- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,422
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Edith Nesbit's The Railway Children first appeared in serialized form in 1905 in The London Magazine, before it became a book the following year.
65 years hence, actor turned director Lionel Jeffries, brought the book to life, whilst giving young Jenny Agutter a place on the world screen. She would hit even bigger the following year with Nicholas Roeg's Walkabout. It would be another five years before Logan's Run.
A much-admired book - there were mumblings of plagiarism involving another story that arrived in 1896 and serialized in 1904 - is treated with great respect in the EMI production.
Kino has released the film on Blu-ray, and it's about time that it arrived, as it's a wonderful production, beautifully directed and acted, albeit on a constrained budget.
For those seeking a quality children's film, that won't bore adults, this is an excellent candidate.
The Blu-ray is generally pleasing, with only occasional granular oddities, if one if looking too closely. It's photographed by the great Arthur Ibbetson.
Color is fine when imagery is fully exposed. I presume that the source is a printing dupe of some sort.
I don't recall offhand how many actors appeared in later versions of an earlier film in which they were involved. Red Dust comes to mind.
Ms. Agutter originally appeared in a 1968 BBC mini-series, appropriately entitled The Railway Children, and followed it with the 1970 feature.
Thirty years later, would come a TV movie, in which she played the role of the mother.
Another variant, with a different storyline, but using the same title, will be released in 2022.
The film is a lovingly produced class-act, and should be seen.
Image – 3.75
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Upgrade from DVD – Yes
Recommended
RAH
65 years hence, actor turned director Lionel Jeffries, brought the book to life, whilst giving young Jenny Agutter a place on the world screen. She would hit even bigger the following year with Nicholas Roeg's Walkabout. It would be another five years before Logan's Run.
A much-admired book - there were mumblings of plagiarism involving another story that arrived in 1896 and serialized in 1904 - is treated with great respect in the EMI production.
Kino has released the film on Blu-ray, and it's about time that it arrived, as it's a wonderful production, beautifully directed and acted, albeit on a constrained budget.
For those seeking a quality children's film, that won't bore adults, this is an excellent candidate.
The Blu-ray is generally pleasing, with only occasional granular oddities, if one if looking too closely. It's photographed by the great Arthur Ibbetson.
Color is fine when imagery is fully exposed. I presume that the source is a printing dupe of some sort.
I don't recall offhand how many actors appeared in later versions of an earlier film in which they were involved. Red Dust comes to mind.
Ms. Agutter originally appeared in a 1968 BBC mini-series, appropriately entitled The Railway Children, and followed it with the 1970 feature.
Thirty years later, would come a TV movie, in which she played the role of the mother.
Another variant, with a different storyline, but using the same title, will be released in 2022.
The film is a lovingly produced class-act, and should be seen.
Image – 3.75
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Upgrade from DVD – Yes
Recommended
RAH
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