Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Jonny]

...the humanity of some of the characters really shone through.

Must admit I had a lump in my throat when I started to realise what Combo was doing after he found Lol.

Really cracking stuff, I still have some issues with the series on the whole but it's still a million miles better than 99% of what's on telly these days.

[Paul]

...the humanity of some of the characters really shone through.

Must admit I had a lump in my throat when I started to realise what Combo was doing after he found Lol.

Really cracking stuff, I still have some issues with the series on the whole but it's still a million miles better than 99% of what's on telly these days.

I think most of the issues that people have had with the show stem from the over-reliance on comedy and unecessary "Skins"-style nudity that was a big part of the first two episodes. I suppose this was deemed as an essential component of getting a big audience. The latter two episodes were definitely a lot, lot better.

Stephen Graham was fucking terrific in last night's episode. Vicky McClure (Lol) and Johnnie Harris (Mick) are supreb too.

[DjangoLi]

Jay getting water thrown over him by Dario Argento, Kevin Coed hurling a pencil case at Catherine Zeta Jones' head... You guys are dangerous!  Heaven help us if there's a LoveLockandLoad meet-up! It would just be one long brawl.

You guys! 

[demented_uk]

I think most of the issues that people have had with the show stem from the over-reliance on comedy and unecessary "Skins"-style nudity that was a big part of the first two episodes. I suppose this was deemed as an essential component of getting a big audience. The latter two episodes were definitely a lot, lot better.

Stephen Graham was fucking terrific in last night's episode. Vicky McClure (Lol) and Johnnie Harris (Mick) are supreb too.

Must admit I had a lump in my throat when I started to realise what Combo was doing after he found Lol.

Really cracking stuff, I still have some issues with the series on the whole but it's still a million miles better than 99% of what's on telly these days.

Completely agree, the last two episodes were better and Graham was fantastic last night.  Not as good as I thought it would be but much better than the crap that is broadcast on UK TV.

[death_proof_reg]

See people keep saying "not as good as people I thought it was gunna be"

yeah, I felt that way about Avatar.

This is england 86 was only ever gonna be whatever happened on screen. The magority of it is not to pleeeease you. Its made to kick you in the nuts. We went from [spoiler]racism[/spoiler]in the original film to [spoiler]rape[/spoiler] which are obviously magor factors of life, still happens, my home town has a serial rapist right now everyone is walking every girl home (this was before tie.. worth mentioning).. humm anyway yeah something about I think some people were looking forward to it so much that they forget that This is england was never Kes, it was never just a [spoiler]kestrel[/spoiler] dying (most of us eat meat so dont start) and [spoiler]nobody died in jimmy grimble[/spoiler] either so fuck it eh? we got dramatic shit going on, loose relationships that made your heart jolt and i just cant help but feel some people are taking advantage of that. Lets not forget this is england was, essentially, a film about fucking racist amd war, it was nasty stuff, it was fucking sick. In my opinion and nothing but my own shane meadows etc raaaas only intention was to make you laugh/make you feel sick. They did that, quit moaaaaaaaaaning. Youre not moaning. Some people are though, some people think lol's dad is paddy considine though. I/m probs just angry at them.

 

[Stephen Grimes]

I think some people were looking forward to it so much that they forget that This is england was never Kes

Blindin!

Of course i couldn't let a comment like that pass and not post this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIiQ-TXcuyQ

[Inspector Tanzi]

Got forced to watch Kes at school, thought it was boring. I really should re evaluate it as an adult.

[death_proof_reg]

well i'm just drunk and have no opinion anymore. LAUGH OUT LOUD. can spell fine. worries me,.

well no i love shooting stars and i love that clip! and yeah kes is a really good film but when you try tell people that you go "well its about aboy a nd he finds a kestrel and like, waw wait its not really about that but well it is but i dont know."

[Paul]

I was going to quote Reg's first post and let it be an example why people shouldn't go on forums under the influence, but he has admitted as much anyway! 

All jokes aside, I can see what he's saying, even if he was a rambling, pissed-up fucker when he wrote it. There are a lot of people shooting their mouths off about THIS IS ENGLAND '86 - concentrating on the fact that the first couple of episodes were really disappointing and such like. There's no denying the that first and second episodes pale by comparison to the third and fourth but they were obviously contrived to ease people into the series gently and to bring a larger (read: younger) audience.

[Mark GW]

I know I've harped on about this before but the incessant advert breaks do not help any drama shown on Channel 4.  It will be good to watch this again when it comes out on DVD.  Overall, it was pretty good and pretty grim.  For various reasons, the 80s were a very interesting yet very grim time.  If you want some nostalgia and a really grim experience then you should check-out/re-watch THREADS.  My elder sister was in tears after watching that at the time.

[Paul]

I've never seen threads - will definitely have to give that a go. I actually picked up a copy on DVD a few months ago.

[Mark GW]

I've never seen threads - will definitely have to give that a go. I actually picked up a copy on DVD a few months ago.

It's essential viewing.  However, prepare yourself for some uncomfortable viewing.  I originally saw it when the BBC broadcast it along with THE WAR GAME in 83/84.  A fun, happy double-bill of nuclear annihilation!  I was a student in Sheffield at the time and the locations and the featured pub, which I occasionally drank in, were very familiar to me, which made it even more relevant.  You definitely need to see it though.  Superb television.

[Paul]

Cheers, Mark - Will definitely try and put my hand on the copy I have (95% of my DVDs are packed in boxes in my new home 230+ miles away!). Might be a while before I do get to see it but I will definitely watch it.

[TheMissus]

There's no denying the that first and second episodes pale by comparison to the third and fourth but they were obviously contrived to ease people into the series gently and to bring a larger (read: younger) audience.

I don't think it was necessarily just for the younger audience, but also introducing the characters
for those unfamiliar with the film at all? I don't feel the first 2 stood out as any worse than the last 2 myself. Must be my youth   

I found the scenes where Trev is waiting outside the flat and then with Lol really moving.
And I never thought a certain character would turn out to be my hero, when they
kept repeating 'Let me do something good' I was a snivelling mess. Had to watch a Panaroma
about Scientology so I could stop!

[Paul]

Had to watch a Panaroma
about Scientology so I could stop!

That in itself is quite sad! Haha.

I was quite close to tears when Combo and Shaun went to the flat to find out his mum had already died. I think that's the genius of the writing and Stephen Graham's acting: you were left hating Combo at the end of the film and within the space of five or six minutes of screentime in the series you actually felt immense sympathy for him.