Films you should watch, books you should read

Adamo · Post by **Adamo** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 1:05 am

best commedy serial EVER, it was popular even in Poland: "The Bottom". (Mayall & Edmondson team).

You`re in bad mood - WATCH IT !!! I saw some parts 1000 times each and it`s still as funny as it was first time!

Post by **Ameena** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 1:31 am

Over here it's just called "Bottom". Never really liked that one, but watched the Young Ones when I was younger...

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 7:27 am

I like Johnny Depp's ethos about hating to see 'himself' in any charatcer.

Another actor, who didn't get that kind of recognition, was...Ronny Barker. Take Archright or Fletcher etc and he plays it completely different and brilliantly...you can believe in the charatcer rather than going 'ronny barker is playing someone funny

Adamo · Post by **Adamo** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:53 am

yeah, The Young Ones were also good

Mindstone · Post by **Mindstone** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 12:08 pm

i actually find watching Ade and Rik smashing each others heads in with frying pans cathartic.

The best Young ones had to be the one where they went on University Challenge. "Scumbag University"........ahh brings a tear to my eye that does.

Post by **Ameena** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 3:22 pm

Yeah, "Bambi", tht one's called. And Neil needs a wee and he does it in a jug and then Vivian chucks it on the other team or something, lol. I'm pretty sure that's also the one where they're on the train and Vivian's reading the sign above the door - "Do not lean out of the window. I wonder why..." and then sticks his head out the window just as they enter a tunnel.
Yeah that show was pretty funny hehe. There are other comedy shows I like better, however (eg Blackadder, Red Dwarf).

Mindstone · Post by **Mindstone** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 12:48 pm

Oh man! You guys love red dwarf as well! Spin my nipple nuts and send me to Alaska!

For me the best Red Dwarf series has to be number 6, mainly for Listers immortal line "Brett Riverbolt....Knife man"

Me and my friends are so sad we actually quote entire sections of blackadder and monty pythons holy grail, with all the silly voices of course! Ni, Ni!

Adamo · Post by **Adamo** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 1:49 pm

yes, I`ve seen Red Dwarf and found it dull. My brother has every part on DVDs, but I don`t like it.
The best commedy series are :

1. Bottom
2. The young ones
3. *I don`t know english title; in Poland it was something like "Our man in parliament" - with Rik Mayall*
4. Benny Hill series
6. Some parts of Mr Bean series

I saw also
- Red Dwarf series
- *i don`t know english title- commedy serial about a women, wchich very much cares about other neighbour`s opinion*
- Monthty Python series - never really liked it, only some parts were good
- Allo Allo series: wasn`t very good

But in general, british commedy serials are awesome !!!

Post by **Ameena** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:41 pm

DMDM - For me, the most quotable Monty Python has to be Life of Brian - you could quote practically any single line in there and have someone else (who's seen it!) know what you were talking about

.
For me, most of my favourite Red Dwarf episodes fall into the first three series. However, I do love episodes like "Gunmen of the Apocalypse", "Emohawk", etc. My friend has every episode on video in some form or another (ie bought or taped), and I have Seasons 1-3 that some friend of my dad's taped from DVD.
What about Fawlty Towers? Ever seen that? That's another good one...

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:46 pm

Red Dwarf is very quoatable, season four I remember being one of the best actually

And yes, monty python, fawlty towers, blackadder, etc are all way too quotable. I have recently found myself doing the 'it was a brilliant plan.... there was a tiny flaw' quote in my head

Post by **Gambit37** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:53 pm

Fawlty towers is with out doubt one of the best comedy series on Britsih TV -- ever. It's only bettered by Porridge in my opinion -- Ronnie Barker is the best comedy actor, nay -- actor, that we've ever had in British TV. I was fortunate to go to his memorial service in Westminster Abbey -- just had to pay my respects.

Life of Brian is unquestionably the best comedy film ever made. And anyone who disagrees is a very naughty boy...

Mindstone · Post by **Mindstone** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:23 pm

Hhhhmm, i suppose Life of Brian is funnier and more satirical then Holy Grail, but i like the whole Medieval thing and of course the knights who say ni, so it'll always have a place in my heart.

I was so into blackadder that i had a "cunning plan" to call my cat Baldrick, but we settled with Zoidberg in the end. And then of course there's only fools and horses! speaking of which, me and my friends saw the three wheeled trotter-mobile outside a very upmarket house! Whether it was real or a replica....we'll never know

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:12 pm

Futurama is also a usually overlooked classic too!

Mmm...terriaki style

Post by **Ameena** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:13 pm

I prefer the SImpsons to Futurama - I've seen a few episodes of the latter and don't find it as funny. The Simpsons is probably about the only American comedy show that I like watching.

Mindstone · Post by **Mindstone** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:26 pm

Futurama isnt as funny as the simpsons, the characters are great though, and i love the fact that their not a nuclear family living in a suburban american town, and i get at least half of the sci fi injokes! So thumbs up from me.

