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Post by Xanadu on Feb 19, 2004 22:12:27 GMT
Here we are Adey. I've blown the dust off of this for you. Al and I had discussed this a little further off the main board, so I'll see if I still have some of those ideas. I think www.netflix.com has this show available if anyone is interested. It's also a great service, I use them regularly. Just to get started... the intesity of creating The Prisoner. McGoohan's "baby" supposedly started with fists pounding on desks, like the intro. He controlled every aspect in production, even composing the theme music to a degree. Drove himself nearly to complete exhaustion. Leo McKern, in the final episodes, actually had a nervous breakdown after filming. Connecting to "Leave It Open," the idea of harm within man. The image of the monkey, then McGoohan, number one is in control. He has denied his place in this society. Who is the criminal in this society. We are led to believe he is the honorable character. But what exactly is wrong with this perfect society? The try to stifle his individuality, force him to socialize. Unleashing the "harm" within him...? Another issue... the fan following and seclusion. The need for the answers when you open their minds. They only wanted to make people think for themselves. If they give you the answers, than what purpose has the creation served? Also, the pressure of having to live up to your previous creations and self-image. Once labeled "a genius," how does one follow in their career? Just speculation. But maybe somewhere to start? "Be seeing you..."
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Post by Adey on Feb 19, 2004 22:50:43 GMT
I have read through the thread and it entertained me greatly. Fair play to AT, he must have done some frenzied work to catch on to that. You clearly enjoyed the show.
I will offer this just to start.
Again, I'm lucky being a brit. Right through the series the end credits stated simply "fimed on location". It wasn't until the last episode that the location was revealed as Portmeirion, North Wales.
I took a trip there with my wife, when I started driving. My God Xan its wierd. Its all there, the towers, the stone boat, the stretch of coast line, the old peoples home (actually Portmeirion Hotel), the woods, the mini moke with the stripey top, the pennyfarthing, no 2s house, no 6s cottage and on and on. As a fan of the series, it was virtually a case of visual overload. If you ever come to the UK, you must go. I've been back several times. No 6s cottage is actually the shop and info centre for 6 of 1, the official Prisoner Appreciation Society.
Give me a day or two and we'll talk some concepts.
BSY
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Post by Adey on Feb 23, 2004 3:18:52 GMT
Xan, haven't forgotten about this, still preparing something worth reading.
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Post by Adey on Mar 15, 2004 14:58:44 GMT
[glow=red,2,300]I am not a number, I am a free man..[/glow]Xan, as a fan of British TV programmes, you can not have escaped notice of (Sir) Lew Grade, broadcasting mogul of the ITC company. It is he, (as much as McGoohan) that we have to thank for seeing a programme as subversive and radical as The Prisoner on our television screens. Thank him as well for the marvellous action puppet programmes (Thunderbirids, Stingray, Captain Scarlet etc) and many films from the 60s/70s, my favourite being " Raise the Titanic " (raise the Titanic? It would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic..love that quote) and " North Sea Hijack " starring your pal - Roger Moore. I think McGoohan conned him - had he been upfront about his real intentions with The Prisoner, he'd have been thrown out of Grade's office. Lew wanted more Danger Man (I think it was called Secret Agent in the states?) but what he got was The Prisoner..
I saw this programme twice, once as a boy, when I loved it for the secret agent stuff, and later as a reasonably intelligent teenager, when I started to get an inkling for all the stuff underneath. Our own Channel 5 released it on video, and I watched these almost excessively.
Ultimately, I think the series is badly flawed. It started with the straight forward 'extract the information from the retired agent' scenario and lets see how he outwits them this week, to this incredible study of individuality and then revolt. To those people that were watching the prog for the former, the latter was just too much to deal with. They wanted answers, but never got them - at least not in a form they easily understood. Thats why there was anger, desk slapping, arguing and shouting, and thats why Mcgoohan had to retreat with his family to North Wales, until the furore had died down. That was it's flaw and it was also it's charm - it challenged viewers like no programme before or POSSIBLY since. And no-one will convince me that it was all carefully planned and executed. I will always believe that McGoohan was making it up as he went along, especially after the collapse of his relationship with David Tomblyn, the series Producer and his early collaborator on the project.
[glow=red,2,300]them bones, them bones, them dry bones - now hear the word of the Lord..[/glow] [glow=red,2,300]The Prisoner,[/glow] - man, what a blast..
I have thought about parallels with some of Kate's material, (even as you say, just on a humourous level) and I can see a few:
Hey, what about these Xan?
[glow=red,2,300]Sat in Your Lap[/glow] " I want the answers quickly, cos I don't have no energy.. " An ideal candidate for The General and the professor's radical Speedlearn programme?
What about [glow=red,2,300]Babooshka[/glow] with it's misrepresentation, masquerade and deceit? Can you see elements of A B&C or Do Not Forsake Me oh My Darling? Hell maybe Schizoid Man or even A Change of Mind?
I'm starting to think more about Kate herself, this pretty, talented wolf in sheep's clothing, who turned up at the door of EMI, presenting a vision of a polite lady artist who was going to make some great pop music. But who then turned the Company upside down by revealing herself to be this colossus who has given us greatness and blazed a trail for women in pop generally, against whom EMI virtually surrendered? That was a misrepresentation job even bigger than the one McGoohan pulled in Lew Grade's Office!
I enjoyed this little excercise Xan - thanks for raising The Prisoner in the first place. Enjoy a few images.
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Post by Al Truest on Mar 16, 2004 0:14:24 GMT
Surely this post will pull Zan back in.
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Post by Xanadu on Mar 18, 2004 23:59:05 GMT
Surely this post will pull Zan back in. Don't worry Al... Thanks for the great images Adey... how do you do that? Maybe they will interest some other members in checking out the show. You can rent the episodes on DVD from www.netflix.com with a monthly rental membership, along with thousands of other amazing titles. But, that's probably only in the USA. Sorry if that was a obvious advertisment. I'll get back to you later Adey... but I agree with much of what you posted.
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Post by Adey on Mar 19, 2004 2:28:12 GMT
Thanks for the great images Adey... how do you do that? Maybe they will interest some other members in checking out the show. Pleasure Xan, but the credit for the animated Prisoner gifs goes to a guy called Joe Brae. There are many Prisoner related gifs available on the web, but these were the only animated ones I found on a quick search. Joe's site (and others) may be found on a search using the words: prisoner gif images. If you want to use any of the ones here, right click on the pic, left click on properties and just copy the address into the image space (thanks AT for this tip - invaluable). Might make a nice avatar if you fancy a change from Babooshka...
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