Local Hero

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smdh

Burt is the eccentric face of capitalism

another studio wd've cast DJTrump

a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Monday, 17 June 2019 21:55 (four years ago) link

Well, yeah. I guess I mean as an erstwhile villain, symbolic or not, I could have done without all the broad therapy stuff.

Josh in Chicago, Monday, 17 June 2019 22:00 (four years ago) link

having seen this since i was young but literally every other bill forsyth film I've seen or rewatched as an adult has been bad.

findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Monday, 17 June 2019 22:40 (four years ago) link

he's not the villain, no one is, it's a bill forsyth joint

he's on-screen a lot bcz he's great on-screen, and forsyth wrote a film for him to be on-screen a lot bcz this was amazing to able to do from where BF was standing at that point

this is far and away his best film (gregory's girl is nice but no one can act)(jenny seagrove can't act in local hero, it's a bill forsyth joint)

mark s, Monday, 17 June 2019 22:55 (four years ago) link

Housekeeping is a great film imho, Christine Lahti should've hauled in all the awards

a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 18 June 2019 02:03 (four years ago) link

Mark: I keep plugging Comfort and Joy--have you seen that? Seems very few have.

clemenza, Tuesday, 18 June 2019 02:28 (four years ago) link

not since the 80s! i think i liked it but not as much as local hero

the ice-cream truck jingle is still stuck in my head but i remember very little else ("hullo folks!")

mark s, Tuesday, 18 June 2019 09:10 (four years ago) link

three weeks pass...

Next year, Forsyth and Knopfler have a musical version up at the Old Vic.

https://www.oldvictheatre.com/whats-on/2020/local-hero

a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 14 July 2019 13:51 (four years ago) link

You’ve got to be kidding

Ask Heavy Manners (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 14 July 2019 14:37 (four years ago) link

They already did this in Edinburgh earlier this year.

van dyke parks generator (anagram), Sunday, 14 July 2019 15:07 (four years ago) link

Tom, delete Edinburgh now.

Ask Heavy Manners (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 14 July 2019 15:09 (four years ago) link

never spotted at the time that knopfler did the soundtrack -- i'm listening now and it's mellow!

(his first, according to wikipedia)

mark s, Tuesday, 16 July 2019 16:00 (four years ago) link

oh you'll know the last track on that i'm sure

Br. Des Shadows (NickB), Tuesday, 16 July 2019 16:03 (four years ago) link

i mean, even outside of the film

Br. Des Shadows (NickB), Tuesday, 16 July 2019 16:04 (four years ago) link

for the US release, Knopfler certainly seemed the most "sellable" element of the film aside from Burt's presence

a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 16 July 2019 16:13 (four years ago) link

The U.S. poster added Lancaster standing behind Peter Reigert on the beach.

Hideous Lump, Thursday, 18 July 2019 04:49 (four years ago) link

four months pass...

rewatched via CC edition last night... exquisite. I think the funniest Burt line is "He wants to sell me the sand?"

a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 3 December 2019 18:56 (four years ago) link

There's an interview w/ Forsyth where the critic reads a letter to BF in '83 from Michael Powell, full of praise, except for "Burt went over the top and you let him."

a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 3 December 2019 18:58 (four years ago) link

"We have an injured rabbit!"

A is for (Aimless), Tuesday, 3 December 2019 18:58 (four years ago) link

"It was suffering... That (leg) was a clean break -- you can check the bones."

Peter Capaldi's limbs-flying running style is hilarious (and possibly copped from Jerry Lewis).

a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 3 December 2019 19:01 (four years ago) link

(it's "We have an injured rabbit also")

a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 3 December 2019 19:02 (four years ago) link

(tips hat to morbs)

A is for (Aimless), Tuesday, 3 December 2019 19:05 (four years ago) link

the actors who play Gordon and the abuse therapist were in, respectively, Return of the Jedi and Empire Strikes Back.

a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 3 December 2019 19:35 (four years ago) link

Peter Capaldi's limbs-flying running style is hilarious (and possibly copped from Jerry Lewis).

this is Capaldi's actual run: his fellow Scottish/Italian Armando Ianucci would contrive reasons for the character Malcolm Tucker to run in The Thick Of It and In The Loop bcz he also correctly finds it hilarious

insecurity bear (sic), Wednesday, 4 December 2019 01:23 (four years ago) link

one month passes...

In the CC supps, Forsyth twice says that one of his inspirations for LH was... "The Beverly Hillbillies."

He did not write a hut dialogue scene between Ben the beachcomber and Happer because he didn't know what they would say, and also he thought the movie should reflect that chambers of power are usually secretive.

There's also a South Bank Show segment of David Puttnam having a marketing meeting where it's decided the target audience is "over 25s" and "housewives."

The CC booklet reveals that there's a critical study of BF's films titled Discomfort and Joy.

a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 25 January 2020 21:11 (four years ago) link

eleven months pass...

There's a Bill Forsyth thread on I Love Film...I'll post here instead.

I watched Housekeeping tonight for the first time since it came out. (I've been paying for a Criterion subscription for six months, and I think this is the third time I've used it. Just laziness--have to hook up the laptop to the TV.) I was disappointed at the time and puzzled by the acclaim. I love Comfort and Joy--listed it on my ILX ballot for the upcoming poll--same with Local Hero. (I'm going to watch Gregory's Girl this weekend. There was a heist film in there I didn't care for.)

I would have been 26 when Housekeeping came out; I am, of course, so much wiser and thoughtful 33 years later, so surely I'd love it. No--I still think the other two are much better. It's well made, Lahti's good, etc.; I haven't read the novel, so maybe it's exceptionally faithful to that. I again found it flat--in part because of the narration, in part, I think, because of the sisters, especially Lucille. Whimsical humour is hit or miss with me--I find Playtime an ordeal--but I consider those other two films as good in that department as it gets. There was little of that in Housekeeping, and I missed it. The ending was good. Weirdly, Dead Ringers crossed my mind a couple of times.

Andrew Sarris had it second on his 1987 year-end, ninth on his decade list. It's not on TSPDT's Top 1000; Local Hero is #569. Maybe its reputation has faded a bit, I don't know.

clemenza, Saturday, 23 January 2021 04:45 (three years ago) link

Favourite line in Gregory's Girl: "I want to interview you and that girl in 2A that had the triplets."

clemenza, Sunday, 24 January 2021 03:30 (three years ago) link

thanks for reminding me abt Comfort & Joy, I really need to rewatch that someday

Überschadenfreude (sleeve), Sunday, 24 January 2021 03:52 (three years ago) link

This is fantastic, one of the most fascinating docs about the behind-the-scenes of movies i've ever seen. Thank god they didn't go with the original poster artwork idea..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEm6AsTY0WI

piscesx, Sunday, 24 January 2021 04:10 (three years ago) link

I had completely forgotten until reminded a couple of years back that my dad used to occasionally hang out with Burt Lancaster during the filming of this. He was up north a few times, my dad used to work at the airport and had a little cleaning station and he and Burt played cards in there to give him a bit of peace while he was hanging around the airport.

ailsa, Sunday, 24 January 2021 10:03 (three 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

Alba, Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:23 (three years ago) link

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


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