This is England

[EvilNed]

Usually I'm not at all interested in british films. Now, now brist, don't take offense. I know there's many great british films out there, but I'm surrounded by anglophiles at this filmshool so Anglophilia (and the movie quoting that comes with it) is closing in Japanophilia over things that really bugs me. I used to think that the english accent was cool, but lately I've found mysel exagerating my own american accent just because I'm so ****ing tired of hearing british movie quotes being thrown around every 5 minutes.

Well, anyway. I thought that This is England would be another annoying wise-cracking gangsterfilm. But it turned out to be really good. Great as a matter of fact!

My keyboard is actingup on me. time to charge the batteries

[Danny]

man i AM british and most films that state they show "true working class" type films are bollox, there all bleak porridge coloured downward spirals, hell spaced was a more accurate portrayol of britain at the time it was made.:rolleyes:
Now i live in the countryside on the outskirts of the berby/nottingham city area and youll see just as many goths, chavs, emo kids, or any other type of person as well as farmin' folk, yet most british films show us english like were all the cast of the royal family when in fact most of middle england were i live has a strong vibe of america in the late 80's early 90's to it, you much more likely see people who looked like extras in mallrats or the breakfast club walking down an english street than a nazi skinhead, thank god, and whilst thats not true everywere i highly doubt the middle england in these movies is ones with comic book stores, anime and games conventions and stuff. more like concrete tower blocks and misery and that just is not england.

[_liam_]

Hellsing mate what are you on about? You kinda said it yourself - you live on the middle class fringes of derby, so how can you really say whether something is an accurate portrayal of working class britain?

believe it or not tower blocks are common, and most of england is nothing like derby (i go to derby/donington for a week every year, trust me, compared to places like St Paul's in Bristol or the whole of Scotland it's VERY nice)

I think the social reality of this country is something rather bleak, and it's great that kitchen sink dramas and the like attempt to address this.

a lot of people think england is about games of cricket, cups of tea and clipped accents, but it's about racism, poverty, girls in rubber skirts puking into the gutter, football hooligans and anti social families to the same degree.

[Danny]

Woah there man, your gonna offend the scots and have em hot on your ass!

But i guess its really just the film makers writing about what they know, just like my reaction to it, it aint what i know as 'england' so it just seems false to me, but to someone whos lived the life it doesnt, though pretty much every film you see you take all your baggage in the theatre with you so two people never see the same film the same way.




....'less its a uwe boll film then they both think its ****.

[_liam_]

well, it is healthy to treat these things with suspicion.

have you ever seen "skins"? i basically inhabit the "scene" those characters are supposed to be a part of in real life, and quite frankly that program is laughably unrealistic. the student kids do NOT hang out in places like that and get up to those sorts of things - they just get pissed in walkabout and get ripped off by local junkies selling sugar weed :lol:


edit - havent you got college tommorow? it's nearly 6am :lol:

[Danny]

nope, my degree was put back so it doesnt start till the 9th.

dont ask, i dont know.

as for me id say the "scene" id inhabit is probably brodies from mallrats a comic laden, poster covered tip/****-ole

[MinionZombie]

But a programme about a bunch of kids 'drunk on walkabout' wouldn't be interesting would it? Nor would it be entertaining.

I do get tired of the somewhat-constant insistence of British cinema to focus on "issues" so much, we can make entertainment and it does really well, and yes "issue cinema" is necessary, but British cinema always has this 'default' vibe of under/working class depression ... either that or it's a bunch of lovable Cockneys getting up to all sorts of things that in real life you'd be running away from them in fear, but because it's Dexter Fletcher or whomever doing it while funny dialogue comes banging at you, then it's alright. That was one thing (of many) that I loved about "Hot Fuzz", it was cool cops, rather than cool gangstas.

