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BFI Tournament - The Greatest BRITISH films - Page 2

post #31 of 391
10/8/03 at 6:36am
I'll admit to having lost track of the number of 2nds and 3rds I have, but assuming I still have some,

I'll second Night Train to Munich
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post #32 of 391
10/8/03 at 7:41am
I’m in a holding pattern. Used all my noms and seconds. And unless I can use my thirds for films I’ve already nominated or seconded, I’m stalled.
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post #33 of 391
10/8/03 at 8:41am
Are Straw Dogs, Alien, and The Elephant Man British movies? Just because a movie has a British director doesn't make it British. Ditto just because a movie was filmed in England. Weren't these fully financed by American studios/sources?

2nd
The Yellow Submarine

3rd
The Horses Mouth

Nominate
Wonderland
Ratcatcher
Metroland
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
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post #34 of 391
10/8/03 at 9:19am
I'd like to nominate

Carry On Cruising
Carry On Cleo
Sexy Beast
The Devil Rides Out

I will second:
The Mummy ('59)
The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
Curse of Frankenstein

I will third:
Watership Down
Night of the Demon
Straw Dogs *

* British film? If you're going by financing, then Judge Dredd is a British film. (a lot of people are kicking themselves for not knowing that earlier, I bet)
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post #35 of 391
10/8/03 at 9:38am
Well, to me Straw Dogs is a Sam Peckinpah film not a British one. Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia isn't a Mexican film. Cross of Iron isn't a German film. Straw Dogs was mostly bankrolled by ABC. I would just like to know what makes it British other than locale?

Does that mean that Gangs of New York or Minnelli's Two Weeks In Another Town are Italian because they were filmed at Cinecitta? Are we going to call From Hell a British film because it takes place in London?
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post #36 of 391
10/8/03 at 10:07am
Straw Dogs was filmed and set in Britain with a 99% British Cast (okay, so Dustin Hoffman was the other 1%, big deal ).

I wouldn't judge the "nationality" of a film by its financers alone, or its director, but by a proper weighting of the nationalities of its financers, director(s), writer(s), crew, cast and location. IMHO Straw Dogs qualifies as a British film. It's somewhat irrelevant anyway, because as good as it is, there's no way it's going to win this tournament, considering what it's up against.
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post #37 of 391
10/8/03 at 10:53am
OK, I’ll try some of my original suggestions.

Nominate:

Man of Aran
Nanook of the North
2001
Eyes Wide Shut

The later too as I never noticed a ruling on their inadmissibility..


Third:

A Passage to India
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post #38 of 391
10/8/03 at 12:49pm
I'm a bit confused Lew, since I've already thirded 2001, since someone else had seconded it.
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post #39 of 391
10/8/03 at 1:50pm
:b: I’m the one that was confused George. I made a faulty assumption on the collating sequence, believing that numbers came first. So when I did not see 2001 at the top of the list, I thought that somehow it had been overlooked.

Little did I suspect that Jim would cleverly make the collating sequence for numbers as though they were spelled out words (nothing wrong with this, just surprising), so finding it around ‘Trainspotting’ was unexpected.

Actually I think that I’ve been confused on this whole tourney. Perhaps it is due to driving on the other side of the road.
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post #40 of 391
10/8/03 at 2:14pm
Fair enough Phillip

I'll 2nd Sexy Beast
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post #41 of 391
10/8/03 at 2:48pm
Thread Starter 

Are Straw Dogs, Alien, and The Elephant Man British movies? Just because a movie has a British director doesn't make it British. Ditto just because a movie was filmed in England. Weren't these fully financed by American studios/sources?


First of all if we're to eliminate all the films with any US financial backing then we'd have a very small list indeed.

Alien is listed as a sole UK production like it or not. It had a partial British cast was filmed in the UK, UK technicians worked the film, etc. I'm not an expert on the History/production on the film so maybe someone who is can chime in and explain why this is listed as a UK production.

Straw Dogs is also a sole UK production so I don't know what the problem is with this film being included other than Peckinpah wasn't British.

Elephant Man was a joint UK/US production but so was 2001:ASO & a number of others on the BFI list. If people want to give em the boot then whatever, I really don't care but just let me know.


If there's to be any kind of outcry I'd direct it at say the Kubrick films some of which are joint US/UK productions. In fact I'm more concerned about these films being included as they most likely will knock off the real great British films of Lean, Powell, Reed, Hitchcock, & the Ealing Comedies. I love most of Kubrick's films but I think they're as British as Apple Pie & Chicken Kung Pow.


Little did I suspect that Jim would cleverly make the collating sequence for numbers as though they were spelled out words (nothing wrong with this, just surprising), so finding it around ‘Trainspotting’ was unexpected.


I'm just messing with your head Lew.


I'll be back later to update the list.
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post #42 of 391
10/8/03 at 7:13pm
Thread Starter 
List updated. We need 5 more.

Everyone has unlimited seconds & thirds.

Keep in mind I'll be using the nomination pool of the films that don't make it in. I'll need these as wild-cards when I start tossing films that nobody's seen.


