Wheatley TV & Film adaptations

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Toohey
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Wheatley TV & Film adaptations

Post by Toohey »

I, along with many others, was left underwhelmed by the Haunted Airman. But I would like to ask other members their opinions on other film version of his works. For me, the best of the bunch was The Devil Rides out. I'd have loved to see that on the Big screen. Any of you lot actually see this or any others at the cinema? What did you think and how well were they received?
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Post by Nick »

At age sixteen I took the bus to my local Odeon Cinema, to see another Hammer Movie with Chris Lee. The Devil Rides Out.The cinema was an escape from a pretty miserable childhood. At that time I had never heard of DW. The cinema was only half full. The film totaly blew me away. Some of the audience scoffed at the angel of death, but stayed until the end anyway. I left the cinema in total blur of amazement. (Remember I had just turned sixteen and sixteen was the equivalent of twelve or younger to todays sophisticated youngsters) I had my bus fare but chose to walk home just to have some time to think about what I had seen. I resolved then and there to seek out the book, and found it a couple of days later in WH Smiths. I read it, re-read it, and then sought out all the other Black Magic books. Videos were not in existance, so I chased the film around all the cinemas in london over the next few years, dragging an assortment of girl freinds along to different screenings, with differing degrees of interest on their part. As soon as videos were invented I invested in the film, and then needless to say bought the DVD with narration etc.
Later Wheatley adaptions left me cold, and Toby Jugg was infuriating. Despite all the shortcomings in the DRO movie it is still a towering success for DW fans. Yes it would be great to see it re-made, but like the newly re-made and ruined Wicker Man, I bet the story would be Americanised and changed beyond recognition. I could see it re-made for TV with some degree of success. Just a thought....
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Post by Toohey »

Thanks Nick, jus the kind of reply I was hoping for.
The original video you bought, would that have been in the early 80's before direct sales?
Back then video tapes were only sold to rental dealers and were very pricey. I'm guessing it set you back at least £50! I've not seen the film on DVD but will of course rent it as I'm longing to see it again. Lucky old you to have so many girls to take to the cinema. Did you see any others such as To the Devil a Daughter? didn't another Wheatley film come out in 1968 aswell?
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Post by Toohey »

Just remembered!

It was The Lost Continent based on the novel The Uncharted Seas
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Post by Jim »

I have all three of the Hammer films on DVD. THE DEVIL RIDES OUT is the best in every respect--best film version, best "extras." Living in the States, I didn't see THE HAUNTED AIRMAN, but from what you folks say, I didn't miss much. Meanwhile, I live in hope that some enterprising film company will transfer THE FORBIDDEN TERRITORY to disc.

DW comments, in the FOUR DECADES book, that there was a filmed interview with him, and he had one of the very few copies, which he was saving so his grandchildren could one day see it. Wouldn't that be a great extra for a DVD?
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Post by Nick »

The first time I tried to buy the film was on super eight reel to reel film!! I was about seventeen and I hoped that a freind of a freind would let me screen it on his Dads Movie projector. I couldn't afford the film. I eventualy got the film in the eighties, I was living in Birmingham with another girl (here we go again) and found the film some where in the Birmingam Bull Ring. (I left the girl and kept the video-one of the better moves I made) Now Happily married for 24 years I ordered the DVD direct from Anhcor Bay and paid an extra £7-00 for import duty. Later it cropped up on E.bay for a quarter of the price. Over all I must have spent a fortune in cinema tickets and girlfreinds, videos and DVDs but still to this Day when The Duke (Chris Lee) drives down the hill into the Sabbat , while praying for the safety of his immortal soul I still get the same dramatic thrill I remember from that first screening, way back in 1968.
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Post by Jim »

I said, earlier in this thread:
<< I live in hope that some enterprising film company will transfer THE FORBIDDEN TERRITORY to disc. >>

What I didn't know is that THE SECRET OF STAMBOUL (originally THE EUNUCH OF STAMBOUL) *is* available on DVD, under its U.S. release title, THE SPY IN WHITE! I guess that's because James Mason is in the cast...

I ordered it tonight, on a cheap re-issue where it's paired with Hitchcock's early SECRET AGENT. Yippeeee!!!
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Post by Stevie P »

Jim,

Where did you order this from? Wouldn't mind getting a copy myself.

Steve
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Post by Jim »

Stevie asks:
<< Where did you order this from? Wouldn't mind getting a copy myself. >>

Mine is coming from Oldies.com. What I did was put the title of the film on Google, followed by the letters DVD. Then you check out the suppliers who come up.

(Oldies.com is a U.S.-based outfit, so was the best choice for me...a great deal for $5.95!)


NOTE: I eventually got the film from Movies Unlimited. Oldies.com ran out of stock, and felt they wouldn't get any more. I wonder if anyone will ever offer THE FORBIDDEN TERRITORY on DVD... [31 March]
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Post by Stevie P »

I agree it would be good to get a copy of 'The Forbidden Territory, on DVD, if only to complete the set of five films.

Does any body know if a Video version of this film was ever produced? I certainly have never seen one for sale.
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Post by Charles »

Dear Steve

I'm pretty sure the answer is 'no' - and I hope you'll prove me wrong - this is surely one of the most important things missing from the collective 'Wheatley archives'.

I myself have been trying to track down a copy for years with no success. If anyone could even lay their hands on a reel-to-reel version I would count it an excellent achievement.

I've tried the BFI and tracked down the company that inherited the stock of the original distributors, but got nowehere - although several times my hopes have been raised by people selling a recent film of the same title which turns out to be about Stanley and Livingstone.

There must be a copy out there somewhere. The nearest I got was someone in the USA who saw it at a US film festival in the sixties and wrote a review on the Internet Movie Database, but there the trail ran dry.

Are there any film search companies ??? Anyone got any other ideas ???

All the best to everyone
Charles
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The Lost Continent

Post by Toohey »

Anchor Bay released at 97 min verison of this film, on DVD, on 27/07/04.

I don't know if it's still out there in print but you could try ordering direct or through Amazon.
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Post by Nick »

Hang on! That was DRO not Forbidden Territory wasn't it?
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Post by Toohey »

No, they deifintely released the Lost Continent on DVD. I checked on IMDB. But, to be honest, I haven't visited the Anchor Bay site to check if it's still there.
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