Watership Down

[www.doyouremember.co.uk]

First published in 1971, this is Richard Adams' world-famous novel focusing on a community of wild rabbits and their daring move to escape the destruction of their warren.Although Adams has written several other novels, including 'Shardik' and 'The Plague Dogs', 'Watership Down' is probably his best-loved and most enduring, securing virtual cult status during the past four decades. When young buck rabbit Hazel discovers that the site of his community's warren in Sandleford is sited for a housing development, he has a tough time trying to convince the other rabbits that they need to leave and find a new home. But then an apocalyptic vision from the weakly but psychic Fiver changes their minds, and a group of Sandleford refugees led by Hazel and the no-nonsense 'Bigwig' sets out across the Hampshire countryside to establish a new base on Watership Down. The novel is often harrowingly realistic in it's depiction of the hardships faced by animals living in the wild, and is ingenious in the way it portrays the world as seen through Lapine eyes. All the locations in the book are real places. An animated film of the novel was released in 1979 to enormous acclaim, using what were then revolutionary new animation techniques and catapulting the theme song 'Bright Eyes' by Art Garfunkel to no.1 in the charts.Poignant, gripping and sometimes even funny, this is a novel that can be enjoyed by all ages and read again and again.

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[darren]

Re: Watership Down

It was also released on video on thorn emi release date was april 1982.
it was released on evc and also on rca/colombia pictures.

[FLYING SAUCER]

Re: Watership Down

We were made to read it at school! And it upset me because it was furry little animals! However, I do remember a T Shirt print from the late 70s early eighties it went thus:

WATERSHIP DOWN
You have read the Book,
You have seen the film,
Now EAT THE STEW!

[Richard1978]

Re: Watership Down

I remember the film being a bank holiday favourite from the mid 1980, onwards.

There was a TV version made in the late 1990s, with a new version of Bright Eyes sung by Stephen Gatley.

[darren]

Re: Watership Down

I remember the film being a bank holiday favourite from the mid 1980, onwards.

There was a TV version made in the late 1990s, with a new version of Bright Eyes sung by Stephen Gatley.

this new version if bright eyes was this the only difference from the original film richard.
Must say this is the first ive ever heard of this.

[Paulos]

Re: Watership Down

I read The Plague dogs when I was a kid, cant remember much about it though!

[Paulos]

Re: Watership Down

We also called our Rabbit "Hazel" because of Watership down!

[Richard1978]

Re: Watership Down

this new version if bright eyes was this the only difference from the original film richard.
Must say this is the first ive ever heard of this.

Here's some info on the TV version, I remember one of the breakbast cereals had figures of some of the characters as free gifts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watersh...28TV_series%29

[kevpk]

Re: Watership Down

The bike shed of my secondary school is mentioned in the book........ or so our old library teacher told us. I have never red it so cant confirm, just watched the film.

[darren]

Re: Watership Down

The bike shed of my secondary school is mentioned in the book........ or so our old library teacher told us. I have never red it so cant confirm, just watched the film.

where was the film set o is it a fictional place.

[Desperately Sought Susan]

Re: Watership Down

Remember seeing the film when I was a kid and being terrified of Fiver's vision of the fields running with blood. Still gives me the creeps today although I do love the film. I'm fairly certain that my copy of the book must have been an old movie tie-in because it had that creepy cover of Bigwig stuck in the snare... Shudder!

[kevpk]

Re: Watership Down

i believe it was based around the area where Richard Adams lived or grew up in Hampshire. Watership Down is an actual place near Kingsclere in Hampshire, I've been there didn't see no rabbits though

a little bit from wiki.....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watership_Down,_Hampshire

[sf1378]

Re: Watership Down

Its an amazing film. I liked the Lapine language of the Rabbits. The film poster doesn't really make it seem suitable for small kids though.

[darren]

Re: Watership Down

Remember seeing the film when I was a kid and being terrified of Fiver's vision of the fields running with blood. Still gives me the creeps today although I do love the film. I'm fairly certain that my copy of the book must have been an old movie tie-in because it h

iad that creepy cover of Bigwig stuck in the snare... Shudder!

i know what u mean susan.

that vision of fiver's still makes me get goosebumps.

i have it on video.

[Desperately Sought Susan]

Re: Watership Down

I keep meaning to get it on DVD but never seem to get round to it - another creepy moment was when the rabbits get gassed in the warrens...