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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jun 26, 2020 16:37:36 GMT
Btw, the director in the clip who can be heard saying 'this fall here is so wonderful' during the opening titles is American Michael Lindsay-Hogg who directed many Rolling Stones & Beatles videos & made the documentary 'Let It Be'. He also claims that he is Orson Welles illegitimate son.
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 27, 2020 6:52:34 GMT
I've not read your posts yet Dirty Epic as I'm only halfway through episode one - hopefully I'll catch up soon So far whilst there's things that jarr to the modern eye and ear (e.g. limp wristed gay stereotypes, the cliche dimwitted Irish pal, and nobody batting an eyelid at a 15 year old (!) stripper), generally I'm impressed I really like Adam Faith who is a really charismatic screen presence and somehow makes Budgie likeable despite his terrible behaviour Iain Cuthbertson is great value too. Of course. And Lynn Dalby as Hazel is a really credible and sympathetic character too. I've finished episode one (Out) now and am underway with episode two (Some Mothers' Sons) where, after some opening scenes with Hazel's mum and solicitor, and Budgie and a "brass" who is off to her son's wedding, it's now clear Budgie has to mind some illegal immigrants for Charlie.
I enjoyed your musings on the first episode Dirty Epic
The scripts are really well done so far, which is no surprise given that the writers are Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall (most famous for Billy Liar)
Apparently the first four episodes are in black and white because of a union dispute. Episode five will blast into colour. I wonder if the opening credits will stay the same. I really like the way they are done and how they sum up the futility of Budgie's schemes to make money.
The theme music is good too. The whole thing gives off a maudlin vibe of futility which I really like. Far less knockabout than Minder.
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 27, 2020 11:14:07 GMT
I've now finished Episode 2 - Some Mothers’ Sons - which has a host of casual and not so casual racism Put that to one side and there’s a lot to enjoy here The four illegal Pakistani immigrants are very believable, all of whom are convincingly bewildered. The final scene, when they are all led away to the soundtrack of The Big Rock Candy Mountain, was very well done. After a 15 year stripper going off with an older man in episode 1, there was another example of the era’s apparently casual approach to paedophilia. After Budgie’s maintenance court case, the next case, which we only see briefly, is about grooming an underage girl who looked about 10 years old. The defendant and the girl briefly share a smile together. The Budgie/Hazel relationship gets ever more bizarre. I’m not sure Budgie is in the treat them mean keep them keen camp as he’s actually quite pleasant, and even charming. It’s just he is not prepared to offer any commitment at all and makes no bones about that. What you see is what you get.
Charlie Endell fabulously ruthless as well and quite happy for Budgie to take the rap for prostitution, although his comment about greasing the right palms shows how police corruption was taken as a given in the early 70s
Anyway, another enjoyable episode which makes me keen to keep watching.
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 27, 2020 11:21:37 GMT
Short clip of an episode of Budgie being recorded-
Amazing clip. Thanks Arthur
So it was recorded live? I had no idea. It has the feel of a show that is carefully edited. How does that work with the location shots?
Sorry if this is obvious to everyone else.
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Jun 27, 2020 11:28:41 GMT
Short clip of an episode of Budgie being recorded-
Amazing clip. Thanks Arthur
So it was recorded live? I had no idea. It has the feel of a show that is carefully edited. How does that work with the location shots?
Sorry if this is obvious to everyone else.
It isn't Em! Sparky will know.
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Post by Ronnie Kray on Jun 27, 2020 13:26:57 GMT
Glad everyone is enjoying Budgie,stick with it lads you won't regret it....honest guv!!!!!
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jun 27, 2020 15:46:47 GMT
Yes Sparky will explain it. On the Dixon Of Dock Green dvd I have there's a commentary where one of the actors talks about it being taped live, he says it had to be as the tape was fragile & could snap if it was stopped.
You can hear the 16mm filmed scene of Budgie's dad busking being cued up by the woman sat next to the director.
It's not something I used to think about but as I've been watching more of these 70's studio based shows like Z Cars & Softly Softly Task Force, I've come to appreciate that they are effectively live plays as you'd see in a theatre. This creates a more heightened performance from the actors than you get in a filmed show like The Sweeney.
I watched all series of 'Nearest And Dearest' recently & Hylda Baker forgets her lines several times & you can hear the actor next to her prompting her under their breath.
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Jun 27, 2020 20:50:08 GMT
I did wonder why it was in B&W. I just thought seeing as it was 1972 that it was more wiped content.
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Jun 27, 2020 22:57:36 GMT
I’m amazed they were still doing live drama in 1969/70. Thought it stopped years before.
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 29, 2020 12:19:37 GMT
Brains (Series 1 Episode 3)
I've now watched Brains (Series 1 Episode 3) on my Budgie DVD
Here's a few spoiler-free musings
It's the best so far, and that's in a big part due to the arrival of Georgina Hale playing Budgie's wife Jean
What an actor. What a performance. And what a complicated and interesting character. Much brighter than Budgie but less confident. She's still able to get some home truths over to Budgie, in what is another episode in which his shortcomings are brought home to him
Jean is almost as unsympathetic as Budgie and yet, like Budgie, we end up cheering for her
By the end of the episode even Budgie tries to do right by her but even this goes badly wrong
The episode revolves around some dodgy Green Shield stamps (although they're renamed in the episode)
At the start of the episode Budgie encounters Charlie Endell who, once again, shows Budgie how things should be done in a memorable scene in which he flogs something to a couple of Northerners on a visit to the smoke. It's brilliant.
Budgie also manages to lord it over his mate who is even less endowed in the brains department than he his, although by the end he realises that he nowhere near as clever or capable as would like to be
That image at the opening of these programmes, with the money blowing away in the wind was never more apt
Not for nothing is this episode called Brains
I can't think of anything currently on TV which comes close to the subtly on display here. What makes it work so well is that it's aligned to such throughly downbeat and yet illogically compelling drama.
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