New Miss Marple (ITV1)

[Steve Crook]

</div><div class='quotemain'>Gibbie: [snip] Perhaps someone will be a Mr. Rank and do their own start up, get finance, like Chariots, and do their own. You know with the iTunes world and the new digital via the Web thing, the music industry is changing and will never be what it was. Why not the movie industry. And, all this to do original pictures that will entertain, eliven the imagination and give people greater vision about life and don't forget a few laughs... Perhaps we have a member who has such a vision. Why not. I could see Steve with a studio down in Kent and Canterbury - Archer Studios. You know... Who cares about squalid blockbusters when you can have "home" movies! Gibbie [/b]

Now there's a thought :)
Maybe I'll do it when I retire. I do already have a full time job, all this film stuff is just a hobby.

But as for actually making new films, how can you gather a talented bunch of individuals like Jack Cardiff, Hein Heckroth etc that made up The Archers. And then, hardest of all, where do you find a writer of original stories that make good films like Emeric Pressburger and a director to control/guide them all like Michael Powell - it's not easy.

Steve

[Gibbie]

</div><div class='quotemain'>SteveCrook: Now there's a thought :) Maybe I'll do it when I retire. I do already have a full time job, all this film stuff is just a hobby. But as for actually making new films, how can you gather a talented bunch of individuals like Jack Cardiff, Hein Heckroth etc that made up The Archers. And then, hardest of all, where do you find a writer of original stories that make good films like Emeric Pressburger and a director to control/guide them all like Michael Powell - it's not easy. Steve [/b]

Well, hobbies become retirement jobs (just don't wait too long :) ).

Talent scouts are the best to learn from. The good ones seek and find until they find the actual one. Hitchcock's, Lean's and Powell and Pressburger's don't usually sit in cafes waiting to be called. The best are usually unrealized waiting to happen. Also, technology has greatly improved the capacity today to do films at a cheaper cost - digital and all. And, a very sympathetic investor.

Lessons can be learned from Lord Puttnam, who attempted to make a difference (some good, some bad results). Here is an interesting interview with him:
Sir David Puttnam interview.

[Tiercel]

There's only one Miss Marple: Joan Hickson. Spring/Summer Sunday evenings just aren't the same without JH as MM.

On a similar vein.. Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes (closely followed by Carlton Hobbs on radio). Forget your Rancid Bathbone and Nigel "what day is it Holmes" Bruce!


As for any attempts at remaking the Ealing comedies, if any Hollywood directors happen to be reading this, FORGET IT! Remaking one of them is akin to reproducing the Crown Jewels with paste - utterly worthless imitation of a priceless original

(gets off his soap box and scurries away)....

[stuartfanning]

What a bunch of coservative closed mind individuals you lot are. You can't make an informed comment about the new Miss Marple series until you've seen it. So why not wait and give your opinions when they will be worth something.
As to Sherlock Holmes/Doctor Watson on radio, nobody touches Rathbone and Bruce. But on this other opinions are equally valid.

[Gibbie]

</div><div class='quotemain'>stuartfanning: What a bunch of coservative closed mind individuals you lot are. You can't make an informed comment about the new Miss Marple series until you've seen it. So why not wait and give your opinions when they will be worth something. As to Sherlock Holmes/Doctor Watson on radio, nobody touches Rathbone and Bruce. But on this other opinions are equally valid. [/b]

I appreciate the old Rathbone/Bruce stories. They were of a different quality than Brett/Hardwickes's, who were closer to the writings.

As to close minded...well, I think when some people, like Hickson, make a sublime performance and embody the writing, they are hard to top. Give the newbies a chance; but, I reckon we will all be correct.

Old Fuddy Duddy Gibbie

[stuartfanning]

</div><div class='quotemain'>Wilfried Mueller: Does anybody know something about the times when the BBC will show the new Miss Marple films with Geraldine McEwan which have already been produced? [/b]

ITV1 will show the first one: A Body in the Library, at 21:00 on Sunday December 12th. Let's now wait and see it before rushing to judgement.

[Freddy]

Well, what did everybody think of the new Miss Marple, I only saw a small part of it so will not judge as I agree with Stuartfanning. A question though;

Why do they have to set MM in the 40s/50s. Surly Agatha Christie novels could be set in a modern era similar to the way Shakespeare is often adapted? Is it solely to appeal to an overseas audience who still seem have this romantic "tea shop" image of England?

