Wright writes.....

[john new]

On 17/04/2024 at 18:03, Willie Whizz said:

What baffles us with our Samsung TV with Sky dish is that when watching “ordinary” programmes in real-time the sound volume is fine if set around 20. But watching a recorded programme needs turning-up to about 28-30 to be satisfactory, and using our connected DVD player means having to go right up to a volume setting of 40. Weird. 
 

I suppose I might be able to find a rationale and a remedy in the Instruction Manual - except that these days all you seem to get is a Quick Start guide …

Ours does the same.

 

[john new]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening,

 

I don't know about the aerial weaponry in the later Dunkirk, but what stopped any belief in its authenticity was seeing green BR Mk.1s as the survivors journeyed back to London.

 

The original (John Mills) B&W Dunkirk from the late '50s was far superior.

 

Why is it that when railways are shown in movies (or on TV), very little thought seems to have been given to make sure they're 'accurate for period', or even place. James Bond, on his journey back from Istanbul in From Russia With Love, appears to be travelling overnight in an all-green train hauled by a Royal Scot! Shadowlands got it right, and Loughborough 'could have been' like Oxford in the film, especially as the locos were weathered. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

It was filmed partly on Weymouth Quay. I gaven't been to see it but in the stills I have seen the well post war Pavillion Theatre is clearly visible in the background! 

[Coach bogie]

Dunkirk does get around. The location filming was Rye for the John Mills film (1958), and, more recently, Redcar became Dunkirk in Attonement (2006).

 

Mike Wiltshire

[t-b-g]

A few years ago, I had an opportunity to visit the real Dunkirk. At low tide, seeing the wrecks of the vessels still there in the sand all these years later and knowing we were standing in the place where so many died was very moving. It is such a serene, peaceful place now and there are a few good places to visit, which have been made into museums. Well worth a visit if anybody is interested in such things.

[Jack P]

On 19/04/2024 at 04:51, Tony Wright said:

Good evening,

 

I don't know about the aerial weaponry in the later Dunkirk, but what stopped any belief in its authenticity was seeing green BR Mk.1s as the survivors journeyed back to London.

 

The original (John Mills) B&W Dunkirk from the late '50s was far superior.

 

Why is it that when railways are shown in movies (or on TV), very little thought seems to have been given to make sure they're 'accurate for period', or even place. James Bond, on his journey back from Istanbul in From Russia With Love, appears to be travelling overnight in an all-green train hauled by a Royal Scot! Shadowlands got it right, and Loughborough 'could have been' like Oxford in the film, especially as the locos were weathered. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

In the recent Miniseries 'Masters of the Air', there are multiple railway inaccuracies, the most glaring (in my mind) being an olive green S15, lettered Great western on the tender, pulling a rake of blood and custard Mk.1's. I know that to 99% of people, the pretty train won't look out of place, but the airbase is set in East Anglia, surely that's a great excuse to use the B12 and Quad arts to (at the very least) represent something from that region?

 

There's also an S160 dressed up to represent one of the German BR52's, against the didcot coaling stage. There's some irony there I think.

 

Ignorance really is bliss.

Edited April 19 by Jack P

[Northmoor]

TV and film makers do make a lot of effort to get things "right" with things like period clothing, so it's odd that a generic steam train often seems sufficient.  I suspect it is often driven by what location is available.  If you want to film a Southern station for four days in summer, Horsted Keynes might not be available because it's operating!   

 

I can even live with incorrect trains but what often jumps out at me is 21st Century language used by WW2-1960s era characters.  There are a lot of terms common speech that have evolved only since availability of the Internet became commonplace within the last 20-25 years.  More sensitively, TV dramas show a level of widespread liberal tolerance that I suspect wouldn't have been common in the era represented.

[John Besley]

On 17/04/2024 at 10:38, grahame said:

I've been making a little progress on my layout recently. I had to get some of the previously made buildings and structures in place to check positioning and working out the track bed board sizes that needed to be cut. Before clearing them away to be able to get on with the wood mangling (sawing, gluing and screwing) I took a few snaps. Although I posted them on my layout thread I doubt many visit it (being N/2mm and mainly third rail electrics) so here's a couple of them that might be of interest to Tony's followers:

 

 

 

 

Just following your topics, brilliant stuff, I find making buildings a fascinating project challange, although working in 7/8ths for Exhill Works they tend to be HUGE!....

