Britain's best known blonde bombshell takes centre stage in a new double bill release from the BFI'sAdelphi Collection, two films which feature the talents of Diana Dors in her prime.
In 1953's Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary, Dors plays Candy, the ex-wife of US airman Laurie Vining (BonarColleano), whose plans for a little R & R with his new bride are put in jeopardy by Candy when she claims the pair are still husband and wife.
My Wife's Lodger, from 1952, sees Dors star as Eunice, daughter of soldier Willie Higginbotham who has returned from six years away to find a new man, Roger the Lodger (Leslie Dwyer), with his feet under the table and his family barely aware he's back.
With Carry On star Sid James on hand (complete with suspect American accent) in Honeymoon, and a plot which seems to be trying to emulate screwball US comedies from the 1940s, this is the better film of the pair. Dors is on form as the sexy Candy, a sparkle in her eye that's a far cry from the look viewers would come to expect in later years. While My Wife's Lodger has a constant barrage of one-liners, Dors getting her fair share which she handles with aplomb, they do get wearing after a while.
Coming in a package which combines a DVD and Blu-ray copy of each film, both looking better than ever before, this is top notch treatment for two 1950s comedies which might not be well remembered but which offer fans of Dors and lesser remembered British movies of the period.
Also out now from the BFI is the first ever DVD release of Ken Loach's director's cut of his 1979 children's film, Black Jack.
Filmed in his trademark naturalistic style and set in the 18th century, the film features a young boy, Tolly (Stephen Hirst), who becomes embroiled in the machinations of Black Jack (French actor Jean Franvel), a criminal who is almost hanged but who survives to go on the run with his new friend.
Encountering an upper-class party travelling through the woods, the pair are hired to find an escaped lunatic girl, a search which will see the pair coming to the girls aide while getting mixed up in various schemes as part of a travelling fair.
Deserving of being dubbed a “romp”, Black Jack is both great fun and a beautiful film to look at: Loach has an eye for interesting angles and allows his actors to breathe, the style similar to his 1969 classic Kes, but this time with in period garb and guns.
A commentary from Loach describes the process which went into making the film and he's not afraid to be critical of his own talents while reminding us that it was made in a hurry and on a tight budget.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival is dead! Long live the Edinburgh International Film Festival! Don't panic, this week's budget hasn't added the EIFF to its list of cuts, but after a fortnight of watching films in darkened cinemas and avoiding the summer sun, I think something needs to change in 2011.
Donkeys. Winter's Bone. Get Low. Au Revoir Taipei. Monsters. HIGH School. Those were highlights in a festival which began with the stunning The Illusionist (walking through the Grassmarket the next day, I felt like I was on the best looking film set in the world) and ends tomorrow night with Third Star.
We had the usual mix of big and small films, Toy Story 3D placed next to movies such as Edinburgh's A Spanking in Paradise, like some sort of cinematic smorgasbord. The 1970s Retrospective was a revelation, appearances from Ken Russell and Mike Hodges welcome alongside some ultra-rare films.
But, apart from the return of Woody and Buzz to our screens, there was a feeling that the other buzz, old-school Hollywood glamour, was missing. One of my favourite EIFF strands is In Person, a chance to hear big-name actors and directors discussing their careers. This year, due to the cost to fly stars from LA, we had just one, Sir Patrick Stewart.
Many screenings were still attended by talent from around the world, but most were lesser known or first time writers/directors/actors. One director I spoke to noted that having his first film in Edinburgh in 2009 allowed him to make a second. While Cannes and London are great for red carpets, films often just disappear afterwards: here, things happen.
So, with 2011 looking to be hard on everyone, why not make a virtue out of the problem and try something radical for the 65th year? Scotland is known for punching above its weight, so let's think big and embrace technology. If we can't get one or two more of the heaviest hitters in cinema – Spielberg, Coppola, Redford – over here, why not beam live interviews from their homes to cinemas in Edinburgh and around Scotland?
Let's go one step further. Stream them on the Internet for anyone to watch, throw in a few ads from VisitScotland, and we have a global EIFF. If it's so hard to bring the world to Edinburgh, let's take Edinburgh to the rest of the world.
This article first appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News on Friday 25 June.
Sir Sean, a new Scottish comedy classic, the return of some classic and the chance to see some decent new movies just about sums up the last few days of my Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Coming right up-to-date, last night I headed along to the Festival Theatre, newly kitted out as Edinburgh's biggest and grandest cinema, to witness Sean Connery (I'm sure if you're local you're allowed to dispense with the 'Sir' part) introduce his 1975 movie, The Man Who Would Be King, alongside co-star Saeed "Billy Fish" Jaffery. Both men may be getting older - Sean hits the big 80 in the next few months - but they both clearly relished being in front of the crowd.