Also - 'the whole of Scotland' ... vast, sweeping statement much? The Scottish countryside is beautiful, Edinburgh is a brilliant city - far better than f*ck-heap London (which is still, in my opinion, as crap as it always was - even when I was down the other week for a job, it was still crap and the Millennium Dome still looks f*cking laughable). Stirling is also a nice place from what I remember (also my birth city, so big up the spawning ground of moi :p). Glasgow has a reputation for just being drunks and heroin addicts, and no doubt that vibe is certainly in that city, but there are plenty of good and rejuvinated areas of Glasgow, it's essentially 'Scotland's Second City' if you will.

[AcesandEights]

Actually, can anyone recommend a good site for basic source information on recent and current Brit cinema?

[_liam_]

no no, i said drunk in walkabout, it's a chain of cheap bars that students tend to frequent.

the fact that the reality would be boring on screen doesnt justify such fanciful fabrications for me - how about this, instead of making a series about a group of people so dull that you have to heavily fictionalise it, why not make a series about some interesting people? there's plenty about.

Bristol has an interesting nightlife & underworld, they could have had a narrative that followed the exploits of some students, some yardies, some junkies, people involved in the drum n bass scene, the weird arty kids who hang around the waterfront etc.

and i was joking about scotland actually ;)
i dont know how you can dislike london so intensely though, it has fantastic architecture, rich history, a great mix of cultures, possibly the best nightlife in the world, just general fantastic variety.

like, camden town is nothing like the embankment area, which is nothing like essex which is nothing like soho and so and and so on. if you dont like london i fear you may be doomed to walk the earth unfullfilled,because for me the only place that tops it is manhattan island.

what is it specifically about the place you dislike?

(although i will say the dome is stupid looking, why the tories ever commisioned that, we'll never know)

[MinionZombie]

Mmm...and why Labour stood by that plastic-tit-by-the-river with so much pride, we'll also never know. ;):D:sneaky:

I hate how London is very inward looking, it's all about how London is and sucking itself off, especially with politics, it's often very inward looking and legislation crops up thinking exclusively about London, or CITIES like London, rather than the rest of the country (two thirds of which is rural). It's a smelly, smoggy, grotty looking dump, the air stinks, there's too many people, you're always getting confronted by "Bishoo" sellers, or those nob'ends with "GOLF->" signs, or random Rastas trying to sell you incense sticks (true story, we got cornered on one art trip to London, as such).

It's noisy, the traffic is retarded, all the buildings except for the key sights are either no better than anywhere else or are just plain grotty, there's too many dodgy areas, there's a bunch of dicks in their flash Mercedes on the rich side of town swanning around like they're so f*cking amazing (including snazzily dress stock broker types with those really smug, thin-line beards, looking like a mish-mash of a hip-hopper and Gordon Gecko), then there's all the bloody tourists looking everywhere but forward, the busses that are hoofing out so much sick junk I almost passed out when one stopped beside me as I was trying to cross a one-lane side-street.

Loads of people are eying you up, and not in the "I wanna shag your cock" way, but in the "you're going to steal something from my poncy shop" or the "I'm going to steal your things" way. Places like Camdem and such, that are filled with guitar shops and boutiques full of over-priced India-themed garbage are shoved right up their arses, the areas stink of weed, complacency, procrastination and sloppy sex.

Everything is stupidly expensive, most people are angry at you or appear to be angry at you, it's all too gray and there's not enough greenery (a park doesn't cut it - Norwich, now there's a brilliant city with an excellent mix of country and city).

Anything worth visiting is retardedly pricey, you can't find anything to eat or drink without paying through the nose, then you get run over by some berk who is looking everywhere but forward (again, like the tourists).

It's just grotty and smelly and everything is far too centralised to London, which is stupid because nobody can afford to live there unless they're really rich or willing to live in sh*t gaffs.

And the Dome still looks like a complete tit...and the Congestion Charge is a complete nightmare.

