MURDER BY DECREE (1978) *1/2 Ok, here's one for you conspiracy theorists: Freemasons funded this film for the sole purpose of making it all look boring, so that anyone with a brain in their head would lose interest. They lure us in with good actors and promises of esoteric social circles, murder, and sex; and then they make it all look less interesting than an Icee during a snowstorm. Christopher Plummer's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes looks more like Baron von Trapp trying to play imaginary games with his children during his awkward stage. His loyal Watson, James Mason, clearly has difficulty figuring out why he should be at all subservient to such a doofus, as well he might. Mason offers nothing else instead, he merely stands around looking bored and unimpressed a lot, as would we all. Plummer's sentimentalist showdown with Geneviéve Bujold in the nuthouse is almost worth watching as its rare to see such a talented actor look so hopelessly out of his depth. Nothing is revealed of Freemasonry except that they have all kinds of hopelessly ridiculous hand gestures but are generally gainfully employed. Donald Sutherland's psychic is kind of funny, but if he had any talent at all he would have warned everyone to stay away from this hopelessly asinine script and Bob Clark's efforts to execute it in a manner precluding rhythm or continuity. What it really needed was just to be executed. Where's Jack the Ripper when you need him?
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