Sean in particular seemed emotional at returning to the city and recalled how years ago he and members of the EIFF committee tried to acquire the Festival Theatre for film screenings, but that costs had been too great. Outgoing Managing Director Ginnie Atkinson noted that Edinburgh needed something as grand as this to compete with other European countries and, while the seats may not be the most comfortable, it's hard to disagree with her that it's an impressive venue.
I've caught up with a bundle of new films over the last few days, most notably the sequel to 2006's Red Road, Donkeys. While Red Road was bleak and unsettling, Donkeys is the complete opposite, a funny take on family problems starring James Cosmo, Kate Dickie and Martin Compston. I was taken by the clever dialogue and the move between drama and comedy which is well handled by all involved - I hope it finally gets a cinema release after sitting on the shelf for two years.
Another Scottish film I had high hopes for is Outcast, which premiered at the EIFF. The Edinburgh-set horror promised much from actors James Nesbitt and Kate Dickie, but I found it a real chore to sit through. It takes its time to build up suspense but doesn't reward the patient viewer with anything satisfying, though some may appreciate the fact that it doesn't go all out for gore. A wasted opportunity.
If you were lucky over the weekend you may have been in the queue to see Toy Story 3D, which arrived in Edinburgh just one day after its US release. The return of old friends Woody, Buzz and co. was one of the best cinema experiences I've had this year, an emotional return to the world of characters who came to life once more having been away for a decade.
Other films worth catching if you can are: US drama Winter's Bone, a dark, noirish, drama about a young girl searching for her drug addict father; Jackoots on Whitehall, a puppet-led adventure story set in an alternate world where the Nazi's took over Britain, with the voice of Ewan McGregor; HIGH School, a stoner comedy set in a US high school where a well-regarded student has to ensure all his schoolmates get high to foil a new drugs test; and The Hunter, an Iranian drama about a widowed husband who takes revenge on the police who allowed his wife and child to die but gets more than he bargained for.
I'm also thoroughly enjoying the Retrospective strand, which looks back at forgotten films from the 1970s. Director Stephen Frears introduced Gumshoe yesterday and today sees Edinburgh-set The Long Shot, filmed at the 1977 EIFF, receive a screening at 3.15 - head along if you can and you might even see yourself in it if you were around town that year.
You can read some of my longer reviews over at www.reelscotland.com or you can follow me on Twitter for more on this year's EIFF.
Well, it's been and gone already - the Opening Night screening of The Illusionist took place last night at the Festival Theatre and Sir Sean Connery took to the red carpet to celebrate - but the 64th Edinburgh International Film Festival has only just began.
While you'll find my Illusionist review in today's Evening News (spoiler alert! I loved it), I've also watched a few other films over the last few days, with more to come.
Highlights so far include sci-fi/romance/action drama Monsters, set in an almost present day America, and a new documentary all about the fans' love (and hate) for the creator of Star Wars in The People vs George Lucas. More of those in Friday's paper, but I've also been writing up more on my screenings over on www.reelscotland.com - head over to find out more about what it's worth spending your money on...one tip is to avoid The Last Rites of Ransom Pride, it's rancid...
Follow me on Twitter for more on this year's EIFF.
It’s a double dose of Italian horror this week as two 1970s genre classics hit DVD in gorgeous new transfers.
1974’s Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (Optimum) stars Ray Lovelock as a North of England based art dealer, George, who finds himself mixed up in supernatural goings on in the countryside when he hitches a lift from Edna (Cristina Galbó).
When a zombie attacks Edna’s car as a result of an electronic pest control machine going wrong and the police become involved, primarily in the form of a stubborn Inspector (Arthur Kennedy), it soon becomes a fight for survival for George and those he comes into contact with.
Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (Optimum) from 1973, was director by cult favourite Lucio Fulci and focuses on the beautiful Carol Hammond (Florinda Bolkan) who is suffering from a series of explicit dreams which often end in the violent death of neighbor, Julia Durer (Anita Stridberg). When Durer is then found dead in reality, the investigations of Inspector Corvin (Stanley Baker) uncover a strange reality which will need all of his expertise to understand.
Dubbed to within an inch of their lives by non-Italian casts and free to go more OTT with the blood and gore, it’s probably safe to say that you’ll know if you’re going to enjoy both films within the first 10 minutes. But, give them a chance, and you could be entranced by the sheer ludicrousness of the scripts and energy of the actors involved.
Of the two, Morgue is the more accessible, the dialogue more entertaining and the concept behind it suggesting a deeper, ecological, meaning to the creation of zombies as opposed to anything supernatural.
Lizard, on the other hand, is more problematical, requiring much greater head scratching from the viewer to work out quite what's going on, while Stanley Baker's policeman (and his annoying whistle) are a bizarre addition.
While extras are non-existent, both films have been given a spit and polish worthy of their cult reputations and it's a pleasure to watch them as they were meant to be seen.
