WillardK

Pennies From Heaven

I'm a little surprised to see so few reviews of the Pennies From Heaven dvd set with barely a mention here. It's up there with I, Claudius and Berlin Alexanderplatz as a mini-series that pushes the limits of the medium far beyond what you'd normally expect from it. Undeservedly overshadowed by Potter's The Singing Detective and made into an inferior film by Herbert Ross, it's a special joy to be able to view this again.

I'm interested in what others who have this set might have to say about it. I'm halfway through it myself and have noticed a thing or two. The picture is acceptable for it's BBC vintage, but there is a digital glitch during episode one (a second of 'giant pixel scramble flash' <--technical term). Also, very surprisingly and unfortunately, the 'F' word is censored in episode three destroying the intended impact of it's use in the dialogue.

"I've got my history of weapons program activity intentions aimed at YOU!"

Michael Reuben

It was discussed (briefly) in this thread encompassing both the BBC original and the Herb Ross film.

I've watched the first two episodes and didn't notice any pixel flash, but that's not dispositive.

M.

"Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." -- Chinatown

"What kind of movies would there be if everyone in them had to do what we thought they should do?" -- Roger Ebert

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WillardK

I'll have to check that glitch again. Maybe it was my player, or maybe I need to get a replacement disc.

I remember that thread now (did a search but that one didn't come up... feel free to combine this with it if you want). Anyone interested in Pennies should absolutely make an effort to see the original version. The producer and director make an astute observation on the commentary of one reason why the Ross version failed. While acknowledging the skill of the MGM caliber musical numbers, they point out how those numbers become too seperate from the overall project, missing the tension of layered significance (in characterization, narrative, as reference, and not simply as irony). A friend of mine is a fan of the Ross film. Now I can lend him these discs and dare him to not wish he hadn't seen this first.

Episode three is no less than amazing. I would think that any potential script-writer would get something out of it. It's a shame that the dvd botched a major line from this pivotal episode.

"I've got my history of weapons program activity intentions aimed at YOU!"

Michael Reuben

It's in the Film and Documentary area. Let's leave this here in TV where it belongs.


Is it possible it was originally broadcast this way? In my (admittedly limited) experience with Brit TV in its unedited form, this seems to be the one word they avoid.

I remember watching the PBS broadcasts of Karaoke and Cold Lazarus. The language cuts were downright painful.

M.

"Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." -- Chinatown

"What kind of movies would there be if everyone in them had to do what we thought they should do?" -- Roger Ebert

HTF Beginner's Primer and FAQ