Watched last night

[Steve Crook]

Triumph des Willens (1935) [aka Triumph of the Will]
Shown on BBC 4 last night. Interesting to actually see the whole thing after hearing so much about it and seeing various clips from it over the years.

Now, excuse me while I go and invade Poland

Steve

[The_Late_Peter_Cook]

THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE - 1969

I actually finished the (very short) book the other week and so found it interesting to compare the two. The film ditches the flash forwards and flashbacks of the book and sticks to a linar narrative (so robbing us the sting in Spark's tale).

What's left is an interesting drama which doesn't quite reach the heighs of Neame's previous Edinburgh tale, TUNES OF GLORY. Maggie Smith is ideally cast as the larger than life school and Pamela Franklin shows a lot of talent (amongst other things... the nude scene is a bit of a suprise!) as her "assassin".

The under-rated Robert Stephens gives a first rate performance, while Gordon Jackson is equally good in a far less flashy role.

[scudder]

Originally posted by SteveCrook@May 2 2005, 02:07 PM Now, excuse me while I go and invade Poland

And Russia. Please.

[Steve Crook]

Originally posted by scudder@May 3 2005, 10:26 AM And Russia. Please. <div align="right">Quoted post</div>

No, I learn from other people's mistakes

Steve

[Jim S.]

Whiskey Galore!
Its the first time I have seen this little gem. A village in the Hebrides goes "dry" during the war and then recovers hundred of cases of the "water of life" from a floundered freighter. To keep it, they must hide it from the G-Men which they do in humorously creative ways. The excellent cast is peopled with familiar faces including a very young Gordon Jackson. The locale seems like a fairy-tale world. I would love to visit that part of the world some day! Can this kind of movie, without bodily function jokes entertain the younger generation? My 16 year old laughed all the way through it. Its a movie I know I will watch many more times.

[DB7]

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

A hard film to comment on unless you're a HGG nut. As somebody not anal about the series or possessing a depth of knowledge about the books much of the story washed over me and I'm afraid the film may fall between two categories; not faithful enough for Adams fans but accessible to outsiders either. The acting and production design are respectable for a big budget film but some of the tv series 'Englishness' has been lost and much of the subtle humour turning HGG into a sort of Mid-Atlantic Fifth Element.

Alan Rickman steals the show as the voice of depressed robot Marvin.

[Marky B]

I watched the final half hour of World For Ransome. I can't find the film in Halliwell's,but I swear I saw a young Patrick Allen playing a British solider. Am I right?
Ta Ta
Marky B [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif[/img]

[smudge]

THE PRIMITIVES ;

an AWFUL British B starring Jan Holden. Terrible production values, despite even being made at Pinewood !

SMUDGE

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/devil.gif[/img]

[The_Late_Peter_Cook]

This week I've watched three movies which fall into the "Is it British?" catogory.

The first is THE PURPLE PLAIN, which, while a Rank production, with actors such as Maurice Denham and Bernard Lee popping up, is directed by an American (Robert Parrish) and stars Gregory Peck.

The second is Renoir's THE RIVER which IDMB lists as a France-India-USA produciton! But it's based on, and the screenplay is written by, a British writer and the cast contains a few British actors (Edmund Knight, Adrienne Corri).

The third is TWO FOR THE ROAD, which has a British lead in Albert Finney (and also stars the almost-British Audrey Hepburn) has a British co-star in Eleanor Bron (who playes an American!) and is written by a British writer.

[DB7]

A rather odd double-header.

The William Castle fronted Mr. Sardonicus. It's a diverting gothic horror with a neat twist in the tail and another Castle participation gimmick; the audience 'punishment poll'. Out of interest did Castle film two endings?

The other was Made in Britain, a companion piece to Scum. A tour-de-force from swastika tattooed Tim Roth in the days before ASBO's and 'happy slapping'. Roth may be articulate but there are no efforts made to soften his character or put him on the path to redemption Be great if the Beeb would repeat some of Clarke's drama's as I missed the likes of To Encourage the Others and Penda's Fen.

[smudge]

Nobody's ever been able to find an alternative ending to SARDONICUS DB7 ; it's widely held that this was one gimmick Castle didn't follow through on as he didn't expect an audience to react and show mercy.

SMUDGE

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/devil.gif[/img]

Originally posted by Marky B@May 14 2005, 01:34 AM I watched the final half hour of World For Ransome. I can't find the film in Halliwell's,but I swear I saw a young Patrick Allen playing a British solider. Am I right? Ta Ta Marky B [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif[/img] <div align="right">Quoted post</div>

A possibility. He co-starred in the US made 'Dial M For Murder' in 1954.

[ollie]

Not film but an interesting(so far) slice of 1975 tv, SURVIVORS watched 6 eps so far quite gripping.

cheers Ollie.

[Steve Crook]

Originally posted by ollie@May 16 2005, 09:34 AM Not film but an interesting(so far) slice of 1975 tv, SURVIVORS watched 6 eps so far quite gripping. cheers Ollie. <div align="right">Quoted post</div>

ISTR the early episodes were very good, but it faded as they ran out of ideas.

Steve

[ollie]

Originally posted by Steve Crook@May 16 2005, 05:08 PM ISTR the early episodes were very good, but it faded as they ran out of ideas. Steve <div align="right">Quoted post</div>

Exactly right steve,
i finished the other eps off,and it started to get padded out as they went along,although still quite watchable,BUT the worst thing of all was the first 6 eps were on FILM,ahhaaa and looked stunning,(lots of deserted villages,open countryside,glorious) then they started using vt,oh dear unrealistic lighting,colours,a shame,it definatly lost sumething.

There is something magical about film that seems to help with the illussion(writing and acting dependant of course) that when its perfect, transends the medium.

sorry if i didn't put that very well,i know what i'm trying to say just cant put it in to words,lol [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/no.gif[/img]

cheers Ollie.