Nominations

And Now for Something Completely Different
The Asphyx
Blackmail *
Carry On Cruising
Carry On Cleo
The Collector *
Contraband
Curse of Frankenstein *
The Devil Rides Out
The Day the Earth Caught Fire *
Dead of Night *
The Devils
The Elephant Man
Eyes Wide Shut
49th Parallel *
Gaslight
Help! *
The Hit (1984) *
How To Succeed In Advertising *
The Innocents *
I See A Dark Stranger
Jason and the Argonauts
A Kid for Two Farthings
Lair of the White Worm *
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
Man of Aran
The Man Who Would Be King *
Matthew Hopkins: Witchfinder General
Metroland
The Mission *
The Mouse That Roared *
The Mummy (1959) *
Nanook of the North
Night Train to Munich *
O Lucky Man! *
Quatermass and the Pit *
Quatermass II: Enemy from Space *
Ratcatcher
Sexy Beast *
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
The Thief of Bagdad (1940) *
Village of the Damned (1960) *
Wish You Were Here *
Wonderland
Yellow Submarine *
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post #43 of 391
10/8/03 at 11:04pm
Ok, I sit corrected.

Horror of Dracula was on one of the Spanish channels tonight.
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post #44 of 391
10/9/03 at 4:59am
Second:

Gaslight
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
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post #45 of 391
10/9/03 at 6:17am
I'll third:

Curse of Frankenstein
The Man Who Would Be King
The Mouse That Roared
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
The Thief of Bagdad
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post #46 of 391
10/9/03 at 7:18am
As far as 2001 goes... if the BFI didn't consider it British enough to go on their top 100 list (and let's be real, it would have been up there), neither should we.
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post #47 of 391
10/9/03 at 6:48pm
Thread Starter 
I do agree with Martin & have already voiced my concerns about all of the Kubrick films being included. I don't have a problem with ACO (BFI list) & Barry Lyndon but I'm having second thoughts about allowing 2001:ASO & Dr Strangelove. I'll have to think it over some.

We now have a complete field but I'll hold all of the nominated films that have been seconded in reserve, just in case we need them.

I'll post the first matchups tomorrow.
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post #48 of 391
10/9/03 at 8:09pm
Well every resource I have (various books as well as the last Cinemania version released) all list both 2001 and Dr. Strangelove as British films. It's hard for me to understand how either of these is not a British film.
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post #49 of 391
10/9/03 at 8:49pm
iMDB lists 2001 as UK/USA. Dr. Strangelove is listed as UK, but I find it difficult to think of it as a British film. Takes place in America, mostly American actors, American director.
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post #50 of 391
10/10/03 at 3:42am
Well if a director from another country (say Germany or Hong Kong) comes to the U.S. and in Hollywood makes a film about Germany or Hong Kong, with a lot of actors from that country would this be an American film or a German (or Hong Kong) film?

I don't really understand what financing has to do with it. If some Swiss business concern financed a film made in Hollywood by an American independent director with American actors would that be a Swiss film?

The problem with arguing about British films is that the language hasn't changed. When a film is made in Italy, in Italian, even if it has American connections, it's pretty clearly an Italian film.

What kind of film is Lord of the Rings? I know it was made in New Zealand primarily by a bunch of New Zealanders (crew and extras, if not the primary stars), but was financed by New Line. So is that an American film or a New Zealand film?
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post #51 of 391
10/10/03 at 4:19am
Thread Starter 
I'll admit that the lines are sometimes blurry when determining country of origin. The joint ventures being the trickiest ones to determine.



What kind of film is Lord of the Rings?


A joint US/New Zealand Production. The bigger percentage being the US.


Well if a director from another country (say Germany or Hong Kong) comes to the U.S. and in Hollywood makes a film about Germany or Hong Kong, with a lot of actors from that country would this be an American film or a German (or Hong Kong) film?


If the production company is from same said country then it would be a German or Hong Kong film. It doesn't matter what locale they choose to shoot the film.

Aguirre Wrath of God is a German film though not one frame was shot in Germany.

Apocalypse Now is a US film made entirely in the philippines

etc, etc, etc.


As for 2001 & Strangelove I've decided to leave 'em in. They were nominated, seconded & thirded so whatever reservations I have should have been voiced before they made the list.

I'll start with 4 matchups to get a feel for how many abstains we'll have.

Remember, if you have to abstain name the film you haven't seen. If not then I'll assume it's both films. It'll help me to determine which film gets the boot in the event less then 3 people vote.

Round 1

Monty Python's Life of Brian

vs.

The Full Monty

----------------------------------------------

The Draughtsman's Contract

vs.

If....

----------------------------------------------

Oliver Twist

vs.

Scrooge (1951)

------------------------------------------------

Small Faces

vs.

Women in Love
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post #52 of 391
10/10/03 at 5:31am
Monty Python's Life of Brian
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post #53 of 391
10/10/03 at 6:16am
Life of Brian
Abstain - No TDC.
Oliver Twist
Abstain - Seen neither.
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post #54 of 391
10/10/03 at 6:37am
Monty Python's Life of Brian

Oliver Twist
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post #55 of 391
10/10/03 at 7:07am
Only one I've seen is Life of Brian, and maybe Draughtsman's Contract.
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post #56 of 391
10/10/03 at 7:51am
1. Monty Python's Life of Brian
2. Abstain
3. Oliver Twist
4. Abstain
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post #57 of 391
10/10/03 at 9:00am
Life of Brian
If....
Scrooge (1951)
Women in Love
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post #58 of 391
10/10/03 at 5:42pm
Monty Python's Life of Brian
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post #59 of 391
10/10/03 at 6:22pm
Monty Python's Life of Brian

Oliver Twist
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post #60 of 391
10/11/03 at 12:39am
Only seen 3 of these.

Scrooge (by far my favorite Dickens story)
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