Watched Last Night

[Steve Crook]

Today I watched the always great A Matter of Life and Death shown on BBC2. I’ve seen it hundreds of times (literally) before and every time it makes me cry. Not because it’s sad, far from it, it’s joyous. They are tears of joy

And tomorrow they’re showing The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Another gem from Powell and Pressburger.

Steve

[Andy2]

Just because it's so damned good, I know. And the final scene in Blimp, where the three friends are gathered to watch the march past and old Candy salutes smartly one last time. It just kills me I don't mind admitting.

[Tigon Man]

North Sea Hijack (1979)

When a North Sea Oil Rig is hijacked by terrorists and held to ransom, the British Government sends in a crack team of rescuers lead by the eccentric, cat loving, Rufus Excalibur Ffoulkes.
One of what I call the BBM (Between Bond Movies) that Connery, but mostly Roger Moore took on, including That Lucky Touch, Gold and Shout At the Devil.
Invariably these outings were made using the Bond crew, and in this case directed by Moore's good friend, Andrew V McLaglan.
In itself North Sea Hijack is a routine adventure, with a reasonably tense finale. Anthony Perkins makes a wonderfully cold hearted villain.
With George Baker, Jeremy Clyde, Jack Watson and James Mason.

[Jamie J]

The Lady Is A Square (1959) A light hearted musical comedy starring Frankie Vaughan. I've been a fan of Frankie's music for several years and his films are very enjoyable despite his lack of acting chops.
The musical numbers are great, the supporting cast are very good and it's a fun way to spend 90 odd minutes if you enjoy Frankie Vaughan's music from the 1950's.

[Andy2]

Loving Miss Hatto. Overall a very thoughtful and nicely acted film. The story is somewhat thin, but it is saved by a good screenplay and script (by Victoria Wood) and in the end becomes a highly watchable film. Was Joyce really like this - sweet and good-natured one minute, discontented and sharp-tongued the next, because that's how she comes across in the film and we don't really know if it's the truth or just a confection designed to add a little spice to the proceedings. Despite Barrie's rather less than honest ways, he seems to get the rough end of the stick and it's impossible not to feel a good deal of sympathy for him. But on the other hand, was he really faking those recordings to make his wife feel better or just to pocket some quick cash? This film repeatedly pulls the viewer one way and then the other, which is probably a good thing. Certainly a good watch.

[Nick Dando]

Moderators can edit messages as well as move and delete them, and ban users.

[Andy2]

Well it seems rather pernickety to me, especially as Steve had not treated post 2343 to a full stop.

[Gerald Lovell]

One Good Turn (1936). No, not Laurel and Hardy, although it's got a later L&H director, Alf Goulding, and thankfully not Norman Wisdom, but a low comedy that can still raise a few chuckles starring Leslie Fuller and Georgie Harris. Along with their horse Arnold, they lose their sandwich stall, have trouble with their landlady, save a stage show and have a bit of romance. Basil Langton, later David Langton, is a wastrel brother and Hal Gordon and Syd Crossley do their usual mugging. No doubt today there would be outcries about racial slurs (Chinese debt collectors) and animal cruelty (Arnold is put through his paces in hat and wellingtons), but at least there's no smoking going on.

[Tigon Man]

Dance With a Stranger (1985)

The ill fated romance of Nightclub Hostess Ruth Ellis and racing driver David Blakely.
For a crime passionnel, this is a curiously cold and lifeless affair.
The acting is fine, the period trappings are good, but there is nothing memorable about it.
The unsympathetic characters certainly don't help, nor does the decision, not to to take sides in the retelling,
which simply makes them all unlikable.
With Miranda Richardson, Rupert Everett and Ian Holm

[MarcusHeslop(Stonfan)]

Guy Standeven is in this apparently Paul but I couldn’t spot him. He may be in the restaurant scene with the ballroom dancing.

[Tigon Man]

I've been watching a few productions that he is supposed to be in Marcus, including Dinner at the Sporting Club and Dreamchild, which I saw last night, I've failed to spot him so far though, sadly.

[Gerald Lovell]

Another Time Another Place (1958)

During the last days of World War II, an American reporter has a romance with a BBC radio reporter.
Artificial romantic drama with Lana Turner and Sean Connery both woefully miscast as the star crossed lovers.
Big Sean is supposed to be Cornish, when he mentions in his Edinburgh burr being born in 'Shaint Giles' it was hard not to laugh..
Lana isn't much of an actress and the sight of her clattering round Cornish village streets in heels and a fur stole is equally amusing.
Terence Longdon fares better in a larger role than usual, as Sean's radio producer and Glynis John's is good as Sean's Missus.
With Barry Sullivan, Sid James and Martin Stephens.

I finally got round to seeing this one too. All soapy and soppy dialogue with superglam Miss Turner in late 50s hairdo and Hollywood getup playing a 1945 newspaper reporter. While she wafts around Polperro, Sean's eyebrows seem to have a life of their own and I agree better work, considering the silly material they had to cope with, comes from Glynis Johns and Martin Stephens.

