Woodfall Films

[Crenners]

When I was a teenager, I caught half of Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and I found it extremely appealing. I never knew what it was called and then forgot about it for nearly thirty years until I saw an image of Albert Finney on the BFI Woodfall Films boxset recently and had to take a punt.



I now understand that it was a big success and that Finney's character, Arthur Seaton, is a popular and influential anti-establishment hero/tragic rebel.

The film stands up incredibly well for me. I loved it and I understand what I first saw in it (and in myself) all those years ago. I love the sense of Sisyphean resistance and bravado. Finney is so magnetic and charismatic, and his delivery has so much relish and bite. Shirley Anne Field is also really good, stunningly beautiful, witty and brave. There's not a weak link across the cast.

I don't generally like or watch anything kitchen sinky because I find it all quite depressing, reminds me too much of the drabbest days of my youth, but this captures that atmosphere beautifully. The cinematography is gorgeous, appropriately claustrophobic in the houses and living rooms but also produces wonderfully sensitive and handsome portraits of these young actors. Gorgeous, languidly swinging jazz soundtrack, too.

I'm definitely going to work my way through the set over the coming weeks and I'll update the thread. Looks like a brilliant release.

[another Mr. Lizard]

Every one a winner - though The Knack hasn't aged well...

Loved this box set of the classics, and am hoping the BFI do a follow up with some of the stranger later movies such as One Way Pendulum (shown by TPTV recently) and Mademoiselle.

[Neomod]

Every one a winner - though The Knack hasn't aged well...

I don't know what you could possibly mean...



I have a soft spot for The Knack as I played Tom when we did it at college back in the early 80's. Coincidentally it was being performed locally-ish with David Yip in the (possibly) lead role.

Yip was the only member of the cast who refused to come down and chat with us cool teens about the play.

Probably being all Billy Big Bollocks due to his upcoming role in A View to a Kill.

Great John Barry soundtrack btw.*

*for the Knack and A View to a Kill.

[AllisonSays]

I'd love to see this but never have, thanks for the reminder, and please do continue the updates!

[zomgmouse]

Watched The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner earlier this year and it still might be the best thing I've seen this year

[Crenners]

Watched The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner earlier this year and it still might be the best thing I've seen this year

Just watched this tonight following this post and what a beautiful film. Thoughts to follow but thanks very much for the prompt. I'd have got round to it eventually but very glad it was now.

[zomgmouse]

Just watched this tonight following this post and what a beautiful film. Thoughts to follow but thanks very much for the prompt. I'd have got round to it eventually but very glad it was now.

Very glad to hear this - the short story is worth seeking out too if you can.

[Brundle-Fly]

My favourite.

[J Peasemould Gruntfuttock]

Re One Way Pendulum. I remember seeing an excerpt on TV where Jonathan Miller's character was trying to teach I Speak Your Weight machines to sing Handel's Messiah and thought, "I just have to see this film". Very difficult to get hold of though - no DVD. Then the comedian David Quantick uploaded a copy to Youtube and I finally got to see it.

In the weighing machine scane, there was one machine that just couldn't get the knack of learning to sing and could only say, in a broad Cockney accent, "Sixteen stone ten pahnds!" I made that the Windows start-up sound on my PC.