Aaryk Noctivagus

With 'Link' we have a UK movie which is available in the USA, France and Germany on DVD, but not in the UK... OK nothing so new about that.

I love this movie, but I have to put up with the American Region 1 cut which has less Terence Stamp in it and a different beginning to the European Cut... a beginning which, although I like it, doesn't really fit into the style of the rest of the movie. However, I've never seen the European cut.

I don't know which cut the German DVD is... but its pan and scan (4:3) so I'd sooner chew my own feet off than buy it. The French DVD may or may not have an English soundtrack available, depending on which information you read... but even if it does have an English track, it has subtitles printed on it.

'Link' is certainly not the best movie ever made, by a long chalk - however it happens to be my favourite movie. There is just something about it which really attracts me. I adore Terence Stamp and Jerry Goldsmith (who composed the score) and Elizabeth Shue makes a good heroine. Nice to see Tosh Lines (the late Kevin Lloyd) from 'The Bill' in a movie also.

Although often criticised for not being scarey (OK it isn't, but I don't require it to be), I would dearly love to see this get a decent UK release on DVD... or even a decent European release = widescreen with a non-subtitled English track. Its simply a fun quirky movie.

clitheroekid

Probably won't be surprised that I haven't heard of it!

Aaryk Noctivagus

Why wouldn't I be surprised?

Ah well. Here's the IMDb link for you... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091415/

I think people's problem with 'Link' is that they expect a scarey movie (based upon the artwork and that it is listed as 'Horror'). I'm sure if folk watch it without thinking they ought to be scared, they would realise how much fun it is - and full of humour.



Don't believe the tag line 'An Experiment in Terror' and simply expect a quirky British fun-ride - and a great score by Jerry Goldsmith. Its more Science Fictional than frightening.

ChristineCB

Maybe the Americans could trade a good LINK UK-DVD for a their GLASS KEY (1942, Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd), RUBY IN PARADISE (1993, Ashley Judd), MR. LUCKY (1943, Cary Grant), or MAGIC TOWN (1947, Jimmy Stewart-Jane Wyatt), all of which have Region-2 DVDs.

I can understand why most of these films have never made it to oh-so-expensive Region-1 releases - after all, what North American consumer would ever want films by any of these no-names? It's not like any of them ever made a successful film.

Then again, the excellent German DVD production of the SMACK THE PONY full-seasons are so much better than the UK Best Of version available on AMAZON.CO.UK. Those full-season versions are one of the great treasures of my collection, thank you, dear trading partners!

(Thanks, A, for bringing this up... seems like an effective addition to my collection. After getting KONGA recently, I'm looking forward to LINK.)

ps, does Michael Gough ever play a nice guy? He's such a GREAT sinister bad guy - small, sharp featured and handsome with the ultimate Streaks Of Gray, he's like Cary Grant's sinister little brother. He would have been great in a well-done comedy, I'll bet - such a great expressive voice and face.

Nick Dando

He was rather dashing in The Small Back Room. And almost unrecognisable (and very smelly) in Ill Met by Moonlight.

Nick

Aaryk Noctivagus

Alfred in the 'Batman' movies (The series commenced by Tim Burton). He's quite a nice guy in those

PS... Happy Birthday Nick.

ChristineCB

Sorry for the intrusion - I started a more appropriate MG thread under ACTORS. But after wondering how many BLOB-like films there were, and with the coming of KONGA, I started to wonder, "How many mad-scientist-created lab-monsters are there? Especially the KONGA types that grow and grow, like TARANTULA (with Leo G. Carroll and the Arizona desert)?"

LINK sounds like this may or may not be a mad-scientist-based 'thriller', but maybe just a scientist!

After all, look what Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe did with their chimps in MONKEY BUSINESS? Maybe LINK will be a good 'in between' piece between that and KONGA.

I can't forget 28 DAYS LATER with citizens electing to free chimps for the sake of humanity. Like the saying goes, "The best laid men of mice and plans..."

Aaryk Noctivagus

****MILD SPOILERS****

It is debateable whether or not Terence Stamp's Dr. Steven Phillip is a mad scientist or not. You certainly get the feeling he's been messing with something he shouldn't have. I think he was more an ill-advised scientist, who engineers and then looses control of his situation.

His experimentation is only hinted at in the movie rather than shown (at least in the USA Cut). The suggestion is that he is trying to cross apes with humans in some way.

Link, the ape of the title, has certainly had some experimentation done on him and shows enhanced, though malfunctioning, intelligence. It isn't a monster that becomes a giant, though.

There are some truly creepy scenes in 'Link' especially the bathroom scene... you'll know it when you see it. 'Link' is very different from both 'Monkey Business' and 'Konga' methinks.

I'd love to know what you think of it, Christine, when you finally get to watch it

ChristineCB

Yes, I gathered that was probably a more serious view at The Good Chimp, Bad Serum & Ugly Scientist genre - that's why I thought it would be an interesting 'middle piece' to the MONKEY B and KONGA editions. I've always wondered what Cary thought of MONKEY B after his LSD admissions, however.

"Honest, someone must have squirted it into my lemonade!"

Holy Judy Judy, Batman...

or did Cary REALLY say, "You dirty rats..."?

Along with the Giants Of The Mad Lab Genre, I sort of think about THE MONOLITH MONSTERS as part of that. Or not. It's as much to do with lab work as QMASS EXPERIMENT - "We didn't do anything - it just started growing!"

This of course begets the opposing genre of DR. CYCLOPS, AMAZING SHRINKING MAN and some poor episode of Housecleaning Women starring Lili Tomlin and her too-many-cleansing-solution-pollution.

batman

[quote=ChristineCB;64040]
"Honest, someone must have squirted it into my lemonade!"

Holy Judy Judy, Batman...

quote]




Yum ..............

Bats.

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

Aaryk Noctivagus

Has anybody other than me seen 'Link'? Do you like or dislike it?

Come on guys, don't let Batman have his way with yet another thread - lol

batman

Sorry, never seen it.

Bats.

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

Aaryk Noctivagus

If you're down Dorset way you'll have to pop by and watch it on my 50" TV

batman

For Aaryk....



.... Bats.

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

Aaryk Noctivagus

Braaaavohhh Link.