VHS : Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, The {The Last Vampyre (#1.8)}
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
This two-hour, overblown adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story 'The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire' was perhaps the most ill-advised of Granada Television's Sherlock Holmes series. Entirely contrary to the tone and spirit of Doyle's tale--which finds Holmes victoriously pitting his well-grounded deductive powers against irrational fears of a rise in bloodsucking--The Last Vampyre is something of an embarrassment to the largely wonderful legacy of Granada's earlier efforts. (For the record, most of the creative executives who, along with star Jeremy Brett, had made the beloved series what it was in the 1980s were replaced by 1992, the year of this film.) In this version, Holmes does battle with a Draculalike fellow who may or may not be the real McCoy. There is a great deal of padding to fill out the story to feature length, and it is mostly silly. So, you ask, is there anything to recommend this? Well, there is the ailing Brett's ever-fascinating performance, which deviates from Doyle's vision of the detective hero toward something darker and more personal. Edward Hardwicke does his usual warm and capable work as Dr. Watson. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Worst of the Brett/Holmes Stories on Granada
This is by far the worst of the Brett/Holmes series on DVD. Please do not even think of buying the DVD - it's a waste of your money. Far more importantly, it's a waste of your time, and finally, I would not like you to put so much junk into your mind.
I thought: "Well, how bad can it be - after all, there's Jeremy Brett and the wonderful reputation of the Granada TV series." Well, I was wrong - this one is out and out bad - horrendous story (Doyle's story was quite decent), bad direction ... Read More
Rating:  - The Sussex Vampire/The Last Vampyre
I adore Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes and cannot help but admire how beautiful and authentic these adaptations were filmed. Authentic detail and great casts made this a do-not-miss series. However, this episode (The Last Vampyre) is a travesty of the original story. Instead of a moving story about a woman who is protecting her child and trying to keep peace within her home, we have this horrible (as in "horror") and mindless tale. No doubt about it. Conan Doyle was a fabulous story teller. Why ... Read More
Rating: - Not That Bad
Of the five feature films in this series, I would agree that The Last Vampyre is the weakest. It does drag in spots, and the story line is a bit lame by typical Sherlock Holmes standards. The fact that Jeremy Brett was in a state of declining health during the filming of this movie also detracts from its impact. However, if you are a big Sherlock Holmes fan and have most, if not all of the other DVDs in the Jeremy Brett (Sherlock Holmes) collection, I wouldn't hesitate in picking this up. It does ... Read More
Rating: - A Strange Mystery
+++++
(This review is for "The Last Vampyre" released on DVD in Jan. 2003.)
This movie is based on the story "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire" (1924) written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 to 1930).
The alternate spelling of the word vampire as "vampyre" in the movie's title is an older spelling of this word that was used during the 1700s and 1800s.
This movie is about John Stockton (Roy Marsden) arriving at a small village. When bad and strange ... Read More
Rating: - It's not the story, it's the woe Brett has been subjected to
I adore Jeremy Brett's skills as an actor. However, ten years after the fantastic Granada series debued, Brett was a remarkably ill man. He was in the midst of a nervous breakdown after the death of his wife, and it is obvious in his face during the mosntrous two hours. I care not a wick for the story, I simply could not tear my eyes off of Brett's stricken and woebegone face. He looked so tired, so utterly tired of the role he has played for a decade. It was indeed cruel to have him come back into ... Read More
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