Fellwanderer

I find myself in partial agreement with orpheum - is it a first, I ask myself!

From what I've read, it isn't a remake as such but could, if one were being kind, be seen as a modern sequel. I may take a look when it appears on our screens - but only because of Stephen Fry. Only one person is likely to make me go to the cinema again!

All the best
FELL

A signature is no substitute for a life

dogstar

I saw it just after Christmas - its not dire by any means and has a few amusing moments. My main complaint was with Russell Brand in the Flash Harry part immortalised by George Cole. Whatever thespian qualities Brand possesses ( and I'm still not convinced he has any ) are decidedly absent here. Rupert Everett is fun in drag and I must confess to a small frisson in the errrrr.... intimate exchanges with Colin Firth but don't worry I have some tablets.

Steve Crook

This is part of my "Film industry run by accountants" theory. The accountants in charge are unwilling to take a risk on anything unknown. Instead they look for an old film that was popular and they calculate that if they re-make it, and then spend enough on advertising and hyping it, they will make a profit. The trouble is that they're usually right!

There is very little or no artistic consideration in the process of deciding which films should get made.

Steve

PaulPlowman

I don't think that's true. There are loads of interesting films get made - you just have to seek them out. Anything that has mass appeal is unlikely to be 'artistic', because that's not what the great British public want to see. You can't honestly tell me that you thought for a moment that this new "St. Trinians" movie would have any artistic merit?

For instance - the very day that "St. Trinians" was released in the UK, "I'm Not There" was also released. This is a well rated movie about Bob Dylan in which 6 different actors (including Richard Gere, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchette and Heath Ledger) portray the different sides to Bob Dylan's personality. Arty and critically acclaimed. Have you seen it? Has anyone here seen it?

Like I said, you have to look for them, but they are there.

<- Insert witty comment here ->
ukonscreen.com

batman

I'm sure I'm Not There is a worthy production, but do you think it would have been financed if it had been about Bernie Flint instead of Bob Dylan? Cinema, and to a lesser extent theatre, has always been governed by finance, regardless of whether the project has been conceived for 'artistic' or 'commercial' reasons.

Bats.

Having pain is the worst thing in the whole world!

PaulPlowman

I'm sure it would have been if his story was interesting enough (I have no idea who he is). Before the films, had you heard of the people portrayed in Schindler's List, Raging Bull, The Elephant Man, Goodfellas, Blow, The Pianist, Quiz Show and many others?

...but they had interesting stories, and people passionate about telling them.

<- Insert witty comment here ->
ukonscreen.com

batman

With the exception of Goodfellas and Blow .... yes. All of those stories had been featured in successful books which undoubtedly had the money men thinking, people paid to read those stories, so then they'll pay to see 'em. I expect the budgets and distribution deals for the films were also heavily affected by who was directing, writing and starring in them. I expect Blow wouldn't have been as successful worldwide if it had starred Ross Kemp and Samantha Janus instead of Depp and Cruz.

There are many great stories out there and just as many people passionate about telling them .... but most of them will never see the light of day because they can't raise the cash to make 'em.

I really wish it wasn't so, but it is a fact of life that most 'films' never get made.

Bats.

Having pain is the worst thing in the whole world!

Steve Crook

I should have specified major films by major studios that have all the publicity and hype. I know that some good films do manage to get made, despite all the odds stacked against them.

By "artistic merit" I didn't mean that I expected it to be any form of "high art", just that it'd be nice if there was some sort of consideration of quality in there. A decent story, some good characterisations. Not just the usual where only the lead characters have any sort of characterisation and they rely on flashy effects and CGI thinking that we won't notice that there's no real substance to it.

I didn't expect any artistic merit (or quality) from St. Trinian's

Steve

Everett Sloane

Saw this yesterday with my 10-year-old daughter and her friend and we all enjoyed it. It's years since I saw "Belles of St Trinians" but I don't remember it being a masterpiece (we're not talking about Kind Hearts and Coronets or The Third Man here), just a well-crafted, entertaining time-passer. Surely the same is true of this effort. The jokes were pretty basic and some of the drugs references seemed out of place, but I thought on the whole the film survived on the enthusiasm of the performances. Rupert Everett, Celia Imrie, Stephen Fry, Lucy Punch and others all put in sterling work, and as others have commented, even Russell Brand is pretty good here. In the end the film - though undoubtedly crude a lot of the time - had a general feeling of good nature and youthful energy which sent us out with a smile on our faces.

Way better than the Wildcats of St Trinians, anyway (which seems to have sunk into deserved obscurity, not even included in the recent boxed sets) and a far more successful attempt to revisit a franchise than Carry on Columbus.

dremble wedge

Saw it today and found it entertaining.

Moxx of Balhoom

Excuse me for wading in here - I've been a member for some months but never seen a reason to post.

I have to say though I've seen the New St Trinians and I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite some sloppy direction in places. Pay close attention and it actually pays tribute to Ronald Searle's original cartoons on more than one occassion, which i thought was a lovely touch.

I actually had the opportunity to compare it directly with Belles of St Trinians, and while that is a wonderful in it's own right, in some respects this film (dare i say it)improves on that. Of course Rupert Everett is no Alistair Simm, but let's face it they could have cast Derek Jacobi as the headmistress and people would still be saying the same thing.

No where this film succeeds is not in the casting of the teachers but of the girls themselves, you have Talulah Riley as Annabelle, the heart and soul of the film transforming from shy awkward daddie's girl to red-blooded St Trinian, and Gemma Arterton who commands every scene she's in, between them they pretty much steal the movie from under Everett & Firth's noses.

Look back to Belles, or any of the early films, and you'll find the St Trinian's girls weren't particularly memorable, generic naughty brats and sulty sirens with nothing inbetween and they were too often overshadowed by the staff. but here you have a wonderful array of individuals, not just Riley and Arterton but pretty much all of them from the 10 year old twins who it seems are allowed to play with explosives, but god forbid they should smoke, through to the Posh totty with their shallow aspirations towards celebrity culture.

Okay it's not exactly Hot Fuzz, but it's still better than 90% of the comedies i've seen in the past 12 months

batman

Perhaps a Bat re-think is in order ... several people I know have seen it as well and all have enjoyed it. A 'guilty pleasure' DVD rental from the library methinks.

Bats.

Having pain is the worst thing in the whole world!

orpheum

I just watched The Great St Trinians train robbery,recorded over Christmas.Despite lots of familiar faces and Launder & Gilliatt at the helm it is not very funny and inferior to St Trinians.The colour is quite garish.Also remember that this film was made over a quarter of a century after the original film in the series so originality has never been the watchword of the film industry

Welcome To Highbury The Home Of Football

Matthew Hopkins

Anyone know what's happened to Wildcats of St Trinians? Saw it on TV years ago, but it doesn't appear to have had a home video release for some reason, except on pre-cert.

Steve Crook

It's generally reckoned to be the worst of the St Trinians films.
(The results aren't in for the new one yet)

Maybe that has something to do with it?

Steve