The films narrative in my humble opinion is about the development and progress of someone attempting to engage with the world meaningfully and keep his head above water. Travis gets distracted and had to become expedient and adapt to extraneous often economic necessity with morals and more interior stuff being grappled with. Whichever location he is in, its a tough wicket, north, south, east and west. He is ever adaptable and essentially not a bad egg but perhaps naive as to the ways of an essentially uncaring world. The end is interesting, having played so many roles already, he cannot give a mere smile without a jolt without the slightly violent bonk on the head with the script papers clunking his head. A very good film which explains the predicament many, many people find themselves in as they attempt to assimilate with the world. Thankyou so much for the vid. Incidentally, the man who provides the gold jacket, so much like Carl Jung. Perhaps im inaccurate. But there is more than a passing resemblance. And the gesture of the jacket itself, symbolic of protection, sacredness and related themes. Thankyou for your effort iain w in glasgow

Overrated POS film.

This film is hilarious 😂

"oh, fuck-sake" 😂😂😂

His name is Ronnie. Ronnie Witherspoon, NOT Robbie. This film needs every bit of recognition available as it is the best feel good film if its era. Sadly thd actur show plays the wolfman character Will has recently passed away. Rest in peace my Restless Native 😢

The world is a sadder place without douglas adams in it.

you said robbie instead of ronnie

Dalek war against the disco alliance of Boney M and Odyssey.

I agree about the ending. There was an actual good point to it in Wizard of Oz, but not here, where it just seems to spoil it all a bit. I disagree with those saying Kay was too "posh" in this version of the story. He seemed more approachable than that to me. While some of the adults around him could be a bit stiff, Kay himself was more casual and even jokey. For example, in the first episode when Kay's riding in the car with his lady relative (I forget whether she was his governess or his Aunt or Mother), he makes a colloquial expression about needing some change, to which she answered that he's not supposed to use slang, causing him to discretely smirk to himself. To me, that was the *opposite* of being "posh," but rather, it solidified him as a regular person we could talk to and relate with. I would've loved to have grown up with him as a best pal. 😊

It's now a play at the RSC. Excellent.

The scene where they put the lock on the locks my nans and grandads boat can be seen. They were doing a drop and had to tie up the boat while filming commenced

Thank you for the upload, job well done .

Nicely done. :)

I am growing up watch red dwarf on early years on my day

Love this film, have it on DVD. When I went back to the UK to visit this was one of the films I packed especially to watch with my brother for the pure nostalgia. Also love how the heavies are fine with just firing off a silenced handgun at a child in the middle of a packed shop at Christmas. I actually went to primary and secondary school with Colin Dale and got on quite well with him despite always being quite star struck, having said that at the time he copped a lot of flak for the role. I remember one kid constantly following him and shouting "The Diamond Brothers" over and over, it was odd as we had 2 kids at school who were on TV (South by Southeast and Grange Hill) and both were given a hard time for it, despite it being something most kids would kill for. I'll keep coming back to the comments in the hope that one day you'll manage to interview Colin Dale.

Thanks for your interesting comments on the film. I was lucky enough to buy the DVD about 15 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed it because it's so funny with good actors. Also big thanks again - also to Matthew - for making it possible to watch "South by South-East" here on YT. 🙂

About 15 years ago I bought the DVD "Just Ask for Diamond". I really enjoyed it a lot and had to laugh about the two brothers, one clever and the other one not-so-clever. Thanks for your additional information and making it possible to watch the sequel "South by South-East" 🙂 My thanks also go to Matthew H.

Great review - 20:10 is pretty much my view too, not as good as JAFD (which given the smaller budget/TV format was pretty inevitable) and it doesn't quite work with Nick being so much older, if only they'd been able to make SBSE as a film sequel in 1989 instead...it was pretty awesome you finally tracked it down though, after the lead from Colin's brother didn't pan out before.

I would have had it that Mick's head/voice was used as part of Genesis instead I could hear Malcolm McDowell delivering that speech from Hamlet. Still not sure what I think of the film as a whole but Graham Crowden was great

Red dwarf season 9 is very good i really love it

The zenith of children's television, still to be bettered. Looking at the state of children's programmes today, I doubt it ever will be.

I cannot recall if you have reviewed Peter Jackson's adaptation of King Kong. I would love for you to tackle that one, assuming you haven't done so already.

hello - im a big just ask for diamond fan ? or rather - it's my all time favourite film from childhood i am watching the south by south east series for the first time + although it doesnt have the same 'hold on me' as the film - it is still a really good watch - especially as i love seeing the diamond brothers again (tim's one liners are so cheesy) like to thank you big buddha for doing all that work finding the series and for sharing with matthew - who shared it with us in addition - i enjoy watching this review + find it very interesting - man you break the whole series down to near every last detail agreed maybe stephen bayly should have directed the series - but anthony horowitz done a fine job as it is beginning to grow on me great stuff to you and to all those involved in reclaiming what would have vanished from existence - is much appreciated

It’s an interesting movie about an interesting man. That being said you see the beginning of Hollywood and sexualizing children in some of the comments made in this flick. Something In Hollywoods underbelly a sex ring of children. Witch is sick sad and if we really new the list of actors that are responsible for child sex ring we would be sad. Outside a few comments that are disturbing about children and sex it’s an interesting flick of freedom of speech and why it should be defended at all cost.

