Watching Withnail

[El Unicornio, mang]

Some of the dialogue in the opening few minutes was re-dubbed, can't remember all the changes - "Murder, Sodomy and rape" I think was changed to "Murder, Allbran and rape" and "I'm in the middle of a fucking overdose" was changed to "bloody", and a few other various things.

Ralph Brown said that he had to redub all his dialogue for the American release.

Also, the bit where the cop says "what's that clown doing?" was "what's that cunt doing?" but they decided it was one swear too many and redubbed it.

I'd be keen to see this deleted scene, if it ever surfaces

[Norton Canes]

Just imagine McGann and E. Grant are both Doctor Who but neither of them know the other is Doctor Who so they can't blow their cover.

And for extra frisson, imagine the same is true of Richard Griffiths

They've both played The Doctor, and Richard Griffiths was actually considered as the 8th Doctor Who before the series was cancelled

I know, that's why I said that :)

(Griffiths was also up for the 5th Doctor IIRC)

[Hand Solo]

Also, the bit where the cop says "what's that clown doing?" was "what's that cunt doing?" but they decided it was one swear too many and redubbed it.

Didn't know that, makes sense as sounds dubbed on and the line doesn't sit right. McGann also flubs the take and misses his mouth as he goes to flick a fag into it, this must have been some of the footage Robinson paid for himself when the studio pulled the funding.

I know, that's why I said that :)

(Griffiths was also up for the 5th Doctor IIRC)

Think Fincher also tried to get Grant in for Alien3 but he wasn't available, for a kind of reunion as McGann and Brown are on the cast list, dunno if Richard Griffiths was considered. I do know Robinson only considered Griffiths for the Uncle Monty role after seeing him with his 30s-style coiffed hair in A Private Function, he was only 39 when he played the part of Monty. He was also meant to attack Marwood fully naked but Griffiths persuaded Robinson to have the scene changed:

"The original script calls for Monty to be dressed in nothing but his make-up.
And probably wearing a watch. And a broad grin.
And I said: "I can't do it. I am sorry, but I just cannot cope with being naked
full frontal on camera, because I'm so appalled at my body, I just think everybody else, well, they will be entertained, but I would feel terrible about it. Let me come in with a fantastic dressing gown, and I will get very close up and personal with Paul, and I will push him back around the room into the corner.
I will then flash the dressing gown open for him, and he will look down and be so horrified by what he's looking at,he would probably want to die on the spot.
I promise you that would be a better pay off than if the audience will see me
wandering around looking like Colonel Blimp fresh out of bath."

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Hold on, does that mean that McGann gets a look at Uncle Monty's cock, or was he wearing underpants under the dressing gown?

[Hand Solo]

Hold on, does that mean that McGann gets a look at Uncle Monty's cock, or was he wearing underpants under the dressing gown?

I thought it was quite explicit in the scene? Marwood gets trapped in the corner and Monty approaches while undoing his gown and you see Marwood look down in terror at what is revealed. "I've just finished fighting a naked man," he later tells Withnail, after having to employ all his acting ability to calm Monty down from going in for the kill.

[Buelligan]

Some of the dialogue in the opening few minutes was re-dubbed, can't remember all the changes - "Murder, Sodomy and rape" I think was changed to "Murder, Allbran and rape" and "I'm in the middle of a fucking overdose" was changed to "bloody", and a few other various things.

IMDB has this:

The original cinema version of this film was shorter than the one that has since been released on video, laserdisc and DVD. Changes include:

Marwood's opening voice-over has been redubbed.

Marwood's speech about his thumbs having gone weird has been cut. The scene thus goes from the line "I don't feel good" to "Look at my tongue".

Withnail's "I'm gonna pull your head off" has been cut.

Danny's anecdote about The Coalman has been cut.

Some dialogue concerning Withnail's current work and Marwood also being a thespian has been cut out of the scene at Monty's home.

The scene of Marwood slipping in the mud and then angrily persuading Withnail to have another look at the shed has been cut.

The first part of Withnail and Marwood's conversation with the major, concerning Withnail having been in the Territorials, has been cut. The scene in this version simply dissolves from Withnail and Marwood walking to the pub with Marwood's voice-over to the major bringing up the subject of Jake. Marwood's line about why Withnail lied to the major has understandably also been cut.

The word Saveloy has been redubbed to Sausage.

I'm not sure this is correct.  I've seen this film more times that I care to recount on dvd and those things are right in there.  Maybe they did that for the American market, thank god, I'm not an American.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

I think all those things were in the DVD releases, but cut from the cinema screening. Makes sense, as it says the cinema one is shorter.

Speaking of which, are there any deleted scenes knocking around? There aren't any on the DVD.

[Ferris]

I can't fathom anyone watching the first ten minutes and not being completely enraptured so probably not the right person to reply.

The quality of dialogue and performance during the opening, so tightly strung and snappily edited, not a line is wasted.

Yes that sums it up for me. It is a terrific film altogether.

