British films

I was wondering how big some of the bigger British films are over in the US.

For example, I'd imagine that most of you saw Notting Hill, but have you seen Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, one of the most popular British films of the last 10 years (at least). What about Snatch, a sort of sequel?

Just wondering, as these films were massive in the UK. How big were they in the US, and if they weren't big, but if anyone saw either of them, what did you think? Did you like them, or is their humour too essentialy British?

I don't like British TV most of the time (few exceptions), and that goes for the movies as well - I'll give you Monty Python though...the best thing to come out of England since America.

Oh, I agree, I really don't have much time for British TV or films. I much prefer American sitcoms and films with a budget and more than one writer (I'm watching Friends as I type ). Snatch and Lock, Stock are great films though. If you haven't seen them, you are missing out. Hilarious, black, and scary. They're about dodgy deals in east London. The fact that most of the actors are (ex?)-gangsters makes it even scarier - kind of like the way that Boyz 'n' the Hood is scary because it's so like the ghetto (watched it the other night - great film).

I'd recommend them.

I take it you guys have never seen a single epsiode of Mr. Bean or perhaps Blackadder??!! Or maybe 'Alo 'Alo? The Brits have a very specific sense of humour, which is what makes it funny in the first place

I own Notting Hill. I didn't see Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. It must have had nudity, or I would have seen it.

We watch Mr. Bean and Blackadder occassionally.

We watch regularly:

• As Time Goes By
• The Vicar of Dibley
• Good Neighbors
• To the Manor Born
• Open All Hours
• Are You Being Served? - least favorite

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I didn't think I'd like Mr. Bean - but I did! The movie was great, and the series is pretty dang funny too - the short previews of the movie and the series made it look awfully dumb though.

I agree, the movie was very good, but it had a lot of jokes and gags from the series like for example the falling asleep in the museum part You gotta admit, the guy is just plain and simply hilarious!!

Yes, Mr. Bean and Blackadder are classics - Rowan Atkinson is very funny. I must be the only Brit not to find Monty Python very funny - sorry!

James, as for that list, I don't watch any of those. I don't find them very good at all. The few Brit sitcoms / comedians that I enjoy include (see who you know)

Harry Enfield
Jack Dee
Graham Norton
Men Behaving Badly
Game On
Only Fools and Horses
Tony Hancock

Hmm, a couple of others that escape my mind, but these are the only ones that I will make a concerted effort to see. Brit sitcom writers tend to write alone or in pairs - compare that to American sitcom writers who write in big teams, where everyone knows that they have to be funny or they'll lose their job, and you can understand why such gems as The Simpsons and Frasier come out .

But I do recommend Lock Stock and Snatch. VERY funny and VERY dark films. No nudity though. Just a lot of East London violence.

In all honesty Lock, Stock & Snatch are pale imitations of films like Get Carter & The Long Good Friday that contained believable villians... and no goody-goody ending.

As for comedies I'd have to throw some of Peter Sellers' satires into the mix like I'm All Right Jack and Dr. Strangelove.

Of the last ten years... Trainspotting was a marvellous adaptation of Irvine's novel.

You can keep most of yer American blockbusters... ultimatly style over content using 10 minutes of dialogue - padded out by sfx to make up for the shortcomings. (cept films like Fight Club)
Financial muscle they may have... didn't mean Bedazzled, Get Carter etc were any better than the originals.

I like some of the tv series you've mentioned (esp Hancock) and I'd add The Young Ones, Red Dwarf and Steptoe and Son.

I'll give you that - Red Dwarf is okay...I just don't like the odd, ever-changing plot: keep the focus on the comedy...if they had, I would've kept on watching.

I like all of the Monty Python movies, they're very clever and funny. I also like to watch Mr. Bean every now and then. He is very funny in the TV series but I thought that the movie was pretty average.

I have seen Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch isn't out in the theaters around me, yet. It comes out soon I think. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was a great movie. It was hilarious. I loved the part where he beat that guy with a 14 inch....um...device. (LOL)

As to the TV, I have seen regularaly As Time Goes by, The Vicar of Dibley, Inspector Morse, Are you being served, Monty Python, Keeping Up Apperances, Mr. Bean, and a ton others. umm...The one with the four old guys also.

Thats not to bad considering I'm 15.

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OG, I never knew you were 15 (don't think you can tell from the posts ). And you're already a moderator!! I gotta get a move-on

More kids here than you realize. I'm 16, myself...but yes, Peter has been mature (a bit goofy though, LOL) for his age in his postings.

We've got a great group here.

Actually, I kinda picked up a hint about you Commish in some of your posts, although I didn't really know you were 16 Looks like I fit in just perfect here, I just turned 18 about two months ago, so I'm not a senior citizen myself!!

"xboxfan" is roughly 13/14 as well...I believe Miriam (thmilin) is in her early twenties as well. No idea how old everyone else is - anyone wanna start a "How Old Are You?" thread in the Intermission forum?

Children, all of you! But surely you are not allowed to have seen half these films!

I feel like a right grizzled veteran now (and not in a good way like Staff Sergeant Barnes in Platoon ) - I was 21 on New Year's Day.

Chris, from your posts here and at SitePoint I always assumed you were a lot older! I'll probably have a higher post count here than over there in a couple of weeks - if they only counted General Chat posts I'd have thousands!

Same here. Thanks for the kind words - I'm the son of two very good writers, and I live in two very talkative households - that makes all the difference in the world, and I plan to raise my kids the same way.

I just hope I never have to choose between MovieForums and SitePoint.

I think I am actually the Grizzled Veteren at age 29.

As for British Movies, I enjoy British humor (or humour), but I've always preferred the TV shows (Monty Python, Keeping Up Appearances, Benny Hill, Fawlty Towers, etc.) to the movies. There are some good movies, of course, but the TV shows always seem better to me.

Hey ryan, what's retirement like