Steve Crook

Not a film, but a TV series. Has anyone else been watching Skins?

It's a teen drama series with the requisite amount of sex and drugs (and a bit of rock 'n' roll) but a friend recommended it knowing that I like good writing and like series like Press Gang.

And it is good writing with some superbly written characters and some very good plots. The characters aren't all impossibly good looking, they have some flaws but they are all essentially decent people facing the usual problems faced by people as they grow up.

I only picked it up at the start of the second series. But I like it.

Each episode follows one of the youngsters and we see events from their point of view. Another episode might reflect on the same or similar events (without actually replaying them, although that could have been interesting) from someone else's point of view.

Like any series like this, it takes a little while to get to know the characters. So if you do watch it, try to watch a few episodes before passing judgement.

The adults are played by some interesting people like Bill Bailey, Morwenna Banks, Harry Enfield, Fiona Allen, Arabella Weir. Although as it's a teen drama, they don't occupy a lot of screen time of course.

Steve

marker

Did anyone watch the new Flash Gordon series on si fi last night? for a remake it was quite watchable

Cheers Marker

stevie boy

I watched the Thirteenth Re union A Hammer House episode, very entertaining and gory and lovely to see the delightful Dinah Sheridan

phil

Just watched The Great Van Robbery (1959). Nice to see an old favourite like Denis Shaw in a starring role.
Thought he made a cool hero, this should be a cult movie.
I presume this was his only starring role?

batman

He had a few 'high up the cast' roles but I think you are right. I can't recall him as the 'lead' in anything else.

maturin

Watched Young Winston, having just managed to get my VHS copy transfered to DVD. What a magnificent performance by Robert Shaw. I understand Shaw was third choice for the role of Lord Randolph, and Simon Ward second for the young Churchill. Anyone know who the favourites were?
I hope this fine movie makes it to remastered DVD soon, preferably with a host of extras!
Richard

Freddy

I picked this up in the early stages of the first series after it had been on E4 and have yet to be disappointed.

Very good series and agree with all the points Steve has mentioned. Into the second and without giving the game away last Thursdays was a wonderful episode and acting by Mike Bailey who plays Sid.


Freddy

stevie boy

Robert Shaw was an excellent actor

stevie boy

I watched Backbeat, a film about the early days of the Beatles and, in the main ,the character of Stuart Sutcliffe. I am an avid beatles fan and this film was as good as it gets. The portrayals of Sutcliffe,Lennon & Macartney were fabulous.

Harbottle

So Well Remembered (1947) DVD-R. Almost a very good film, well directed by Edward Dmytryk but the problem for me is the Rank/RKO co-production where two American actors are dropped in and are totally unbelievable due to their stilted “English” accents. How much better this would have been had Phyllis Calvert replaced awful Martha Scott for example, oh well. Still even allowing for this problem the story is a good one where idealist Johnny Mills fights against poverty and living conditions in a grim northern town.

DB7

28 Weeks Later. The follow-up to 28 Weeks, filmed at breakneck pace and with action scenes aplenty (and lots of London landmarks), but somehow all fairly soulless and without anything much resembling a storyline.

A Pemberton

Zwartboek 2006


Not British I know but an excellent story of a jewish girl caught up in a battle of survival in German occupied Holland
A superlative film well worthy of the praise it received,the lead Carice Van Houten is mesmerising and look out for a certain young British intelligence officer Nolan Hemmings who is the image of his dad
An epic of modern cinema,recommended viewing

DB7

Good film that, its recently been showing on FilmFour. (although I do think the story stretches credibility towards the end)

Steve Crook

I saw it when FilmFour showed it the other week. It stretched credibility in a few places, but generally, very good

Steve

Just seen DB7's comment. Snap, almost

stevie boy

The Early Bird (Norman Wisdom & Mr. Grimsdale) My 7 year old daughter thought it was hilarious, and it did make me chuckle a few times. The opening no dialogue scene was very good,Not Norman's best but good enough