General Chat

Before Antonio Banderas was discovered in America, I remember seeing him in a film called 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown', very funny film actually, directed by Pedro Almadova. I've got it on tape and may give it a look sometime soon. It's subtitled but the humour comes through.
If ever you get the chance to see it please do folks...it has been on the telly a few times. ☺

One film I do like and it's set in the deep south, is 'The Big Easy' with Dennis Quaid and a blonde actress who's name escapes me for the minute. Dennis Quaid is a policeman and accepts that taking 'backhanders' is all part of the job, anyway this police woman played by the actress who he falls in love with (who's name escapes me) shows him the error of his ways...and it has a lovely ending.

Ellen Barkin, that was the actress, it's just come to me.

Afternoon folks, thanks Edd for telling me about Southern Comfort being on the telly last night, have seen it before but didn't know the title. Watched about ten minutes of it and then had to go to bed, tiredness got to me. Think about two or three are left in the end aren't they? Yes,it's in the 'style' of Deliverence. I have a cousin who lives on Long Island, and before she and her hubby married he (her hubby ) used to go on these adventure trips with friends for a few days, I remember him saying that they ventured on to some dodgy parts and at one time were arrested. He said to my hubby if he'd heard a banjo he'd have s***t himself! Apparantly you only have to go out of the area a little way further north from New York state and they don't like the city types atall.

Oh Edd I love Powers Boothe, im gone! Night. ☺

Hi Pam, if you liked Deliverance then you'll love the film on BBC1 right now - Southern Comfort with Powers Boothe and Keith Carradine.

It's just got to the bit where they've encountered the Cajuns for the first time ...

Its a Wonderful Life.

I loved that film.

Betty

Evening folks, glad to see that you're all still puting favourite films and observations up about them.

Yes Spartacus had some very 'hair on the back of the neck' moments didn't it Ann. (Did that make sense?)

I've never really rated Sean Connery, and he doesn't ever change his accent does he? As you say Edd, in The Hunt for Red October he kept his Scottish accent.

Another favourite of mine and my late dad's was 'Hear My Song', starring Adrian Dunbar, Ned Beatty, Tara Fitzgerald and Shirley Anne Field. It was made in 1992 and was about the singer Josef Loke, I have it on tape but haven't been able to watch it since my dad passed away in 2004. The songs evoke so many memories...one day I will though.

Another brilliant film with Ned Beatty in it and the rather lovely Burt Reynolds (well he was then) the sometimes very disturbing ' Deliverance', directed by John Boorman I think. Think that they did most of their own stunts in it too. A young John Voight was in it also. Who could forget the duelling banjo scene.

Nudge

worst has to be Dick Van Dyke as a cockney in Mary Poppins

Here I am, having a late night whizz around the boards and on TV in the background is Highlander.

A great film with a terriffic music score by Queen, but I thought the casting choices were a bit odd:

Christopher Lambert (a Frenchman) plays a Scottish Highlander
Clancy Brown (an American) plays The Kurgan - a supposed Russian tribesman.
Peter Diamond (an English stuntman) plays Fasil - a Pole
Sean Connery ( a Scotsman) plays an Egyptian with a Spanish name (Ramirez) and a Scottish accent.

Mind you, Sean Connery also played a Russian submarine captain with a Scottish accent (The Hunt for Red October), Robin Hood with a Scottish accent (Robin and Marian) and an Ancient Greek - Agamemnon - with a Scottish accent (Time Bandits) to name a few.

Blazing Saddles!!!!!

with regard to Ben Hur - that came out in 1959 - I had just got back from honeymoon in Jersey and we went to visit my aunt who lived in London - went to the West End to see Ben Hur and we both came out in a daze - what a film!!!

most tragic, apart from the many Lassie films!!! - Spartacus - we both came out in tears and I couldnlt sleep for nights worrying about Jean Simmons after she held the baby up to touch the feet of Kirk Douglas on the cross!!!!

' YANKS ' A wonderful film made in 1979. Richard Gere plays the part well of the young G.I. as does William Devine and Chick Vennerra ( no you don't catch that from loose women of the night! ) it really is his name!!

It really does capture the essance of the time between the young U.S. soldiers sent over to this rainy little island of ours. I wasn't about at the time but hearing things from my relatives who were about people seemed a lot more caring...or is it a case of rose tinted glasses? Well possibly, but all I know is, that it's a wonderful film. ☺

Ok Edd, from now on we will call you Ishmael...lol

Don't laugh when I was about 8 or 9 I noticed a beautiful actress in my Film Guide Annual named Romy Schnieder, she had such a handsome boyfriend at the time Alain Delon,so decided to change my name to Romy Schnieder...it's so easy when you're that age, you just tell people. Anyway I can vividly remember my nan calling me in for tea or something and calling 'Pam', of course I didn't answer...who was this Pam person? Anyway, eventually nan remembered and called for Romy to come in, I obliged.

Romy Schnieder died very young as you film buffs are probably aware (late forties). They say natural causes, but she was on a lot of medication due to the tradgic death of her son David, think he was only about 13 or 14 when he died. It was a dreadful accident, I believe he fell on some railings. She didn't seem to get over it, understandably so.

Oh yes - the only oldie I've really seen over the break (how could I forget) was Moby Dick with Gregory Peck and Richard Baseheart.

Call me Ishmael ...

Hello again all and a Happy New Year to everyone (yes I know it's a bit late!)

Aileen, I remember seeing the Ten Commandments on TV when I was a teenager in the 70s. I seem to remember Charlton Heston going all wild-eyed and getting a mad hair day after seeing the burning bush on top of Mount Sinai.

I also think Yul Brynner played Pharoah in that one to didn't he?

I don't think I've seen the Last Days of Pompeii but the name does ring a bell somewhere in the back of my mind.

The other "epics" that spring to mind for me are Ben Hur and Samson and Delilah. I rate the chariot race in Ben Hur as one of the greatest pieces of cinematography ever shot - even though many people slate it and say they can see a car and Charlton Heston's watch - there were no computer graphics in those days and I think I read the arena was carved out of a cliff somewhere. Oh and I believe Heston was taught to drive a chariot so they could film the scene!!

Many of the films mentioned I love but my all time favourite is It's A Wonderful Life.

Funnily enough there were two other films from when I was young that I have never seen on tv.

One was The Ten Commandments and the other The Last Days of Pompei.

I remember seeing the first as my dad took me on a ferry boat across the River Clyde which was an adventure in itself.

The latter I must have seen when I was about 11 which would have been around 1963. We came out the cinema and reenacted the falling lava etc by tossing all the gravel out of people's front gardens in the air and dodging them.

Oh dear I am having a senior moment. The things you suddenly remember.

Aileen xxx

~nudge~

Sorry that was me who deleted by mistake!

No I didn't see it last night Broggy but have seen it before and agree with you it's a lovely film. Juliette Binoche is a very good actress and very beautiful, typically French -has that style where by she doesn't even have to try...it just comes so naturally.

Ann, another couple of good ones. Keep 'em coming!

completely forgot The African Queen and Boys from Brazil