powell (and pressburger)

[craner]

i scanned the crowd for craner hoping he was there and i could ambush him but i didnt see him. there were a lot of craner-a-likes though including a perfect craner jnr right in front of me. he was wearing a black turtleneck. not wool, a kind of stretch lycra mix one that even craner snr would of drawn the line at.

Often imitated, never equalled.

 

[craner]

It's very like the shining with the haunted hotel sending them loopy and sister Ruth's gurning and leering

The bit where Sister Ruth goes mental at the end is fantastic, it's like Dario Argento decades before he invented his style.

 

[craner]

The pink and green of the garden itself is gorgeous, like something from The Wizard of Oz. The wonders of Technicolor.

View attachment 16701

The wonders of Jack Cardiff.

 

[craner]

Has he ever acknowledged them as an influence or did he just happen to end up with something similar?

Never mentioned them as far as I know, probably a coincidence. But the prowling camera, vivid colours, demonic close-ups and manic melodrama have an Italian horror feel (to me, anyway).

 

[craner]

I’m reading Powell’s memoir at the moment and it’s really good, but sprawling and long. I’ve almost finished Volume 1 and I’m on page 700, just to give you some idea. One of the interesting things I’ve learned is that Powell was a massive shagger. I mean, he was a bald, nerdy-looking, neurotic little control freak, but that didn’t seem to matter at all. Deborah Kerr, Pamela Brown, Kathleen Byron, he shagged them all!

 

[craner]

I bet they didn’t mention that in the BFI notes.

 

[version]

I’m reading Powell’s memoir at the moment and it’s really good, but sprawling and long. I’ve almost finished Volume 1 and I’m on page 700, just to give you some idea. One of the interesting things I’ve learned is that Powell was a massive shagger. I mean, he was a bald, nerdy-looking, neurotic little control freak, but that didn’t seem to matter at all. Deborah Kerr, Pamela Brown, Kathleen Byron, he shagged them all!

I was surprised when I read something similar about Raymond Chandler. He looked like some stern old schoolmaster, but apparently when he was an oil executive he would veer wildly from shagging every woman in the building to weeping and threatening to top himself.

 

[craner]

Never mentioned them as far as I know, probably a coincidence. But the prowling camera, vivid colours, demonic close-ups and manic melodrama have an Italian horror feel (to me, anyway).

@version, because you deleted this post, I have to reply to myself but I'm actually replying to you.

I found out that Argento did like P&P:

At the Dario Argento interview at the NFT on 7 November 2013 Dario mentioned The Red Shoes as in an influence on him saying he liked Pressburger and Powell (it was interesting to hear it that way round for a change). He then mentioned something about one of his own films Suspiria before going on to say that he also admired Peeping Tom. Some of the interview will be on the BFI website in the future so hopefully that section will be included.

And George A. Romero was a fan and loved Tales of Hoffman.

As was Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet:

Famous fans of Powell and Pressburger

www.powell-pressburger.org

 

[Clinamenic]

Version why would you delete that post? God forbid Cambridge Analytica scrapes this forum and finds out about your Argento/Powell curiosity.

 

[craner]

If you look at page 3 of this thread you can see that @version and I had the exact same conversation 2 years ago. I haven't even had covid!

 

[version]

If you look at page 3 of this thread you can see that @version and I had the exact same conversation 2 years ago. I haven't even had covid!

 

[luka]

Going to see matter of life and death tomorrow at nft

 

[craner]

You're going to hate it.

 

[luka]

You're going to hate it.

It's quite sweet actually. Very reminiscent of one of my favourite films which is bill and Ted's excellent adventure.

 

[craner]

It's quite sweet actually. Very reminiscent of one of my favourite films which is bill and Ted's excellent adventure.

Yes, they influenced all the greats.

 

[Corpsey]

I went to see A Matter of Life/Death at the BFI not long ago and on the way out I spotted Gary Oldman and friend.

In a moment of madness I shouted "Mr Oldman!" He turned, startled and afraid. I then shook his hand and said something incredibly witty like "I love your work!" Then scuttled away, my cheeks burning with self-reproach, to spend the rest of the evening writhing in agony.

I'll never forget the look of fear in his eyes.

I knew how it felt to be Mark Chapman that day. Only without the satisfaction of a job well done.

 

[craner]

Stephen Fry and Tilda Swindon have come out as P&P superfans which has been a little bit aggravating.

 

[luka]

Wheres your amazing essay on them gone?

 

[craner]

I was going to correct the above post with 'Swinton' but Tilda Swindon is much better. If I ever meet her, I'm going to say, "How do you do, Ms. Swindon?"

 

[craner]

Wheres your amazing essay on them gone?

I deleted it. I ripped it up into small pieces. Incinerated it. About two months after writing it, I recognised it was a complete pile of horseshit. You know, these things happen. In the heat of creation, the thing looks one way, but in the cold light of day, it looks another.