I was sighing relief by the bucket load when we left London, a dump where it takes 30 minutes to drive around one block. :rolleyes:

That, Sir, is why I hate London. :sneaky::)

*gasps for breath*

[capncnut]

a lot of people think england is about games of cricket, cups of tea and clipped accents, but it's about racism, poverty, girls in rubber skirts puking into the gutter, football hooligans and anti social families to the same degree.
Man, that is so true. :D


like, camden town is nothing like the embankment area, which is nothing like essex which is nothing like soho and so and and so on. if you dont like london i fear you may be doomed to walk the earth unfullfilled,because for me the only place that tops it is manhattan island.
Damn f**king straight. :cool:


Norwich, now there's a brilliant city with an excellent mix of country and city.
Still not a patch on the cultural vortex that is London. :rolleyes:

[MinionZombie]

As for Manhattan Island - I would actually like to go there, but I canny afford it, when I can afford to go - or equally am afforded the opportunity either through work or competition (more likely the former, I never win anything...:p).

"Cultural Vortex" - lolzorz. :lol:

Norwich freaking rocks, big up Nozland! :cool::thumbsup:

One thing I really dig about Norwich, is the youthful vibe, because of the steady stream of students (of which I was one for my 3 years). Plus, like I said, it's the mix of country and city. You've got the convenience and variety of a city - walk to one side and you've got Lazer Quest, walk to the other side you've got 24 hour pool halls (which we did just before leaving, what a bloody trek that was, still though - pool! :)) But then if you're in need of some greenery, there's parks nearby because the city isn't too huge, it has feet both in the classic British past, but also the ever-changing future (many thanks to the student populace for that).

Anyway, viva la Nozland!

[_liam_]

ah y'see i hate students, generally speaking :D and generally speaking students cant afford to hang out there.

i guess everything you say about london is true but meh...i just love it, i'm not intimidated or annoyed by the mindless masses of people, because there's so many of them that you get the security of anonymity, plus it's more interesting and there's more people to meet.

it has good pubs, clubs, venues, museums, sites of interest etc & i dont agree that it's all grotty looking, i find the pre war architecture to be very easy on the eyes

dunno why you scoff at the idea of it being a cultural vortex either, that's a pretty good description of it, it's a full on international city

[capncnut]

dunno why you scoff at the idea of it being a cultural vortex either, that's a pretty good description of it, it's a full on international city
High. F**kin'. Five. :D

[AcesandEights]

dunno why you scoff at the idea of it being a cultural vortex either, that's a pretty good description of it, it's a full on international city

This is an interesting sentence because it can be taken so many ways depending on the reader.

[MinionZombie]

Duno why you scoff at students...:rolleyes:

Also, I wasn't scoffing at "cultural vortex", I just found it a funny description.

[_liam_]

lol i scoff at students because they go out, drink 5 pints and steal traffic cones like it's the funniest thing ever, when in reality everyone stops doing that when theyre 15.

also a lot of them just go to uni and study something useless because going to uni is the done thing. this should be ****ing illegal.

also they all like the mighty boosh & transformers & tshirts with mr t or nintendo sprites or something on it, all of which i cant stand...

i'm just not into student conduct or culture :lol:

[MinionZombie]

Hmmm...do I detect a hint of rhetoric there concerning students? :lol::p:sneaky::D

Some go to uni to study 'anything', I've met them personally, but many are there to do a course they want to do - then there's another fracturing of this group - those who are mega-serious and seek out work in that very field (e.g. myself, took a degree in "Film & Television Studies" and that's exactly the area I'm getting into now), then there's people who take something that they chose seriously, like a Science course, and then end up working in Insurance - true story on that one.

I never understood The Mighty Boosh, that guy's face is kinda odd...I never watched Transformers...but Mr. T is f*cking awesome, don't diss-the-T! :eek:

Stealing cones is just par-for-the-course, they're living room must-haves, as are road signs and gig-posters pried off walls.

Not all students go out getting lashed, what about the myriad of nerd-loggers (many of whom are usually Asian) who take computer science and maths (before buggering off back to homeland China to find absolutely no work whatsoever :rolleyes:). When I was at uni, yeah I'd get drunk, but far from often. When I'd drink, I'd drink to get drunk, but it was not a usual occasion...other times it's a couple of pints at the local with the girls, or just the lads and some pool.