[BVS]

39 Steps (2008)
Rupert Penry Jones
We finally watched this version of 39 steps as suggested by Nick Dando quite a while ago on this thread.
We really enjoyed it,some pretty good acting - some lovely locations and gorgeous old cars.As far as I know - we have now seen all versions of the film/story including the spinoff (Hannay) and have really enjoyed all of them.

[BVS]

Forgot to mention - By coincidence we are currently gradually working our way through the BBC/Universal 'Colditz' series (1972),one of the RAF officers is played by the father of Rupert Penry Jones (Peter Penry Jones).

[Nick Dando]

Glad you enjoyed it. All of the versions have something to offer.

[BVS]

They do Nick - and many thanks again for the suggestion - we had not been aware of that version.
rgds baz

[Tigon Man]

Dreamchild (1985)

The 80 year old Alice Hargreaves (Liddell), is invited to New York in 1932 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lewis Carroll.
During her stay in the city, she reflects back on her childhood and her encounters with Carroll (Charles Dodgson) an Oxford academic.
The dark side of Alice in Wonderland from a screenplay from Dennis Potter. In which for once he doesn't go over the top.
Dreamchild is subtle in it's hints at Dodgson's character and the performances from Coral Browne as the aged Alice, at times forgetful, difficult and conciliatory and Nicola Cowper as her timid companion Lucy are exemplary as is Ian Holm's stammering, bashful, Dodgson
The Jim Henson Workshop provide some delightful creatures from the Wonderland story, voiced amongst others by Tony Haygarth, Fulton Mackay and Frank Middlemass..

[agutterfan]

I really like this film, and I'd like to mention Stanley Myer's great music.

[BVS]

Empire of the Sun (1987)
Starring of course a young Christian Bale and many other familiar faces,I have never watched the complete film before - only seen bits and pieces.We thought it was a little over long but otherwise a very enjoyable movie,filmed in the UK,Spain and Shanghai.At least 1 scene filmed at RAF Debden (the scene early in the film where Jim discovers the hidden Jap troops) and filmed around the old fighter pens/blast walls.The P51 attack sequences were filmed in spain with some ultra low passes flown by the much missed Ray and Mark Hanna. Some lovely old vehicles appeared also

[agutterfan]

JG Ballard was briefly with the RAF in 1954 assigned to the Royal Canadian Air Force.

[narabdela]

His RAF experiences are touched upon in "The Kindness of Women" , the sequel to "Empire of The Sun". It's a tough read, not for the faint-hearted.

[BVS]

Thanks for the replies gents - there was a NATO pilot training scheme in the early 50's,many RAF Pilots were trained in Canada both during and after WW2 - including some National Service Pilots,I have recently read an autobio by a NS Pilot trainee - he qualified for his RAF 'Wings' on Harvard and T33 (jet) and then returned to UK for his last few months of service doing a bit of Vampire T11 flying.The NS pilot scheme was stopped fairly quickly as it was patently a waste of money to get people to 'wings' standard just to have them return to civvy street (although to be fair - some NS aircrew did remain in the RAF).

[wadsy]

Catch Us If You Can (1965)

A model who's face is plastered all over London in an ad campaign for meat runs off with one of the stunt men involved in a TV commercial.
They meet some strange characters on their travels.
The Dave Clark Five, Barbara Ferris, David de Keyser, Yootha Joyce, Robin Bailey, David Lodge, Clive Swift & Ronald Lacey.
I hadn't seen this in years & I'd forgotten that it's certainly not the typical 60's pop group musical.
Directed by John Boorman this, while not exactly bleak is quite a dark in parts.
The Dave Clark Five play stunt men & while none of them are actors, a couple of them (Mike Smith & Rick Huxley) show a naturalness in front of the camera.
Dave Clark on the other hand comes across as a distant, stiff, emotionless character. I found him quite odd!
The film itself kept my attention because of its dark aspects. Apparently it had bad reviews on first release in 1965!

[StoneAgeMan]

Do they end up at St Michael's Mount, where the low tide reveals a roadway, but high tide requires a strange wheeled vehicle on stilts?

[wadsy]

Yes that's right. It's like a boat on wheels.

[Tigon Man]

Rag Doll (1960)

Christina Gregg is the innocent 17 year old, escaping from her hum drum life with her alcoholic Stepfather at their cafe on the A1.
Hitching a lift with kindly trucker Patrick Jordan, she heads for the the bright lights of London, fetching up in old Soho. There she gets involved with shady nightclub owner (an excellent Kenneth Griffiths) and twinkly eyed bad boy, Jess Conrad.
Cliched coffee bar melodrama, which even allowing for it's short running time of just over 60 minutes, is a bit of a bore.
With Hermione Baddeley and Patrick Magee. A very youthful Dave Clark Five, provide the backing band for Jess.