50 Dead Men Walking

This thread probably belongs in the art, films and literature forum but as its got a G2 angle thought I'd post it here. Mods feel free to move it if you want.

Anyway.....

Has anyone seen the film adaptation of the book yet? It's a bit pants and no real reflection of the book, other than it is set in West Belfast and involves a tout named Martin. There, the similarity ends. I though Ben Kingsley played a good Branch Handler however.

 

I thought this thread was going to be about senior members of the Labour Party.

 

I bought it at the weekend (it was on special offer in my local HMV store).

Have to agree with you, it sways from the point a bit although being a deeply religious man myself I would love to have played an Organ Grinder in the Nutting Squad.

PS: If anyone else visits HMV and thinks that the film Inglorious Bastards is a bargain at £3.99, with the sub-title "Dirtier than the Dirty Dozen", don't be fooled, its the cheap Spaghetti War movie of the latest release and is total cr*p.

PS: Do you think I can get a spot on Soldier Magazine reviewing all the latest releases - I'm fairly cheap.

 

Marty McGartland wanted nothing to do with the film. He cut all ties during production.

(50 dead men walking, that is. I'm not sure how he felt about Inglourious Basterds...)

 

Read an article last week which suggested he was going to sue producers unless they edited and made a number of changes. They apparently responded by saying they would allow him to see the final cut before production.

It must be true though ! - It was in Colour

 

My bold - I believe the lady director of this fillum allowed him a voiceover at the start of it to express his dis-association from the production. Either that or some caveat in the opening credits. I haven't seen it as yet.

 

It does say that he played no part in the production, nor did his assistant writer. It further states that the film is influenced by the book but names and some events have been changed. I would say that pretty much all of the events were changed!

 

like the beginning in Canada not Newcastle ?

 

The book was shoite from memory, I sent it straight to the Scope shop. Is it the story that involves DM, because if it is and the book was authorised by McGartland, he sounded like a proper turd in that anyway!

 

I think there is a case with ole Marty of you can take the boy out of Belfast, but you can't take Belfast out of the boy. When he was re-housed, he decided not to take the opportunity to restart his life. By all accounts he was/is just as as much a scroat now as he was in his days before he became a brussel.

 

A bit harsh there eye_spy. The qualities that may well consider him to be a complete pain in 'normal' society, saw him through a very successfull phase of his young life, much to our satisfaction. There's a few folks in your corps sporting decorations thanks to his efforts.

 

Fair point made Alec and understood. I am not taking anything away from the successes he provided in his short career working for SB nor the bravery of him or others who lived the double life such as he did. His time coincided with my tour in NI which happened to cover the same area so I can remember the the fruits of his information. I was merely reffering to the fact that he continued to lead an anti-social lifestyle once he was given his new life away from the province.