Brass Tacks

I figured out how to get pictures in text posts! Turns out I’m just a complete idiot and totally blonde! Maybe you’ll forgive my stupidity by enjoying my second review~. <3

—Rachel

Just wanted to say sorry for the delay on the “North” review. I have it all typed out but I’m waiting until I can figure out how to post pictures into text posts before I put it up. >.< Hopefully, it’ll be up soon! <3

—Rachel

All right. I viewed this show before its popularity sky-rocketed. I’m not sure exactly when it came out in conjuncture to when I watched it but, it was pretty soon after it was released on DVD. My best friend visits London frequently and she heard about the show there and, I will say it right now, I am a die-hard Sherlock fan. And I mean the original stories. I’ve read them all more times than I can count and I’ve seen every adaptation of the stories of Holmes and Watson that I can get my hands on. So, when my best friend found out about this show and ordered the DVD online for me for my birthday… I was a bit skeptical. I mean, Sherlock Holmes seems to be one of those things that are just done wrong… almost consistently. Not wrong stories so much as wrong actors and interpretations. But, I saw the star of this show, Benedict Cumberbatch, and had hope. Here was a man that very much looked just like Sherlock should—high, distinguished and sharp features, cleanly dressed, well kept, piercing eyes, not very attractive by most people’s view (though I’m aware that soooooo many people think that he’s soooooo hot now @.@. I can see the attraction, though) and he just had that look about him that I loved. So, I went in with mild skepticism and small hopes.

I should have raised my standards. By a lot. Because this show would have met them and then some. I was completely and utterly blown away by this show. I’ve seen interpretations of the classic stories and I’ve seen original stories and… well, most of them have missed the essence of what Holmes is. This show… does something absolutely remarkable. It takes the old stories, combines them together in unique ways that work fabulously, explores venues that the original stories -could- have taken (for instance, in “A Study in Scarlet” the man is righting “Rache” which is the german word for “revenge” and the theory that he was writing “Rachel” is laughed at by Holmes. In the pilot, “A Study in Pink”, the woman is writing “Rachel” and the german theory is laughed at by Holmes.), and it puts a modern twist on all of it that seamlessly works together. I was always sitting there thinking, “Holy crap, what story are they gonna throw in there next?! Waitaminute, was that from the “Sign of Four”?! Is that how they’re introducing Watson?! Oooooh, marry me, Holmes, you glorious man! You’re so hawt when you’re done right!” …. >.> Well, you get the gist.

Now, I’m not gonna go around pointing out everything I love about this show and the little nuances of it but, I will touch on one thing in particular that has garnered a -lot- of attention throughout the years: Holmes’ and Watson’s relationship. Starting with Holmes and Watson. I know a lot (and, when I say “a lot” I mean, like, 99% of the female and some of the male population @.@) of people want to see Holmes and Watson as an item and I’ve seen more gif’s and screenshots than I can count of them together with some romantic caption. Well… Sorry to burst the fandom bubble but, it’s not happening. Ever. For one, Watson -is- straight and, the biggest factor… Holmes refuses to do relationships. But, it is an issue that they face—everyone believing that they are in a relationship—and that is a sensitive subject that the show touches on beautifully. It wasn’t an issue so much in Victorian times but here, in the modern world, the idea of two strangers sharing a flat would obviously make some people suspicious. It’s an issue that wasn’t able to be explored fully because of either the time period it was set in or the audience it was catering to. Especially in the first episode of season two, it’s pulled at so much that it causes Watson to have an outburst. I’ll admit, I was worried that it might buckle to the fan base and have them become a couple in some way but, the show’s creators said that they would stay true to the original stories as much as they could while still having creative freedom and I think they’ve made it very obvious by now as to where their relationship stands and, really, it’s exactly where it should be.

Awright now. B/ This is getting long… @.@ But, I am passionate so… it’ll do that. But, in a nutshell, this show is fantastic. It’s masterfully done and just a joy to watch and figure out. It’ll constantly leave you on the edge of your seat as you ponder away right with Sherlock. You can be a complete newcomer to the series or you could be like me and have read the stories since you were 6 and this show would still be a fabulous one to watch. The only problems I would think that some might have with this show is it’s pace. It knows how to slow down and let the atmosphere set in but, if you’re like me and you have a hard time hearing sometimes, Sherlock’s fast-paced speech can be very difficult to follow. Just the addition of subtitles can help with that, though. Another problem might be the fact that you seriously have to think while watching this show—every single scene and shot is important in some way or another and, this is an hour and half long show—it can be difficult to have that length of an attention span so consistently. I had no problems with it but, then again, I’m used to watching things like this. Older audiences might get lost with the logic and some of the technology talk but it shouldn’t hinder the enjoyment of the show much at all. Just keep in mind that you should be aware while watching this show and that, if you can devote your full attention to the show, it’s going to be a suuuuuper memorable ride.

Honestly, I don’t think there’s a single show I could recommend more than this one. The acting is stupendous, the cinematography is brilliant, the stories are are masterfully written, and the show itself is just an experience. Every element about this show just adds something unique and different to each other and it all works wonderfully. It’s deeeefiiiniiiiitely worth checking out. Like, right now. Go find it on YouTube. Or on Netflix—the first season is there. Just… go. *waves hands* Go find it. You won’t regret it—promise.

So, on a scale of 1-10, I give BBC’s Sherlock:

(Not many will get this rating~. ; D)

((Also, I know there’s a way to put pictures in text posts… but I can’t figure it out. @.@ If anyone knows, can you please, please tell me~? <3 I’d appreciate it loads!))

**Next Review: North**

So, I’m just some skinny, nerdy Texan with too much time on her hands, signing out~.

—Rachel

“Meaning

Engage with the basic facts or realities.

Origin

The figurative expression ‘getting down to brass tacks’ isn’t particularly old as phrases go. Its first appearance in print that I can find, from the USA in January 1863, was in the Texas newspaper The Tri-Weekly Telegraph:

“When you come down to ‘brass tacks’ - if we may be allowed the expression - everybody is governed by selfishness.”

All of the other known early citations either originate in, or refer to, Texas. It is reasonable to assume that the phrase was coined there, in or about the 1860s.”

— Quoted from http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/get-down-to-brass-tacks.html

This is why I call my blog “Brass Tacks”. For one, I am a Texan, so that feels rather fitting~. Second of all, though, many movies and shows nowadays are very much blown up by the effects or visuals or actors that they boast. But, when you strip away and you look at the plot and characters, how does the story hold up as a whole? Is it still as remarkable as it was when you first saw it in theaters on the IMAX with those nifty 3D glasses? Or does it suddenly seem as generic and over-written as the Twilight stories? That’s what I’m here to find out. When I watch a movie or a television show, I strip it down to the basics and then I build up from there. Do the visual aids help the story? or does it hide the many mistakes that it has? Are the actors portraying the roles correctly? or are they just cardboard cutouts of every other role that they’ve done? Also, if the story has some origins to it—like, if it came from a book, I like to see how the two compare and what their differences are. A story is only as good as the spine it was built on, after all.

There will be movies on here that I hate and movies that I love to death. I’m not saying that you’ll agree with it all but, by George, I sure do hope that you’re entertained and informed while reading them. That’s really what I’m here for. So, with all that said, sit back, relax, and I hope you enjoy my first review when it goes up.

**First review: BBC’s Sherlock**

I’m just a skinny, nerdy girl from Texas, signing out~.

—Rachel