CaptainWaggett

Thanks to a kind forum member I watched an excellent 1940s film with Eric Portman as a crazy squire and Sheila Sim as a charming land girl - Great Day, a nice little tribute to the Women's Institute which would make an excellent double bill with Calendar Girls. Though the best bit is undoubtedly Irene Handl doing posh.

Steve Crook

The one I always compare to A Canterbury Tale. Eric Portman is the local figure of importance, but he has a secret, and Sheila Sim is a Land Girl again and everything's disrupted because of an American visitor. Great Day does have a good story, but it's very studio-bound, especially compared to ACT.

Steve

Joe Fraguela

Last night's viewing consisted of Desperate Moment from 1953 directed by Compton Bennett and starring Dirk Bogarde, Mai Zetterling, Philip Friend, Albert Lieven, Walter Rilla, Carl Jaffe, Gerard Heinz, Ferdy Mayne, Water Gotell, Harold Ayer, Simone Silva, Andre Mikhelson and Theodore Bikel.

Dirk Bogarde plays Simon van Halder who is currently serving a life sentence for the alleged murder of a British Officer which was committed towards the end of the Second World War. He is innocent, and breaks out of prison and with the aid of his girlfriend Anna Deburg played by the lovely and talented Swedish actress Mai Zetterling to find the real culprit.

Quite a good suspense film with very good performances from both Dirk Bogarde and Mai Zetterling.

Following on was Hungry Hill from 1946 based on the Daphne Du Maurier novel and starring Margaret Lockwood, Dennis Price, Cecil Parker, Jean Simmons, Michael Denison, Dermot Walsh, F J McCormick, Eileen Herlie, Barbara Waring, Dan O'Herlily, Siobahn McKenna, Pete Murray, Anthony Wager, Eileen Crowe, Michael Golden, Eddie Byrne, and maureen Moore.

The story is set in Ireland and concerns two warring families the Brodricks and the Donovans who continue their feud over a period of 50 years!.

LocalHero

I seem to be having a bit of a prison phase at the moment!. Having watched A Sense of Freedom at the weekend, I watched Scrubbers last night.

I've often seen it discussed as the female equivalent of Scum, but it's nowhere near as brutal as that, and I didn't find it as engaging either. Some good performances but more of an 80s curiosity than anything else now.

batman

I watched the excellent Pool of London for the umpteenth time. Marvellous, brilliant, superb and with Susan Shaw too!

Jingle bells Batman smells ... I heard that at school Daddy.

BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09

dpgmel

Watched Peter Ustinov's "Billy Budd" with Terence Stamp in his star making role also a good/evil performance from Robert Ryan.

Very very watchable

stevie boy

last British film to show a tram.I believe

Tom Bancroft

The mention by Bats of this classic that I have not seen for yonks and which seems to have gone from TV schedules, prompted me to have a look on the usual sites for a DVD of it with a view to a purchase.

No luck searching on amazon, play.com., blah.com - title not available/no matches found.

Now here's the dilemma that prompted a lot of discussion on Britmovie recently.

I checked the dreaded e-bay and found there are two copies available. The usual nonsense is spouted about them being in the public domain and one doesn't even seem to have the cover artwork - just a still from the film.

The more 'professional' looking one has a case with the original artwork (possibly scanned) and says it is recorded on 'top quality disc' (I've never seen a poor quality blank disc!).

Now then, if as it seems, this is not available through the legit channels, do I bite the bullet and take a chance on this £2.99 copy (+£1.20pp) or keep trying to find it elsewhere and deny the e-bay bad boys a sale?

"I want to be a sailor - sailing out to sea"

batman

I bought this one ....

POOL OF LONDON. 1950. SUSAN SHAW. BONAR CALLEANO. on eBay, also, DVDs, DVD, Film TV (end time 17-Aug-08 17:31:51 BST)

... to replace my off-air copy. Excellent picture and sound. The other boots I have seen all have terrible sound. The seller is very reliable and he delivers quickly.

Jingle bells Batman smells ... I heard that at school Daddy.

BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09

Tom Bancroft

Thanks Bats - that's exactly the one I was looking at - think I'll take the plunge!

"I want to be a sailor - sailing out to sea"

batman

Glad to be of help.

Jingle bells Batman smells ... I heard that at school Daddy.

BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09

cally

As usual with eBay, yer pays yer money and yer takes yer choice - sometimes it's much better - though I hate to say it - than begging for something around these parts and nobody offers you a sniff at something you want.

Why can't people trade for something willingly when they put out feelers to do so?

It doesn't seem to matter how big your trading list might be.

cally

As promised elsewhere on this forum. watched Nicolas Roeg's 'Don't Look Now' this evening, and I'm still convinced it's one of the best 'British' movies ever made, even though much of its mise-en-scene is based in Venice, italy.

As with many British films, it seems to gain from the 'alien eye' - much as Antonioni's 'Blow Up' and Polanski's 'Cul-de-Sac' do.

An unqualified masterpiece.

David Brent

Melody (1971) a story of school yard romance that any past schoolboy can relate to.
Starring Jack Wild, Mark Lester and Tracy Hyde.

An enjoyable film although I thought the ending was a bit of a let down.
The film was enhanced by a great Bee Gees soundtrack.

Dave.

smudge

A trio of items watched over the past couple of days...

A FISH CALLED WANDA
Finally got round to seeing this, having seen Fierce Creatures some time ago. I always thought Wanda was quite over hyped, but I have to admit that I actually quite enjoyed it. OK, so it was very modern (obviously) but I felt there was still quite a streak of the old Ealing anarchy in Crichton's swan song. Could have done without John Cleese prancing about outside his underwear though...

THE SKULL
Possibly Amicus' finest movie. Some great performances from Lee, Cushing and Wymark and stylish direction by Freddie Francis. Never gets over the abrupt ending though, no matter how many times you view it. It always seems to be building up to something better then, 'Phut!' it's gone...

THE TERROR OF THE TONGS
Watched this for the first time ever. Hammer's adventure thriller is not particularly well paced and it's rather overburdened with dialogue. Although I must say that Christopher Lee asking Geoffrey Toone if he's ever had his bones scraped was particularly chilling and toe-curling.

Despite the lack of pace the film does carry you with it rather well and there is an excellent twist to the denouement involving Mr. Lee.

Mention must be made of the excellent print from the US 'Icons of Adventure' set, giving full value of Bernard Robinson's exquisite sets; they really went to town with this one! I have to say that I don't think Yvonne Monlaur has ever looked lovelier!

Smudge

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