P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 9724:11
Design 3/14
by
J B Rakita
The Tuesday Movie is Excalibur >>
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 1714:42
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ON 4-TEL
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 1719:18
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CONTENTS
Welcome to Take Fouq, 4-Tel's mini-
magazine devoted to films. On the
following pages you can find:
- EXCALIBUR Bill Skirrow reviews John
Boorman's film of the Arthurian
legend which receives its British
TV premiere tomorrow at 9pm.
- THE MAGIC BOW Barbara Jefferson
takes a look at Thursday's film
at 2.35pm, starring Stewart Granger
as the virtuoso violinist
and composer Niccolo Paganini
Edited by Michael Polling
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 1724:59
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REVIEW
EXCALIBUR
Tomorrow at 9.00pm, Channel 4 0
presents John Boorman's Excalibur,
and entertaining and extravagant trip
into Arthurian legend.
Writers Boorman and Rospo Pallenberg
based their version on Thomas Malory's
'Morte Darthur' and somehow contrived
to cram all the major events from
the legend into two hours of cinema.
The effect is inevitably to blur and
over-simplify but, at the same time,
Boorman's movie gallops along in pace
with its many noble knights
and their trusty chargers.
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 1724:16
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REVIEW
EXCALIBUR
Excalibur begins in a divided 0
Britain where the wizard Merlin
uses his arcane magical powers to aid
and abet the birth of a futuqe king.
Arthur eventually draws the sword from
the stone, assembles the Knights of
the Round Table, and duly presides over
a peaceful and united kingdom from
his silver and gold castle of Camelot.
But that calm is shattered
by Lancelot's betrayal, Guinevere's
infidelity, the loss of the Holy Grail
and sorceress Morgana's malign scheming
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 1716:58
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REVIEW
EXCALIBUR
Boorman's movie is most certainly
not destined to be the definitive
film version of Arthurian legend.
He does manage to reflect some
of the rich texture of that legend
in this lavish and imaginative
production.
But concern for atmosphere and action
means that too little attention is
given to the philosophical and ethical
dimensions that must underpin a myth
that has become part of our national
consciousness.
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 1711:09
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REVIEW
EXCALIBUR
Given its intellectual limitations
I must say that Excalibur is 0
a most compelling and exciting film.
Boorman's visual imagination, feel
for atmosphere and attention to detail
are a genuine joy to behold.
Too many 'sword and sorcery' disasters
have been made to ignore the merits
of Boorman's fantasy world.
Cinematographer Alex Thomson won
a deserved Academy Award nomination
for his work on location in Ireland.
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 1716:47
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REVIEW
EXCALIBUR
Of the performances, most of which
are solid but unexceptional, 0
Nicol Williamson stands out.
You will either love or hate
his over-stated characterisation
of an irascible and eccentric Merlin,
who spends as much time playing
the fool as he does the great sage.
Boorman elicits good performances
from Nigel Terry and Cherie Lunghi
as Arthur and Guinevere, whilst
Helen Mirren is darkly seductive
as Arthur's evil half sister Morgana.
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 9711:54
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REVIEW
EXCALIBUR
Though Excalibur is often
quite funny, it is also scattered
with a liberal measure of moments
that are quite simply silly.
More often than not, these emanate
from dialogue that is too portentous.
Witness: "You are not my son. I am
not your father."
The only other point I would raise
is that whilst Lancelot is certainly
a 'parfit gentil' knight, he is also
an enormous prig. But then I expect
he was like that in real life...
By Bill Skirrow
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 1723:27
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THE MAGIC
BOW
Review
follows
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 1728:14
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REVIEW
THE MAGIC BOW
Stewart Granger as Paganini?
Somehow the two names don't equate -
but they do say opposites attract,
and The Magic Bow (Thursday at 2.35pm)
is a superb match.
Paganini was the finest violinist
of his time (some say of all time)
and he was a real genius - that is,
bad-tempered, sulky and volatile.
But as with all people of his calibre,
he could win over the hardest hearts
with the beauty of his music
and his playing.
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 1712:01
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REVIEW
THE MAGIC BOW
Paganini, unfortunately, has more
than a musical ear - he has an eye
for women and a penchant fgr gamblin£,
both of which bring him bad luck.
Stewart Granger's portrayal
of the Italian fiddler is more
swashbuckling than artistic,
but then, what does one expect from
a pirate and a Wild West gunslinger?
Granger manages to look convincing as
he 'plays' his heart out on the violin
but in reality it is the master himself
on the soundtrack, Yehudi Menuhin.
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 1712:10
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REVIEW
THE MAGIC BOW
Even back in the 19th Century
musicians had sharks, er, 'manageru',
to secure contracts and look
after their every whim -
and Paganini was no exception.
His 'manager', Luigi Germi, is played
exceptionally by Cecil Parker - and
he not only gets him a European tour,
but also an audience with the Pope.
When the Pope makes a knight
of Paganini, Germi whispers
in a not-too-surprised tone: "I must
be a better manager than I realise..."
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon 3 Mar C4 9704:21
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REVIEW
THE MAGIC BOW
Romantic interest is supplied
by the plummy-mouthed Phyllis Calvert
as a Farench countess who is manically
in love with Paganini but is under
Napoleon's orders to marry his general.
Granger is excellent as the arrogant,
talented and innovative Paganini -
but the soundtrack beats anything
that takes place during the film.
Paganini certainly had a colourful
lifestyle, like today's musicians - but
unlike today's rock stars, his music
will be around for a long time to come.
by Barbara Jefferson