MovieChat Forums > The Black Windmill (1974) Discussion > Taped this back in 1996

Taped this back in 1996

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

When I was a sixth-form student, I used to stay up late and occasionally watch stuff on ITV (commercial UK TV channel). I checked this film out in a TV guide, and because it was directed by Don 'Dirty Harry' Siegel, I recorded it one night. I remember watching about an hour of it, then suddenly, it stopped, and I realized the tape ran out (my fault, as I should have rewinded it to the very beginning before I started recording). From what I remember, it seemed like a lively, pacey affair. There is a scene where Caine is being chased by a cop or an agent, and then when the agent loses him, Caine pops up his head, smiles and waves at him. It would be nice if they released this on DVD (other Caine spy thrillers like Funeral In Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain are already available), as they are releasing The Ipcress File next week.

I've heard people say that Caine was perhaps miscast as Tarrant. If Caine was unavailable, then they should have got Stanley Baker - he was one of THE best at playing tough guys, and he'd also done lots of thrillers.

[–] h-ahmad-1 18 years ago

Glad to know it's available on Region 2 DVD now. Whenever I can, I'll buy it and watch it if I have time. It's a bit ironic, because the last time it came on terrestrial TV was ten years ago.

[–] drwalpurgis 17 years ago

This used to be an absolute staple of late night TV in the late seventies/early nineties.

It's much better than it's ever credited with being, IMO, the only major disappointment being Roy Budd's uncharacteristically lacklustre score.

[–] bettywhait06 17 years ago

I agree, I love this movie, and it has always been slated by many critics. It's pacy and tough, and Caine is excellent in it.

[–] vitch 15 years ago

I saw this film when it was originally released in Canada, and at the drive-in no less. I was nine years old at the time and haven't seen it since, but the one scene that sticks in my mind is the kid getting kidnapped by some fake Brit soldiers at what I seem to remember was an abandoned military airstrip somewhere.

I hear it's available on R2 DVD in UK but not in North America at all save for some dusty VHS copies churned out a decade ago. That's why Amazon.uk has received a TON of my business this year, as increasingly whenever I think of some film I haven't seen since I was a kid -- amazon.uk is the only place that stocks it.

[–] gb901 9 years ago

Yes indeed: I recall it being shown on bbc2 quite often in the early 80s.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20441) 3 years ago

I usually enjoy Budd’s scores and can easily pick them out in films.