[Jol Wilkinson]

8 hours ago, Northmoor said:

TV and film makers do make a lot of effort to get things "right" with things like period clothing, so it's odd that a generic steam train often seems sufficient.  I suspect it is often driven by what location is available.  If you want to film a Southern station for four days in summer, Horsted Keynes might not be available because it's operating!   

 

I can even live with incorrect trains but what often jumps out at me is 21st Century language used by WW2-1960s era characters.  There are a lot of terms common speech that have evolved only since availability of the Internet became commonplace within the last 20-25 years.  More sensitively, TV dramas show a level of widespread liberal tolerance that I suspect wouldn't have been common in the era represented.

Yet it is common to hear an announcement on BBC4Extra before an older radio show (e.g. The Goons, Hancock's Half Hour, Steptoe and Son, etc.) to the effect that it includes "language and attitudes of the time", as these are socially unacceptable today. You don't hear the same warning ahead of todays TV comedy shows such as Live at the Apollo, where using the "F" word continually seems obligatory for some "comedians".

[gr.king]

Socially unacceptable perhaps to those indoctrinated in trendy political "correctness", but not unacceptable to all. maybe not even the silent downtrodden older majority.

[Captain Kernow]

I also wince at the modern language used in some 'historical' dramas, not least the use of the dreadful term 'train station'.

 

The use of inappropriate locos, rolling stock and even sometimes station settings makes me wonder what other 'historical' aspects of the show aren't correct.

 

CTMK and I recently watched 'Downton Abbey' on Netflix and the sight of a non-Eastern loco and stock always grates, especially if there is a goods brake van at the rear of the train...

 

However, she recently acquired a DVD copy of 'Housewife, 49', written by and starring the late Victoria Wood, in which the LMS scenes (shot at Keighley) seemed to have a rather more authentic feel about them.

 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

20 hours ago, maico said:

The director had been in and set the sound levels himself but for me it was way to loud. I had to leave before the end with my ears hurting. I think Christoper Nolan may have damaged hearing...

This has long been a recognised problem within the sound recording industry. Men who have been around loud events from youth onwards with the consequent mid-range suckout then balancing recordings to compensate. I compiled my own list of recording engineers to avoid for my orchestral and choral collection.

 

15 hours ago, RThompson said:

...they want to put their own mark on it.

Which varies from a subtle hint, to rubbing their crap into every available location, the difference between true art and nature red in tooth and claw.

[Geep7]

16 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Another film that's always a let down is War of the Worlds. None of Hollywood's efforts have done justice to the book, even the most recent TV effort on the Beeb was messed with so much it became nonsense. Why mess with perfection? Wells' book is a masterpiece why alter it? 

There's only ever been one good adaptation of the book, in my opinion, and that doesn't even have any moving pictures....... And even then, it has to be the Richard Burton narrated version, not the more recent one with Liam Neeson (as good as he is).....

[Bucoops]

57 minutes ago, Geep7 said:

There's only ever been one good adaptation of the book, in my opinion, and that doesn't even have any moving pictures....... And even then, it has to be the Richard Burton narrated version, not the more recent one with Liam Neeson (as good as he is).....

 

I have listened to it many times, but by far the best was when there were meteor showers due, and the local commercial radio station played it in one go, with no advert breaks, and we had camp-beds in the garden listening whilst watching for the shooting stars. Didn't see any but what a way to listen to it!

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

1 hour ago, Geep7 said:

one good adaptation of the book, in my opinion

Applies to all 'good books', even the most sensitive filmed adaptions are likely fail at some point, because we all bring our own interpretation of the text. After the Beeb's wild  stab at CLAVDIVS, I was glad  that they didn't proceed to attempt 'Count Belisarius'. That one is safe in my and Asimov's imaginations only...

