Being There

[poliphilo]

My fascination with Peter Sellers has a lot to do with him looking like my father.

It's something to do with the forehead. And- harder to pin down- with the way he carries himself.

There are shots in Being There where it's definitely my father up there on screen.

Being There is one of my favourite movies. I watched it again last night. Sellers made a lot of cruddy films- many of them cruddier than they need have been because of his appalling behaviour on and off the set (Blake Edwards reckons he was certifiably insane)- but Being There is immaculate.

Comments

Re: Merkin Muffley's Phone Call.

[currawong.livejournal.com]

True, but "Lolita", "Strangelove" and "Being There" meant that it wasn't a complete fiasco.

Anyone with any respect for Sellars' talent should have refused to receive Blake Edwards after the exercise in grave-robbing called "The Trail of the Pink Panther".

Steptoe & Son
Till Death Us Do Part
The Ladykillers
The Pink Panther

...All of these have been hideously remade in the US. They should stick to what they do very well and leave British humour strictly alone. With a bit of experience, the Yanks can GET Brit-com, but they can't DO Brit-com.

(I think "The Pink Panther" is officially an American film, but with Edwards and Sellars dominating proceedings and Niven along for the ride it's basically a British comedy. Also, I've got a feeling it was made at Pinewood).

Re: Merkin Muffley's Phone Call.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Lolita and Strangelove were both filmed in England- oddly enough. Stanley Kubrick had moved to Hertfordshire and was refusing to leave the country because of his fear of flying.

The Pink Panther should have been laid to rest with Sellers. It infuriates me that they're still trying to revive the franchise.