100 TV Shows #77 The A-Team #78-Banacek

[karaokegal]

Unfortunately I can't use 77 Sunset Strip in this spot, because like Route 66, it was before my time and I know it only through zeitgeist and osmosis.

So instead...a show that I only watched for one man, and a post that will be more or less a love letter to him and my favorite of his movies.

The A-Team

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Banacek

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So there it was, 1983. I'm

Comments

[joanne_c]

Well, Audrey's character in the book was supposed to be in her twenties, and she was a little out from that by that point, so I'm not sure if accuracy was very much in the minds of the casting people (but then again, James Mason and Michelle Phillips were pretty much just right for their characters, so I'm going to figure star power for Audrey and probably chemistry for Ben).

I never saw Banacek but I do like what I've seen of Christine/a Belford in other things.

I watched a lot of The A-Team (it was Approved TV and my mum had a crush on George too - me? I was all about Dirk back in the day but I still have trouble forgiving him for his hissy over the casting of a woman in his role in the new BSG even though I wasn't a fan of that - I'm sorry, but it was still sexist of him to say it in public, no matter one's feeling on remakes, reboots, etc).

I don't think Kevin Costner was ever as attractive as George was even in The A-Team (and I thought he was pretty hot then).

I think the nearest I got to shipping back then was Dirk's and Melinda Culea's characters (I think they had one of those obligatory kisses between the young attractive characters that I would've so ficced if I had any idea what fic was), but nowadays I'd totally be about Hannibal/Face (in fact, I've read some but it was movie fic and I'm afraid it was more to do with my shipping of Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper and lack of RPF about them, so I don't think it counts and I was reading it more as an RPF AU without changing the names).

Strangely enough, I had the same experience (reading an ex's - I presume in George's case) memoir for the not so nice parts about an actor and being even more in love with him with Ian McShane, it was Sylvia Kristel's memoir. Incidentally she was a very interesting lady even without the Ian connection. Though I tended to get that Sylvia knew they were both bad for each other, at least at the time of writing, but that could be my own reading of it, too.

[karaokegal]

Bloodline may be the only Sidney Sheldon book I ever read...I don't retain much, but even then I may have been looking for the "Ben/Audrey" scenes, following my weird obsession with "They All Laughed."

I also have a bit of a James Mason thing, but that mostly has to do with is younger self, his voice, and OMG LOLITA!

I wonder if Ms. Kristel's memoir is still in print or available on Kindle? She lived through some very interesting times and presumably knew (in all senses of the word) some of the sexier men. I'd love to hear Ian McShane dirt.

[joanne_c]

Sidney Sheldon is one of my favourite writers. I have re-read his books so many times and I always find something new and interesting. In fact, long before White Collar, he wrote my very favourite con man turned semi-good (but not like Neal did). Bloodline is about my fourth favourite I think. I started reading his books after seeing the mini-series of Master Of The Game with Dyan Cannon, Ian Charleson and Harry Hamlin. I can see that, and I really want to see They All Laughed someday (Bloodline the movie was not very good - I think Sheldon's books work better as mini-series).

Oh god, yes to James Mason. Have you ever seen The Wicked Lady? He's so delicious in that and in other things. I have never actually seen/read Lolita but I want to very much. It interests me, just so much to watch, so little time.

Ms Kristel's memoir was out of print - I got it through interlibrary loan - but Kindle may be possible. It was actually really interesting to read about her life in and of itself and the Ian stuff was great.

[karaokegal]

Kubrick's Lolita isn't perfect, but it's about a zillion times better than the more recent version. The perfect thing would have been if Kubrick could have done his in an era that would let him be more explicit...but still with James Mason, because as much as I love Jeremy Irons, James Mason IS my Humbert Humbert.

[joanne_c]

I wonder sometimes if the older versions can work better even without the explicit nature, if they are more of the time the book was written/took place. But sometimes it doesn't work at all, too.