What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

SGM · Post by **SGM** » Sun August 29th, 2010, 7:00 pm

[quote=""JoshuaKaitlyn""]'The Devil's Whore' ok that wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be! Where was Thomas Fairfax & Henry Ireton. The trial of Charles I scene should have been longer, all in all a disappointment! Never mind time to move onto Charles II with Rufus Sewell.[/quote]

I agree, Devil's Whore, wasn't great TV but nevertheless it was great to hear the names of Thomas Rainsborough and John Lilleborne make it onto the screen and Dominic West as Cromwell (who I am still trying to come to a sensible decision about) was really quite compulsive -- more down to Dominic West than anything else.

I have just watched Charles II which I abandoned in disgust when it was on TV. It's not incredibly bad as I thought but I still feel it but it was one of the BBCs below par attempts.

LoobyG · Post by **LoobyG** » Sun August 29th, 2010, 7:43 pm

Ahh I really liked Charles II

Although it probably had more to do with the fact that I have a bit of a thing for Rufus Sewell, and I did like the actress who portrayed Nell Gwyn. It was very refreshing to have an historically based BBC drama that wasn't on the Tudors too, much as I love them.

SGM · Post by **SGM** » Sun August 29th, 2010, 8:14 pm

[quote=""LoobyG""]Ahh I really liked Charles II

Although it probably had more to do with the fact that I have a bit of a thing for Rufus Sewell, and I did like the actress who portrayed Nell Gwyn. It was very refreshing to have an historically based BBC drama that wasn't on the Tudors too, much as I love them.[/quote]

I agree that Nelly was rather good.

Decades and decades ago there was a really good series called The First Churchills which followed the lives of John and Sarah Churchill from the Restoration through James II, William and Mary and Anne. It was released on DVD a while ago but now only seems to be available at great cost.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Mon August 30th, 2010, 3:59 am

Wolverine.
It was a decent action movie.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Mon August 30th, 2010, 10:10 am

[quote=""SGM""]I agree, Devil's Whore, wasn't great TV but nevertheless it was great to hear the names of Thomas Rainsborough and John Lilleborne make it onto the screen and Dominic West as Cromwell (who I am still trying to come to a sensible decision about) was really quite compulsive -- more down to Dominic West than anything else.

I have just watched Charles II which I abandoned in disgust when it was on TV. It's not incredibly bad as I thought but I still feel it but it was one of the BBCs below par attempts.[/quote]

Oh yes definitely

. I think it was good that he didn't play Cromwell as a monster or a tyrant, it was a very balanced portrayal. I know the writers did say that it wasn't meant to be totally accurate. I enjoyed it though and thought it was a bit different to the usual historical fare ie Tudors and Victorians!

Leo62 · Post by **Leo62** » Mon August 30th, 2010, 10:52 am

[quote=""Madeleine""]Oh yes definitely

. I think it was good that he didn't play Cromwell as a monster or a tyrant, it was a very balanced portrayal. I know the writers did say that it wasn't meant to be totally accurate. I enjoyed it though and thought it was a bit different to the usual historical fare ie Tudors and Victorians![/quote]

I enjoyed Devil's Whore too, though it was not what I expected. Trailed as a serious political drama about the Civil War period, it was basically a romp. On those terms, it was loads of fun; like a slightly more brainy version of The Tudors.

Prince of Persia last night. Total nonsense, but just about engaging enough to be watchable.

SGM · Post by **SGM** » Mon August 30th, 2010, 11:16 am

[quote=""Madeleine""]Oh yes definitely

. I think it was good that he didn't play Cromwell as a monster or a tyrant, it was a very balanced portrayal. [/quote]

[quote=""Madeleine""]Oh yes definitely

. I think it was good that he didn't play Cromwell as a monster or a tyrant, it was a very balanced portrayal. ![/quote]

Have you seen the clip here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/t ... 737378.stm of his interview about playing Cromwell (only for those in the UK, I'm afraid). I suspect I share a similar background with him. Tom Reilly's book (an Irish writer) is a brave attempt to set some of the records straight. Despite that I still tend to agree with Christopher Hill that Cromwell was possibly a manic depressive -- or something like that -- which would explain his strange changeability. I find I really can't completely make up my mind totally about him despite the numerous books from all sides that I have consumed.

The National Archives have an online copy of a talk given by Barry Coward on the subject. The link is here:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/podc ... ellian.htm

although the sound is not all that good.

JoshuaKaitlyn · Post by **JoshuaKaitlyn** » Mon August 30th, 2010, 2:26 pm

I think West was one of the series saving graces, that and the scene when Charles I attempted to get someone's attention at his trial and the top of his cane fell off and rolled across the floor and he was forced to pick it up himself. But it all felt a bit rushed, more episodes with longer scenes. I read somewhere that originally it was supposed to have been twelve episodes long but got chopped to the four that were made.

LoobyG · Post by **LoobyG** » Mon August 30th, 2010, 2:27 pm

I remember vaguely seeing an episode of 'The First Churchills' when my sister rented the DVDs years ago, but I've never watched it properly - if it's good I'll have to see about getting my grubby little paws on a copy

I liked 'The Devil's Whore' too but I did feel it was very much a romp.

SGM · Post by **SGM** » Mon August 30th, 2010, 4:20 pm

[quote=""LoobyG""]I remember vaguely seeing an episode of 'The First Churchills' when my sister rented the DVDs years ago, but I've never watched it properly - if it's good I'll have to see about getting my grubby little paws on a copy

I liked 'The Devil's Whore' too but I did feel it was very much a romp.[/quote]

The Churchills was available on DVD last year for £25 but I thought I'd wait until the price dropped. Ha! Ha!. However, it can be rented through Lovefilm.com. I am contemplating membership but really don't get that much time to sit and watch DVD -- it gets in the way of my reading. It's all on YouTube in 10-minute snatches if you want to get an idea if its worth watching.

I thought Devil's Whore was great fun and not to be taken too seriously. Lady Anne Fanshaw's diary (on which it was loosely based) is available free online. The rights were apprently originally owned by the BBC and going to be a 12-episoder but ended up at Channel 4 as the 4-parter. I think only the BBC raise the resources for the longer serials now. ITV say they can't afford to make any more Hornblowers. Such a shame as I love seeing Wolfie as an admiral.

I was more than doubtful about certain parts of DW, but if Diane Purkiss is to be believed, the Levellers did accuse Cromwell of involvement in the assassination of Thos Rainsborough and also that he was a master siege tactician but as her book has no footnotes, it is really rather difficult to check this out. The National Biography has no mention of it but I am shortly to delve into some books about New Model Army and will see what that turns up.