[Chedney Honks]

Not a film I particularly enjoy now, and I've always found it quite depressing as a teenager, but it is very funny, fantastically well written and beautifully performed. I think I just find England and anything very English depressing. It's probably me. Thinking about it, I can't think of a single English film I enjoy as much as this one. Toilet nation. Toilet culture. Even the English countryside I find bleak, barren, scratchy, nettles and thorns. Bracken as fuck. How many brown can you discern.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Yeah? Well I think you are the toilet.

[Hand Solo]

I can't fathom anyone watching the first ten minutes and not being completely enraptured so probably not the right person to reply.

The quality of dialogue and performance during the opening, so tightly strung and snappily edited, not a line is wasted.

I've told one of my good friends to watch it loads of times and when he eventually did he turned it off after 10 minutes, still hasn't seen it I don't think. He said he enjoyed what little he saw but just wasn't in the mood for it.

AND he watches and enjoys The Big Bang Theory.

How many brown can you discern.

None more Brown.

Yeah? Well I think you are the toilet.

He is a toilet trader.

[touchingcloth]

I agree that the start is ironically not the best place to start for a first time viewer. I like to watch it in "machete order", which is where you start with Monty's first scene, and then move on to The Empire Strikes Back, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, finishing with Return of the Jedi.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I agree that the start is ironically not the best place to start for a first time viewer. I like to watch it in "machete order", which is where you start with Monty's first scene, and then move on to The Empire Strikes Back, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, finishing with Return of the Jedi.

Surely The Phantom Menace, since Ralph Brown/Danny is in it.

[touchingcloth]

Surely The Phantom Menace, since Ralph Brown/Danny is in it.

Maybe if you're uncultured.

[Attila]

Hair are your aerials.





Something I say to the cat, fairly frequently.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I agree that the start is ironically not the best place to start for a first time viewer.

The opening where the characters and their lives are established; where - quite clearly - the most attention has been paid to drawing the audience in, in efforts to ensuring a dynamic engaging beginning. The opening where their motivation to visit Uncle Monty in the first place springs from, where in fact a disproportionate volume of the oft-quoted lines feature, is not the best place to start?!

I bet you cut up all your food before eating and you start with dessert.

[touchingcloth]

The opening where the characters and their lives are established; where - quite clearly - the most attention has been paid to drawing the audience in, in efforts to ensuring a dynamic engaging beginning. The opening where their motivation to visit Uncle Monty in the first place springs from, where in fact a disproportionate volume of the oft-quoted lines feature, is not the best place to start?!

I bet you cut up all your food before eating and you start with dessert.

Feel like pure shit, just wanted to do a machete order joke x

[Twit 2]

It's a sublime film. I fucking adore it. The screenplay is astonishingly good. I think the more times you watch it, the sadder it gets. Once you're inured to the quotable lines, what's left is a deeply poignant and rather bleak film.

You also start noticing how every little line is perfect, so it's out with "Monty, you terrible cunt!" and in with "We're coming back in here."

I suspect I'm the best at liking the film. In any case, I'll certainly correct anyone on the exact wording of lines, even if you think you know it well. Pancreas will attest to this.

[paruses]

From my second watching of it (as I didn't care for it the first time) I always marvel at the line: "these are the kinds of windows faces look in at".

Apols to twit2 if I've got it wrong.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

PERFUMED NONCE

[Chedney Honks]

Get into that van!

[Hand Solo]

Get into that van!

Throw yourself into the road Starling, you haven't got a chance!

[dr_christian_troy]

If we're talking dubs, the moment that flummoxed me in both the VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray version is a weird silence when McGann (off camera) says "September is a ... bad patch". It's weirdly disjointed. Unless I'm insane and the only one who has noticed this.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

I believe it's "September, it's a bad patch", bastard.

[dr_christian_troy]

I believe it's "September, it's a bad patch", bastard.

I can't remember the bastard bit, but either way there's a weird silent moment.

[Hand Solo]

It's "September. Bad patch."

The bit that always stood out to me as oddly clipped from dubbing or editing is Withnail's "FORK IT!" where there's a really harsh edit at the end of the line.

[Psmith]

I can't think of anything wrong about it.Whatever other role Grant plays,he will always be remembered for this.

[Ferris]

Whatever other role Grant plays,he will always be remembered for this.

What about this belter? His finest role for me.

[Hand Solo]

I can't think of anything wrong about it.Whatever other role Grant plays,he will always be remembered for this.

I thought the recent Can You Ever Forgive Me - which got grant an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor - made a decent companion piece to Withnail, as there are definitely a few nods and he plays quite a similar (but now outwardly gay) character a bit later into his life. My friend is a big Withnail fan so I showed it to her and Granty's performance made her cry towards the end of the film. Based on a true story and all.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I seem to recall he even calls the lead character a "terrible cunt" as his parting shot.

Scorsese and Copolla were both Withnail fans, hence his inclusion in Dracula and The Age of Innocence.