The Ipcress File (LINKED)is the latest in the 60s retrospective series. Michael Caine in the first of his five appearances as Harry Palmer. I know it is considered one of the greatest British films of all time, but I’ve never liked the entire genre. Would re-watching convert me to secret agent films? A friend said my negative reviews are much more fun to read than my positive ones. He’ll enjoy this one then.
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Japanese Affairs, the fourth in the English As A Funny Language series of novels under the pseudonym Dart Travis is now available.
Links to the Dart Travis blog:
JAPANESE AFFAIRS (1986) Now available on Kindle at £3.25
JAPANESE AFFAIRS PAPERBACK is now available on amazon, price £8.95
If you’ve missed the early ones in the series:
FOREIGN AFFAIRS (1972)
HOME AFFAIRS (1982)
GREEK AFFAIRS (1985)
There’s a loosely continuing theme, though they can be read independently. You’d get more in sequence though.
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This one’s an oddity. THE FAST LADY (1963). It’s a really rank romp, or rather a Rank (Organisation) romp that was filmed in 1962, released in 1963, but is a basic 1950s British film comedy template. It’s exactly the opposite of the main body of the 1960s Retrospective reviews. We saw it mainly by chance on TV, and noted it because Julie Christie is in an early starring role. Not recommended viewing, but worth a glance at the review to see why not!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged James Robertson Justice, Julie Christie, Ken Annakin, Leslie Phillips, Stanley Baxter | 1 Comment »
Review of Tom Jones from 1963, directed by Tony Richardson. It was one of the most influential Sixties films, even though it takes place in 1745. Adapted by John Osborne from Henry Fieldings 18th century novel. It was a romp, it was a film that won so many awards. Albert Finney as Tom Jones with Susannah York, David Warner, Joyce Redman, Hugh Griffiths, Julian Glover. Definitely one to revisit.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Albert Finney, David Warner, Diane Cilento, Edith Evans, Henry Fielding, Hugh Griffith, Joan Greenwood, John Addison, John Osborne, JoyceRedman, Julian Glover, Susannah York, Tony Richardson | Leave a Comment »
Tonight (Thursday) The National Theatre have a free stream on YouTube at 7 pm BST of “One Man Two Guv’nors“. The link is to my 2012 review of the production.
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The 60s revisited series moves back to Swinging Sixties London for Georgy Girl, (FOLLOW LINK) starring Lynn Redgrave, Alan Bates, James Mason and Charlotte Rampling. Black and white, low budget, considered highly immoral at the time but it became a major success at the box office.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alan Bates, Bill Owen, Charlotte Rampling, Jamers Mason, Jim Dale, Lynn Redgrave, Margaret Forster, Peter Nichols, Silvio Narizzano, The Seekers, Tom Springfield | Leave a Comment »
A few mentions that the focus has been all British or Italian productions recently, so let’s have a change with CAT BALLOU (linked) from 1965. It starred Lee Marvin and Jane Fonda. Everyone’s seen it. It’s still a lot of fun.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin | Leave a Comment »
Review added in the 60s Retrospectives series of Privilege from 1967. It starred Paul Jones, fresh from Manfred Mann and Jean Shrimpton. The director was Peter Watkins, who won the 1967 Best Documentary Academy Award for “The War Game” (which he’d made in 1965, but it got banned). Privilege was his first feature film, a dystopian satire about a manipulative government-sponsored cult based on pop star Steve Shorter (Paul Jones). It’s a film that was criticized heavily at the time, but whose reputation has grown.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged George Bean Group, Jean Shrimpton, Mark London, Max Bacon, Paul Jones, Peter Watkins | 1 Comment »
Alfie? Which one? The 1966 Alfie with Michael Caine of course (Linked). Helliwell’s Film Guide, usually a strict critic, called it ‘One of the best 60s films’ so it was an essential next one in the 1960s retrospective series. Well worth seeing again.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alfie Bass, Bill Naughton, Cilla Black, Eleanor Bron, Graham Stark, Jane Asher, Julia Foster, Lewis Gilbert, Michael Caine, Millicent Martin, Murray Melvin, Shelley Winters, Shirley Anne Field, Sonny Rollins, Vivien Merchant | Leave a Comment »
The next 60s retrospective is Michelangelo Antonioni’s BLOW-UP (linked). Filmed in 1966 but really no one saw it until 1967. Starring David Hemmings and Vanessa Redgrave. It remains the definitive ‘Swinging London’ film for me. The visual storytelling works, and though it’s famed forThe Yardbirds appearance, that’s only a few minutes.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged David Hemmings, Edward Bond, Jane Birkin, Michelangelo Antonioni, Sarah Miles, Vanessa Redgrave | Leave a Comment »
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