Change Your Image
david_colbourne
Reviews
Bridgerton (2020)
Jane Austen if dramatised by David Olusoga
The production values of the series were excellent, but that's its one saving grace. No doubt the diversity of the cast was designed to make viewers sit up and take notice, but it was more than a little ridiculous, if currently fashionable. I suffer from the delusion that if a programme is to feature a historical period, then it should reflect that period, and not some alternate reality.
Deadly Weapons (1974)
Watched once, a lifetime of regret!
I was a young fellow of around 23 when this was released and, I'm embarrassed to say, I went to see it. There was a storyline in there, but I don't remember it too much, just some kind of revenge thing. Chesty's assets were as advertised, but strangely unappealing when you actually saw them. It does actually remind me of the joke about the cabaret artist with a 73" chest, whose act is crawling out on stage and trying to stand up. Not my favourite film, and, nearly fifty years later, still feel strangely grubby for having watched it.
Comedy Playhouse: The Dirtiest Soldier in the World (1972)
G M Fraser's McAuslan
I can remember seeing this production when it was aired back in 1972. At the time I had not read any of GMF's McAuslan stories, but having since done so I can say that the BBC did a first rate adaptation.
The production caught the humour of Fraser's story and it was very well put together. The scenes where Lt. McNeil imagines disasters happening were filmed using fish-eye lenses, giving a distorted image and was brilliantly done.
John Standing was excellent as McNeil, as was Freddie Earle as McAuslan and I really enjoyed Alan Cuthbertson in a rare comedy role as the Colonel.
I would like to think the BBC still has a copy of this and that there is a chance of a repeat, but I'm not holding my breath!
A View from a Hill (2005)
Disappointing
I watched this film when broadcast over Christmas with a keen sense of anticipation, being a long time fan of MR James' stories, and having enjoyed the BBC's previous adaptations of his work. I do have to say I was a little disappointed at the treatment. A View from a Hill is one of my favourite James stories and I have to say the film did not convey the story well. The story was made much darker, presumably with the intent of frightening the viewer, and lost the atmosphere of the original. The original was set in summer and conveyed the season well, whereas the film was set in winter with bare trees in dripping woods. I'm not going to give any details away, but I don't think it measured up to the previous adaptations of James' work, particularly The Stalls of Barchester.