Biggles: Adventures in Time

[biggytitbo]

Such a strange, even silly idea but I have a lot of affection for this.

Biggles! Time travel! Advertising execs! Sopwith Camels and 80s music! Helicopters! Secret German weapons! Punk rock! WW1! Ginger! Ghetto blasters! Peter Cushing! Cannibals!

Pulp fiction at it's finest in my book. And fun trivia fact, the Incongruous all-American lead of this is actually the son of the worlds most English actor ever - Wilfred Hyde White.

[NoSleep]

How did a Biggles film pass me by? Last year I considered revisiting the Biggles books as I was an avid reader of the same when I was a kid.

Does the film address Biggles alcoholism? I remember Biggles being a heavy drinker (reflecting Capt W.E.Johns own experience in WW1). Biggles books were also my introduction to the world of drug smuggling & reefer parties (Biggles between WW1 & WW2) and probably piqued my interest in reefers et al at an early age. Basically a bad influence, in comparison to my other earliest comic book hero; Zorro.

[biggytitbo]

It doesn't include any of that, but it does have biggles piloting a helicopter over the WW1 trenches, whilst it blurts out 80s rock.

[Bad Ambassador]

Oh God, this is one of the earliest films I remember seeing, and I still love it to pieces. I was utterly delighted to find a ffew years ago that my company was moving to St. Katherine's Dock, where part of it was filmed, while I also go past Peter Cushing's front door on my daily commute.

"Looks like they nuked it."

"Nuked? What's that?"

"It's, er, American slang. It means to... overreact."

The bloke's face falling off after testing the sound weapon must be the goriest moment in a PG-rated film. They cut less from Temple of Doom.

EDIT: Actually, with that and the jokes about cross-dressing and the bizarre bit about porn-themed microwavable meals, there's an argument that this is kids' film that really isn't suitable for kids.

[NoSleep]

there's an argument that this is kids' film that really isn't suitable for kids.

Like the Biggles books. I see. I'm glad one trait crossed over to film

[CaledonianGonzo]

This often shows up on channels like Movies For Men, but I haven't watched it since first release.

My main memory is that John Deacon from Queen did the music:

Biggles (Featuring John Deacon of Queen)

[Small Man Big Horse]

I used to adore this as a kid as well, and it was rented out from the video shop multiple times. I haven't watched it in the last twenty years though as I didn't want to tarnish yet another happy childhood memory (yes Transylvania 6-5000, I'm looking at you) but I'm pleased to hear it stands up still and will have to get hold of it.

Despite loving it, I do remember thinking that the chap who played Biggles was a bit wooden - was I being overly critical as a young 'un, or is that the case?

[biggytitbo]

This is an awesome theme tune - Biggles (Do You Want To Be A Hero?) - Jon Anderson

[Santa's Boyfriend]

I do wonder why they bother buying up a property that nobody in the US will have ever heard of if you're not going to even vaguely adhere to the source material.  It's a fun film, but it's the kind of thing that makes purists want to punch people.

(I've never read Biggles so can't really say I'm a purist, but it does truly astonish me.)

[Steven]

From vague memory.. isn't David Cann in the film?

I think he plays a nazi soldier or something, when I caught a bit of it on TV years ago.

[Bad Ambassador]

How about this!

Biggles - Movie TV Spot - 20secs

[Boycey]

One of my earliest film memories is of the usual end of term 'let's sit the kids in front of a film as they'll be too hyper, and the teachers can't be arsed to teach' at school. You can imagine the 'ewwwwww' that went round with that whole bit with the eye.

I love this film still. Have a copy of the soundtrack knocking about somewhere (which I found online years ago after searching for ages), as well as the novelisation (with '8 Full Pages of Colour Pictures' - as was the style at the time)

It was shit. But really good. And I so wanted a flat in Tower Bridge like Peter Cushing's character had. I was only 6 and already dreaming of buying property.

As far as I know, it was Cushing's last movie

More inane drivel about a little regarded 80s film when I have had more to drink...

[kidsick5000]

. And I so wanted a flat in Tower Bridge like Peter Cushing's character had. I was only 6 and already dreaming of buying property.

As I mentioned when this came up in the screenshot game, I was incredibly disappointed when I realised that the Towers of Tower Bridge are essentially hollow and contain no flats, apartments, wood-paneled librarys, or even an office. Nothing. Bah.
My dreams of having the most ace address in the world dashed

[SavageHedgehog]

I do wonder why they bother buying up a property that nobody in the US will have ever heard of if you're not going to even vaguely adhere to the source material.  It's a fun film, but it's the kind of thing that makes purists want to punch people.

(I've never read Biggles so can't really say I'm a purist, but it does truly astonish me.)

This was the end result of about fifteen years in pre-production, I think all previous scripts were a lot more "trad". Initial casting suggestion was James Fox; in the early eighties Dudley Moore was attached!

