![]() ![]() These diminishing rights to Holmes and his ancillary characters (Watson, Moriarty, etc.) have been held by the Doyle family, under Conan Doyle Estate Ltd., who’ve demanded licensing fees for any use. But the last 10 Holmes stories, collected in 1927’s The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, only entered on January 1, 2023. So the first Holmes story, the 1887 novel A Study in Scarlett, has been in the public domain since January 1, 1981. With characters like Sherlock Holmes, who appeared in different stories over 40 years, each work-and the version of the character appearing in it-enters the public domain separately when its respective copyright expires. So you can have an anthropomorphic teddy bear named Winnie (hence the upcoming Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey slasher flick), but it just can’t look like the Disney design or wear a red shirt. Winnie-the-Pooh, for example, entered the public domain last January-but only the original 1926 book character, not the licensed 1966 Disney movie. ![]() There’s also a wrinkle here many IPs appear in more than one work, and many have different versions. What happens when anyone can use Mickey Mouse? Or Superman or Barbie? What are the implications not just for the corporate owner but the beloved character? They continue to push for legislation extending copyrights to keep the Mouse in-house, but as of now, Mickey’s first appearance, 1928’s Steamboat Willie, is set to enter the public on January 1, 2024. The 1998 Copyright Term Extension Act is mockingly called “The Mickey Mouse Protection Act” because the Walt Disney Company lobbied hard for it. Despite its shortcomings, Sherlock Holmes is nevertheless damn entertaining, and bodes well as another ongoing franchise for Iron Man's Downey.IP law is complex and changes from country to country, but in the US, the short version is this as of 1998, most copyrights last for the life of the author plus 70 years, or 120 years from creation or 95 years from publication, whichever is sooner.Ĭopyright terms used to be much shorter, but Congress keeps extending them. The movie deserves a better DVD release, however, one with more robust special features. ![]() And no trailer? Really? Really? Score: 2 out of 10 The Bottom Line Ritchie's new-school take on an old-school icon is respectful without being overly reverential, loud and fun without becoming dumb and hollow, talky but never slow. Given the awesome use of green screen and special effects (especially during the booby trap/explosion sequence), we would rather see more scene-by-scene breakdowns of set pieces over this peripheral look at them. RDJ, producer Joel Silver and producer Susan Downey take point through out the featurette's less-than-15-minute running time. Score: 7 out of 10 Packaging and Extras The DVD includes only one extra feature, titled " Sherlock Holmes: Revisited." It's a quick-cut EPK, which intercuts behind-the-scenes B-roll with talking-head interviews. ![]() The mix would be spot-on if it wasn't for the dialogue issue. There's also a cool use of the surrounds during a scene where Sherlock taunts a key conspirator from within a literal smoke screen. The wet impact of fist into bone, the explosions and the gunshots come alive in the surround channels, as well as in the fronts. But the mix doesn't fall short when it comes to delivering on the action sequences. RDJ speaks with rapid-fire delivery, on top of an accent, making it hard to hear what he is saying in key scenes - like his analysis of how to take out a thug early on in the film - or during a third-act expository scene. But the same issue I had in the theatre continues here - the clarity of dialogue. Languages and Audio Hans Zimmer's score takes center stage, its suspenseful chords coming in loud and clear across the Dolby 5.1 mix. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |