Stellar ensemble cast, beautifully shot, some of the best underplayed/understated humor ever written for and caught on film, and quite possibly the closest anyone in the English language cinematic realm has gotten to that much used/abused concept from South American lit, magical realism. Also pretty much the film that has made me a low-key Peter Riegert fan to this day.
Still, perhaps nothing can beat Norman Chancer as abuse therapist Moritz.
"I'm still HERE, Happer!"
Agree or disagree with any of that as you like.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 August 2006 16:04 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 August 2006 16:09 (seventeen years ago) link
The films of Bill Forsyth - C or D/S & D ?
― Picnics and Pixie Stix (Charles McCain), Saturday, 5 August 2006 16:14 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 August 2006 16:16 (seventeen years ago) link
― Aimless (Aimless), Saturday, 5 August 2006 16:18 (seventeen years ago) link
x-post
― Picnics and Pixie Stix (Charles McCain), Saturday, 5 August 2006 16:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― jel -- (jel), Saturday, 5 August 2006 17:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 August 2006 17:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― gabbneb (gabbneb), Saturday, 5 August 2006 17:15 (seventeen years ago) link
― Jaq (Jaq), Saturday, 5 August 2006 17:16 (seventeen years ago) link
I suppose it has to do with whether the one character is really a mermaid...
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 August 2006 17:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― Aimless (Aimless), Saturday, 5 August 2006 17:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:00 (seventeen years ago) link
I was just up on the west coast of Scotland a couple of weeks ago and it is as beautiful as it looks in the film - although the village (for reasons I dont understand) is on the east coast. I visted that place a few years ago and took a picture.http://static.flickr.com/47/113817823_d4b363f7c2_m.jpgAnd there's a plaque...http://static.flickr.com/48/113817824_568c5ebec3.jpg?v=0
Ned, what did the guy on the mailing list do on the film? And what did he think of Lancaster? I'd love some background.
It does have a magical element esp. when Happer turns up in a helicopter and saves the day (and possibly Fulton Mackay's ass). Which reminds me - it's a lovely performance by the man Mackay, in fact the performaces all round are great. It;s just...er...great.
Keep watching the sky, MacIntyre!
― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:02 (seventeen years ago) link
xpost - that's the one Ned T is referring to.
Breaking In is no worse than Being Human. Or Gregory's Two Girls. Perhaps he should have stopped in about 1984.
― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:03 (seventeen years ago) link
This was actually music writer T0mmy Ud0, so I'm gathering this was an earlier (and obviously more general) freelance assignment when he was starting out. Sez Burt was a gentleman and a half but he doesn't remember too much about the evening given its overall bibulousness.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:07 (seventeen years ago) link
I heard at the time that BL took only expenses (and obviously a trip to Scotland) - probably a bit of myth making but it fits in with the general vibe of the film.
Mrs Trifle is away tonight being pampered and so I think I deserve another viewing. And it's a good excuse to open my new bottle of Laphroaig.
― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:11 (seventeen years ago) link
Classic...
― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:14 (seventeen years ago) link
― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:32 (seventeen years ago) link
Er, no it isn't. Assuming you're talking about Pennan.
― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:40 (seventeen years ago) link
http://www.robinwilson.net/pennancu/pennan.html has a lovely panoramic picture you can scoot around and have a nosey.
― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― Louis Jagger (Haberdager), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 5 August 2006 19:06 (seventeen years ago) link
Here's a mildly diverting article by an American visitor to the locations of Local Hero - complete with pics also.
Obv. you are being more specific in your definition of east coast. And I respect that :)
― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Saturday, 5 August 2006 19:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Saturday, 5 August 2006 19:08 (seventeen years ago) link
Useless bit of trivia. The phone box is a prop, as the real phone box in Pennan was in a less photogenic place.
― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 5 August 2006 19:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 5 August 2006 19:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 5 August 2006 19:13 (seventeen years ago) link
― Louis Jagger (Haberdager), Saturday, 5 August 2006 19:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 5 August 2006 19:28 (seventeen years ago) link
(Stew, when you get to this thread, as I'm sure you will, do you still want to borrow that off me?)
― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 5 August 2006 19:40 (seventeen years ago) link
well yes, that's what i was referring to - but it's just a helicopter
touche
― gabbneb (gabbneb), Saturday, 5 August 2006 19:47 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Saturday, 5 August 2006 20:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 5 August 2006 22:46 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 5 August 2006 23:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― g00blar (gooblar), Sunday, 6 August 2006 15:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Sunday, 6 August 2006 16:56 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dave B (daveb), Sunday, 6 August 2006 17:45 (seventeen years ago) link
Reviving being I'm using the Capaldi casting in DW as an excuse to tell more people about this film.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 5 August 2013 14:41 (ten years ago) link
it's p good; i'll take lair of the white worm instead
― johnny crunch, Monday, 5 August 2013 14:53 (ten years ago) link
LH is one of the best Hollywood-produced films of the '80s.
Which cast member appeared the same year in Return of the Jedi?
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Monday, 5 August 2013 15:00 (ten years ago) link
I'd guess Dennis Lawson
― nate woolls, Monday, 5 August 2013 15:04 (ten years ago) link
Denis Lawson
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Monday, 5 August 2013 15:05 (ten years ago) link
gah xp
I mentioned on another thread seeing a lousy film from a couple of years ago called Bitter/Sweet. It's basically an attempt to remake Local Hero--Thailand instead of Scotland, coffee instead of oil, James Brolin instead of Burt Lancaster--with a love story worked in.
― clemenza, Monday, 5 August 2013 15:09 (ten years ago) link
still get a huge kick out of the bit with the hammering on the roof. that and "I'll be a good Gordon, Gordon".
― piscesx, Monday, 5 August 2013 15:45 (ten years ago) link
I've been meaning to see this for decades and finally did. What a sweet film. Felt a little like it was a little rushed, though, which was odd for a film so much about taking your time, but I can't imagine back then Forsyth getting away with making it even slower and longer. I suppose he might have swapped all the broad goofy therapist stuff for even more of the town and its people.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 9 June 2019 12:41 (four years ago) link
Nice story...I loved seeing Clare Grogan in Gregory's Girl. The films were released over here out of order, but I'm pretty sure I saw Gregory's Girl before Comfort and Joy, so I didn't yet know her (or Altered Images until much later). I took the screenshot below for something else--she's like Bill Forsyth's Monica Vitti. Also didn't know there was a Gregory's Girl sequel (1999) until I was doing some reading on Forsyth last night. Only because I found a really cheap copy, I ordered it--looks pretty bad.
https://phildellio.tripod.com/comfort.jpg
― clemenza, Sunday, 24 January 2021 13:07 (three years ago) link
The Gregory's sequel used to be on Netflix Instant; I started it out of morbid curiosity because (IIRC) I saw it on some listicle about 'Movies sunk by their opening scenes' or something, and yeah, that opening scene is pretty o_O. Didn't get any further in than that.
― "what are you DOING to fleetwood mac??" (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 24 January 2021 14:58 (three years ago) link
Gregory's Two Girls is dreadful.
― ailsa, Sunday, 24 January 2021 15:41 (three years ago) link
Askit Powders, Glasgow's very own painkiller!
― Waterloo Subset (Tom D.), Sunday, 24 January 2021 15:45 (three years ago) link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Askit_Powders
― Waterloo Subset (Tom D.), Sunday, 24 January 2021 15:46 (three years ago) link
Askit addiction and subsequent renal failure was a big thing in mid 20th century Glasgow
― Fenners' Pen (jim in vancouver), Sunday, 24 January 2021 18:27 (three years ago) link
As if people weren't unhealthy enough.
― Waterloo Subset (Tom D.), Sunday, 24 January 2021 18:32 (three years ago) link
Has anyone seen That Sinking Feeling? I'd order that, too, but it's a little bit pricier. I can see where it might be a clumsy blueprint for better films to follow--not sure if I want to pay $25 to find out.
― clemenza, Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:17 (three years ago) link
Love it. You might need subtitles except I believe there's another version where they dubbed some less strong accents - which sounds horrific to me. Not sure it's worth $25 though!
― Waterloo Subset (Tom D.), Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:21 (three years ago) link
Yeah, from memory they dubbed in some actors with Edinburgh actors for the US release, I believe, and then the original prints got lost so the redub was used on a DVD.
― Alba, Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:23 (three years ago) link
Edinburgh accents
It's a sin!
― Waterloo Subset (Tom D.), Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:30 (three years ago) link
I'll definitely need the captioning--hell, I need captioning now for people who sound exactly like me--but I'll check, and if that's included I'll order then.
― clemenza, Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:38 (three years ago) link
w/English subtitles--done!
― clemenza, Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:40 (three years ago) link
I watched That Sinking Feeling on VHS tape some time back in the 1990s. My memory tells me the production value was low, but pretty good considering the tiny budget, the script and direction were strong, the acting was uneven, but surprisingly effective. Overall, it's the kind of film that more recently would show up on the film festival circuit unheralded and win all the 'audience favorite' awards. You'll like it.
― Respectfully Yours, (Aimless), Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:00 (three years ago) link
I'm a bit of a bill forsyth sceptic but like that sinking feeling
― Fenners' Pen (jim in vancouver), Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:01 (three years ago) link
I think I’m unusual in liking That Sinking Feeling, Gregory’s Girl, Local Hero and Comfort and Joy all about the same. I haven’t seen any of his later ones. Maybe 20 minutes of Gregory’s Two Girls before deciding no.
― Alba, Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:18 (three years ago) link
OK the TSF prints weren’t lost, it was more complex than that:https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/oct/09/drama
― Alba, Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:24 (three years ago) link
As soon as I read the headline on that piece, I realized "(the) heist film in there I didn't care for" was That Sinking Feeling...That's okay; I liked Gregory's Girl better this time than way back when. There must have been at least a five-year delay in That Sinking Feeling making it over here.
― clemenza, Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:29 (three years ago) link
That heist film might have been the Burt Reynolds one, Breaking In. I didn't like it much at all, even though it was filmed in Portland.
― Respectfully Yours, (Aimless), Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:31 (three years ago) link
Wow--he did two of them. You could very well be right.
― clemenza, Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:33 (three years ago) link
They should have face-swapped Burt Reynolds into That Sinking Feeling for the US market.
― Alba, Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:37 (three years ago) link
I watched Local Hero last week. The end section after Burt Lancaster arrives is a bit underpowered but it's mostly very good. I love Dennis Lawson and Fulton MacKay in it. It's a really good film for right now as well.
― Pie face (jed_), Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:37 (three years ago) link
Confusing the two would seem highly improbable tbh. Also I can't imagine "That Sinking Feeling" being described as a heist movie.
― Waterloo Subset (Tom D.), Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:39 (three years ago) link
The Graun article describes it as "Glasgow's contribution to the bathroom sink heist genre" as well as the headline gag.
― shivers me timber (sic), Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:47 (three years ago) link
I think ‘heist movie’ is one of those descriptors that people enjoy applying more at the margins than the core (cf. Man On Wire)
― Alba, Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:49 (three years ago) link
This will win me no friends here, but Local Hero never did much for me. It always kind of seemed to me like a proto-version of one of those whimsical Miramax 90s comedies like The Full Monty or Waking Ned Devine--less aggressively cutesy, sure, but in the same ballpark. Some things I don't mind: the character who lives in the shipwrecked boat, and the guy who plays the main actor's assistant in Scotland (the one who falls for the marine biologist). But I don't feel anything for the lead or care about his perspective, which leaves me uninvested in his transformation, and none of the Lancaster material is all that funny (despite otherwise liking the film, Kael basically agrees with me on this point).
Likely as a result, it is still the only Forsythe that I've seen. I did look for Housekeeping after I read the novel back in my undergrad, but I couldn't find it to rent anywhere at the time.
― edited for dog profanity (cryptosicko), Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:52 (three years ago) link
"the guy who plays"!!
― shivers me timber (sic), Sunday, 24 January 2021 20:57 (three years ago) link
Looked him up on Wiki just now, and what can I say? He's someone who is famous for a bunch of things I don't pay attention to--Doctor Who, The Thick of It. I've seen quite a few movies he's in, but never made the connection.
