Film Friday.

Once again it's been a hectic week. L was ill at the start of the week. On Monday, not wanting her to avoid school because of friend problems, I encouraged her to go and said if she was really ill they would send her home. So off she went, but when she was nearly at school she phoned me in tears because she had taken all the wrong books with her. This was not her normal crying but her 'Poorly crying' so I knew she really wasn't well. J brought her back home and here she stayed until Thursday morning when feeling much better she trotted off to school. The unfortunate thing about ill kids (apart from them being ill) is they hinder everything you are trying to do, even if they are laying in their beds, or on the sofa feeling miserable, you have to entertain them or comfort them (or watch the 1940's house with them) and other things that need doing have to be put to one side. Sadly I did not manage to get the first three PIFs off in the mail so apologies ladies (though they are made and ready to go). I will try my utmost to get them out to you on Monday! And as for the mini pifs, I am aiming for Tuesday 27th (as Monday is bank holiday) Hope that is okay. And please if any of you left a comment wanting to be in my PIF but weren't the three main names drawn, and you still haven't emailed me your address to receive a mini PIF please do!!
Twiggy has tagged me but I am going to have to do that in my next post because I have decided I want to make Fridays

Film Friday!!

I am going to list my five favourite films in different genres each week and hopefully some of you may be inspired to watch some of them!!
My first five movies are going to be

Kitchen sink Dramas!

Kitchen sink dramas were very popular in the late fifties and sixties. Usually showing the gritty side of life, usually politically and socially motivated. Often about the working class and sometimes quite depressing. I've always been drawn to drama so I guess that is why I love them so much. Even now when I am settled and everything is quite easy going I still enjoy a good gritty drama that makes me think. There are a myriad of actors and actresses like Alan Bates, Albert Finney, Dennis waterman, Julie Christie and lots more and I am always intrigued to see what they looked like and how they started out in the acting industry. So counting down from five...

5/ Alfie (1966).

Not to be confused by the remake with Jude Law in it. (Why oh why do they insist on remaking classics, it never works!) Alfie apparently encapsulates the swinging sixties (I wouldn't know, I wasn't there). A very young Michael Caine is a real ladies man, charming, self centered and narcissistic he works his way through lots of women (look out for a young Jane Asher, and no, she's not baking cakes! see pic) will he or won't he get his comeuppance? I watched this film whilst I was pregnant with L, My ex husband had taken J out to the theater and I was taking down the Christmas decorations whilst watching it. Now every time I watch Alfie, I want to pack up Christmas decorations and take down the tree.

4/Georgy girl (1966).

Hey there Georgy girl la la la laa la la lala laa
The tag line to this film was 'The wildest thing to hit the world since the mini-skirt!'. Whilst not being wild by todays standards, it apparently was in the sixties. Georgy lives with Meridith, Georgy is plump, plain, very affection like a puppy and a soon to be spinster. Meredith is a beautiful ice queen with many boyfriends. Meredith meets Jos, falls pregnant and decides she doesn't want the baby. Georgy soon realises what she must do to help Meredith, and herself. A fabulous cast including James Mason, Lyn Redgrave and Alan Bates. Well worth a watch.

3/Darling (1965).

Julie Cristie plays Diana Scott, a fame hungry model who will do anything to get to the top. She meets her true love Robert (Dirk Bogarde) but is never satisfied with what she has, seeking more and more, ruining any chance of happiness she may have. This is one of the more recent dramas I have bought and I didn't know if I would like it, luckily I did.

2/ Poor Cow (1967).

A really quite depressing film, but one of my favourites. Carole White plays married woman Joy, who's abusive husband gets sent to prison for thieving. Relieved he's gone she embarks on an affair with his friend Dave (Terrence Stamp), who is also a thief but who is gentler and kinder and they fall in love. Unfortunately Dave also gets arrested and sent to prison so Joy becomes caught up having fun and only thinking of herself, even though she has a son to look after. Finally when her son goes missing she has to work out just what really is important in her life.

1/ Up the junction (1968).

This first came out as a Wednesday play on tv and caused uproar because it included a scene of a girl getting an illegal termination. It was then made into a film and whilst still including the social issues covered in the novel, it was glossed over a bit more than the play. Based on the writer Nell Dunn's real life, Polly moves from a well to do family in Chelsea, to the rougher part of Battersea, tempted by the working class way of life she wants to discover for herself what it is like. Finding a job in a factory (Nell Dunn worked in a sweet factory) Polly meets sisters Sylvie (Maureen Lipman) and Rube (Adrienne Posta) and they become firm friends. Whilst looking for furniture in a second hand shop, to furnish her newly acquired grotty flat, she bumps into Peter (A quite beautiful looking Dennis Waterman before his 'Minder' days) who wants nothing more than to move away from his working class roots, get money and live in a big house. They fall in love but it become apparent that they both aim for different things. When Rube becomes pregnant Polly becomes more involved than she should and starts to realise just how different this kind of life is to what she is used too. When Peter gets into trouble, Polly tries to use her rich influence to help him, only then realising that she can't escape from who she really is. I love this film, mainly because Dennis Waterman is so gorgeous in it (hard to tell what he was like if you only recently seen him in 'New tricks') though I am always fed up when Polly cuts off her lovely hair so she can look more like the other girls. (I'm fickle like that) And the film has a great soundtrack by Manfred Mann. Unfortunately this film is out of print and possibly only one you can catch if it is shown on tv.

So there you have it, my five favourite depressing Kitchen sink Dramas. Next week I shall be giving you my top five favourite black and white thrillers... bet you can't wait! ;)