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Talking Pictures

Started by Captain Crunch, May 13, 2018, 10:37:34 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Ambient Sheep

Personal Services (1987), Terry Jones' lovely film starring Julie Walters as a thinly-disguised version of real-life brothel-keeper Cynthia Payne, is being shown thus:

Sat 18/01/2020 21:30-23:40
Wed 22/01/2020 22:05-00:15

Not seen this since the early 90s, am keen to see it again.

timebug

Gave 'Personal Services' a go, as I too had not seen it for ages. Found it slow and dull to be honest.
Loved it on its original release, I just thought it had not worn very well.

Ambient Sheep

Ditto.  I was quite shocked at how lame it all seemed, although I wasn't sure if that was just 'cos I wasn't in the best of moods last night.  Glad I'm not alone.

It does seem to have aged pretty badly.  I guess it was seen as very daring at the time, but far less so now, since we've all learnt about these things from the internet.  Once you remove all the "oh gosh how weird/funny/sexy is that unusual practice?!" moments from it, it's surprising how little seems to be left.  It really dragged.  Also the whole thing about how they're all top members of the establishment feels very worn down now.

Aside from all that, the other thing that struck me was the awful film grain on it.  Was it made in 16mm?  Looks like it... but no, IMDb says 35mm.  I guess they just went for a fast film with more natural lighting.

A real disappointment.  I'll be recording it on Wednesday though (had no space last night) and might give it another go when I'm in a better mood.

Blumf

We enjoyed it, but I can see the points raised, it is very slight on CynthiaChristine's character and everyone elses. But I can't help but love a bit of English smut being celebrated.

Better treatment of trans issues than The Crying Game though, right? Just in that one scene at the wedding, nobody puked.

Ambient Sheep

Oh absolutely.  Nor did they kick the shit out of them.

I was in a very jaded and rather pissed-off mood on Saturday night though.  I'll definitely give it another go some time to be fair to it, but probably not this week (although I'll record it for the purpose).


On a similar note, I must get hold of Preaching to the Perverted sometime.  Saw it round a friend's house around six years ago and loved it.

Quote from: A Hat Like That on November 18, 2019, 09:53:06 AM
caught an early episode yesterday evening, with the vicar's son getting nailed to the floor.

Tony Marsh does do a good bastard, has to be said.

I think, between Talking Pictures and Forces TV, I've watched all of the first four series of Get Some In! now.

They consciously expand the cast and Marsh repeatedly gets his comeuppances.

So far, my pick of episodes is penultimate one of the second series, with a fine cameo by Roy Kinnear.
(There's another good one with a 'nice' Corporal played by Alfred Marks)

Ambient Sheep

I rewatched Personal Services last night.

I was, of course, completely wrong the other day.  It's actually rather good.  Great fun in places even if it does drag for five minutes here and there, and overall a moving and, er, satisfying story.  I really enjoyed it and would now recommend it.

I couldn't even see the film grain I was talking about (my best guess is that on Saturday I watched it straight after a nice shiny HD video episode of Philip K Dick's Electric Dreams and so maybe it was the contrast with that). 

I'm not saying this just because poor Terry's dead, either.  As I said, I was clearly in a shit mood the other night.


For anyone who missed it in another thread, here, courtesy of Blumf, is the U-certificate trailer for the film, presented by Terry (with some help from Julie) in classic Python-meta mode:
https://youtu.be/QNzRHYL218U

Pranet

They are in trouble. Not surprisingly, the advertisers have dried up.

https://talkingpicturestv.co.uk/about-talking-pictures-tv/

On twitter they have suggested perhaps buying a dvd or some merch from their website.

Be a shame if Sky bought it to shut it down.


Blumf

Aw shit! I think they've made a big impact on TV, as there are a few other channels now showing old films, so there's obviously a market (and thus, worthy of ad spend)

Looking at their DVD sales site, they carry the BFI British Documentary collections, which are well worth the money:
https://www.renownfilms.co.uk/product/land-of-promise-4-dvd-set/
https://www.renownfilms.co.uk/product/shadows-of-progress-4-dvd-set/

Phil_A

Quote from: Pranet on April 23, 2020, 10:27:56 AM
They are in trouble. Not surprisingly, the advertisers have dried up.

https://talkingpicturestv.co.uk/about-talking-pictures-tv/

On twitter they have suggested perhaps buying a dvd or some merch from their website.

Be a shame if Sky bought it to shut it down.

That's a right fucker, I've pretty much watched nothing else on live TV since being sequestered at home.