I can only remember Murder on the Orient Express with Alfred Molina( he had a computer) in a modern setting.

regards
Freddy

[DB7]

</div><div class='quotemain'>Freddy: Surly Agatha Christie novels could be set in a modern era similar to the way Shakespeare is often adapted? [/b]

Whoever owns the rights to her works would have to agree and for long-term commercial reasons I'm sure they'd be wary of updating Miss Marple to an England of chavs and mobile phones. :)

Endless Night was a modern Christie but that house looks terribly kitsch now - almost like Roger Moore's weekend retreat wink

[ 15. December 2004, 10:27: Message edited by: DB7 ]

[Lord Brett]

</div><div class='quotemain'>Freddy: Well, what did everybody think of the new Miss Marple, I only saw a small part of it so will not judge as I agree with Stuartfanning. A question though; Why do they have to set MM in the 40s/50s. Surly Agatha Christie novels could be set in a modern era similar to the way Shakespeare is often adapted? Is it solely to appeal to an overseas audience who still seem have this romantic "tea shop" image of England? I can only remember Murder on the Orient Express with Alfred Molina( he had a computer) in a modern setting. regards Freddy [/b]

I can imagine all sorts of problems updating Christie to a modern setting while keeping any sort of faithfullness to the original plotting. Not that that seemed to be a factor in The Body in the Library - I haven't read the book, but the ending seemed terribly convaluted and unlikely.

Anyway, ITV likes setting dramas in post-war (1940s to 1960s) settings, having had big hits with Foyles War and the interminable Heartbeat/The Royle.

[Jim]

I saw the new 'Marple', as ITV will have it called and Ithink it lacked something, in spite of the big names. I nodded off about 10.20, (no doubt due to the liquid refreshments), plus the advert breaks didn't endear me to it. Still, there are 3 more to see, so will be better able to form an opinion. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img]

[Marky B]

My brother watched it and couldn't get into it as he remembered the Joan Hickson version,so heknow the ending.
Ta Ta
Marky B thumbs_u

[stuartfanning]

The second episode of ITV1's Miss Marple: Murder at the Vicarage was shown tonight. From an address shown on screen they are placing St Mary Mead in Oxfordshire!! Although the village was not placed in a real life county in the books, clues given suggested that St Mary Mead would be in Hampshire. So where did the producers get the idea of Oxfordshire?

[Dolly Bantree]

I can only say that I may be biased here but no-one does it like dear Joan Hickson. I have duly waited for this series before passing judgement so I feel that I am now in a position to do such. I agree with Jim that it does lack something. I couldn't really imagine Jane Marple having flashbacks of her "lover". Perhaps I am again imagining Joan Hickson here and it doesn't work. Geraldine McEwan is a fine actress but just doesn't do it for me as Jane Marple. I have the set of videos featuring JH as JM so the endings for me won't be a surprise as such but sometimes these stories are well worth watching again - but not this series for me. I wish people would leave well enough alone. Stop trying to remake things in a modern stance. It doesn't work.

[Marky B]

Now I am not knocking Geraldine McEwan's looks,but what I have seen of her as Miss Marple,she reminds me of Yoda from the Star Wars movies.
Ta Ta
Marky B thumbs_u

[Jim]

</div><div class='quotemain'>Dolly Bantree: I can only say that I may be biased here but no-one does it like dear Joan Hickson. I have duly waited for this series before passing judgement so I feel that I am now in a position to do such. I agree with Jim that it does lack something. I couldn't really imagine Jane Marple having flashbacks of her "lover". Perhaps I am again imagining Joan Hickson here and it doesn't work. Geraldine McEwan is a fine actress but just doesn't do it for me as Jane Marple. I have the set of videos featuring JH as JM so the endings for me won't be a surprise as such but sometimes these stories are well worth watching again - but not this series for me. I wish people would leave well enough alone. Stop trying to remake things in a modern stance. It doesn't work. [/b]

It was nice to see old Herbert Lom; Derek Jacobi again, even though there was no French underground in the original JH version and certainly no final short walk to the rope's end!! But I did enjoy the production.

I would have killed for that Riley police car!!

However, it still didn't do that much for me and I was still waiting for 'something' to click for me. Perhaps we should try to stop comparing it with the JH versions?
eek!