Cold Comfort Farm (1968)
DIRECTOR: Peter Hammond (The Avengers - TV series)
STARS: Alastair Sim (A Christmas Carol), Sarah Badel, Fay Compton, Rosalie Crutchley, Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon, Dr Who, Kenny Everett Show), Freddie Jones (Elephant Man, Dune)
SYNOPSIS: "I saw something nasty in the woodshed!" - Ada Doom
A nearly feral family living on a farm in Britain are reformed by their spunky niece in this BBC television adaptation of Stella Gibbons beloved novel. Made for TV, this production combines videotape and film (like Monty Python, Benny Hill, etc). Set in the 1930's it concerns a young modern woman Flora with no means of support who seeks out the kindness of relatives. She settles on her kin, "The Starkadders," at Cold Comfort Farm because they seem "appalling but interesting". The farm looks like the Munsters' house decorated by Great Expectations "Miss Havisham". Rather than shun the family she sets about helping them by any means necessary. An oversexed male cousin is introduced to a showbiz agent, the religious fanatic uncle (Sim) is talked into preaching abroad and a wood nymph who floats topless in the pond is cleaned up and taken to a fancy ball. Flora's biggest challenge is the miserable patriarch Ada Doom who forbids anyone from having fun or ever leaving the farm! Even with the lower production values for television this one is surprising. There are weird moments with close-up shots of centipedes, snakes, etc superimposed over a character as they talk. Plus surreal fantasy sequences, some surprising nudity and sexual innuendos. All the actors throw themselves into their roles with Sim being positively manic, Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon's "Prince Vultan") a hilarious brute and Sarah Badel as the unflappable anchor Flora. But the real star of the show is Stella Gibbon's biting dialogue. Filled with sharp wit and black humor. Never released on dvd.
Fullscreen / Color
Region Free / Code Free DVD-R
DIRECTOR: Peter Hammond (The Avengers - TV series)
STARS: Alastair Sim (A Christmas Carol), Sarah Badel, Fay Compton, Rosalie Crutchley, Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon, Dr Who, Kenny Everett Show), Freddie Jones (Elephant Man, Dune)
SYNOPSIS: "I saw something nasty in the woodshed!" - Ada Doom
A nearly feral family living on a farm in Britain are reformed by their spunky niece in this BBC television adaptation of Stella Gibbons beloved novel. Made for TV, this production combines videotape and film (like Monty Python, Benny Hill, etc). Set in the 1930's it concerns a young modern woman Flora with no means of support who seeks out the kindness of relatives. She settles on her kin, "The Starkadders," at Cold Comfort Farm because they seem "appalling but interesting". The farm looks like the Munsters' house decorated by Great Expectations "Miss Havisham". Rather than shun the family she sets about helping them by any means necessary. An oversexed male cousin is introduced to a showbiz agent, the religious fanatic uncle (Sim) is talked into preaching abroad and a wood nymph who floats topless in the pond is cleaned up and taken to a fancy ball. Flora's biggest challenge is the miserable patriarch Ada Doom who forbids anyone from having fun or ever leaving the farm! Even with the lower production values for television this one is surprising. There are weird moments with close-up shots of centipedes, snakes, etc superimposed over a character as they talk. Plus surreal fantasy sequences, some surprising nudity and sexual innuendos. All the actors throw themselves into their roles with Sim being positively manic, Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon's "Prince Vultan") a hilarious brute and Sarah Badel as the unflappable anchor Flora. But the real star of the show is Stella Gibbon's biting dialogue. Filled with sharp wit and black humor. Never released on dvd.
Fullscreen / Color
Region Free / Code Free DVD-R
DIRECTOR: Peter Hammond (The Avengers - TV series)
STARS: Alastair Sim (A Christmas Carol), Sarah Badel, Fay Compton, Rosalie Crutchley, Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon, Dr Who, Kenny Everett Show), Freddie Jones (Elephant Man, Dune)
SYNOPSIS: "I saw something nasty in the woodshed!" - Ada Doom
A nearly feral family living on a farm in Britain are reformed by their spunky niece in this BBC television adaptation of Stella Gibbons beloved novel. Made for TV, this production combines videotape and film (like Monty Python, Benny Hill, etc). Set in the 1930's it concerns a young modern woman Flora with no means of support who seeks out the kindness of relatives. She settles on her kin, "The Starkadders," at Cold Comfort Farm because they seem "appalling but interesting". The farm looks like the Munsters' house decorated by Great Expectations "Miss Havisham". Rather than shun the family she sets about helping them by any means necessary. An oversexed male cousin is introduced to a showbiz agent, the religious fanatic uncle (Sim) is talked into preaching abroad and a wood nymph who floats topless in the pond is cleaned up and taken to a fancy ball. Flora's biggest challenge is the miserable patriarch Ada Doom who forbids anyone from having fun or ever leaving the farm! Even with the lower production values for television this one is surprising. There are weird moments with close-up shots of centipedes, snakes, etc superimposed over a character as they talk. Plus surreal fantasy sequences, some surprising nudity and sexual innuendos. All the actors throw themselves into their roles with Sim being positively manic, Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon's "Prince Vultan") a hilarious brute and Sarah Badel as the unflappable anchor Flora. But the real star of the show is Stella Gibbon's biting dialogue. Filled with sharp wit and black humor. Never released on dvd.
Fullscreen / Color
Region Free / Code Free DVD-R