They were very young. Virtually their first film. Both play great parts and both show early promise, but neither had superstar status enough back then to over-act n get away with it.
It's like watching Russell Crowe in that Australian skinhead film. Or a fresh-faced James Coburn in a Randolph Scott 50s western. They had something special even working with scraps.
One might give a nod to THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. Of course, it belongs to another genre. One might even say that it created a genre: the downbeat, realistic, anti-Bond espionage story. But when Burton goes to ground in London to establish his cred as a potential defector, the surroundings and personalities are right out of the kitchen sink toolbox.
My Spring Break vacation begins today, so I'll be watching SPY this week.
One might give a nod to THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. Of course, it belongs to another genre. One might even say that it created a genre: the downbeat, realistic, anti-Bond espionage story. But when Burton goes to ground in London to establish his cred as a potential defector, the surroundings and personalities are right out of the kitchen sink toolbox.
My Spring Break vacation begins today, so I'll be watching SPY this week.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a superb film. I’ve seen it many times and never get tired of revisiting it. Yet, when I first saw it in 1965 I didn’t think much of it at all. I put that down to my then juvenile mindset when I probably thought a spy film meant action scenes.
... The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a superb film. I’ve seen it many times and never get tired of revisiting it. Yet, when I first saw it in 1965 I didn’t think much of it at all. I put that down to my then juvenile mindset when I probably thought a spy film meant action scenes.
I've watched it three or four times (similarly, read the source novel at least three times) and agree it is a good film, very downbeat anti-Bond and the story has some complexity. As a stand-alone film one of the plot issues I have doesn't matter but I do find the character of Mundt to be a problem if you know the first novel Call for the Dead
I've watched it three or four times (similarly, read the source novel at least three times) and agree it is a good film, very downbeat anti-Bond and the story has some complexity. As a stand-alone film one of the plot issues I have doesn't matter but I do find the character of Mundt to be a problem if you know the first novel Call for the Dead
Other than A View to a Kill, has there ever been a film you would rate a 10 out of 10?
... Other than A View to a Kill, has there ever been a film you would rate a 10 out of 10?
Hey, Jim, I think you must be confusing me with someone else. On my last viewing of Roger Moore's final JB007 outing (Oct 21) I rated it 6 out of 10 ... far from the best (most entertaining), certainly not the worst (least entertaining).
As for my highest rated films, I've posted such lists before, but rather than search, I'll name:
Thunderball (1965), OHMSS (1969) and Dances with Wolves (1990) (extended version) as top. Whether each and all rate 10 ... perhaps 10- ... it's hard to say as I haven't watched any of these three in the last 8 years. I still consider the Kevin Costner masterpiece my favourite film but due to its (extended) length it's not one for casual viewing. Mitch
Thunderball (1965), OHMSS (1969) and Dances with Wolves (1990) (extended version) as top. Whether each and all rate 10 ... perhaps 10- ... it's hard to say as I haven't watched any of these three in the last 8 years. I still consider the Kevin Costner masterpiece my favourite film but due to its (extended) length it's not one for casual viewing. Mitch
You don't have favorite films, MM, you have favorite John Barry films!
This is a terrific thread, but I'm tempted to start one here that's the other side of grim pessimism in Britain: Neo-romanticism in British films of the mid-2oth century. Trading the harsh black and white of kitchen sink, "neo-romantic" (for lack of a better term) movies often shimmer with color, and they focus more on tradition, eccentricity, and poeticism. I'm thinking of directors such as Powell & Pressburger, Ken Russell and John Boorman.
Is there any interest in this? (Ah, hell, I might start it anyway even if I get a resounding "no" or total lack of interest to this query!)
This is a terrific thread, but I'm tempted to start one here that's the other side of grim pessimism in Britain: Neo-romanticism in British films of the mid-2oth century. Trading the harsh black and white of kitchen sink, "neo-romantic" (for lack of a better term) movies often shimmer with color, and they focus more on tradition, eccentricity, and poeticism. I'm thinking of directors such as Powell & Pressburger, Ken Russell and John Boorman.
Is there any interest in this? (Ah, hell, I might start it anyway even if I get a resounding "no" or total lack of interest to this query!)
Go get 'em, Tiger!
The forum has become such an autistic bore, and it saddens my FSM Man of the Year Award-winning self to witness this, especially after my triumphant return (Wait...I left?).
The mainstream side of the board is especially horrific, creepily dominated by rapidly-aging "industry insiders" and a younger generation that simply doesn't know how to socialize or even to have a civilized discussion.
They do know how to bitch about unarrived CD orders, cracked jewel cases, shipping rates, and reality-causing delays in receiving their Zimmer Clone and Themeless Beltrami orders, though.
To paraphrase a swishy ("nelly" to you Brits) gold droid: "Oh, they excel at that, sir!"
A very good primer on kitchen sink and other trends in postwar to the 1970s British cinema is Raymond Durgnat's Film Comment articles "Britannia Waives the Rules" and "The Great British Phantasmagoria" published in 1976 and 1977. I don't know if they can be found online (my copies are Xeroxed from the actual issues that I found in a reference library).
Mark, would you be a top bloke and email those articles? My addy is in my, ahem, profile.
Ooof. I didn't catch this query until just now. My apologies. I'll see what I can do - these articles will be useful to my upcoming neo-romantic thread as well.
