They Might Be Giants is an utterly charming and wholly engaging 1970s drama-comedy, which flickers with moments of both quirky spirit and fragile/ forlorn humanity. The New York-based film tells of middle-aged wealthy judge Justin Playfair (George C Scott)- whose life falls apart after the passing of his wife, and he starts to believe he is the great fictional English detective Sherlock Holmes. Here from Powerhouse is a recent Blu-Ray of the film- featuring two commentary tracks, and a few other new/ archive extras.

They Might Be Giants is from the year 1971. It was directed by London-born Anthony Harvey.  He had nine directors credits to his name- these went from the provocative racial and social-themed drama Dutchman (1966), to historic bio-drama The Abdication(1974), Off-beat western  Eagles Wing (1979), and black comedy Grace Quigley (1984).

The credits open with the colourful & bubbling test tube-strewn lab of Justin/ Holmes (Scott). We then see his posh and obnoxious brother Belvins (Lester Rawlins) trying to get his brother sectioned into a mental hospital, so he can ultimately get his hands on his brother's fortune. Justin agrees to go to the hospital out of curiosity, and the doctor assessing him is farther dowdy & lonely Dr Mildrew Watson (Joanne Woodward). Fairly soon the pair have bounded, with Watson following Justin/ Holmes around New York to follow-up clues & meet a host of quirky characters, who also seemingly believe that Justin is Sherlock Holmes- with the main focus being tracking down his seemingly faceless arch enemy Professor Moriarty.

Scott is truly splendid/perfect in the role of Justin/ Holmes- in his smart Edwardian period dress suite, deerstalker hat, and pipe. He is largely a competent, bright as a button and charming figure- who for most of the films playtime completely believes he is the great detective- though he also has moments of flicking doubt, and sadness. Woodward is excellent as the rundown doctor- who is constantly berated by her bearded superior Cyde(Murray Abranham) who is looking to get a payoff from Justin’s brother Belvins. She plays the role with a mix of pathos & nervy longing.

The cast is filled out with a host of quirky support cast/ characters actors- there’s the gleefully smiling & rather manic Messager- Al Lewis, who played Grandpa in the original Munster TV series. There’s the faithful if nervy librarian Peabody (Jack Gilford) who rather fancies himself as The Scarlet Pimpernel. We get the ageing couple- who have been locked away from the world for the last few decades, growing their own food & creating Topiary down an NYC backstreet. There’s also a selection of quirky folk who hang out at a rundown backstreet cinema, where Justin/ Holmes goes to watch westerns at.

The film nicely shifts between seemingly following a set/ sensical plot, and quirkier free-fall through Holmes clues/ quest for allusive Moriarty. With the whole thing resolving in a wonderfully ambiguous, and kind of hauntingly sad/heart-warming manner. 

They Might Be Giants certainly won’t be for those who are looking for a  neatly tied-up drama-comedy, and it also weaves in great touches of fantasy & romance- which may not be for everyone. But I found They Might Be Giants a wholly spellbinding, life-reaffirming and distinctive film, that could only have appeared in the 60s or the 70s. 

Moving onto this recent region B Blu-ray, and we get an HD remastering of the film, which looks nicely bold & well-defined in its 70’s colour pallet. And you can watch either the shorter UK version or the slightly longer US version. On the new extras side, we get a commentary from film writers and Holmes experts Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman- and this is excellent, really brimming for facts, observations, and banter. They start by debating whether this was the first female version of the Watson character, and discussing the original stage version of the film- which featured Harry H Corbet as Justin Playfair- it apparently wasn’t a success.  They discuss Scott’s playing of  Holmes, and when his character drifts into the logic of the mad.  They touch on other films from the time that examine madness. They talk about the two different versions of the film- and how the UK version removed the slapstick elements, making for a more decidedly downbeat film.  They discuss Joanne Woodward decidedly dowdy & unglamorous take on the Watson role. Later on, they discuss the film's title & its meaning, and the band that took its name from the film.  They chat about Scott being a difficult actor to work with, though apparently there are no stories of issues on this film- moving on to touch on other notable roles the actor took. They point out notable bit-part actors, and much, much more. This is most certainly a track I will return to again!. There’s A Study in Sherlock (26.53) which finds Kim Newman giving a history of the Holmes character on the big screen, as well as touching on its small screen & radio appearance- and this is most fascinating, and it really is astounding how many takes there has been on the character. Moving onto the archive side of things & we get a 2000 commentary track from director Anthony Harvey and film preservationist Robert A Harris. There’s Madness… It’s Beautiful (8.01) which is a 1971 making of.  Lastly a trailer and image gallery.

The release is finished off with a thirty-six-page booklet- this takes in a new essay by Chloe Walker, an account of Anthony Harvey’s career as actor, editor, and director, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits.

In conclusion, this is another stellar reissue of a lesser-known/distinctive 70’s drama from the fine folks at Powerhouse. With the disc featuring a great HD print of the film, and a wonderful selection of new & archive extras.