Clearly everyone doesn't stop stealing cones at 15, it's fun no matter what age...yet I haven't since Uni...but we seemed to end up with gnomes, stone Buddhas and oddly enough, concrete slabs more-often-than-not.

Well...you can have your grubby old London, I'll stick with my love of student life.

[_liam_]

so norwich is better than london, and it's unfair to say most students go round getting lashed?

:lol:

agree to disagree! i can say from experience that's how 90% of the students at cardiff, newport, brighton, birmingham, lancaster & sheffield uni carry on...

i think maybe i gave up stealing signs and traffic cones due to the last one i ever stole. it simply is the daddy.

in fact i'll post a picture of it later on tonight...

[Danny]

i did get the mighty boosh, it rocks and you guys allready know im a trasnfortmers fan.
and mr.T is mr.T 'nuff said.

[MinionZombie]

i can say from experience that's how 90% of the students at cardiff, newport, brighton, birmingham, lancaster & sheffield uni carry on...

Hmmm...I'd quite like to see your research dossier on that, dear Sir. :p:D

[Tricky]

mate my accent is nothing like those you hear in british movies or indeed on british television!British film makers generally only use posh sounding southerners who have developed stage school "ack-tor" accents,those of us from further north sound much more common trust me ;)

[_liam_]

Hmmm...I'd quite like to see your research dossier on that, dear Sir. :p:D

what town/city centres look like on a friday night is all you need.


have to say i agree with tricky, posh RADA kids trying to sound "street" is awful

[MinionZombie]

mate my accent is nothing like those you hear in british movies or indeed on british television!British film makers generally only use posh sounding southerners who have developed stage school "ack-tor" accents,those of us from further north sound much more common trust me ;)
I duno, it's either plummy southerners or it's northerners going "up t'high street" and so on. It's either Four Weddings & A Funeral posh sorts saying "bugger", or it's some utterly depressing issue film.

We need more fun, like Shaun of the Dead, I feel like the average, rural middle class needs more representing...it's like in all these "yoof" dramas and such, I've always found them completely unrealistic, they're either Ferris Bueller wannabes, or they're all mini-gangsters with deals going on all over the place and they're living the most depressing, rough lives. I don't deny that happens, but everyone in the country should be represented, and the rural middle class doesn't get much of a look in ... I hope to change that. :)

[_liam_]

the challenge is to make it interesting...

[Tricky]

Well MZ,if ya need a north eastern monkey for a film give me a shout!

Dead mans shoes,now theres a great film that represents the northern quarter a bit better (well,the matlock area anyway)

[MinionZombie]

Well MZ,if ya need a north eastern monkey for a film give me a shout!

Dead mans shoes,now theres a great film that represents the northern quarter a bit better (well,the matlock area anyway)
Dead Man's Shoes was a good film indeed.

[kortick]

interesting

i never really thought about england in the
way you guys are describing it

i origninally hit this post cuz of its title " this is england"
which is a take off from the original
godzilla film where the first line as they
show the destruction is "this is tokyo"
and i wondered what ned was trying to say

I have never been to london tho i have had many chances to
I hate to travel. I have been offered free trips all over and was
amazed they thought i would even consider going.
Like my sister wanted to take me
to london (she works for an airline so
she gets free trips). then she had the nerve
to ask me if i wanted to go to peru to see some inca ruins.
I said ill drive downtown and look at the projects if i want ruins

but i am of track, i never realised a country that size had so many
different sub cultures
in the US its pretty well known what the diff between a northerner
and a redneck is, and a city dweller vs a rural person is,
but thats cuz this country is so vast going from boston to louisaina
swamp is like going to another planet

and if you do get a chance to go to new York do it
you will not be dissapointed, its all they say it is and more if
you have a sense of adventure

cool insights about england guys i never would have thought

[Danny]

let me guess, everyone rode penny farthings ,had handlebar moustaches they tiddled and ate crumpets and drank tea...all at the same time.

thats a skill is that!:lol:

[SoCalLoco]

I have to agree with MZ. London sucks. Manhattan is better, but nothing tops southern California. SoCal, baby. El Segundo.