Captain Crunch

WHAT?!  I'll not link it for obvious reasons but they've just had a spread in The Mail to celebrate hitting 3.5 million viewers.  Bah. 

Ambient Sheep

Horrible news.  Especially as if it does vanish, the lovely library of films I've built up on my TiVo will all evaporate a year later.

Quote from: Phil_A on April 23, 2020, 02:03:04 PMI've pretty much watched nothing else on live TV since being sequestered at home.

It's my default channel these days, ever since Vintage TV died a couple of years back.

studpuppet

Quote from: Ambient Sheep on April 23, 2020, 11:27:31 PM
Horrible news.  Especially as if it does vanish, the lovely library of films I've built up on my TiVo will all evaporate a year later.

It's my default channel these days, ever since Vintage TV died a couple of years back.

I'm also reverting to childhood and watching The Dukes Of Hazzard and Quantum Leap on Forces TV late at night.

Jockice

They showed The Naked Civil Servant a few weeks ago.  Now there's one TV drama I'll never tire of seeing.

Sebastian Cobb

Those of you who like this might like the internet tv app pluto tv.

Their app is shit though and their schedule doesn't seem to let you scroll so you can only see now/next.

Their scifi channel had The Philadelphia experiment on and now they're showing Time Runnners and Dead Space.

Ambient Sheep

Just a heads-up that there's some rather good stuff (IMHO) coming up over the next few days.

Firstly, Personal Services (1987) again, at 10pm tonight (Friday 8th May 2020), repeated this Sunday (10th), also at 10pm.

Then Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) with Christopher Lee at ten past midnight tonight.  Not seen it but seems well thought of.

Then on Saturday (9th) at 9.50pm we have the TP premiere of The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976).  Repeated this Thursday (14th) at 10pm.

Finally, starting Tuesday week (19th) at 9pm, they're showing the four-part ITV Quatermass (1979), one per week... I'm really looking forward to watching this, not having seen it since it went out when I was 14.

Ambient Sheep

Quote from: Jockice on April 24, 2020, 12:17:52 PM
They showed The Naked Civil Servant a few weeks ago.  Now there's one TV drama I'll never tire of seeing.

Just seen that it's being repeated on Monday 25th May at 10pm. :-)

Blumf

Quote from: Ambient Sheep on May 08, 2020, 09:31:08 PM
Finally, starting Tuesday week (19th) at 9pm, they're showing the four-part ITV Quatermass (1979), one per week... I'm really looking forward to watching this, not having seen it since it went out when I was 14.

It was on ITV4 (I think) a few years back. Terrible sound quality, like the mic was in a tupperware box, so I hope they have a better copy as it's a good watch.

Jockice

Quote from: Ambient Sheep on May 08, 2020, 09:40:34 PM
Just seen that it's being repeated on Monday 25th May at 10pm. :-)

Ta. I'll probably watch it again then too.

Attila

Quote from: Blumf on May 09, 2020, 04:19:47 AM
It was on ITV4 (I think) a few years back. Terrible sound quality, like the mic was in a tupperware box, so I hope they have a better copy as it's a good watch.

I'm betting that they will -- Mr Attila and I like to tune into some of the films they've had (Magic Christian the other week!), and the quality of the prints have been astonishing.

JesusAndYourBush

Quote from: Ambient Sheep on May 08, 2020, 09:31:08 PM
Then on Saturday (9th) at 9.50pm we have the TP premiere of The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976).  Repeated this Thursday (14th) at 10pm.

I watched it this evening.  Every time I see that film it's like I'm watching a totally different film to the previous time I saw it, with me seeing things I didn't notice on the previous viewing and realising that my previous interpretations of the film were wrong, causing me to have to form new interpretations.  This time my interpretation of it was
Spoiler alert
that he's not an alien at all, just a delusional genius: Why would an alien have a ring given to him by his his alien wife with his initials engraved on it in Earth script?  How would he have gotten to Earth in a spaceship that's like a furry shed travelling on a rail.  The people who capture him cut into him but fail to remove his 'false nipples', and likewise he can't remove his eye things with tweezers, and finding no evidence that he's an alien his captors just abandon him.
[close]
Plus is this a different edit because in previous viewings I never realised we get to see
Spoiler alert
Bowie's cock.
[close]

Egyptian Feast

Interesting interpretation, but how do you explain
Spoiler alert
Candy Clark weeing herself in terror at his true appearance and getting grossed out while attempting make-up sex?
[close]

Ambient Sheep

Also flagging up that at ten past midnight tonight (Sunday 10th) is Nothing But the Night (1973).

