plasticjock

There are a few cd's of Sir Richard's film music around, Smudge.
There is very good one on the Chandos label called The film music of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett:
http://www.chandos-records.com/details05.a...ber=CHAN%209867

Also do a search on Amazon UK for Bennett but make it a double search under Popular Music and Classical Music. There are quite a few cd's listed in each category. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif[/img] .

Iain1962

Hi there.

I always really liked Lutyens score for another Freddie Francis movie called The Psycopath. This features a really creepy (and catchy) lullaby theme over shots of dolls being assembled. The rest of the film can't realy hope to match this but still a good picture. I was going to review this rather than The Skull but couldn't find the tape. Mabe later. Lutyens also did a really good score for a minor Terence Fisher work called The Earth Dies Screaming. The clever thing about her music is that it starts off being very conventional but then goes off in its own direction. In The Skull the crashing piano accompaniment really adds to the sense of weirdness in the film..

Cheers.

Iain

Furnisher Steele

Just got a batch of Australian release DVD's so started off with Sapphire - the Dearden and Relph race thriller. Paul Massie was a bit wooden (whatever happened to him?) but there were solid performances from two of my favourite players Nigel Patrick and Yvonne Mitchell. Earl Cameron made his character very believable as well. Enjoyable but a little dated now. It seemed a bit heavy handed in places and I think they managed a better blend of social comment and drama in Victim a few years later. Nice to get a good print to replace my rather worn VHS tape though.

arty-dave

Been watching Tales from the Crypt as well recently. Also catching up on some classic mono episodes of the Avengers, and not forgetting the Are You Being Served DVD's [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

smudge

Thanks for the tip-off Furnisher ; didn't realise SAPPHIRE was out anywhere. Have ordered a copy and noted that Oz seems to have a fairly decent 'RANK CLASSICS' collection springing up. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif[/img]

SMUDGE

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

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

MrDrakesDuck

<span style="color:#3333FF">Kill or Cure</span> with <span style="color:#FF0000">Terry Thomas</span> & <span style="color:#33CC00">Eric Sykes</span>.

Love this film, seen it many times. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clapping.gif[/img]

Terrific music from Ron Goodwin and support from Jeffries, Barker & Price.

And a great performance from the dog. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif[/img]

"I thought I had to shoot Germans, not chew 'em"

Third Man

Tales of Hoffmann,

just had my Criterion DVD arrive and what a pleasure it was to be immersed in the world of two of the finest British film makers again.

Surely there is no better past time than to spend a couple of hours in front of the box watching 'The Archers' when they literally throw Technicolour in your face in such a flamboyant and ostentatious way, that you walk away punch drunk, from what has been visually placed in front of you.

I'm going to watch it again tomorrow night, I'll lend you my thoughts on this masterpiece again, I just know it’s going to get better.

Marvellous!!!

Steve Crook

Good innit. I love the George A. Romero interview saying why he's always liked it and that it was the film that made him want to become a film-maker.

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

Third Man

Hello Steve,

incidentally,nice P&P site you have by the way, appreciated.

Yes the George A. Romero interview made me chuckle, had to admit I could see his make up affects in his films being directly influened by things like T of H. I wonder if the Archers will get a new fan base now that Romero has openly come out with his admiration of Hoffmann, also love the glasses he was wearing, very Harry Palmer!!

Have you ever seen this at the cinema Steve? What did you make of the colour of the Criterion DVD, it looked pretty lush to me, some of the scenes just blew me away. I want to see this on the big screen.I saw this film years ago but never remembered it quite like this.As you can tell I'm still reeling from it.

Simon

Steve Crook

Thanks, the P&P site is a labour of love [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

Yes, I've seen it at the cinema a few times. At the NFT and at various festivals.
The colour on the Criterion DVD is pretty good. Remember that this is Technicolor at its most lush and lavish as only The Archers could do it. Jack Cardiff showed what could be done with it on AMOLAD, BN & TRS. This one has cinematography by his student, Chris Challis (operator on the previous 3). And the design is by Hein Heckroth who also designed BN & TRS. On this one they really let Hein have his head. I always like Hein's comment "On screen it says the first act takes place in Paris. This is not true - it takes place in yellow with, of course, some other colours to play against."

And as they recorded the music & singing beforehand and then performed it to playback, they could make as much noise as they liked on set. This meant that they didn't have to have the big soundproof "blimp" on the Technicolor camera so it was much more mobile.

Which sections do you like most (or dislike most)? For me it's the Giulietta sequence with Ludmilla Tchérina in that slinky black cat-suit that I like best. Even though the effects with the jewels & the mirror are a bit crude and corny - they work.

My only complaint about the Criterion DVD is that they turned the brightness up a notch too high. When Olympia the doll is being broken up you're not meant to see Moira in the black body-stocking.

Steve

Third Man

Funny now you mention it, nothing seems to be that unlike able, of course there are things that are corny but they still work.
I did like the Kleinzack scene at the beginning on the fireplace mantle, just something about it. The Giulietta scene 2 is outstanding and Helpmann is brilliant in it and also in the third scene. As was mentioned in the commentary German expressionism and the silent movies were a big influence on Hnelpmann and this showed in his portrayal of Hoffmann's nemesis, I might have to revise my favourite Dracula.
I have to say however that I am a sucker for the Moira Shearer, Olympia part, the bit on the stairs(carpet) is audacious to say the least and it looks so real. Shearer’s dancing is fantastic and she looks just like a china doll, and that yellow background,OH yes, my eyes!!
I can see what you mean about the breaking up of the doll but it did'nt bother me, infact I liked the fact that I could see what was going on, not a problem it washed over me.
Simon

Steve Crook

Well that is Sir Fred Ashton doing Kleinsach (& Cochenille in the Coppelius segment).

To give away one well known secret, most of the on-screen performers were miming to off-screen singers. When Moira's doing the Doll Dance, if you look closely, she forgets to mime when the footwork gets a bit tricky. But mostly the miming is very well done.

But what about that Dragonfly Ballet that Moira does at the beginning (as Stella), that's lovely.
Her partner in that is Edmond Audran, Ludmilla's husband, he was killed in a car crash shortly after they made this.

Another performer to look out for is Alan Carter who plays the cashier that refuses the bank draft. He was a clever lad and did some of the choreography on TRS. I like the way he gets on his chair.

And oh, what a surprise it is at the end when Helpmann removes the masks and we see it was the same enemy in every act [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clapping.gif[/img]

Steve

Furnisher Steele

They are amazingly cheap as well. Even with postage each disc comes to about six pounds each. I order from the Oz HMV and am currently waiting for Simba, My Brothers Keeper, The Card and - a change of pace - Drowning by Numbers.

Rob Compton

Watched "The Persuaders" earlier on - the episode "The Long Goodbye". Roger Moore is credited as director and it had a stellar cast: Leo Genn looking very distinguished, Nicola Pagett looking wonderful, and (wow!) the gorgeous Madeline Smith.

I really enjoy this series [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clapping.gif[/img]

rgds
Rob

DB7

<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">House of Darkness

Stagebound psychological thriller featuring an early appearance by Laurence Harvey. Sadly the film is lacking in thrills and Harvey seems to slip into madness without reason.</span>