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I was fascinated by this movie when it was first shown on Masterpiece Theatre many years ago and several times wished I could see it again. When it was offered on DVD I immediately ordered it and it was just as much fun to watch the second time. This stars two of my favorites, Bob Hoskins and Frances de la Tour along with lots of other lovable characters. This takes place in the early years of silent film making. Arnie Cole (Hoskins) tries to break into this business without enough capital while dealing with actors and actresses with big egos. There is a surprising love interest that develops.
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THe supplier had warn me that the deliver might take up to eight weeks, but the delivery was slower than I had expected it to be.
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Flickers: The British Silent Movie Era In A Quirky Masterpiece Theater Drama featuring Bob Hoskins and Frances de la Tour is the timeless and classic story of Arnie Cole, Maud, and a diverse troop of eccentric characters who were caught up in the making of silent movies in the earliest years of filmmaking in England. A three-disk DVD set, Flickers presents all six episodes with a total running time of 307 minutes showcases superb production values in costuming, set designs, dialogue, camera work, and storyline. Enhanced with a biography of composer Ron Grainer, cast member filmographies, and a scene index, Flickers is a welcome, entertaining, and certain to be popular addition to any personal or community library DVD collection.
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Produced in 1980 and penned by britcom veteran Roy Clarke (Keeping Up Appearances, Last of the Summer Wine, Open All Hours), Flickers is a light, entertaining six-part comedy-drama (with the emphasis on comedy) set amid the burgeoning film industry in 1920's England.
The series stars Bob Hoskins (Mrs. Henderson Presents, Thick as Thieves) as Arnie Cole, an outspoken Cockney with little dress sense and even less manners; yet despite his faults, he is shrewd, determined and hard-working. Arnie is in the business of showing films, but what he really wants to do is make them. He's a man with a dream--a vision, even; what he lacks, however, is money. The need for a loan or a backer poses a huge obstacle in a time when the more conservative, traditional lenders and investors were very leary of putting money into what was viewed by many as likely being a here-today-gone-tomorrow industry.
Frances de la Tour (Rising Damp) stars as Maud, the well-spoken, well-bred, but very uppity, not to mention plain-looking, daughter of a well-off family. It is Maud's brother, Clive, who himself has a tidy nest-egg, that Arnie hopes to smooth-talk into investing in his dream. Maud, however, sees right through Arnie, and turns him down flat.
As it happens, circumstances conspire to bring Arnie and Maud together. Theirs is an uncomfortable, not to mention unlikely, alliance--at least initially; and it is an uphill battle all the way, with shoe-string finances being only the tip of the problem. From a Shirley-Temple-like little girl who's becoming noticeably not so little anymore to a depressive comic and a grand, self-obsessed theatrical diva, there are a number of temperamental, highly-strung thespians, whose egos must be placated. Then there is Max Legendre, the agent of the big-name comic star whom Arnie hopes to snag. The problem is that Max, who has no people skills whatsoever and is no more than a temperamental bully, has aspirations in the directorial direction; that he gets his way only adds to Arnie and Maud's problems. Circumstances are not assisted by the reappearance of Letty, Arnie's tarty (but certainly not plain) former flame, who kindles a spark of jealousy in Maud.
With 50-minute episodes, romantic tension, a delightful blend of comedy and drama, and an unusual period setting, this series is quite a departure for Roy Clarke (who also displayed a flair for comedy-drama in the feature-length film Hawks). Viewers ought not, therefore, to expect something akin to the above-mentioned character comedies for which Clarke is so well known. Though characters abound, this is not character comedy. It really is in a class all its own--I can think of nothing to which to compare it! Having said that, it is a well-written, superbly-acted series with an engaging storyline, and it is a series our family really enjoyed.
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I saw this when it was on Masterpiece Theater, and enjoyed it then. It's even better than I remembered it - watched the last 4 episodes in one sitting. Not too many films are that enjoyable! Well worth the money.
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