Nice work. Lovely to see the Illustrated HHGG (1994) pics being used. I loved doing that project.

I like Cretentious Punt.

As a kid this was the first Carry On movie I ever owned on VHS, which I nearly wore out from watching over and over. Admittedly the whitewashing has not aged well.

Totes agree big man!

Nice list; I didn't expect to agree with so many of the choices here. Sleuth, The Last Waltz and A Clockwork Orange would all be in my top 10 and O Lucky Man isn't too far behind.

Big Coumtry.

_Bram Stoker's Dracula_ is a tantalising aesthetic experience, with gorgeous visuals, lavish production design and a sumptuous score, but suffers from the wooden acting of the supporting cast and a screenplay that is poorly adapted from the source material. Oldman's performance as the titular antagonist is unique and very memorable, but it's not enough to carry the entire picture, which is tonally inconsistent almost from the beginning, jumping from scene to scene with no respect for continuity. Seemingly random lines of dialogue are recited and never addressed, and the transitions between each act occur in such a disjointed manner that the audience can't help but wonder if the editor was drunk. I have no idea whether these inconsistencies are the result of intentional creative choices or bad screenwriting. Hopkins gives the first lacklustre performance of his career. It feels like he was tacked on at the last minute and didn't bother reading the script. Coppola seems to have yielded to the marketing department with the casting of Reeves and Ryder, who have been included to help sell the film to Generation X. Sadie Frost gives the impression that she doesn't really want to be here, while her three suitors seem like little more than extras, despite being played by reputable actors. Tom Waits turns in a performance so bizarre that not even his character being a raving lunatic can account for it. Despite its failings, the film has a great deal of charm, with its reliance on old school practical effects, optical illusions, and all manner of camera trickery.

Thanks for this 👍

I was 29 when it came out. The beginning, when Kay opened the box, it was the same 😮 as you at 4.

Massively late to this but thank you so much for taking the time to cover this in depth. This is the kind of magical, slightly eerie Christmas viewing I wish we got more of these days. Subscribed

Wilt introduced me the the writings of Tom Sharpe. I remember buying the audio books Wilt, The Wilt Alternative and Wilt on High. Tom Sharpe also wrote Blott on the landscape which was turned into a comedy/drama by the BBC

Wow, I actually had these albums. In fact, I should still have them, as there's no particular reason why I would've given them away. I used to play them a LOT, so the vinyls themselves are probably scratched to hell, but I'd still like to find them.

I absolutely love Tertiary Phase. And the other 4, but this especially.

Hi I'm subscribed / Henry R

Awesome dedication sir ! Had some fun watching you taste them lol

Thanks for making these videos. I enjoyed If... a lot and found your video on it and because of you I learned about O lucky man. Thank you for the analysis, I found it to be a little strange but an enjoyable film...one of my favorites as well.

Rob is spreading around KZbin like sheep aids spreads around my village...

I'm a great fan of the Diamond brothers - I have both the VHS and DVD copies of Just Ask for Diamond. I know they are very rare and haven't been rebroadcast since '91 but is it possible to purchase or download a copy of these?

One of my favourite films ever not seen in few years ,got on vhs.seen over 100 times .I honestly believe a film can be more than just a film and I have a real love for this one.maybe I being nostalgic but I don't care .

Wow! I never thought I'd see the day! I was a big fan of the books and Just ask for Diamond, and it broke my heart back in the day when I realised (after some rather extensive research for a 10 year old) that I'd probably never be able to watch _even_ a review for this series. Very good to finally hear some thoughts on it, whether positive or negative, and I suppose I'd better find out which and watch the video. Thanks!

Oh please where can I get a copy please please?

YESS FINALLY

I hate the weather in this film. I understand that it enhances the atmosphere, but I can only ever see it as an ugly looking film. Maybe that's appropriate, given the ugliness of the subject matter, but there are other films that have pulled off this combination without looking ugly, such as _Alien³_ by David Fincher and _Fallen_ by Gregory Hobblit.

Vimto! Londis! Fucking hell, I howled with laughter!

I prefer this over _The Silence of the Lambs_ actually, but on a purely aesthetic basis. Ridley's style is so much richer and more colourful. Oldman steals every scene he's in and his performance saves the film. It feels like Moore and everyone else don't really want to be there, and Liotta in particular feels miscast, though admittedly he does play a semi-conscious lobotomy victim pretty well. Demme's film, while better acted and much more tense, is drab in comparison. The only thing that really ties these two very different films together is that they both have their fair share of corny dialogue.

