What was that film where...?

[evilC]

Help me, OTF hive mind!

There was a film - from the late 60s or early 70s - where the protagonist was a man who had been horribly burned (possibly in a car crash) and thus had to wear a protective 'shell' that made him look like Robin Williams in 'Bicentennial Man'. (Although no-one involved would have known that, of course! ) I think he'd mostly lost his memory, too.

Anyway... ring any bells?

[ian.64]

What was that film where...?

That would be the film Who?, about a disfigured scientist who receives special metallic plating to his features and becomes a pawn in an espionage-based tug-of-war. It starred Elliot Gould and Trevor Howard, and was directed by the late Jack Gold, who mainly worked in TV, and whose most notable achievement was The Naked Civil Servant.

I do remember seeing it once on late night television, but I don't remember most of it, sadly. A weird premise that seemed coldly handled.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

What was that film where...?

What was the one where the astronaut ended up on a mirror image of Earth, that was orbiting the Sun precisely 180 degrees away from us, so we'd never seen it, and no-one there believed a word of his story?

[RobW]

What was that film where...?

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote: What was the one where the astronaut ended up on a mirror image of Earth, that was orbiting the Sun precisely 180 degrees away from us, so we'd never seen it, and no-one there believed a word of his story?

Doppelgänger?

[evilC]

What was that film where...?

ian.64 wrote: That would be the film Who?, about a disfigured scientist who receives special metallic plating to his features and becomes a pawn in an espionage-based tug-of-war. It starred Elliot Gould and Trevor Howard, and was directed by the late Jack Gold, who mainly worked in TV, and whose most notable achievement was The Naked Civil Servant.

I do remember seeing it once on late night television, but I don't remember most of it, sadly. A weird premise that seemed coldly handled.

That's the one! Thanks, Ian!

[ian.64]

What was that film where...?

My work here is done....

(Places fedora enigmatically on head. Swishes cape and disappears into thick fog. A clanging sound is heard followed by agonised muttering of 'Bollocks. Bollocks. Bollocks')

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

What was that film where...?

Big clanging bollocks? I thought that was Downton Abbey.

[ian.64]

What was that film where...?

Quiet, you.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

What was that film where...?

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote:

What was the one where the astronaut ended up on a mirror image of Earth, that was orbiting the Sun precisely 180 degrees away from us, so we'd never seen it, and no-one there believed a word of his story?

Doppelgänger?

I bought that film on DVD a year or so ago, after having recollections of how intrigued I'd been when I saw it as a kid. Seeing it as an adult, I think it's pretty poor. The whole concept of a "mirror image" planet where everything (apparently pretty much every last detail, including the mirror image replicas of individuals on our own planet, living the exact same (but left-right reversed) lives as their earth counterparts) raises extraordinary philosophical conundra around questions of causation, free will versus determinism etc. The film seems blithely unaware of them. Even worse, the whole "mirror image" thing only emerges more than half way through the film, due to the very slow plot development. In terms of character development, ideas and other content, the film is totally half-baked and feeble. Still, nice to see Herbert Lom have a role in the opening scenes.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

What was that film where...?

Oh, and if this is a general "what was that film..." thread, I'd be very grateful (and frankly amazed) if someone can identify a long-forgotten made-for-TV American (I think) film which I saw as a kid in the 1970s which involves some people who get trapped in a house under a fumigation tent (i.e. the house is due to be filled with toxic fumes for pest-control or similar reasons and they're trapped in it). The only thing I can remember is that they realise they are the intended victims of some evil plot when they look in the kitchen drawers for a sharp knife to hack their way out of the tent and discover that all the knives have been mysteriously removed.

[Guy Profumo]

What was that film where...?

Evariste Euler Gauss wrote:

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote:

What was the one where the astronaut ended up on a mirror image of Earth, that was orbiting the Sun precisely 180 degrees away from us, so we'd never seen it, and no-one there believed a word of his story?

Doppelgänger?

I bought that film on DVD a year or so ago, after having recollections of how intrigued I'd been when I saw it as a kid. Seeing it as an adult, I think it's pretty poor. The whole concept of a "mirror image" planet where everything (apparently pretty much every last detail, including the mirror image replicas of individuals on our own planet, living the exact same (but left-right reversed) lives as their earth counterparts) raises extraordinary philosophical conundra around questions of causation, free will versus determinism etc. The film seems blithely unaware of them. Even worse, the whole "mirror image" thing only emerges more than half way through the film, due to the very slow plot development. In terms of character development, ideas and other content, the film is totally half-baked and feeble. Still, nice to see Herbert Lom have a role in the opening scenes.

