Don't give D'Artagnan a musket, he'll put someone's eye out...

[cassiphone]

I have been meaning to watch The Three Musketeers (1973) for years and years. I am a complete fawning fangirl for the book, which I think is one of the most brilliantly flawed masterpieces of adventure fiction ever

Comments

[eneit]

you know they did a sequel in '74? It was called the Four Musketeers http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073012/

[cassiphone]

Hee, yes, I mentioned it. Am looking forward to hunting it down.

[stephen_dedman]

It's fun, but they haven't shied away from the darker moments of the story. It also has one of my favourite Christopher Lee performances, as Rochefort faces a firing squad.

My favourite moment of the Lester version of the film, however, is when York gives the carte blance to Charlton Heston, who promptly burns it: my immediate thought, and that of many who saw the film, was "Why didn't he give him a photocopy?" Maybe it was York's hairstyle that made us forget that it wasn't meant to be the 1970s...

[jo1967]

I so loved that movie when I was younger, haven't seen it for ages. Couldn't Oliver Reed be both? Completely drunk AND best actor ever?

I also just realised that Porthos seems to be a role for Olivers...

[cassiphone]

Hee, absolutely he can, and it worked as Athos (not Porthos) cos he IS drunk through the whole story. Like Bill Sykes in Oliver, very clever casting - Best Use of Alcoholic Actor.

[random_alex]

Sadly, you're wrong.

Kiefer is MY Athos.

=D

[cassiphone]

MINE

[random_alex]

Gauntlets again, Roberts? This is getting to be a habit...

[cassiphone]

*grins*

[looneymoth]

This version sounds great. Must remember to watch it, to remove the taste of the last 3M film I saw - the Man in the Iron Mask. Ew.

Ah, the 1993 film... Oliver Platt is awesome. I liked him in West Wing too, playing a lawyer called Oliver. (Apparently he'll be in the upcoming Wonder Woman. Hmm... could be good - would have been great with a script by Whedon). Wasn't one of Tim Curry's better efforts, though. He made a much better pirate than he did a cardinal.

[cassiphone]

OLIVER PLATT AS WONDER WOMAN!!!!!!!!!!

I will never get the image out of my head.

He was also the only good thing about Bicentennial Man.

[stephen_dedman]

Ah, yes: four musketeers being played by an Englishman, an Irishman, a Frenchman and an American, all with their native accents undisguised. Unforgettable.

[cassiphone]

My favourite moment in Three Musketeers (1973) is where Athos hears the Duke of Buckingham speak and says in an equally plummy English accent "sounds like a foreigner!"

[flinthart]

You can even MENTION the Disney '93 excrement in the same breath as this masterpiece? For the love of God, Montresor. Firstly, the '73 script comes from George MacDonald Fraser of 'Flashman' fame. Secondly -- while I can't find the reference, I have been told by folk who really should know that the swordfight choreography comes from the legendary Bob Goodwin of "Princess Bride" fame.

Add to that the incredible, stellar cast... and honestly, woman, you should be washing your mouth out with bleach for even BURPING the likes of Oliver Platt or that Sutherland kid (his dad was okay) in the same reference.

Dear oh dear. The efforts I go through to improve you culturally...

[cassiphone]

hehehe I did SAY this one was better, right?

Being 15 at the time is a valid excuse when Kiefer Sutherland is concerned, that's all I can say!

And I'll have you know I squeed loudly at the screenwriter credit even though I've never quite got around to reading Flashman.

I'm just still trying to get over the fact that it's a GOOD adaption from the book. These things are always a shock to me, especially when the book is on the insane side.

[flinthart]

Definitely true. Actually... I must rent the '73 version. For the boys, of course.

[cassiphone]

ooh you really must, it would look great on the big screeny thing you have.