Aside from life itself, Peter Jackson's _King Kong_ is the biggest disappointment I can recall. It made me question not only the competence of an esteemed director, but also an entire creative industry. If there's one production I wish I could have personally directed, it would be this. I can still vividly remember seeing the trailer for the first time and being extremely excited by what I saw. Granted, I was only 13 years old at the time, but I had good taste even at that age. Little did I know that the trailer had given me false hopes for what to expect. But it wasn't just the trailer that set me up for disappointment. The video game adaptation had been released a month before the film, and it was the best game I'd ever played. To this day, it still holds that distinction. I didn't see the film during its theatrical run, instead waiting until the DVD release. When I did finally see it, I was horrified to discover that Jackson had let us all down and squandered his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To get the obvious out of the way, the film is horrendously bloated, clocking in at an excruciating 3 hours. Jackson wastes most of this time on unnecessary backstories and gratuitous exposition, yet somehow achieves remarkably little in the way of character development. His childhood obsession with the original classic had made him incapable of exercising any restraint, and clearly he had accumulated more ideas than he knew what to do with. Since editing has never been his greatest talent, he did what he always does and crammed in as much as possible. The result is a poorly written, poorly paced, miscast monstrosity. It has an inconsistent feel to it, almost like it doesn't know what it wants to be. It's camp and kitschy in a self-aware sort of way, with seemingly endless references to the 1933 setting, yet the attempts at humour still fall flat. The dialogue varies from bland to cringeworthy, and none of the actors come across as particularly invested in their characters. Jack Black delivers his typical manic performance, being overly dramatic and overly comedic at all the wrong moments, and one could be forgiven for assuming that Adrien Brody wandered onto the wrong set. If he was replaced with a plank of wood, it really wouldn't impact the film much, since he barely does anything. The only exception among these phoned-in performances is our leading lady, Naomi Watts, who does the best she can with what little she has to work with. The rest of the cast are simply stock characters who are never fleshed out enough for us to care about them, which may be just as well, since they're nothing more than fodder for Jackson's menagerie of monsters. While it's evident that a great deal of effort was invested in crafting the sets and miniatures, the computer graphics are a mixed bag. Some shots are so good you'd swear they were real, while others look like they didn't finish rendering. The laws of physics are temporarily suspended during the comically overblown action sequences, at which point the cinematography becomes so frenetic and disorienting that viewers prone to nausea are advised to have a bucket handy. The cherry on top of this half-baked turd is a derivative and mediocre score by James Newton Howard, who throws in so many cheesy 1930's motifs that it almost feels like self-parody. Aesthetically, there was something about Skull Island which didn't look right, although I couldn't articulate what it was. I have come to realise, all these years later, that Jackson's remake had been an early casualty of the incorrigible colour grading insanity that has plagued Hollywood over the last decade and a half. In the trailer, Kong and the dinosaurs are much darker, and the jungle is bursting with lush, natural colours. Jackson and his team had apparently tried to emulate, via lighting and compositing, the multi-layered style pioneered by illustrator and engraver Gustave Doré in the 19th century. His technique used intricate shading in the foreground, a lighter midground and a bright background to create an almost three-dimensional sense of depth. I was shocked to discover that the emerald greens of the jungle had been replaced in the final grade with an unhealthy yellow tint. Yellowed vegetation is what happens in autumn, as the first stage of a dying plant. This senseless act of sabotage left me utterly dumbfounded. Jackson and his team at Weta Workshop did an outstanding job on creating the expanded world of Skull Island. _Skull Island: A Natural History_ is a book released as a companion to the film, a collection of artwork and creature designs produced by Weta, the vast majority of which was never used, despite the film's ridiculous runtime. I bought a copy when it was originally released and still have it in mint condition. I paid somewhere between £30 to £45 for it, but I understand that copies are selling for at least three times that amount these days. The book fleshes out the fictionalised flora and fauna of the island, and explains how the ecosystem is disintegrating. Speculative evolution is a fascinating subject, and it's clear that Jackson's team jumped headfirst into this project with a great deal of enthusiasm, which makes the end result all the more lamentable. Although I was (and still am) appalled at how Jackson bungled his dream project, how would I myself have approached things differently? Perhaps unsurprisingly, my ideal for the movie is based on the video game, which is everything the movie should have been. It's evident that much more passion was invested in the development of the game, which “plays it straight” with regard to narrative in a way that the film doesn't. It has a gravitas which is sorely lacking in the film, and a palpable sense of the tragic. Kong is more monstrous and fearsome, and the affection between Kong and Ann, which I felt was overly sentimental in the film, is a little more ambiguous here, though Kong remains a sympathetic character for the most part. We get to spend much more time on the island, which looks much better and has a very different atmosphere. The outstanding soundtrack by Chance Thomas is haunting and ethereal, but is also adventurous, heroic and sentimental when it needs to be. A highly stylised approach to storytelling, innovative game mechanics and outstanding production design are blended seamlessly to create an utterly exhilarating adventure. Michel Ancel and his team at Ubisoft collaborated closely with Weta during the production, and in the end it was the game, not the movie, which was the real success. I should clarify that I only ever played the PS2 version, since it was an early release on the Xbox 360 and debuted on that platform with character and creature models that look terrible in comparison to its PS2 counterpart.