What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
Product Description
The Wigan Casino was not a gambling den near Manchester, anymore than The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell is about a funfair by the seaside, although curiously the two are inextricably related. The Wigan Casino was a dance hall and home to Northern Soul' at the height of its fashion in the mid- to late 70s in the centre of a once prosperous manufacturing town, once bursting with cotton mills, now brought low by economic hard times. It remains the most famous club in Northern England. From Friday night, non-stop until early Sunday morning, it was packed with kids from all over Britain who had come together to enjoy their music in their environment without interference (or so they hoped) from either parents or the police. The police were convinced it was a druggies paradise, and although they never found a shred of evidence, used this blind suspicion (and the excuse of a minor fire) to eventually close it down in 1981. What they could never close, however, was the sound and even more importantly an incredible style of dancing invented there which became known worldwide as breakdancing'. Again a grim background of industrial slums, unemployment and social deprivation, this dancing expressed inner joy and fulfilment, and this film, made in 1977 for the now defunct Granada Television, is a celebration of that joy. TONY PALMER
About the Director
TONY PALMER's vast filmography of over one hundred films ranges from early works with The Beatles, Cream, Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa (200 Motels), to the famous portraits with and about Walton, Britten, Stravinsky, Maria Callas, John Osborne, Margot Fonteyn and Menuhin. His 7 hour 45 minutes film on Wagner, starring Richard Burton, Laurence Olivier and Vanessa Redgrave, was described by the Los Angeles Times as "one of the most beautiful films ever made". Among over 40 international prizes for his work are 12 Gold Medals at the New York Film & Television Festival, as well as numerous BAFTA (British Academy of Film & Television) and EMMY nominations and awards. He is the only person to have won the Prix Italia twice. In addition, Mr Palmer has won various platinum and gold albums for the best-selling CDs of the soundtracks of his films. He was a music critic for The Observer for seven years, and has written for numerous international magazines and newspapers, including The Times, The New York Times, Punch, The Spectator, & Life.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing,
By
This review is from: Tony Palmer - The Wigan Casino [DVD] (DVD)
This DVD was a big disappointment. I was expecting to see lots of Northern Soul dancing, the few clips that showed any dancing were repeated through out the DVD. There were more clips of Wigan's industry with a folk music backtrack than Northern Soul. The News of the World describe it as "Genius". It is far from Genius.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dreary old Wigan,
By Warren (Dubai, UAE) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tony Palmer - The Wigan Casino [DVD] (DVD)
The story starts and you think wow its going to show us the history, the dancing, the music and the world that Wigan Casino was... how wrong can you be? Don't buy this unless you want to learn about Wigan and listen to the old folk telling you about the old days, working in the bottle factory that is... the only positive thing about it was the entire film was over and done in about half hour... phew what a relief! If you want to see a good story about Wigan Casino buy SoulBoy - the tunes, the dancing and even the story gets you... you will learn and see far more.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very poor indeed,
By
This review is from: Tony Palmer - The Wigan Casino [DVD] (DVD)
Imagine getting the chance to film the legendary wigan casino at its height. You could capture the most amazing dancing set to thrilling soul music. See the kids having it large in a uniquely british style. A fascinating sub-culture that was of itself, not a product of hype or marketing.Alternatively, you could make a right-on social documentary about the grim north with only fleeting, tantalising glimpses of the main event. Don't waste your hard earned on this DVD.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
