Review of Murder by Decree (1979) by Paul T — 17 Sep 2008

If you've seen the Hughes Brother's Ripper tale and Johnny Depp starrer 'From Hell', then you're going to think you have deja vu when you see 1979's Murder By Decree. Several key plot elements from this very entertaining Sherlock Holmes meets The Ripper pastiche are equally integral to the plot of the latter, very different film.

Rather than gritty, gore filled character study, here we have a thriller of manners, with Plummer and Mason in fine form as Sherlock Holmes and Watson, whose pithy partnership makes a fine counterbalance to the ghoulish Ripper storyline.

I saw Murder By Decree when it was originally released and have never forgotten it - partly due to a haunting cameo appearance by the beautiful Genevieve Bujold - and while it has dated slightly, it is still well worth hunting down.