MovieChat Forums > French Dressing (1964) Discussion > DVD with director's commentary

DVD with director's commentary

posted 18 years ago by JekyllBoote-1
6 replies | jump to latest

A couple of years ago they showed a John Boorman documentary from the early 60s on BBC4. This prompted me to think that all of Boorman's surviving documentaries should be made available on DVD, along with his feature debut, "Catch Us If You Can" (ostensibly a vehicle for the Dave Clark Five, but actually a film of some depth and accomplishment).

A similar line of thought leads me to think that the same should be done for Ken Russell. I suggest a DVD double-bill of "Watch The Birdie" and a good, complete print of "French Dressing", complete with director's commentary.

Are you up for it, Ken? (Say "yes"!) Come on, BFI, do your job!

[–] Slappyhead 18 years ago

Yes please, won't happen though, well at least not while Russell is alive.

[–] JohnGargo 17 years ago

I would love to see this early Ken Russell effort... someone out there offering a DVD-R of this little-seen film?

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] chrismartonuk-1 15 years ago

How can you not like a film which features a scene in which Robert Robinson is floored by a right-hook in a punch-up? Once I'd got over the shock of what I'd seen, I collapsed with laughter.

[–] Slappyhead 14 years ago

Watch it frame by frame and it's even funnier... Robert starts to drop back early and the punch just misses him. It still puzzles me how Harper and Russell managed to get Robinson and the BBC gear to come to Herne Bay and then be punched but its definitely one of my favourite scenes that 'made the cut'. I might put it up with the rest on YouTube until Canal + Image / StudioCanal responds.

There's lots of other little funny bits which I think most people haven't noticed such as the scene where the whole cast and the public are pushing the BBCTV crew into the pier pavilion to see FF's latest film 'Pavements of Boulogne'. James Booth makes it very clear about his dislike of the woman who keeps passing by the camera while Roy Kinnear has an obsessive smile and everyone else is trying to get their face in frame.

[–] Slappyhead 14 years ago

New petition for a full featured DVD... please sign away

http://www.petitiononline.com/fdondvd