Now Screening - What Are You Watching Right Now?

[Barry]

Ah yes, I had forgotten about Farenheit 451; an excellent book and a reasonably good film.

I thought Logan's Run, naive and implausable; its viewing only ameliorated through the presence of the cute Jenny Agutter.

[struth]

Sure I read somewhere some of the main reasons for changing the plot was their desire not to offend the catholic church and financial as always...I mean cannibalism is a bigger seller than lentil eating.
To be honest, I sometimes get the hump myself when good books are butchered but they are trying to make money and entertain. Most films of books are thus changed and many quite unrecognisably. A magnum for schneider/callan was pretty close while one of my favourite books the four feathers was unrecognisable.

[walpurgis]

Ah yes, I had forgotten about Farenheit 451; an excellent book and a reasonably good film.

I thought Logan's Run, naive and implausable; its viewing only ameliorated through the presence of the cute Jenny Agutter.

None were great films, but they were fun!

The only movie that stands out for me really from back then is the slightly earlier, 'Cool Hand Luke'. Totally different context of course, but just marvellous and probably my favourite film of all, though I have many of those.

(years later Newman made 'Nobody's Fool' and portrayed a rather similar character beautifully. Not a well known movie, but so good and essential in a decent collection)

[Barry]

I would in general agree with you wholeheartedly: most of the stories by P. K. Dick have been badly translated to cinema, for example Paycheck and of course Total Recall. Whether this is down to the poor writing of the screenplay, or whether it is because some books have to have their content severely pruned to fit a two-hour film, I don't know. But as a counter example, one film based on a P. K. Dick novel Blade Runner differs so greatly from the book (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) that one wonders how it could have been successful. Yet it is IMO one of the best sci-fi films ever made (and no, I don't want to get into heated debate over which version was better).

Having said that I didn't think Minority Report was a bad film either.

[Spectral Morn]

Back to Si Fi tonight with a cracker... Soylent Green which was based on the book by Harry Harrison called "Make Room! Make Room!" ...at least I think it was. Made in 1973, directed by Richard Fleischer(who directed the American part of the classic Tora Tora Tora) and starred Charlton(get your hand off my gun) Heston and Edward G Robinson(who was pretty ill and deaf as a post). In fact his deafness, was more of a problem than his cancer as he could only hear anyone if they shouted directly in his ear. This caused some problems, but old trouper that he was, he turned in a stellar performance again. This was his 101st and last film and he died a week or so later. There is a lot of nice classical music from the likes of Grieg, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky to soothe the sences, and at times the sences need a soothing. Soylent is a film that much of its content is very close to home now, as it represented our now; what we take for granted, and much of which our great grandkids could easily miss out on. Nowadays we don't seem to know or care what our governments and corporations are up to. Maybe its time we took the planet back before its too late.

Loved Robinson's reply to Heston's remark of I know, Sol, you've told me a hundred times before. People were better, the world was better......Ah, people were always lousy... But there was a world, once; I was there, I can prove it. When I was a kid, you could buy meat anywhere. Eggs they had, real butter, not this... crap!!!!

This was the last film shot at MGM Studios back-lot on Overland Boulevard, as it was demolished and turned into housing. Going to really enjoy this as not seen it for a while. This thread has given me new life and vigour and along with my 160 restoration, a desire to live on for as long as I can get pleasure from it...So get your old films out folks and enjoy them...you know they are better than SKY

Yes that's the book, wonderful film but horrifying. Not seen it in a few years though.


Regards Neil

[struth]

Keeping up the Si Fi theme, tonight it is the 1956 MGM blockbuster The Tempest Forbidden Planet directed by Fred Wilcox(who's claim to fame before this was interestingly the Lassie films, so I guess he liked working with animals). This was the first big budget si fi and reputedly the inspiration for Gene Roddenberry's star trek. A good strong cast including Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Earl Holliman and Robbie the Robot who stole the film.... One useless bit of info is Altaira's garden is a reuse of the Munchkin Village set from The Wizard of Oz 17 years earlier so was shot on the same set.

[Spectral Morn]

Keeping up the Si Fi theme, tonight it is the 1956 MGM blockbuster The Tempest Forbidden Planet directed by Fred Wilcox(who's claim to fame before this was interestingly the Lassie films, so I guess he liked working with animals). This was the first big budget si fi and reputedly the inspiration for Gene Roddenberry's star trek. A good strong cast including Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Earl Holliman and Robbie the Robot who stole the film.... One useless bit of info is Altaira's garden is a reuse of the Munchkin Village set from The Wizard of Oz 17 years earlier so was shot on the same set.

Excellent film


Regards Neil

[Roy S]

Where would we be without the Krells

[walpurgis]

Forbidden Planet.

Yes, that was a brilliant film!

[struth]

Anne Francis was a doll.....legs that went all the way to yaya