Richard Lester

[Aenima]

Hi all,



Looking at the IMDB re. Richard Lester and I see he quit directing after the death of Roy Kinnear on the shooting of The Return of the Musketeers (1989). Apart from some TV things that he's been involved with there are no significant entries after this film. As tragic as it was, I find it hard to believe that this was the only reason he quit directing. Does anyone know what he'd up to these days?



Cheers,

A

[alan gowdy]

Originally posted by Aenima

Hi all,

Looking at the IMDB re. Richard Lester and I see he quit directing after the death of Roy Kinnear on the shooting of The Return of the Musketeers (1989). Apart from some TV things that he's been involved with there are no significant entries after this film. As tragic as it was, I find it hard to believe that this was the only reason he quit directing. Does anyone know what he'd up to these days?



Cheers,

A

He's currently presenting a series on British films on the BBC - and very good it is too.

[Aenima]

Originally posted by alan gowdy@Aug 30 2005, 12:35 PM

He's currently presenting a series on British films on the BBC - and very good it is too.

That series was made in 1993 Alan.

[Fellwanderer]

Originally posted by Aenima@Aug 30 2005, 02:38 PM

That series was made in 1993 Alan.

Given the preferences of most people, that's bang up to date. [



FELL

[Wetherby Pond]

According to this career overview, he "slipped quietly into retirement" - the Roy Kinnear tragedy contributing partly, though not entirely, to his decision to hang up the megaphone (though he went on to direct a 1990 concert film with his old Hard Day's Night collaborator Paul McCartney that got a brief cinema release).



We're so used to seeing film directors go on and on that it seems odd to think that they might simply retire like people doing more conventional jobs, but I suspect this happens more often than one might expect. Even Ingmar Bergman formally retired at 65 - and while he didn't quite keep his promise never to direct again, his post-1982 output is closer to one film a decade than the previous one per year.

[alan gowdy]

Originally posted by Aenima@Aug 30 2005, 01:38 PM

That series was made in 1993 Alan.

My My, doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself?

[Liger]

For fans of the work of Richard Lester (especially the wonderfully off-beat 'Petulia'), here are a couple of essays which might make interesting reading:

http://fringedigital.com/flicker/index.shtml

[theuofc]

(Liger @ Nov 29 2005, 05:29 PM)

For fans of the work of Richard Lester (especially the wonderfully off-beat 'Petulia'), here are a couple of essays which might make interesting reading:

http://fringedigital.com/flicker/index.shtml

Thanks for this link. Some fascinating film reviews.



Barbara

[pod1969]

Any Richard Lester fans out there? OK, we all know A Hard Day's Night and Help (and no doubt A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum aswell), but I have a soft spot for The Bed Sitting Room and How I Won The War too. Any takers?

[SirOllyBolly]

The Three/Four Musketeers

[batman]

Lester has made quite a few decent films .....



It's Trad Dad

Mouse on the Moon

A Hard Day's Night

The Knack

Three Musketeers

Four Musketeers

Juggernaut

Superman 2

Robin and Marion

The Ritz



.... most of which adorn my dvd shelves. However, like most directors, there's been some clunkers as well ....



Cuba

Return of The Musketeers

Superman 3

Butch and Sundance

Finders Keepers



A good director is Mr Lester. Quirly, original and a maker of entertaining films.

[pod1969]

If I read correctly, batman, The Four Musketeers is in both your 'decent' and your 'clunker' list.

[batman]

If I read correctly, batman, The Four Musketeers is in both your 'decent' and your 'clunker' list.

The 'clunker' one should be Return of the Musketeers. It is a sad end to the series, especially as it claimed the life of Roy Kinnear. Michael York said that after Roy died they all just wanted to shut up shop and go home, but they were contractually obliged to carry on.



ps - I have edited my 'clunker' list

[Amethyst_Isle]

I was not keen on Superman 2 at all as I very much like Richard Donner's version much much better imo.



I do like



A Hard Day's Night

The Knack

Three Musketeers

Four Musketeers

Juggernaut

Robin and Marion



though :-)

[moonfleet]

Robin and Marian , the only (interesting) Robin Hood story !!



.....adding great performances from Robert Shaw and Nicol Williamson







Moon. (who is too much romantic)

[HUGHJAMPTON]

Coincidently, I watched "How I Won The War" today, it is my favourite of his that I've seen. "Juggernaut" comes in second. I've not seen "The Bed Sitting Room."

[gumby1987]

The Bed Sitting Room is a brilliant film, one of my very favourites. Fantastic cast, fantastic idea, fantastic Milligan script.

[ican]

I'd like to recommend Steven Sodebergh's book Getting Away With It. Whilst not entirely about Lester, it does contain lengthy interviews throughout the book. Very anecdotal but incisive questions.

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Getting-Away-Further-Adventures-Luckiest/dp/0571190251/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237795893&sr=1-1"]Getting Away with it: Or - Further Adventures of the Luckiest Bastard You Ever Saw: Amazon.co.uk: Steven Soderbergh: Books[/ame]

[pod1969]

I'd like to recommend Steven Sodebergh's book Getting Away With It. Whilst not entirely about Lester, it does contain lengthy interviews throughout the book. Very anecdotal but incisive questions.

Getting Away with it: Or - Further Adventures of the Luckiest Bastard You Ever Saw: Amazon.co.uk: Steven Soderbergh: Books

Thanks - I'll check that out. And thanks to those who've mentioned How I Won The War and The Bed Sitting Room. I was about to say, thanks for the recommendations, but what do people think of HIWTW and TBSR?



More opinions welcome. I always found both films captivating. As a teenager, friends and I were sure we'd joined a select few, a cult following, by embracing these two films.

[HUGHJAMPTON]

I notice that The Bed Sitting room is being released on R2 DVD, May 25th. Looking forward to that. As I say, I've never seen it.



I watched HIWTW on YouTube about a year ago to refresh my memory of it before buying a copy. It had 9000 plus viewers at the start, then tailed off to a couple of thousand. Ironic when you think this is the film Lennon mentions in "A Day In The Life."



It made me wonder whether satire is understood now by the younger generation. Most of the comments were about Lennon, or being utterly baffled by it. Shame really.