― edited for dog profanity (cryptosicko), Sunday, 24 January 2021 21:10 (three years ago) link
It always kind of seemed to me like a proto-version of one of those whimsical Miramax 90s comedies like The Full Monty
This is utter bollocks.
― Pie face (jed_), Sunday, 24 January 2021 21:15 (three years ago) link
I don't agree, cryptosicko, but I come up short the same way with Housekeeping, and even Gregory's Girl I didn't like as much the first time, so I understand. Droll and quiet can be a coin flip--for whatever reason, I immediately connected with Local Hero and Comfort and Joy.
Also I can't imagine "That Sinking Feeling" being described as a heist movie.
The one I saw was a full-on heist film, so it must have been the Burt Reynolds.
― clemenza, Sunday, 24 January 2021 21:33 (three years ago) link
I should also add that it is has been a good decade-plus since I've seen Local hero (still ten or so years removed from the Full Monty era, but closer enough to possibly explain my reaction), and that its brand of gentle humour may be more my speed these days. I didn't like Tati at first, either.
― edited for dog profanity (cryptosicko), Sunday, 24 January 2021 21:44 (three years ago) link
crypto - yeah, I figured you would have seen some other of his films, not just being outraged at you failing to respect the only Doctor Who to win an Oscar (btw he was definitely "famous" before The Thick Of It)
― shivers me timber (sic), Sunday, 24 January 2021 23:20 (three years ago) link
this movie is a tonic. I watched it twice tonight.
― fbclid=fhAZ3l (f. hazel), Wednesday, 24 February 2021 07:00 (three years ago) link
If you love Local Hero there's a strong chance you love Limbo, which I saw tonight. I found it extremely moving.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pdLSXjEAoc
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Thursday, 5 August 2021 22:56 (two years ago) link
Amir El-Masry's central performance is a miracle.
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Thursday, 5 August 2021 22:58 (two years ago) link
Doesn’t seem to be streaming in this US,*sigh*
― No Particular Place to POLL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 5 August 2021 23:17 (two years ago) link
It's going to be on Mubi soon, they bought it for distribution.
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Saturday, 7 August 2021 23:53 (two years ago) link
Think I saw it was already on MUBI Ireland & UK.
― No Particular Place to POLL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 August 2021 00:02 (two years ago) link
It's not yet, I just checked, but I think it's coming on to the platform when the cinema run ends in a week or so.
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Sunday, 8 August 2021 00:08 (two years ago) link
Some of the humour in this is a bit too broad and doesn't quite land (although my cinema partner disagreed) but I can forgive it a lot because it is so deeply felt and complex as an entire work. I have a very specific niggle about the Scottish accents in it too - Hebridean accents are very specific but rarely deployed here - but again, the same, I forgive it.
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Sunday, 8 August 2021 00:15 (two years ago) link
It would have just elevated it to hear actual outer-hebrides accents on screen though. It would have been nice to hear some Gaelic too. A lot of Oueter-Hebridean-Scots don't, won't or even can't speak English. I was shocked to go there on a theatre tour and encounter people who can't speak English and only know Gaelic.
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Sunday, 8 August 2021 00:19 (two years ago) link
but there's the Lancaster accent
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 8 August 2021 00:22 (two years ago) link
Amazing to think there are Scots who can't speak English but it's true, there are (though it's very rare, now).
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Sunday, 8 August 2021 00:23 (two years ago) link
Is that a reference to something, Alf?
I think Soto is referring to Burt Lancaster, not to the English region Lancaster, or to the dialect of anyone in the film Limbo
― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Sunday, 8 August 2021 00:36 (two years ago) link
ah!
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Sunday, 8 August 2021 01:30 (two years ago) link
Thanks, my darling.
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Sunday, 8 August 2021 01:53 (two years ago) link
You’re my eyes and ears!
― No Particular Place to POLL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 August 2021 08:57 (two years ago) link
Because a little time is all we have left.
― it is to laugh, like so, ha! (Aimless), Sunday, 8 August 2021 18:34 (two years ago) link