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I've only just read that the BBC are screening a six-part reworking of Picnic At Hanging Rock.

The locations/sets and costumes look amazing from the photographs, but--as we know from the film--tone is crucial.

Has anybody seen it?

A very promising start. The headmistress has her own secrets.
 
I wonder if they'll add the extra chapter with the explanation Joan Lindsay included later? Apparently it ruins the whole story!
 
I wonder if they'll add the extra chapter with the explanation Joan Lindsay included later? Apparently it ruins the whole story!
I recently read the book plus the "secret" chapter - which was originally there, but removed on advice of the publisher to retain the mystery - and for me it didn't ruin anything (It's very short, very David Lynch, and still very mysterious).

But yeah, some people didn't like it at all - you have to buy it separate from the novel (for the same price!), and the reviews on Amazon are quite funny "Wish I had never read it", "It’s a horrible ending and needed to be tossed. But, I’m glad I got to read it, out of curiosity.", "... so off-the-wall unbelievable that I wish I had not purchased this."

Had it always been there, the author would not have been able to keep up the "based on a true story" angle.

It was on last night. I gave it a miss, as it's on the BBC.
Amazon Studios produced it. The BBC just picked it up.
 
Thanks for the info, SB! I'm not watching the series, mostly because I feel the film goes on half an hour too long and the series lasts for eight (!), but I would be interested to know which ending it goes for.
 
Thanks for the info, SB! I'm not watching the series, mostly because I feel the film goes on half an hour too long
The current blu-ray is one of those rare Directors Cuts that are shorter than the original. However, Peter Weir removed around 8 minutes, rather than 30!
 
The current blu-ray is one of those rare Directors Cuts that are shorter than the original. However, Peter Weir removed around 8 minutes, rather than 30!

It really is a fantastic film, the scenery is stunning, the hysterical music is brilliant - until that last half hour where I think, um, haven't you told us everything there is now? Yes, you have.
 
It really is a fantastic film, the scenery is stunning, the hysterical music is brilliant - until that last half hour where I think, um, haven't you told us everything there is now? Yes, you have.
Yeah, it's one of those stories that works better on the page, than on film. There's no real climax for it to head towards.
 
AND OVER

With me and the Mrs not sure what we wanted to watch last night, I randomly clicked on a film that I had absolutely no idea what was all about called And Over.

To get to the meat and gravy quickly, if you like fantasy films like Being John Malkovitch, Donnie Darko and hell even Frankenstein ? .. in fact the surreal Spike Jones style of story telling is what you're in for.

A genetic scientist falls in love with and marries a woman who dies within a month. He has one of her old hairbrushes, the lab and the knowledge to clone her .. over and over and over again, repeating his mistakes and trying to make the new ones the original one although they all have different personalities.

Euthanasia (or more accurately murder) is his solution for each version he's unsatisfied with although the film isn't dark as such (other than the concept) but played for warmth and laughs somehow .. his close friends and even the woman's parents somehow get involved, the later warming to the idea that each new born baby matures to adulthood in 4 months and after his failure to raise the clones (think 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore) to be exactly like his late wife, the parents should be able to.

There's a couple of stalwart 'weird film' familiar face stars in this film, Beth Grant aka Kitty Farmer from Donnie Darko : "I somehow doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!" and Richard 'you'll know his face when you see him' Kind ..

 
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AND OVER

With me and the Mrs not sure what we wanted to watch last night, I randomly clicked on a film that I had absolutely no idea what was all about called And Over.
Was it a doco about a place in Hampshire?
 
Here's one for Fortean's kids, a new animation film called 'SMALLFOOT' is coming out soon about a 'little Yeti' ..


 
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A Warner Bros. animation?

We are stretching the envelope for 'Fortean' here.
 
Anything good in that new P. T. Barnum movie?
 
Anything good in that new P. T. Barnum movie?

Good but could have been better. My review:

The Greatest Showman: Interesting songs and good dancing but The Book (connecting pieces) is a bit weak. A section regarding Jenny Lynd could have been discarded to allow more time to develop the central story of the "freak show" or as Barnum called them: unique people. They include: Dog Boy, Bearded Lady, Irish Giant, Siamese Twins, Tom Thumb, Tattooed Man. Rebecca Ferguson is good as Lynd, The Swedish Nightingale but the structure of the film suffers from this aside.

Even though Barnum brings the unique people into the light, even he is a bit embarrassed by them when a "better class of punter" comes to see Lynd. In a wonderful song and dance number the performers refuse to be excluded and burst into a champagne reception. Perhaps the unique people are too forgiving too quickly of Barnum afterwards. Strains credibility a bit.

Hugh Jackman is impressive as Barnum and a good dancer but perhaps a body double was used for some of his high kicks. I have no such doubts about Zendaya who plays a trapeze artist, her dancing and rope acts look like her own work.

Good, but Barnum deserves a better musical biopic. 7/10
 
This Bigfoot one doesn't look like it won any awards (to be polite) ..

