Bob Clark’s ‘Murder By Decree’ Brings Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper to 4K UHD

Sherlock Holmes investigates Jack the Ripper in Murder By Decree, hitting 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on January 14 via Kino Lorber.

From Black Christmas director Bob Clark, the 1979 murder-mystery has been newly mastered in 4K by StudioCanal.

Christopher Plummer and James Mason star as as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, respectively, alongside David Hemmings, Susan Clark, Anthony Quayle, John Gielgud, Frank Finlay, Donald Sutherland, and Genevieve Bujold.

Disc 1 – 4K UHD:

• UHD SDR Master by StudioCanal
• Audio Commentary by Director Bob Clark
• Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell
• Theatrical Trailer
• 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio

Disc 2 – Blu-ray:

• HD Master by StudioCanal
• Audio Commentary by Director Bob Clark
• Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell
• Theatrical Trailer
• 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio

John Hopkins (Thunderball) penned the script, inspired by Elwyn Jones & John Lloyd‘s 1975 book The Ripper File, Stephen Knight‘s 1976 book Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution, and the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.

In the film, “When Scotland Yard is unable to stop the gruesome rampage of Jack the Ripper, a citizens’ committee asks Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Plummer) and his trusted associate Dr. John H. Watson (James Mason) to investigate.

“Now the brilliant pair must follow a terrifying trail of clues that includes a frightened psychic (Donald Sutherland), a suspicious inspector (David Hemmings), an institutionalized woman (Geneviève Bujold) and the Prime Minister of England (John Gielgud). But even if Holmes and Watson’s remarkable powers of deduction can unmask the maniacal fiend, are they prepared to face the most shocking secret of all?”