I honestly don't see how people live on that miserable, rainy, cloud covered, rat infested rock the English call home. Everyone and everything looks pink and pale and naked, running around with blood shot, lifeless eyes. It's just a downer place. Europe, as a whole, is a downer place. And it pisses me off to see America heading down that path. We have a wonderful place, but everyone seems intent on throwing up mini malls and interstates and head shops with head shrinkers doing head counts, and some rich asshole wants to make a ass backwards, shady deal with a corrupt politician to buy ten thousand acres of national parks or scenic biways just to erect some stupid gated community for he and his jackoff golf buddies to dwell in and stick their noses up at everyone. Once we had nice, clean beaches. [EDITED] Now, you can't even stroll on the beach without stepping in twinkies wrappers and other thrash people just leave laying about.

I don't like urbanization and industrialization and all other ****. Leave it to rich assholes to take a beautiful continent they inherited from REAL Americans, just to piss it away and flush it down the crapper. And get off about Manhattan. Give me San Diego or Torrence any day of the week. New York isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and Manhattan is OVERRATED. The only place in New York City, New York County and New York state that isn't overrated is Bath beach or Coney Island.

To me, most big cities have a lot of people but don't have any soul. I think Gerry Rafferty sung about that. He was goddamn right too.

Give me fun in the sun under a palm tree with a little fruit drink and a raza latina mama by my side. Sunshine, sand, tanned women and fruit drinks. Now that's life. [EDITED]

[Danny]

............:eek:


........



...


..........



...not even with a 50 foot pole.

[_liam_]

bollocks to that, i'd rather sit in the rain listening to joy division doing sh*tty drugs.

that's british grit!

socal that's quite a vivid picture you paint of england, i agree with about 70% of it.

the thing with north america is everything is too big and arid, there's a sickly sweet smell to the air in most cities that seems to reflect the bleached, saccharine sweet manifesto of your native pop culture, which screams at the individual from every open space in a constant assault on the senses.

plus zero history. there's like twenty things to visit in the whole country, and theyre all 4 hours apart. tv has ridiculous amounts of commercials. plus you edit movies and there's no swearing or tits on tv. wtf.

the christian right, guns, the most hated country in the world etc.


i dunno. everywhere is ****. i dont care what french people say, they are rude in france. maybe not rude per se, but their manner is a more...short...than ours.

japanese businessmen suffer from "paris syndrome" where the constant rudenss triggers nervous breakdowns. no joke.

germany has ridiculous censorhip laws. cant be doing with that.

australia is hot, too many flies & dangerous creatures. zero history.

south america is dangerous, so is most of africa & the middle east.

japan is alright but they have questionably misogynist & sadistic pop culture.

china has a ****ty human rights record

places like singapore and malaysia & thailand chop your dick off if they catch you smoking a joint

denmark & norway are too cold & evilned lives in sweden so who wants to move there :lol:

[EvilNed]

Sweden is the place to be. A vast majority of the people have it good. The split between the poor and rich is one of the lowest in the world. Practically no censorship. Interesting history and relaxed culture.

We rule this school. And world.

[MinionZombie]

A friend of mine recently spent a year living in Switzerland, and he was saying they have a bloody RADIO license over there (like we have that retarded TV license here in the UK) ... geeeeeez ... and their army accidentally invaded a neighbouring country, no joke. :lol:

[EvilNed]

I have to admit, my recent spur of anglophiliacs has strengthened my own sense of americanism. For those of you who don't know, I'm a US citizen. I spent all my childhood summers over there.

Switzerland is the most democratic country in the world tho. At least if you go by the actual definition of democracy.