Assignment #15 - It's Sherlock Holmes - Taylor Galavotti

If we have ever talked about favorite television shows, movies, or books, there is no doubt in my mind that I have recommended some iteration of a Sherlock Holmes story, whether it be the original installments or the BBC television series Sherlock (WATCH IT PLEASE). I'm not quite sure what it is about Mr. Holmes but I love everything about him and his story. My GSP application essay was actually on the same topic. I came to the conclusion that I value intelligence so a whole lot, and because Sherlock is based almost entirely in extreme levels of intelligence, I enjoy his character. Now for the iterations that I love the most:

The Original Installments: As party favors at one of my birthday parties, I gifted each of my friends a classic novel (i.e. John Carter of Mars, The Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes). And yes, I understand that I am a huge nerd. Well, I set one of the copies of Sherlock Holmes away for myself. I went on to read that entire collection. My favorite story is A Scandal in Bohemia, in case you were wondering. Those stories began the obsession.

The BBC's Sherlock: I will preface this small story with the simple fact that I have seen this entire series through 4 times. Okay back to the story. I heard about this show originally from one of my middle school friends, Lauren. I started watching it simply because I wanted to be better friends with her. After the first episode, I binged the rest of the series that was available at that time (through to Season 3) For some context, each of the episodes are 90 minutes long and there are 3 episodes per season; I watched 12 hours of television in 4 days. So, I was in love with the show. It was a modern take on the Sherlock stories starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman; they were reinvented to fit our time, instead of the Victorian era. I learned all I could about the production, the directors, the writers. I went so far as to buy the book the BBC put out about the creation of the show (awesome book, btw). Since that week, I've watched the series back through 4 times and each time, I discover something I hadn't noticed before. If you are looking for a good winter break binge, I highly recommend Sherlock.

Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes: Most people know Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ) as Iron Man. As do I, but I knew him first as the incredibly witty Sherlock Holmes from the original Victorian era. He worked with Jude Law as Dr. John Watson to develop a new story of Sherlock Holmes infused with a touch of black magic and of course, political corruption. I have this film as well as the sequel on DVD. This particular adaptation never fails to make me laugh simply because RDJ is just that fantastic of an actor. It is a little weird to watch though because I think of him first as Iron Man. Nevertheless, it's a fast-paced work of cinematic art that I recommend to literally everyone.

So yeah, that's my geeky, dorky, nerdy obsession.