Dad's Army film cast announced

The spin off film with the original cast was not up to the standard of the TV series.

After 40years or so this current cast may do Ok, but Catherine Zeta..Jones may had a bit of Glamour but would a Journalist really go to a back of beyond place of Walmington-on-sea, even if it was "the British front line in 1940?

 

Whilst on the subject, if, like me, you are an aficianado of the original series, then can I heartily recommend the super book on the series by Bill Pertwee.

It contains everything you could possibly wish to know about the cast and individual digests of every single episode.

I own a hardback copy but I see that Amazon have paperbacks from as little as 1p.

Go on..... treat yourself to a copy, you won't regret it

Ron

 

I agree that the Dad's Army film wasn't as good as the TV series, but it was worth it for the priceless line where Warden Hodges tries to interfere as the platoon mans a roadblock. Captain Mainwaring tells him: 'I must ask you to keep your hands off my Privates!'

 

On a side track I always found the church in The Eagle has Landed a bit puzzling. Are there many medieval church buildings in Norfolk that still belong to the Roman Catholic church? Did Henry VIII miss some?

 

possibly

There might also be guild and chantry chapels, where that most energetic and urgent business of the late medieval Catholic Church could be carried out: praying for the dead.
http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/screens/screens.htm

 

Seems a very good opportunity for Zeta Jones to play Elizabeth.

 

Harry.

Ha ha very subtle.

I like the cast, but have concerns over writers/script etc.
As noted above, the film version of the TV series with original cast (and writers?) didn't do so well.

(As you can see my font size has changed mid post, and won't go back no matter what I try!!!!!!!!).

 

Yes,I think the supposed part,she is to play,she will be subject to the cosmetic makeovers of the 21th century....far removed from the make up as I remember that was available to the ladies, generally, of that era.I think her inclusion is to attempt to bring in a glamous dimension to the show.

But wait were not young ladies of her part bound by wartime law to be engaged in some dimension of the war effort...unless the creators are to offer some exemption reason such as being married with children?

I think that ladies who were pretty well made up were liable to be regarded as tarts from what I can remember.Of course there were ladies of the higher social classes who appeared to have access to cosmetic ranges......not as if I knew any.

Nylons......only appeared from the US via the alliance when Dupont made the breakthrough with the technology.James Beck's character always had plenty of stock available.But what I remember of the era was that young ladies resorted to painted stockings....painted their legs with brown dye to keep up with appearances.

Always an optimist but I feel the a remake is not likely to be a box office hit and will be soon relegated to free TV. ...investor attraction?

On the same note,I cannot think that a remake of the Dambusters is likely to score while the original film exists.

 

Harry Enfield plays can play a funny middle aged pretty well. How about him?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSuJ9b96w9U

 

Dad's Army' Film: First Look!

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/10/21/dads-army-film-set-pics-photos_n_6022166.html

 

I too do not go big on remakes, the original was perfect.

However a small part of the new film is to be made here in Bridlington and we need all the publicity we can get to increase the number of tourists. Could put the "Old Town" here on the map.

I can understand how some may feel about the move North but we probably have the claim to most remaining bombed out buildings to add a little reality.

Brian

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/dads-army/review/

 

It did feel slightly bizarre when the BBC beat them to the punch with:

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-12-22/were-doomed-the-dads-army-story---review

And there was plenty of nostalgia for the old series evident there.

Remaking a firm favourite for a modern film audience though - is both a bit too much like trying to pour a quart into a pint pot as well as essentially trying to distill something of a legendary brew into something more like an alcopop to suit modern tastes.

Funny how the wiki editing commences, I suspect the publicity departments will be busy editing the re-edits throughout most of the night:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dad%27s_Army_(2016_film)#Reception

Five stars vs. 2 stars at the mo.

Saying it "surpasses the original" in a "review" is perhaps laying it on a bit thick though I'm wondering if that quote will last the test of time.

Still I suppose if "Doctor Who" can do it.... plus de la même s'il vous plaît (perhaps they'll do the same next now with "Allo, Allo!") - a show which used to give my old history teacher fits.... the Gestapo were not like that!!!

I could imagine the BBC remaking "Secret Army" some day though

All the best,

Rm.

 

The BBC did remake Secret Army. They called it 'Allo 'Allo....

 

From an initial low of about 50% it seems to have "crept" up to 63% over the last few days...

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dads-army/

Not sure it that means that the critics panned it at first but the public quite like it in fact? It seems to have a ratio of 80% want to see and quite a lot of quite favourable public reviews: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dads-army/reviews/?type=user

Still a bit surprising how strikingly different some of the opinion is. I'm not sure if we (British) really know how to make a film to appeal to all sorts without some injection of something from the US. I guess one of the main moans was it was too nostalgically British or samey for some modern takes. Or perhaps even a case of tamper with a National treasure at your peril perhaps? Wonder if a Black Adder movie is in the works? Or if it is another series in fact that they are quietly working on.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/aug/24/blackadder-returns-cunning-plan-where-when-set

Washington DC perhaps according to this

 

The Americans did try to adapt "Dad's Army" - a pilot called "The Rear Guard" set in an American Civil Defense (sic) unit in WW2, in 1976. Starred no-one you've ever heard of in the UK; dropped after the pilot. The tape was wiped (although it is said the US producer kept one copy).

The film; it's set too late in the war; the writers seem to have completely misread the nature of the ATS - injected into the plot to get more women, including Mrs Mainwaring - heresy - into it; this so-called "spy" element just to get Zeta-Jones in to give the film a faint flcker of recognition in the US (surely they won't sell it, even indirectly, with "Dumbledore's in it") .

I firmly believe I can't knock it until I've seen it, but forewarned is forearmed...

 

Oh dear...

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dads-army/

Down to 39% (from the critics) now

Compared to a 71% score from the audience now there...

Anyone seen it who liked it / disliked it? Or is everyone waiting until it comes on TV and has been repeated a few times to decide if it is a "classic" (or not )

For me "seeing it was set in 1944" and the "Mrs Mainwaring - heresy" (both mentioned in post #47 above) is baffling - why did the makers of this film do that?! :Hydrogen:

Ps. Thanks idler (post #39) - I just saw it was on now and hadn't quite "twigged" that it was just opening on general release "today". I guess the "audience score" there is from previews, maybe it includes relatives of cast and crew and publicists, with some input also from clairvoyants perhaps?

 

Not sure about the public score - it only opens today!

 

BBC News (5th Feb 2016) Story here about:


The real-life wars of Dad's Army actor Arnold Ridley
As the film version of Dad's Army is released at cinemas across the country, BBC News looks at the life of Arnold Ridley, the only actor in the original television series to serve in both World War One and Two.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35491036