Author Topic: Interesting! Very Interesting!  (Read 4592 times)

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Offline Iain Fisher

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Re: Interesting! Very Interesting!
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2009, 10:35:28 PM »
"But, I'd imagine the midget rabbis are Russell's idea"

Yes.  In the play they are Jews.  Making them rabbis fits in, but midgets...
Apart from things like this (which I like) it is pretty much faithful to the play.

Offline BoyScoutKevin

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Interesting! Very Interesting!
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2009, 10:51:34 PM »
As I said earlier, I think the list of "best" films are probably his best films, but I don't think they are his most interesting films. No, these are his most "interesting" films.

French Dressing
1. It's his first full length theatrical film, so we get to see for the first time, what he can do on the big screen.
2. It's his only black-and-white full length theatrical film.
3. While he'd make other comedies, and most of his other films would have some comedy in them, this is his nearest film to a "straight" comedy.

Aria
1. It's his shortest theatrical film to date.
2. It's his only silent film, or, at least, I don't remember any character dialogue.
3. As part of an anthology, one can compare his film with the films of the other directors.

Lair of the White Worm
1. There is alot going on in the film: the camp, the Lovecraftian vibe, the politics, the religion, the salute to Hammer, the sexual relationships, the social relationships. Often the relationships being one and the same.
2. Excluding his home movies and short subjects, it's probably his "purest" form of expression to date. Most of the time we have him adapting someone else's adaptation of someone else's original work, but here, he not only directed it, he also wrote it. And while it is based on Bram Stoker's novel of the same title, the only similiarity of the two is in the title.
3. Drama is easy. Comedy is hard. If "French Dressing" is regarded as being an unsatisfactory comedy, even Ken regards it as being somewhat unsatisfactory, in some regards, then "Lair of the White Worm" is a more satisfactory comedy. Thus, we see his progression as a director.

Trapped Ashes
1. His last theatrical film to date. Thus, we see his progression or regression as a director.
2. As part of an anthology, again, we can compare his film with the the films of the other director.

I had trouble, picking a fifth film, so I decided to pick one that was not one of my favorites, but . . .
Salome's Last Dance
1. An important play by an important playwright, but a play that is still so controversial, years after Oscar Wilde wrote it, it has seldom been turned into a film. This one of the few times it has.
2. The format is interesting, as it is a play within a play, more or less.
3. Again, we have alot going on underneath the surface, but how much of what is going on is Russell and how much is Wilde is anybody's guess. But, I'd imagine the midget rabbis are Russell's idea.