Sting, starring in Brimstone & Treacle

marky · Post by **marky** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 9:10 am

It is with some frustration that I know Mav must be getting ready to leave Seattle now and thus would be too busy to read what I'm writing now about a movie I found by accident in the store of Sting acting in Brimstone & Treacle, some movie from 1982. Even though I had a whole list of movies to get, I saw this one and decided to take a chance on it. The original BBC production was apparently banned - this was in the 70's sometime. But I didn't take that version home with me, I took the remake with Sting from 1982 when there's even this crazy scene where he basically raids this girl's jewelry stash, puts on some long necklaces and a dangling diamond earring and one of those silly black lace gloves that were so in vogue at the time and all this happens while he's looking in the mirror alone in the room and the Go-Go's are playing on the radio at full blast. What a wonderfully insane moment to watch on film. I'm thinking he hadn't even broke it big in America when this was done, because Every Breath You Take wasn't until Summer '83, though I'm not quite sure of The Police's U.S. chart success or lack thereof prior to that. Anyway it was a great movie I liked it a lot, not so much because of Sting - I actually tend to think he was probably capable of a better performance though I wouldn't have called it bad necessarily. But the performance turned in by the older married couple made it well worth it, those two were amazing. I've been lucky enough to catch some really great films of late. Infact, I'll post about another one in a minute here.

Tommy Martyn · Post by **Tommy Martyn** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 8:11 pm

Marky,

this a play by Dennis Potter. I have seen both versions. There a number of Dennis Potter works readily available. Try to watch the TV series "The singing Detective." Pennies from heaven was made into a movie starring steve Martin but if you can, get hold of the original bbc tv series. This was the breakout role for Bob Hoskins. (It has my favourite lines for an adulter in it.) Punch in Dennis Potter on google. There will doubtless be some obits that tell you a little about this guy. The best TV playwright of his generation. Indeed TV drama has changed so much that I"m not sure that we could get another one.

Much of his work is very "English" he also spends a lot of time relating to his lifelong illness. The big theme though, is religion. I find it funny that way back in the day (Before all TV drama was in colour) he could bang out a play where Jesus is the main character. Woe betide a network here that would attempt that and then have Jesus be anything less than superman. How we have matured. Martino, if you are reading and not already aware of this stuff, you might be interested.

martino · Post by **martino** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 8:48 am

i am aware tony. as a matter of fact i found the bbc's "singing detective" breathtaking. that is a series i think i could repeatedly watch every few years for the rest of my life. i am glad you point me towards potter's other works -- thanks

marky · Post by **marky** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 8:00 pm

I'll check it out, Tommy, thanks. I've really been wondering what the hell else I might be missing in that big section of the video store marked "England".

Also I must have had a brain fart up above - certainly the Police had charted here prior to Synchronicity, I distinctly recall things like Don't Stand So Close To Me, Ghost In The Machine hitting the charts.