Not seen it, and reviews seem a tad mixed, but with a cast of Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Diana Dors, Keith Barron, Fulton Mackay, Michael Gambon, Morris Perry, Shelagh Fraser and Gwyneth "Cassandra" Strong in her first ever role, it definitely seems worth a look.
   

Quote from: JesusAndYourBush on May 10, 2020, 02:44:43 AM
I watched it this evening.  Every time I see that film it's like I'm watching a totally different film to the previous time I saw it, with me seeing things I didn't notice on the previous viewing and realising that my previous interpretations of the film were wrong...

Glad you enjoyed.  I haven't watched it yet -- was watching a live stream of another film last night, and didn't have the TiVo space to record it -- so I'll be grabbing it on Thursday.  Since I don't think I've seen it since my late teens (although possibly once in my late 20s) I'll be interested to watch it and make my own interpretation, and then unspoiler your post! :-)

Norton Canes

Quote from: Ambient Sheep on May 08, 2020, 09:31:08 PM
Finally, starting Tuesday week (19th) at 9pm, they're showing the four-part ITV Quatermass (1979), one per week... I'm really looking forward to watching this, not having seen it since it went out when I was 14

One of the most brilliant and disturbing TV dramas ever. Love it.

JesusAndYourBush

Quote from: Egyptian Feast on May 10, 2020, 02:17:32 PM
Interesting interpretation, but how do you explain
Spoiler alert
Candy Clark weeing herself in terror at his true appearance and getting grossed out while attempting make-up sex?
[close]

Yeah with that film there's always holes in my theories. 
Spoiler alert
She was under the influence and hallucinating maybe?  And I had more than one theory on the go at the same time, like, was the (flashback/memory?) showing people in old fashioned clothes meant to suggest that as an alien he'd been on Earth a very long time?  Perhaps having to wait until technology was advanced enough for him to carry out his plan?  And in the same scene (I think) the memory of meeting a bunch of hillbilles (still in the past but not as long ago as the other memory) seemed to perturb him suggesting something bad had happened, but that wasn't explored.
[close]

And after reading Wikipedia last night after watching, I think the version that was shown was a "directors cut" version with 5 mins of extra footage.

Quote from: Ambient Sheep on May 10, 2020, 06:16:19 PM
Since I don't think I've seen it since my late teens (although possibly once in my late 20s) I'll be interested to watch it and make my own interpretation, and then unspoiler your post! :-)

Before the other night I'd seen it several times over the years, the first time somewhere around the mid 80's, again in the 90's, and a couple of times after 2000, so around once every ten years then.  Every time I see it I realise any theories I formed in the past seemed wrong, plus it was long enough between viewings that I'd always forgotten large chunks of it apart from the most memorable scenes, so it's like watching a new film each time.  I'll probably watch it again on Thursday if I'm not watching something else.

Egyptian Feast

Quote from: JesusAndYourBush on May 10, 2020, 07:44:31 PM
Every time I see it I realise any theories I formed in the past seemed wrong, plus it was long enough between viewings that I'd always forgotten large chunks of it apart from the most memorable scenes, so it's like watching a new film each time.  I'll probably watch it again on Thursday if I'm not watching something else.

That's one of the things I most enjoy about it. I've seen it x number of times and it's still as confounding as ever. I doubt I'll ever get fed up with it or Performance.

JesusAndYourBush

Saw Personal Services the other day.   I'd not seen it before and found it very funny.

Just watched The Man Who Fell To Earth Again.  Ignore what I said before regarding theories, I'm back to not having a clue again!

Sometimes you can over-analyse something.  I bet half the time if you asked a producer about the significance of some small detail they'd just shrug and say "Oh it was already there before we set up."

Not sure quite where to put this, but Talking Pictures seems the most appropriate. Forces TV is showing many older TV, but typically late70s and 80s rather than the older material favoured by Talking Pictures.

This week I have watched The Equaliser. One particular episode featured Ad Rock, from the Beastie Boys, Bill, from Bill and Ted and Jim Dale playing Ad Rock's dad. We've also had Paulie and Dr No in one and Adam Ant in another. It's all really rather mental.

Blumf

Quote from: A Hat Like That on May 15, 2020, 05:15:37 PM
This week I have watched The Equaliser. One particular episode featured Ad Rock, from the Beastie Boys, Bill, from Bill and Ted and Jim Dale playing Ad Rock's dad. We've also had Paulie and Dr No in one and Adam Ant in another. It's all really rather mental.

Pretty sure I saw Meat Loaf in one.

That was on this week. Recorded and ready to go.