Hannah McGill on the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2010
Fresh from announcing 2010’s Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) programme to the world’s press in her role as Artistic Director, it’s a tired, yet clearly enthusiastic, Hannah McGill who sits down to talk to me in the busy Filmhouse café.
“People think the launch is just the start of the Festival, but to us it’s the end of a year’s work,“ notes McGill, reaching for a much needed coffee. “Luckily people seem to like what they’ve seen, with ticket sales up 40% compared to last year.”
Leafing through the brochure, it’s a noticeably leaner, less flashy festival we see before us, the focus more on new films than celebrity guests.
“We rebranded to focus on discovery and my commitment is to finding new talent. Eighty-per-cent of the films will have talent with them, including Patrick Stewart, Rhys Ifans and Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera, but we’re focusing less on A-list actors from LA because it costs so much and I’d rather spend money on the filmmakers.”
What does McGill think is the best way to navigate through the programme?“There are two quite distinct approaches to choosing films at the EIFF. Some of the audience want to get a jump on their friends and see big films before they come out, like Toy Story 3, World’s Greatest Dad, Mr Nice and The Runaways. There are also those people who’s specific interest is in things they might not get a chance to see and who are happy to trawl for the strange little films Jackboots on Whitehall, which is a stunner. As a punter that’s where I’d want to spend my money.
“We’ve also got ways through the programme which suggests other films, and we have so many trailers on the website now and people can watch them for lots of films. Whether they’ve got distributors or not, filmmakers are cutting their own trailers and the majority are online. Once the catalogue is out you can buy that and it has much more detail on all the films, so you can read more in-depth about them.”
Locals keen to see Edinburgh on the big screen are spoilt for choice, with four films set and made in the city, including opening night animated film, 1950s-set The Illusionist.“Watching The Illusionist for the first time made me happy,” beams McGill, “It makes you feel warm towards your fellow humans and certainly towards Scotland. I had a real patriotic Scottish buzz, wanting to go up to people and say ‘it really does look like that, he wasn’t making it up'. The film wouldn’t have been set in Scotland had Sylvain not come to the EIFF with Belleville Rendezvous, fallen in love with the country and moved up here. So many people worked on it in Edinburgh over the years.”
Elsewhere, Outcast is an “extraordinary” British monster movie, “really good at social realism, while the supernatural side is done with verve: it’s properly scary. It’s an old-school British horror movie and it’s really moving in the way that An American Werewolf in London has that sad, emotional dimension, and any film which reminds me of that is worth seeing.”
Outcast also stars Edinburgh actress Hanna Stanbridge: “When I told the publicists I wanted her to be at the premiere they told me she lives on Morrison Street, so I think we might be in with a chance there.”
According to McGill, the intriguingly titled A Spanking in Paradise, set in the capital’s underworld, is “Very edgy and really honest about a side of Edinburgh you don’t see or hear much about. More and more I love the spirit and energy you get from truly independent films, when you can tell there’s not been a funder sitting on their shoulder going 'you can’t do that or you need a star in that role,' They made it for buttons, most of them didn’t get paid, but because of that it’s got the freedom to be what it is.”
Lost gem, 1977’s EIFF-set Long Shot, has been exhumed from the vaults and could have been the opening night film, had she had her way.
Perhaps the oddest “film” of the Festival is The Dunwich Horror, an audio-only, Scottish-made, movie for which the audience sits in a darkened cinema while monsters, crashes and bangs are heard around them: forget 3D, this is 0D.
But, I ask, isn’t it just a radio play? Laughing, McGill shakes her head: “No, because it’s in surround sound! Innes Smith is a brilliant stand-up comedian who got in touch and said we’ve made this film that’s experimenting with how much you can do with sound in a cinema space.
“Yes, it’s not that different from a radio play, but because it’s full of monsters and noises and crashes and bangs and because you’re in a space where it echoes around you, I think it’s going to be an interesting experience.”
Read the full transcript of this interview on www.reelscotland.com from tomorrow.
In 1953's Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary, Dors plays Candy, the ex-wife of US airman Laurie Vining (Bonar Colleano), whose plans for a little R & R with his new bride are put in jeopardy by Candy when she claims the pair are still husband and wife.
Filmed in his trademark naturalistic style and set in the 18th century, the film features a young boy, Tolly (Stephen Hirst), who becomes embroiled in the machinations of Black Jack (French actor Jean Franvel), a criminal who is almost hanged but who survives to go on the run with his new friend.
In 1953's Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary, Dors plays Candy, the ex-wife of US airman Laurie Vining (Bonar Colleano), whose plans for a little R & R with his new bride are put in jeopardy by Candy when she claims the pair are still husband and wife.
Filmed in his trademark naturalistic style and set in the 18th century, the film features a young boy, Tolly (Stephen Hirst), who becomes embroiled in the machinations of Black Jack (French actor Jean Franvel), a criminal who is almost hanged but who survives to go on the run with his new friend.
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