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The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It

1977 · 56 min

A silly, fast-paced spoof full of slapstick and witty wordplay that gently mocks detective stories.

Directed by
Joseph McGrath
Genres
Thriller, Comedy, Crime
Overview
John Cleese is hilarious as the descendant of Sherlock Holmes in this modern detective drama of international power politics and intrigue. Unlike his illustrious grandfather however, he only succeeds in bungling every job he organizes. Also stars Arthur Lowe as the "bionic" grandson of Dr. Watson, Stratford Johns as the Commissioner of Police, and Connie Booth as Mrs. Hudson.

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Directed by
Joseph McGrath
Genres
Thriller, Comedy, Crime
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • absurdstrength 3 of 3
  • satiricalstrength 2 of 3
  • campystrength 2 of 3
  • lightstrength 2 of 3
Pacing
brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • mystery
  • deception
  • parenthood
  • death
  • betrayal
Places
  • big city
  • single country house
Era
contemporary
Audience
teen
Form
  • twist ending
  • ensemble
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror0
Humour9
Realism3
Romance0
Tension2
Darkness3
Complexity4
Emotional weight2

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Cast

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Details

Genres
thriller, comedy, crime, mystery
Directed by
Joseph McGrath
Written by
Jack Hobbs, John Cleese, Joseph McGrath
Starring
John Cleese, Arthur Lowe, Joss Ackland, Ron Moody, Connie Booth, Christopher Malcolm, Holly Palance, Val Pringle
Music
Ivor Slaney
Cinematography
Kenneth Higgins
Runtime
56 min
Country
United Kingdom
Languages
English

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