first time in person one of the most magnificent animals on Earth: Grizzly Bear. 

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