Possibly due to the fact it was the first time Lew Grade allowed Gerry Anderson out of his box to direct "real" people.

(Sadly. He didn't learn his lesson. See "Space, 1999"…)

[Stumpy Pepys]

What was that film where...?

Season 1 of Space: 1999 still stands up pretty well.

I won't defend Season 2 though (apart from Catherine Schell, who I really fancied).

[ian.64]

What was that film where...?

I bought that film on DVD a year or so ago, after having recollections of how intrigued I'd been when I saw it as a kid. Seeing it as an adult, I think it's pretty poor. The whole concept of a "mirror image" planet where everything (apparently pretty much every last detail, including the mirror image replicas of individuals on our own planet, living the exact same (but left-right reversed) lives as their earth counterparts) raises extraordinary philosophical conundra around questions of causation, free will versus determinism etc. The film seems blithely unaware of them. Even worse, the whole "mirror image" thing only emerges more than half way through the film, due to the very slow plot development. In terms of character development, ideas and other content, the film is totally half-baked and feeble. Still, nice to see Herbert Lom have a role in the opening scenes.

Strangely enough, one of the few things I remember from it are two pieces of Barry Gray's score, one scary piece that would be used as the end-credit music for Anderson's UFO series, and an an attractive Ondes Martinot piece that's quite lovely.

And you're right about Space 1999's second season, where in one episode, our intrepid heroes are stuck on a planet called Luton. Luton.

[Southport Zeb]

What was that film where...?

And you're right about Space 1999's second season, where in one episode, our intrepid heroes are stuck on a planet called Luton. Luton.

A desolate place devoid of intelligent life. And the planet on Space 1999 wasn't very nice either.

(I'm here all week. Try the fish)

[Bored Of Education]

What was that film where...?

What was the film(s) where there are two boys who are best mates from a modest background vaguely doing wrong juvenile things, perhaps in a gang, but one of them is really good at school. The story goes on that he has a tension between wanting to be with his mate(s) and wanting to leave that world and go onto Uni. Finally, he is inadvertently involved in some gang-related activity or crime with his mate that ends up with him either being jailed or killed.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

What was that film where...?

Boyz N The Hood?

[Stumpy Pepys]

What was that film where...?

@Bored

I think we need more context. Was this black kids in downtown LA? Or Cliff Richard and Melvyn Hayes in Chiswick?

[Bored Of Education]

What was that film where...?

Boyz N The Hood sprung to mind but there was another one as well. "Good Will Hunting" maybe?

[EIM]

What was that film where...?

He didn't die or go to prison in that.

[Squarewheelbike]

What was that film where...?

Evariste Euler Gauss wrote: Oh, and if this is a general "what was that film..." thread, I'd be very grateful (and frankly amazed) if someone can identify a long-forgotten made-for-TV American (I think) film which I saw as a kid in the 1970s which involves some people who get trapped in a house under a fumigation tent (i.e. the house is due to be filled with toxic fumes for pest-control or similar reasons and they're trapped in it). The only thing I can remember is that they realise they are the intended victims of some evil plot when they look in the kitchen drawers for a sharp knife to hack their way out of the tent and discover that all the knives have been mysteriously removed.

Sounds like an episode of McMillan & Wife I remember from the 70's!

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

What was that film where...?

Squarewheelbike, you utter legend, I reckon that was it! "Till Death do us Part" in Season 1.

I am utterly stunned.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_McMillan_%26_Wife_episodes

[Ray de Galles]

What was that film where...?

This is about a TV programme, a one-off play/drama if I recall correctly.

Set in the twenties/thirties it was about (or featured) a Welsh (and probably Welsh nationalist) character who was some kind of spy/double agent for the IRA in Britain.

The only bit of dialogue I can remember is that when he was finally arrested he said to the police "Don't dare touch me, I'm special!".

Any ideas?

[Greenlander]

What was that film where...?

I can't answer that one RdG, but do have another to throw out to the hive mind.

A series (possibly two) on C4 around 1985/86 about two wide boys/ likely lads set in and around the London Docklands. The general premise was their money-making scams, eventualy seeing them falling foul of the local gangster. I'm pretty sure it ended with them either dying or getting sent down.

I can picture one of the lead actors but I just can't remember his name or that of the programme. It was pretty bleak, but darkly comic, much like that area of London back them and maybe the credits was of the two of them looking out from the balcony of a tower block as the camera panned out over the abandoned dockland.

Any clues?

[Come along, Min]

What was that film where...?

Sounds a bit like Prospects?

[Greenlander]

What was that film where...?

Luke R wrote: Sounds a bit like Prospects?

Cheers Luke - that's definitely it.