Back to SherlockPeoria front page    June 15, 2003   Back to The Maniac Collector's Archives

Sherlocking Around

By Don Hobbs

Sherlocking In Nashville.

I recently had a whirlwind visit to Nashville, Tennessee. I say whirlwind because I decided on a Tuesday afternoon to drive the 650 miles the next morning. I sent a last minute e-mail message to Mr. Billy Fields of the Nashville Scholars but due to the lateness of my decision making process, none of the Scholars were available to meet me. Never fear I have been to Nashville often enough to entertain myself.

The reason for this trip was to haul a trailer load of things and a smelly dog to my stepson, who lives in Nashville with his father. The catch was the father, who I kindly refer to as my ex-husband-in-law, who was going to pay for everything but could never decide on a specific date. Finally on a Tuesday I rented the trailer, loaded it up and drove to Nashville on Wednesday. I did not expect the Nashville Scholars to be very available on such a short notice.

I delivered my wares and spent the night with the ex-husband-in-law and had all day Thursday to myself.

I had the required Sherlockian photo-op session. There was the 221B exit off of the Interstate to photograph as well as the outside of The Sherlock Holmes Pub. The last time I was there was at my bachelor's party in 1999. I also took a picture of the marquee outside of Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theater because Sherlock Holmes: A Trilogy of Tales II is being staged there. This is where I spent Thursday evening. John Chaffin adapted REDC; CARD; and TWIS into three one-act plays.

The play was very enjoyable but I believe I was the only Sherlockian there that night. I make this deduction because at one point Dr. Watson is reading aloud from a newspaper account. The article refers to Lestrade as one of the most brilliant Inspectors on the force. Dr. Watson made some sarcastic remark about this but no one in the audience laughed except for me. I also seemed to be the only one there who was distracted by Holmes having a beard. A MiniReview can be read in the July 2003 issue of The Holmes & Watson Report.

All in all my whirlwind trip to Nashville was far less destructive than the recent storms that hit Music City. I had a good time even though I missed out on hanging out with The Nashville Scholars.

Sherlocking With Monk

When I returned to Texas, my had a wonderful surprise waiting for me. She had tickets to see a new independent film -- Made-Up. This film is the directorial debut of Tony Shalhoub -- TV's Monk and he was going to be there!

The film stars his wife Brooke Adams, her sister Lynn Adams, Mr. Shalhoub, Gary Sinise, and Eva Amurri, the daughter of Susan Sarandon. It is brilliantly funny comedy about the middle-aged crisis of growing old. It is a mockumentary that’s takes a look at how our cultural obsession with youthful good looks affects women.

I had the opportunity to speak with "Monk" about the Sherlockian aspects his hit TV show that begins its new season on June 20th on the USA Network. He told me he had read the stories, enjoyed Sherlock Holmes and his character of the obsessive defective detective. Andy Breckman is a Sherlock Holmes enthusiast who writes the stories.

Mr. Shalhoub is delightful and genuinely humble. He took the time to sign every piece shoved in front of him and the time to talk to each individual. Mr. Shalhoub and the two Ms. Adams spent an hour in the lobby prior to the film screening talking and autographing. There was another half of Q&A after the film and then the three went back into the lobby another 30 minutes of chatter.

Anyone that wants to see an extremely funny, well-acted, and tight scripted film could do no better than seeing Made-Up. The film is totally non-Sherlockian but worth seeing no matter. The Maniac Collector gives it two thumbs-up.