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Re: Quad the movie and otherwise



In message <33773C1C.1ABA@sccoast.net>, "Mark R. Leaman"
<mleaman@sccoast.net> writes
>The opening scene shows Jimmy walking away from the ocean (not a beach,
>which is important to note); it's unrelated to any part of the film
>UNLESS it's actually what happens after the scooter goes over.

It is supposed to be what happens after the scooter goes over.
Supposedly, Jimmy lies on the cliff edge pondering his recent past and
watching the sea claim the scooter from the rock.  As sunset falls he gets
up and starts walking back towards the road.




>The audience is lead to
>believe the "hero" goes over, but we find out that in fact he hasn't.

It's pretty obvious (from the print I own at least) that the scooter goes over
alone, especially as you see Jimmy peering over the edge of the cliff as it
hits the rocks.  



>> Yes, the film is full of familiar faces.
>
>In Britian, perhaps. I've only seen a few of them...Daniels in several
>films. Why wasn't Hugh Grant in QUAD?

Hugh Grant?  Was he on the scene 20 years ago???

Yes, they are British household names, but many of these t.v. shows and
films are shown around the world.


Here's a rough run down off the top of my head:

Phil Daniels: 

Many films including Scum, Breaking Glass, Billy the Kid and the green
baize vampire.  Happy on the British scene.  Currently concentrating on
film t.v. and stagework.



Trevor Laird (Ferdy):

Scriptwrighter and music t.v. producer.
T.v. parts in Birds of a feather, Dr. Who, The New Statesman.......


Toyah (Monkey):

Starred in a few films but more famous for her musical career.  Now
presents the UK  t.v. show, The Good Sex Guide!



Phil Davis (Chalky):

Lots of t.v. work and big league British film director, recently in the
limelight with his football (soccer) hooligan film I.D.



Mark Wingett (Dave):

UK soap star!  The Bill, Brookside, Cat's Eyes......




Gary Shail (Spider):

Various t.v. appearances including the 'human' lead in Metal Mickey, a
sitcom about a family and it's robot!  More recently he's been enjoying a
musical career.  He made himself a millionaire working for Motown records
and writing for Smokey Robinson but now he runs Natural Source Sound,
one of the world's most successful music production companies who
specialise in t.v. soundtracks.


Garry Cooper (Pete):

Many films including Prick Up Your Ears and My Beautiful Laundrette.
Many, many more t.v. roles including Minder, Emmerdale (Farm), The Bill,
Soldier soldier, Casualty, Heartbeat, No Bananas, Coronation
Street..........a very, very hardworking actor.



Sting (Ace):

Starred in Dune, Brimstone and Treacle etc....but is more famous for his
musical career with The Police and solo.



Ray Winstone (Kev):

Many films including Scum (with Phil Daniels) and  I.D. (alongside Phil
Davis).  Lots of t.v. work too, Minder, London's Burning, Bergerac, Robin of
Sherwood.....



Leslie Ash (Steph):

Lot's of t.v. but recently very famous for the BBC Sitcom Men Behaving
Badly.



Michael Elphick (Jimmy's Dad):

Some good films including David Lynch's The Elephant Man and Withnail
and I.  Lot's of t.v. work too including Smiley's people, Harry and also Boon
which was filmed around the corner from me!



John Altman (John):

Very popular actor.  Well known for his role in Eastenders as nasty Nick
Cotton!




The supporting cast have been just as successful.  See if you can spot a
young Nicholas Lyndhurst (Rodney from Only Fools and Horses)!!!!


A lot of these programmes are exported to the States so you have a pretty
good chance of coming across them.




>
>> The chemist scene?  He gives the majority of the pills to Steph!
>
>It's a typical Hollywood bottle that's never empty until the storyline
>needs it to be.

Not really.  If you remember, Dave and Spider (I think) have to resort to
buying from Ferdy in Brighton.  That scene was very subtle.  

Most of the charges brought against defendants during the seaside
skirmishes were for vandalism and drug possession.  Jimmy was only ever
charged for general vandalism so we have to assume that he was picked
up with no pills on his person as I don't see that he had much opportunity
to ditch them  :-)

I'm pretty sure that after the break in, they were handing them around right,
left and centre.  Certainly in Brighton, I think they'd be feeling pretty
generous.......

>
>> I like to take things a step further, to think that the pills are solely
>> responsible for his multiple personality disorder.  Acute amphetamine
>> psychosis is a very volatile condition to be 
>
>This is true, but to keep it within Townshend's concept I'd say that the
>speed only magnified an existing problem. The others did speed, in
>presumably similar quanities, too.

Agreed, but the film did not adhere to Pete's original concept.  



>
>> I know what you are saying but the way I see things Jimmy throws the
>> scooter off the edge of the cliff in disgust at so much betrayal.  Everything
>> he held dear, every hope he held on to is gone. 
>
>With something one puts a lot of faith in (as Jimmy does Mod), it must
>be "thrown out" or resolved before moving on (or it will still have a
>hold on them). So while I agree with what you've said, I still think
>that the scooter was symbolic of Mod and Jim needed to violently destroy
>it in order to get on with his life. After all, if his goal was merely
>to stop being a Mod he needed only to decide it. Being betrayed, he
>wanted a physical item to take his anger out with, thus "clearing the
>decks."
>It's sort of like when a Postal worker gets angry at the Post Office,
>and walks in one day shooting...

I'm sure Jimmy felt better for it  :-)


- -- 
Gary L