Christmas treats: a new Moonfleet plus ...

MOONFLEET. Growing up in the quiet coastal town of Moonfleet in eighteenth century Dorset, fifteen year-old orphan, John Trenchard, dreams of the infamous Blackbeard's treasure - little does he know what is in store for him.

I was pleased to see a new version of MOONFLEET on television here after Christmas, another enterprising Sky production in two parts, which should do justice to the book, that marvellous tale of 18th century smugglers, a childhood classic, by J. Meade Faulkner, originally published in 1898, its a great tale of shipwrecks, a hidden diamond, crypts and churchyards hiding their secrets ...

Elements of it were used for the 1955 Fritz Lang film, MOONFLEET, for me a childhood matinee delight, and I like seeing it whenever it is on (I have the dvd too of course), though made in California it conjures up those secret coves and seaside adventurers, with some great Cinemascope images.The hero here is Jeremy Fox - Stewart Granger - and its a whole different story to the book, with Jon Whiteley (HUNTED, THE SPANISH GARDENER) as the boy coming in search of him. George Sanders and Joan Greenwood are the villains here, Joan in particular with only two scenes, stealing the film.

Last Christmas, Ray Winstone was a good Magwich in that new BBC version of GREAT EXPECTATIONS (the one where Pip was prettier than Estella), and also Quintus Arrius in that unnecessary new BEN HUR, this year he is Elzevir Block, leader of the smugglers down Dorset way, (a minor character in the 1955 version) leading our young hero into all kinds of escapes as they avoid the magistrates and the soldiers, and hunt down that elusive diamond.  Thrills and spills all round then ...

More television gold in THE THIRTEENTH TALE, also on before New Year, a creepy horror tale adapted by Christopher Hampton, the casting is the thing here as we follow aging novelist Vida Winter, who enlists a young writer to finally tell the story of her life including her mysterious childhood spent in Angelfield House, which burned to the ground when she was a teenager. It features Vanessa Redgrave as Vida in a long red wig, and our actress of the year Olivia Colman (below) (BROADCHURCH, REV etc) as the writer to comes to hear her story ..... 

 

DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY should be good too, a three-parter from the successful novel by P.D. James imagining a murder mystery at Pemberley six years after the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth in PRIDE & PREJUDICE. More watchable costume drama then .... it may be super or send us back to the classic BBC 1995 version ...then of course there is the Christmas DOWNTON ABBEY special, with new guests including James Fox. Ok, Christmas television is quite good then with lots of plums among the glitter and tinsel. 

Treat 1: Joanna Lumley as the dancing Queen in GANGSTA GRANNY, David Walliam's new christmas film (even better than last year's MR STINK) with dear Julia McKenzie as the granny who is an international jewel thief. and Treat 2: that hilarious moment from MRS BROWN'S BOYS when Agnes tells bitchy Hilary (Susie Blake) what happened to the chocolate that was on the peanuts she has been eating ...

STRICTLY COME DANCING also finished on a high, with a great win by Abbey Clancy, who with partner Aljaz, dazzled on the dance floor. She is not only a model but a super, lovely girl with a natural charm, almost a new Brigitte Bardot!, as Bruno noted. We adore her. Here's that sizzling samba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcuKwfbTOFY

 Award season should be interesting too, maybe the best in years. Several titles like 12 YEARS A SLAVE have not opened here yet (thats due 10th January!), nor has ALL IS LOST .... but I am already visualising a tie between Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench as best actress, with Cuaron as best director and maybe GRAVITY as best film ...