Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Film director and restaurant critic best known for the Death Wish trilogy and over 30 other movies, later a Sunday Times restaurant critic.
On the island
Eight records
Henry V: Charge and BattleFavourite
I was nine when in 1944 I saw Henry V, Olivier's Henry V, a fantastic film. It was just magical, and I saw it about thirty times. ... There's the most incredible music on the battle scene by William Wilson of these French soldiers charging against the British position.
The Third Man, the most brilliantly directed film, Carol Reed. And the music was a Zither player. Very, very brave. I don't think it's ever been done in the history of cinema.
And he was so smooth, and he has this song. ... How can anyone sing that and come out Cool? Dean Martin can.
I got Billy Fury, Helen Shapiro and Bobby V in a film called Play It Cool 1962. That was my entry into proper film making. ... But he was a lovely boy, Billy Fury. Wonderful singer, I think.
So we got my then next door, my now next door neighbour, as my neighbour then, Don Black. Academy Award winning lyricist to do a lyric. And Tom Jones recorded it.
My current uh wonderful girlfriend, I hope the last, used to be a singer, and she bought this C D. by a completely unknown person. And she started broad played it very loudly in the bedroom area of the house. Fantastic.
And the Jacksons were an incredible group, and Michael was incredible. And in this case, this is such a jolly record. Jackson is so jolly.
But one of the great series that I was brought up on at night at school was Bogest. The BBC did Beaugest. And it had a wonderful piece of music that crept in, and it was the eighteen twelve overture they used.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:25When you answer to yourself, Michael, what do you say? Do you tell yourself, you know, I went a bit over the top there, or I ought to be a bit more diplomatic next time? Or do you just say, what the hell?
No, I do in the quiet of evening sometimes reprimand myself considerably and say you've got to stop that behaviour, winner. ... sometimes when I get a bit over the top, but it's always in fun, you know.
Presenter asks
2:58How did your father put up with all of this [your mother's gambling and tantrums]?
She was pretty horrid to my father, yes. She was always criticising him. He never criticised her. The answer is he died at sixty-five. That's how he put up with her.
Presenter asks
3:40What about this business of your being shy underneath it all? I mean, can this be true?
I'm immensely shy. I was very shy as a child. And I think most film directors are shy. I think that's why they go to the cinema. They don't have a problem with the cinema. They can relate to people on the screen. There's no come back from them. You know, I I I'm I'm still very shy.
The keepsakes
The luxury
At least you're a caviar's fish, a bit of nourishment, it's quite good. Yeah, I take an enormous supply of caviar and a knife to open it with.
Presenter asks
4:01Despite the shyness, you've always been driven. I mean, have you been driven to be a success, or driven to make money, or both, or driven by some other great ambition?
I was never driven to make money'cause I always had enough money, uh vaguely. Uh I was driven to wallow in the film industry, to enjoy every part of it.
Presenter asks
21:37Is there any kind of recurring theme in your movies? Is there anything that unites them or are they just good solid entertainment?
No, no, that's solid entertainment. There is a recurring theme, and the theme is somebody who is a loner. who makes a grand gesture. ... Nearly every film was about somebody saying, I'm going to do something special because I'm not satisfied. with the ethos of the society in which I live.
“I think most film directors are shy. I think that's why they go to the cinema. They don't have a problem with the cinema. They can relate to people on the screen. There's no come back from them.”
“I was very dishonest as a kid.”
“I admire people who do social issues. But I wanted to be part of the mainstream glamour cinema I saw as a child.”