[Northmoor]

4 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Applies to all 'good books', even the most sensitive filmed adaptions are likely fail at some point, because we all bring our own interpretation of the text. After the Beeb's wild  stab at CLAVDIVS, I was glad  that they didn't proceed to attempt 'Count Belisarius'. That one is safe in my and Asimov's imaginations only...

I'm a fan of John Wyndham's novels.  While it looks a bit crude now, the 1980s  TV adaptation of The Day of the Triffids was rather good, the early 21st century one less so.  The Village of the Dammed is an excellent telling of The Midwich Cuckoos and while obviously updated for the 2020s, I thought the recent TV version had adapted it rather well.

One thing I didn't think transferred well to TV was "Hitch-hikers"; some of the ideas are so bonkers it was best on the radio where as the saying goes, the pictures are better.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

3 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

I'm a fan of John Wyndham's novels. 

Based on his efforts in 'The Death of Stalin' (which is clearly already the greatest film of this millenium) I should like to see Armando Ianucci attempt 'Trouble with Lichen' . A political novel with so many current resonances, should be a natural for him.

[MJI]

13 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Applies to all 'good books', even the most sensitive filmed adaptions are likely fail at some point, because we all bring our own interpretation of the text. After the Beeb's wild  stab at CLAVDIVS, I was glad  that they didn't proceed to attempt 'Count Belisarius'. That one is safe in my and Asimov's imaginations only...

 

Book adaptions vary.

 

I don't like obvious changes which derail believability (streamers do this), like changing gebders, ages, locations. Unless influenced rather than adaption.

 

A good recent one was The Martian. My internal version was not ruined by the film version.

 

 

[Willie Whizz]

Yes, I’ve seen the stage adaptation of War of the Worlds twice, once with the Burton narration and once with Neeson. They were both seriously good.
 

I had wondered what the tangle of “scaffolding” above the stage was all about, thinking it must be part of a very elaborate lighting and special effects rig. When it started to pour out smoke, slowly descend and transform into the Martian Fighting Machine, the whole arena crowd, several thousand strong, gave an audible collective gasp …

[Northmoor]

2 hours ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Based on his efforts in 'The Death of Stalin' (which is clearly already the greatest film of this millenium) I should like to see Armando Ianucci attempt 'Trouble with Lichen' . A political novel with so many current resonances, should be a natural for him.

Agreed, The Death of Stalin is a minor masterpiece.

One of my favourite films is coincidentally one which barely departs from the book.  In Fred Zinnerman's The Day of the Jackal, the script almost adheres to the book word-for-word.

[Phil Parker]

21 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Why mess with perfection? Wells' book is a masterpiece why alter it? 

 

Except that 3-legged walking machines fall over as soon as one leg is lifted. The BBC worked this out when making "The Tripods" TV series in the 1980s. Matt Irvine explained that they invented some sort of lifting ray underneath to combat this, but it wasn't ideal.

[Compound2632]

I thought I must have stumbled into the wrong thread. Lots of lovely 4Fs and now film adaptations of books. Where have the ugly big Pacifics gone? 

[Captain Kernow]

22 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Another film that's always a let down is War of the Worlds. None of Hollywood's efforts have done justice to the book, even the most recent TV effort on the Beeb was messed with so much it became nonsense. Why mess with perfection? Wells' book is a masterpiece why alter it? 

Has anyone seen the awful, awful Pendragon Pictures version of it? It was being produced about the same time as the Tom Cruise version and I had high hopes, but it was just awful.

 

[Adam88]

18 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

Has anyone seen the awful, awful Pendragon Pictures version of it? It was being produced about the same time as the Tom Cruise version and I had high hopes, but it was just awful.

 

 

I thought they published BackTrack.

[PMP]

1 hour ago, Phil Parker said:

 

Except that 3-legged walking machines fall over as soon as one leg is lifted.

Typical rivet counters spoiling a good story!

[lezz01]

I have to agree. The Jeff Wane musical version of W o t W is fabulous I have both the original vinyl and the CD version, although the CD version is not in the correct order, I also have the latest video version saved on my TiVo box. I have the musical score as well and can even play some of it on guitar.

Regards Lez.