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Topic Summary

Posted by: BoyScoutKevin
« on: August 13, 2011, 10:58:36 PM »

A play about Oliver Reed

www.brockleyjack.co.uk/brockley_jack_studio_whats_on.html

"In this blistering one-man show we invite you to join legendary hell-raiser Oliver Reed.  As he knocks back a few pints he shares his incredible life story.  From the boyhood excitement of learning he was a descendant of Peter the Great, through the success of Oliver!, boozy adventures with Keith Moon and disastrous chat show appearances - this was a life well lived. 

But though Ollie may appear an unstoppable force of nature, this is Malta, 1999, and time is fast running out for the Wild Thing."

I am not sure about the description " this was a life well lived".  A bit of a cliche ignoring how his alcoholism killed him and possibly limited his achievements.

An one-man show about Oliver Reed would work. It just depends upon how well the actor playing the role of Oliver Reed captures the essence of the man and actor that was Oliver Reed.
Posted by: Iain Fisher
« on: August 11, 2011, 01:15:37 AM »

A play about Oliver Reed

www.brockleyjack.co.uk/brockley_jack_studio_whats_on.html

"In this blistering one-man show we invite you to join legendary hell-raiser Oliver Reed.  As he knocks back a few pints he shares his incredible life story.  From the boyhood excitement of learning he was a descendant of Peter the Great, through the success of Oliver!, boozy adventures with Keith Moon and disastrous chat show appearances - this was a life well lived. 

But though Ollie may appear an unstoppable force of nature, this is Malta, 1999, and time is fast running out for the Wild Thing."

I am not sure about the description " this was a life well lived".  A bit of a cliche ignoring how his alcoholism killed him and possibly limited his achievements.
Posted by: BoyScoutKevin
« on: May 22, 2009, 01:50:23 AM »

I didn't realise Curse was the only Hammer werewolf.  In my faulty memory I assumed there were as many sequels as there were Hammer Draculas and Frankensteins.

And even the Universal Wolf Man sequels were limited to joint films with other monsters.

Why were the werewolf films exploited so little?

That's a good question, and my answer is "I don't know." Maybe somebody out there does know. I'd like to have seen more werewolf films from Hammer, i only because I'm such a fan of "Curse of the Werewolf."
Posted by: Iain Fisher
« on: May 10, 2009, 12:12:29 AM »

Talking of Hammer Films, the best were the Peter Cushing/ Christopher Lee partnerships.  Lee was as good as Lugosi as Dracula.  His limited dialogue (sometimes because he thought the scripted dialogue was so weak he refused to speak it) and his menace are perfect.  He is very tall, which also helps- in one Dracula film, I forget which, he rushes up some stairs and does it in three or four bounds which was almost flying.

The early Frankenstein films suffered because Hammer were not allowed to use the original makeup, so they look pretty poor.
Posted by: Iain Fisher
« on: May 10, 2009, 12:04:27 AM »

I didn't realise Curse was the only Hammer werewolf.  In my faulty memory I assumed there were as many sequels as there were Hammer Draculas and Frankensteins.

And even the Universal Wolf Man sequels were limited to joint films with other monsters.

Why were the werewolf films exploited so little?
Posted by: BoyScoutKevin
« on: April 19, 2009, 10:38:00 PM »

When was 'Curse' made? Is it a Hammer film?

'I'll Never Forget What's 'is Name' has a great turn from Orson Welles as Reed's boss. I think Carol White and Marianne Faithfull are also in it.

I presume that you mean "Curse of the Werewolf." It was made in 1961, and yes it is a Hammer Film Production. And someone can correct me, if I'm wrong, but I do believe it is the only werewolf film made by Hammer.

And "I'll Never Forget What's 'Is Name" did star both Carol White and Marianne Faithful.
Posted by: regal26
« on: April 07, 2009, 06:51:05 PM »

When was 'Curse' made? Is it a Hammer film?

'I'll Never Forget What's 'is Name' has a great turn from Orson Welles as Reed's boss. I think Carol White and Marianne Faithfull are also in it.
Posted by: Iain Fisher
« on: April 07, 2009, 04:59:17 PM »

I think "something about little kids with mallets and Samantha Eggar with a bloody foetus" is a pretty good summary of Brood.  Cronenberg just manages to keep it above the laughable and make it menacing and unnerving.  Reed has a very good scene verbally bullying his adult son, quite harrowing.

Shivers and Rabid are equally quirky/ good.

I've never seen "I'll never forget...", I'll add it to my (enormous) films to see list.

What about Reed as the Werewolf (Curse of the Werewolf I think)?

Iain
Posted by: regal26
« on: April 07, 2009, 02:32:16 PM »

Forgot about 'The Brood.' Should probably check that one out again...haven't seen it in years. I remember something about little kids with mallets and Samantha Eggar with a bloody foetus.

I agree most of Reed's best work was with Russell.

But I also forgot about the films Reed made with Michael Winner. Specifically 'I'll Never Forget What's is' Name'. Great opening scene where Reed carries an axe to work and destroys his desk with it...
Posted by: Iain Fisher
« on: April 06, 2009, 10:08:52 PM »

Twilight Zone: after posting the previous message I went to the theatre to see "Edward Gan't Amazing Feats of Loneliness" by Anthony Neilson in the Soho Theatre, London, and in the audience was a man wearing an Oliver Reed tshirt ("King of the Hellraisers/ Lost in Action").
Posted by: Iain Fisher
« on: April 06, 2009, 05:39:54 PM »

I think his best work was with Ken, particularly The Devils.

I liked him in David Cronenberg's The Brood.  A strange quirky film.
Posted by: regal26
« on: April 03, 2009, 04:03:33 PM »

Since most of the latest postings have been about recent news, I thought I'd drop a few good words about Oliver Reed.

Although more notorious for his legendary drinking habits than his acting career, I've always thought that he had a quietly menacing screen presence that was used to good effect in films such as Richard Lester's 'The Three Musketeers,' Nicolas Roeg's 'Castaway' and 'Oliver' (directed by Reed's uncle, Carol Reed).

As one of Ken Russell's most frequent collaborators, Reed can be seen in many of his films including:

The Debussy Film
Dante's Inferno
Women in Love
The Devils
Mahler (cameo)
Tommy
Lisztomania (cameo)
Prisoner of Honor.

Oliver Reed died of a heart attack in Malta during the shooting of Ridley Scott's Gladiator, reportedly after drinking large quantities of rum and arm-wrestling some sailors.




Here's to you.