The guy basil fawlty was based on, Donald Sinclair, i tip my hat to him, he was after all the rudest man on earth, he once told Terry Gilliam "We dont eat like that in this country" all because poor Terry wasnt using his fork in conjunction with his knife, oh dear!

zoom · Post by **zoom** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:34 pm

Life of Brian and Monty Python's Holy Grail are my all-time favourites
for sure. I have yet to see the english versions, but I reckon the
translation was done very well. I used to quote the films often, but have not seen them for quite some time, so I do not quote them as frequently anymore.
Monty Python flying circus I was able to watch occasionally, but
not many. My english is not that firm(and was even worse a few
years ago: some vocabulary you just don't know and speach is
sometimes harder than written words!) , but I should try it again.
I think the best way to watch it would be dvd, where you have subtitles and can rewind and watch again..
Seen some episodes of Blackadder (in english) and they are very nice and funny.
Indeed Rowan edkinson is mostly known as mr. bean (at least
here),and that is a bit sad really. I think it does not amuse him and he is greatly distressed because of that image...
mhh. Futurama is nice, but I do not have a TV for myself, so I do not watch that much TV and so I have only seen (again) few episodes of the Simpson successor. I love it when there are roleplaying elements shown both in Simpsons and in Futurama it
occurs at times.(eg. in Simpsons there is Gary, and he said when
Homer entered his room: "I am ..*rolls dice* happy to see you"
well that is just me, you probably don't know what I mean but
I just want to say it's sometimes nice but sometimes it is not
that captivating (esp. when not seen from the beginning).
Oooemm that's it from me basically..

Post by **ChristopheF** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:58 pm

I didn't get where I am today without knowing a good british TV comedy when I see one!

Monty Python (Flying circus and their movies)
Fawlty towers
The good life
Black Books
Father Ted
The fall and rise of Reginal Perrin
Keeping up appearances
To the manor born
Mister Bean

George Gilbert · Post by **George Gilbert** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:27 am

ChristopheF wrote:I didn't get where I am today without knowing a good british TV comedy when I see one!

Great! Super!

Post by **Gambit37** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:52 am

A Frenchman with good taste in comedy? Whatever is the world coming to!?

(And please note the smiley -- wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea!)

Trantor · Post by **Trantor** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:34 am

I love Monty Python. About 10 years ago, there used to be the Flying Circus on German TV in English with German subtitles. It was awesome. For some stupid reason, they then decided to dub the whole thing which wasn't really well done. So I am still waiting for a local DVD release. Considering their movies, I think Life of Brian is superior to Holy Grail.

Zoooom: I have seen the English version of Holy Grail and actually think the German dub is better (jokes like "Man kann sie wenden lassen, sie werden wie neu!", "Schönen Gruß aus Solingen!" or "Ich bin doch farbenblind!"are completely made up and don't exist in the original). So far, I haven't seen Life of Brian in English, but several friends told me that the German dub is better here as well. But it might just depend on which version you see first.

Oh, and one more vote for the "The Simpsons are better than Futurama" camp.

Mindstone · Post by **Mindstone** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 8:48 pm

Apocalypse Now, the name alone sends shivers down my spine.

This is the one to watch, especially the non-cut Redux version.......

"The horror............the horror"

Classic

Adamo · Post by **Adamo** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:03 pm

the best book I`ve read so far (and I`ve read a lot), is Alexander Solschenitsin`s "The Gulag Archipelago" (I`m not sure how to spell author`s surname in english). It`s a huge well-documented book about soviet concentration camps from 1917 to 1956. A great written piece of history. I know for sure, that it was translated to polish, english, french, german, italian and many other languages, even including exotic ones.
Once released. the book became very popular especialy in West Germany and France in early 70`s.

Post by **Sophia** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 6:16 pm

Solzhenitsyn, transliterated fairly directedly from Солженицын

zoom · Post by **zoom** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:47 pm

Le parfum , from PATRICK sUESSKIND.
there will be a movie in cinemas soon, so when you do not
want to read books you could watch the newly made film instead,
which seems to be done quite well.

Post by **linflas** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:28 pm

i read and studied this book at 15 and i remember that the main character was quite ugly.
i'm a bit surprised when i see the main actor : http://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepe ... 00662.html

zoom · Post by **zoom** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:31 pm

true . the actor is also not quite what I had expected.

.. that is usually one of the "faults" of most films

Mindstone · Post by **Mindstone** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 5:02 pm

Has anyone seen man on the moon (im sure ive asked this before?!?!)

Its the wonderful story of that comic genius Andy Kaufman, id say its Jim Carrey's best performance.

Post by **linflas** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 5:31 pm

how funny, i just re-watched it yesterday evening

Jim Carrey's performance is fantastic and even his french dubber (Emmanuel Curtil) did a great work too !
but I prefer Jim in "Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind".

Adamo · Post by **Adamo** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 5:34 pm

I vote again for Mayall & Edmondson in "The Bottom" and "The Young Ones" series !!!!!!!!!

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 7:20 pm

*hits adamo with a frying pan for trying to mention bottom again*

Spotless mind is a great film - jim carrey can act, and if *embarrassment mode engaged* you watc hthe special features on the series of unfortunate events film, you see the fact he does have quite an imagination and can get into charatcers quite well...i still say he would be perfect as a emotions in flux Lord Chaos