Watership Down

[battyrat]

Re: Watership Down

I spent the morning going over that time in my life when watership down played an important part in it.It seems to have played a part for something like 5 years in all in one form or another through the tail end of the 70's to the early 80's.I suppose these days dispite the film being on TV I would not class it as a childrens film and thinking about the book which I had back then(the 1973 puffin version),it certainly was very very heavy going read for a 10 or 11 year old.
I have a feeling the audio tapes may of been narrated by Roy Dotrice as these are the only 70's ones I have found reference to at the moment.

The link certainly shows how strong emotionally the film was in places and can still be.The picture book released after the film also has some very strong images in it taken directly from the film.I lost my copy years ago but would like to obtain another copy one day.

[darren]

Re: Watership Down

it really is a very poweful film rthough battyrat.
and it really is an emotion charged film.

just before i watched it i was not expecting antything special.

but for a cartoon type film its one of the saddest films ive seen.
one scene that gets me is where all the fields are covered in blood.

i can understand it why an adult would come with you because even though its a cartoon there are some rough scenes in it.
some parts do bring tears to my eyes lots of tears.

here is a link.
http://youtu.be/EeYyl2CL47U

This film has so much meaning for me.At Primary school we sat and listened to the audio tape of the book,at the same time the teacher used to stop the tape then read a piece from the book sometimes strumming his guitar or making some sort of noises to go with the piece in question.He used to be such a flamboyant teacher even singing whilst playing the guitar to us before resuming the audio tape.Which tape this was I havn't got a clue but it was before the film was released in the cinema a few years later.We also done a play at primary school based on the story of how the rabbits got its shiny white tail and guess I got chosen to start the play off with my simple little line.We all dressed in browns and greys and had paper cut out rabbit ears and a white fluffy strap on tail.It must of been a laugh.I can still see part of it in my minds eye.After hearing the audio tapes I wanted a rabbit for a few years and never got a rabbit.Then somehow I aquired the book of watership down and had fully read it more then once by 1978 which is when I went to the secondary school.It was here in about 1979 many of the children became excited about the films release.Most of these children had gone to the same primary school and must of witnessed the same teachers performances.Anyway I eventually managed to twist my dads arm to go and see the film,and can remember watching it in shoool uniform at the cinema.Some of my mates had also gone to see it but dad decided after hearing some reports that it was best for an adult to be there as well.It was for the time a very startling film to watch and even though I enjoyed it it did leave a very deep impression on me to such an extent I have not been able to watch the film right through since.I enede up with a book which contained stills from the movie,and I treasured this book for many years after untill one day like most things it dissapeared never to be seen again.I also managed to get hold of the record Bright eyes.After all these years the film and book can still have the power to turn me to a quivering mess,it's one of the only things that can.I wouldn't have it any other way.

Re: Watership Down

The animation companies follow up, using Rosen's 'The Plague Dogs' as their next feature really is sad and depressing - I can't watch it these days, the endings really, really sad.

[shilton dipper]

Re: Watership Down

I didn't like the animation style of the film, it seemed quite crude to me........I was a child who was brought up on classic disney animation

[battyrat]

Re: Watership Down

This film has so much meaning for me.At Primary school we sat and listened to the audio tape of the book,at the same time the teacher used to stop the tape then read a piece from the book sometimes strumming his guitar or making some sort of noises to go with the piece in question.He used to be such a flamboyant teacher even singing whilst playing the guitar to us before resuming the audio tape.Which tape this was I havn't got a clue but it was before the film was released in the cinema a few years later.We also done a play at primary school based on the story of how the rabbits got its shiny white tail and guess I got chosen to start the play off with my simple little line.We all dressed in browns and greys and had paper cut out rabbit ears and a white fluffy strap on tail.It must of been a laugh.I can still see part of it in my minds eye.After hearing the audio tapes I wanted a rabbit for a few years and never got a rabbit.Then somehow I aquired the book of watership down and had fully read it more then once by 1978 which is when I went to the secondary school.It was here in about 1979 many of the children became excited about the films release.Most of these children had gone to the same primary school and must of witnessed the same teachers performances.Anyway I eventually managed to twist my dads arm to go and see the film,and can remember watching it in shoool uniform at the cinema.Some of my mates had also gone to see it but dad decided after hearing some reports that it was best for an adult to be there as well.It was for the time a very startling film to watch and even though I enjoyed it it did leave a very deep impression on me to such an extent I have not been able to watch the film right through since.I enede up with a book which contained stills from the movie,and I treasured this book for many years after untill one day like most things it dissapeared never to be seen again.I also managed to get hold of the record Bright eyes.After all these years the film and book can still have the power to turn me to a quivering mess,it's one of the only things that can.I wouldn't have it any other way.

[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...

[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.

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.

[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

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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

[Paulos]

Re: Watership Down

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

[Paulos]

Re: Watership Down

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