I think it's only really in the last twelve years or so Hollywood has realised that fidelity to source material matters to a sizable audience. I can't really imagine something like this being made now. I think that's a shame in some ways, if I'm honest!

The 80s was the golden age/nadir of classic characters being modernised gracelessly, especially in family entertainment; a lot of classic cartoon characters dressing like Run DMC in promotional materials etc.

[Santa's Boyfriend]

Space Jam came out in the 90s!

[SavageHedgehog]

Touche!

[MojoJojo]

I think it's only really in the last twelve years or so Hollywood has realised that fidelity to source material matters to a sizable audience. I can't really imagine something like this being made now. I think that's a shame in some ways, if I'm honest!

The 80s was the golden age/nadir of classic characters being modernised gracelessly, especially in family entertainment; a lot of classic cartoon characters dressing like Run DMC in promotional materials etc.

Equally, I'd probably argue that the noughties were far too slavish to source material.
See the Lord of the Rings[nb]first 2 films certainly, 3rd varied a bit more. Thank fuck they didn't bother with Tom Bombadil. [/nb] and the Harry Potter films. All of which can be criticised for being both a) overlong and b) crowded. If there had been some willingless to vary from the source material they could have been made a lot more enjoyable.

I'm sure there are other examples too... but none come to mind at the moment.

Not really arguing for massive reconstructions like the Biggles film... although they can be fun.

I'd like to see a director's cut that was shorter than the theatrical cut for once.

[NoSleep]

See the Lord of the Rings[nb]first 2 films certainly, 3rd varied a bit more. Thank fuck they didn't bother with Tom Bombadil. [/nb]

I heard Peter Jackson saying they shuffled material from the books; so you'll hear lines from some characters that were spoken by another in the book etc, and they created a love interest in the films. Might have been better as a TV series but, basically, it's all in the book; it's a book. I don't think LOTR is a good example of trying to stay faithful to the original material because it is too difficult to do so.

But the Biggles books would have been fairly simple, and fall into three main phases; WW1 (dogfights), between (intercepting drug smugglers, etc), & WWII (more dogfights).

And comic books, due to the graphic presentation; The Dark Knight Returns felt like I was watching a movie as I read it. Fuck all the Batman films for skirting round this for inspiration. The 1966 Batman is the best movie, alongside the TV series.

Peter Straub & Stephen King's novel Talisman would have made a good film; it read like it was made to be transferred to film and even said on the cover that it was soon to be made into a film. But it never happened.

[SavageHedgehog]

Equally, I'd probably argue that the noughties were far too slavish to source material.
See the Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter films. All of which can be criticised for being both a) overlong and b) crowded. If there had been some willingless to vary from the source material they could have been made a lot more enjoyable.

I'm sure there are other examples too... but none come to mind at the moment.

Not really arguing for massive reconstructions like the Biggles film... although they can be fun.

I'd agree, which is why I think it's a shame to some extent producers are afraid to be as reckless as they were with Biggles. I mean, I wouldn't want this kind of thing all the time, but films that are designed to be aproved by a comic con pannel first can be a drag too.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Though staying true to the character's pulp roots, Guy Ritchie's Sherlock is arguably a film that worries not a jot about being too slavish to well-loved source material, taking plenty of liberties with how the character is generally percieved.

See also - though don't actually watch - the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (LXG).

[biggytitbo]

Isn't the surprisngly excellent Ritchie film actually a lot more true to the original stories than virtually every other adapation going? It's they only one I can think that shows Sherlock as a bare knuckle fighter.

[CaledonianGonzo]

While that's true, it does also goes a lot further than Conan Doyle would ever have intended - showing a naked Sherlock handcuffed to a bed after a night of hot action with Irene Adler, for one thing.

[MojoJojo]

I think Holmes boxing is only mentioned in one story - and I think it was just explained as something he was good at at school (while he was beating a baddy up) - not something he did for fun. And I remember even when I read it as a teen it didn't really fit in with the character properly.
Also, the film has loads of stupid stuff with the electricity and things.

I've just started reading some Biggles - different to what I expected, didn't realise it was mostly just short stories. Downloaded the film to watch too.

[non capisco]

I don't think any of the original stories featured Dr Watson bellowing "NUT HIM, HOLMES!" but I could be wrong.

[Phil_A]

I think Holmes boxing is only mentioned in one story - and I think it was just explained as something he was good at at school (while he was beating a baddy up) - not something he did for fun. And I remember even when I read it as a teen it didn't really fit in with the character properly.
Also, the film has loads of stupid stuff with the electricity and things.

Well, Holmes does get into a ruck with a disagreeable South African in "The Solitary Cyclist".

Sherlock Holmes Bar fight!

He also claims to be skilled in martial arts, although I think this was mainly a plot device to explain how he bested Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. There's an interesting article about Holmes's various fighting techniques here: http://www.bartitsu.org/index.php/the-bartitsu-legacy/the-fighting-arts-of-sherlock-holmes-part-1/