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Post by rushy on Nov 6, 2024 17:58:48 GMT
Are you a fan of The Prisoner, or his famous guest appearances on Columbo? Any feelings on his, err, idiosyncratic directing jobs?  |
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Post by burrunjor on Nov 6, 2024 18:32:06 GMT
I like the Prisoner and him as an actor. He was both a great hero and badguy. That said I'm a little biased as he was my dad's hero. He adored Patrick McGoohan and considered the Prisoner a work of art. You absolutely could NOT criticise it in his presence, so I don't know how much of that influenced my opinion? Still overall a good solid actor.
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Post by rushy on Nov 6, 2024 18:33:29 GMT
I like the Prisoner and him as an actor. He was both a great hero and badguy. That said I'm a little biased as he was my dad's hero. He adored Patrick McGoohan and considered the Prisoner a work of art. You absolutely could NOT criticise it in his presence, so I don't know how much of that influenced my opinion? Still overall a good solid actor. Would you criticise it now, though, looking at it objectively? |
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Post by cyberhat on Nov 6, 2024 19:06:30 GMT
Think we could have got a lot more great work out of him if he'd stayed in Britain after The Prisoner
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Post by rushy on Nov 6, 2024 20:48:42 GMT
Think we could have got a lot more great work out of him if he'd stayed in Britain after The Prisoner I wonder if he was inspired by Christopher Lee, who found the British film industry very stifling compared to America's. Lee left at around the same time. |
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Post by burrunjor on Nov 6, 2024 20:49:06 GMT
I like the Prisoner and him as an actor. He was both a great hero and badguy. That said I'm a little biased as he was my dad's hero. He adored Patrick McGoohan and considered the Prisoner a work of art. You absolutely could NOT criticise it in his presence, so I don't know how much of that influenced my opinion? Still overall a good solid actor. Would you criticise it now, though, looking at it objectively? I still think overall it's a classic series. Not the best one ever made like my dad claimed LOL. To be honest thought I don't think any show can claim that as how do you define best? Greatest comedy? Sci fi series? Drama? Even then there are so many variables. Do you prefer really imaginative sci fi in which case Doctor Who is the clear winner, or do you prefer sci fi that's a bit grittier like Blake's 7? Or sci fi that focuses more on man's place in the universe like Star Trek? Or comedy sci fi like Red Dwarf? Even then within comedy, do you prefer the surrealist edge of Lost in Space or the parodies of Rick and Morty, or the poignancy of Futurama? Really no offense to my father but single best tv show is a silly idea. I think the show holds up thanks to its timeless message, great performances, and unique visuals. It has a 60s charm to it, but isn't overtly dated as the village is a weird place outside of the real world. Hammer Into Anvil is the best episode meanwhile. That is an absolute masterpiece and Patrick Cargill (who could have made a good Doctor.) Is phenomenal. Hateful at the start when he torments the girl, hilarious when he freaks out over a cuckoo clock bomb and oddly pitiful like in his final scene all at the same time. It's a great character piece. I think the ending of the show was atrocious though. My dad always tried to justify it through some pretentious reading of it LOL, but sorry I think it was bollocks, though I did enjoy the surreal aspect of the trial. To be fair I don't think the Prisoner is something that can have an ending. It's whole point is that you can't win against these people and it makes no difference how many Number 2s arrive as the system they are part of is the problem (which again is more fitting than ever today.) Having him blow it up reduced it to just a Bond movie type ending. To be fair though if it had no ending people would have been pissed too. It was a victim of its own success that way. Still the ending doesn't undermine the rest of the show. |
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Post by rushy on Nov 7, 2024 2:27:09 GMT
Tbf McGoohan specifically cited the Bondian ending as parody, and they directly imply the whole world is the Village when the butler walks into Number Six's real house, and the door opens with the same automatic whirr as the Village doors.
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Post by Ludders II on Nov 7, 2024 4:22:22 GMT
Was never that keen on The Prisoner myself. I don't hate it or anything, I found the central idea intriguing, but not enough to sustain that amount of episodes. I personally think a miniseries would've been enough, but that's me.
And Patrick was a perfectly serviceable actor. I found him pretty much the same in everything, but then again so are a lot of actors that I like. He's good in Columbo, f'sure.
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