The Eclipse Viewer – Episode 17 – Basil Dearden’s London Underground

David and Trevor dig deep into this box set of four films from late 50's/early 60's England.

This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor discuss Eclipse Series 25: Basil Dearden’s London Underground, four films that portray various aspects of English life in a period of cultural transition.

About the films:

After mastering the mix of comedy, suspense, and horror that helped define the golden age of British cinema, Basil Dearden (along with his producing partner Michael Relph) left the legendary Ealing Studios and struck out on his own. In the late fifties and early sixties, he created a series of gripping, groundbreaking, even controversial films that dealt with racism, homophobia, and the lingering effects of World War II, noir-tinged dramas that burrowed into corners of London rarely seen on-screen. This set of elegantly crafted films brings this quintessential figure of British cinema out of the shadows.normal

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Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/Background (00:00:01 – 00:12:27)

Sapphire (00:12:28 – 00:30:17)

The League of Gentlemen (00:30:18 – 01:00:15)

Victim (01:00:16 – 01:31:08)

All Night Long (01:31:09 – 01:58:29)

Conclusion (01:58:30 – 02:07:35)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

Episode Links:

Director Overview:

BFI ScreenOnline biography by Tim O’Sullivan
Film Reference career overview by Theresa Fitzgerald
British Cinema Greats director page
The Criterion Collection “Explore” page
List of Dearden films on FilmAffinity.com

Box Set Reviews:

Cineaste Magazine review by Oliver Pattenden
Slant Magazine review by Glenn Heath Jr.
DVD Talk review by Jamie S. Rich
DVD Verdict review by Daryl Loomis
Parallax View review by Sean Axmaker

Sapphire:

David’s Journey Through the Eclipse Series review
BFI ScreenOnline review by Ann Ogidi
The Split Screen review by Matt Smith
A Wasted Life review by Abraham

The League of Gentlemen:

David’s Journey Through the Eclipse Series review
BFI ScreenOnline review by David Morrison
DerekWinnert.com review by Derek Winnert
Nothing is Written review by Groggy Dundee

Victim:

David’s Journey Through the Eclipse Series review
Great Movie review by Roger Ebert
BFI ScreenOnline review by Mark Duguid
ArtForum review by Melissa Anderson
J!-Ent review by Dennis Amith

All Night Long:

David’s Journey Through the Eclipse Series review
BFI ScreenOnline review by Michael Brooke
Huffington Post UK review by Sara Bivigou
Review by Jon Fortgang

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 15: Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu

Contact us:

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Email: theeclipseviewer (at) gmail.com

David Blakeslee ( Twitter / Website )

Trevor Berrett ( Twitter / Website )