 
I haven't seen 'The Boat' yet but it seems to tick a lot of Fortean boxes ..

aboat.jpg


'The star of the film (Joe Azzopardi) is a sailor with no name who heads out of his hometown in Malta to the deep blue sea. A fog rolls in and ‘poof’ there’s an unmoored, much larger, more expensive sailboat that crystalizes through the haze. Our hero, aptly named “The sailor” does the right thing and boards the ship to see if anyone needs help. He ventures below deck and curiously there’s an abundance of fresh food and other signs of recent use. Where did the owner’s go? Why did they leave behind such a ready bounty? What are these red finger streaked stains in the medicine cabinet?'

(trailer in the link)

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/81084
 
I haven't seen 'The Boat' yet but it seems to tick a lot of Fortean boxes ..

View attachment 12193

'The star of the film (Joe Azzopardi) is a sailor with no name who heads out of his hometown in Malta to the deep blue sea. A fog rolls in and ‘poof’ there’s an unmoored, much larger, more expensive sailboat that crystalizes through the haze. Our hero, aptly named “The sailor” does the right thing and boards the ship to see if anyone needs help. He ventures below deck and curiously there’s an abundance of fresh food and other signs of recent use. Where did the owner’s go? Why did they leave behind such a ready bounty? What are these red finger streaked stains in the medicine cabinet?'

(trailer in the link)

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/81084

Looks well spooky! :O
 
Often difficult to know where to situate a Coens film.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Very enjoyable series of shorts. Excellent performances from Tim Blake-Nelson and Tom Waits in particular. I did not realise it was Tom until the credits rolled. He was fantastic. The fortean elements are scattered about, but they are there. Must re-view, probably a number of times. Was nice to recognise Lane Daly opposite Brendy Gleeson. Also recognised Harry Manning (Dudley Dursley from the H Potter series). He was very good too in a role that wonderfully overplayed Liam Neeson's mute misanthropist. The final tale was so sad.

I missed the main point of a couple of the stories because I was hungry and thinking about food, but overall it was a journey and a nice portfolio from frontier America. Recommend it.
4/5
 
I haven't seen 'The Boat' yet but it seems to tick a lot of Fortean boxes ..

View attachment 12193

'The star of the film (Joe Azzopardi) is a sailor with no name who heads out of his hometown in Malta to the deep blue sea. A fog rolls in and ‘poof’ there’s an unmoored, much larger, more expensive sailboat that crystalizes through the haze. Our hero, aptly named “The sailor” does the right thing and boards the ship to see if anyone needs help. He ventures below deck and curiously there’s an abundance of fresh food and other signs of recent use. Where did the owner’s go? Why did they leave behind such a ready bounty? What are these red finger streaked stains in the medicine cabinet?'

(trailer in the link)

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/81084

That sounds a lot like Triangle. But looks nothing like it - one for the list!
 
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Often difficult to know where to situate a Coens film.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Very enjoyable series of shorts. Excellent performances from Tim Blake-Nelson and Tom Waits in particular. I did not realise it was Tom until the credits rolled. He was fantastic. The fortean elements are scattered about, but they are there. Must re-view, probably a number of times. Was nice to recognise Lane Daly opposite Brendy Gleeson. Also recognised Harry Manning (Dudley Dursley from the H Potter series). He was very good too in a role that wonderfully overplayed Liam Neeson's mute misanthropist. The final tale was so sad.

I missed the main point of a couple of the stories because I was hungry and thinking about food, but overall it was a journey and a nice portfolio from frontier America. Recommend it.
4/5

A friend of mine and I were in agreement the movie format hobbled it, and it really should have been a TV series as originally intended. There were bits I liked, but it was lacking a smooth line through the stories, they just popped up randomly, only linked by a vague Western theme. Also, the last story had nothing but ambiguity to it, not exactly a thundering climax.
 
Two projects that I helped Kickstarter. The first, an animated film:


Long Gone Gulch is a comedic fantasy about two young sheriffs who must serve and protect a secluded mythical world, home to many legendary creatures of folklore. Follow energetic cowgirl, Rawhide (the only human born in the Gulch) and sarcastic greaser, Snag (the only human outsider) as they become the law of the land. Their unlikely friendship causes them to learn from each other as they deal with a variety of problems within a town of folks who aren't exactly on their side. Among them are Mayor Rhubarb, the strict yet neurotic jackalope, BW, the mysterious bounty hunter who is not what she seems and Mako, the dastardly shark mutant and his gang of bandits. Full pilot will be out in 2019.
The second is a piece of live-action whimsy:


Just your typical love story between a girl and her high school's mascot.
 
A friend of mine and I were in agreement the movie format hobbled it, and it really should have been a TV series as originally intended. There were bits I liked, but it was lacking a smooth line through the stories, they just popped up randomly, only linked by a vague Western theme. Also, the last story had nothing but ambiguity to it, not exactly a thundering climax.
You're right.
Downgraded. 3/5 at best.
I am a massive Coens fan, and it wasn't up to form.
 
You're right.
Downgraded. 3/5 at best.
I am a massive Coens fan, and it wasn't up to form.

It was very watchable but a bit lightweight wasn't it. Agree with GNC it doesn't really work as a film, none of the parts being connected. Re the last story, my friend thought they were all dead. I wasn't convinced.


The locations were splendid & it looked amazing, as do all their films, & the performances good. No well known actors - the only character I recognised was Tom Waits. Wouldn't watch it again though.
 
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