About Me: Time Bandits

[ericadawn16]

I'll do a proper About Me one day. For now, I want to tell you about Time Bandits.

To be honest, I kind of forgot about Time Bandits. I remember loving The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and watching it any time it was on television but Time Bandits was...before that. I didn't really remember it.

Then, in my first or second year of college, my brothers dropped a bombshell. When I was 2 or 3, probably both, I would watch Time Bandits over and over at the arcade. It was my favorite movie.

No, the arcade is not a fancy courtyard or such. It was a glorious den of scum and villainy and machines that would only work for coins and my mom assumed that two preteen boys could easily watch me for a few hours.

Dammit, I can't find a link to support me although I've found it before but...

Back when VHS was expensive, arcades would have machines where you would pay to watch movies. It was like a Nickelodeon or iTunes...only in 1984 or so.

When I watched Time Bandits again, as an adult, everything made so much more sense. Time Bandits has so much of my feelings and preferences that I would be tempted to wonder if it formed me into being except with my family the way they are...I think I was already formed and this showed me that was okay. It validated my two year old existence.

First of all, short people being awesome! I always assumed that came from Yoda and Ewoks. Nope, it came from this.

British silliness!

People in positions of authority cannot be trusted and are usually stupid!

However, I do enjoy powerful men in 2-3 piece suits being deeply sarcastic...which this film also has...

HISTORY!

Being able to travel anywhere in space and time!
Seriously, why did it take Fox and 13 years for me to watch Doctor Who?

Magic!

Darkness, but in a fun way!

Pirates of the Caribbean reference!

Sean Connery! He's definitely fun as James Bond but this and Darby O'Gill and the Little People are my favorite Connery roles. Indiana's dad being third.

Also, Ian Holm, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Jim Broadbent!

George Harrison song!

British 11 year olds discovering their true potential!

Did I mention the suits? Even the kid wears one.

Finally, it makes it seem like anything is possible. I was never taught to believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny or anything. I knew Mickey Mouse was a guy in a costume but at the same time, I feel like all the honesty made me appreciate magic more and realize how I can make anything be real to me if I believe. Most people have had crisis-es of faith where they question if God exists or something but I always felt God existed because I believed God to be real and it didn't matter what anyone else thought, still doesn't.

P.S. Tom Hiddleston is going to be on Jimmy Kimmel Live! tomorrow WITH Bernie Sanders!

I WANT photos!

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Wow. What a cool childhood anecdote.


Gabrielle

[shaddyr]

Dude, I remember watching this went it came out. I was like 13 or something. It was twisted and bizarre and I loved it. I must have watched it half a dozen times.

I totally forgot Sean Connery was in this flick!

*loves*

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Sounds like it's time to watch it again...

;)

[benicek.livejournal.com]

I met one of the Bandits! I spent all day one-to-one nursing him in fact. Malcolm Dixon, who played Strutter (beard and glasses). He lives near here and has passed through our hospital a few times. I'd heard he'd been in a few films but didn't recognise his face (he is clean-shaven and elderly now) so I asked him which ones. "it depends what you're into. Are you into sci-fi and fantasy?" he asked. I said yes, a bit. Then he listed all the films he'd been in: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, Labyrinth, Time Bandits....

Funniest thing he said: "I was IN Star wars but never really INTO Star Wars, if you know what I mean". Time Bandits had done far more for him, in terms of reunions, conventions and so on.

Apparently the suits were tailor made in Savile Row at great expense, but the rest of the film was done pretty cheap. "and didn't we know it" observed Mr Dixon, ruefully.

One of the doctors was quite starstruck and went to shake his hand and and he suddenly put on a serious expression and asked "do you know how long I've been a Time Bandit?". When the doc looked baffled he revealed "Four foot one, hahaha!".

By some strange coincidence I discovered that someone else in the hospital is also linked to the Time Bandits. There's a French woman who works as a care assistant; we've known her for years. She's a slightly eccentric old hippy with a teenage daughter and a problematic relationship with her ex-partner. She showed me a photo of him once, a good-looking chap, and described him as coming from "a very emotionally fucked-up wealthy film-industry Jewish family". I thought nothing of it until later when I was telling her about my favourite film, Time Bandits, and she rolled her eyes and said "ah, yes, David Rappaport, my ex's brother".

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Thanks for those stories! I loved reading them.

I did get to see Kenny Baker once in 2002 at a convention in Orlando. It was my first convention and I didn't know you had to pay for autographs so it amounted to me trying to play it cool while intensely staring/watching him for several minutes.

He looked so bored, lol.

The suits were totally worth it, by the way. They looked awesome so it makes sense they were Savile Row.

[benicek.livejournal.com]

Have you seen Warwick Davis in his mockumentary series 'Life is Short'? Some really funny bits in that about Star Wars conventions and Ewok costumes.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Oh yes...have you seen his Doctor Who episode?

It made me want either a Willow sequel or just an action film where he got to be the lead.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Great movie. Easily Gilliam's best movie.

[kuwlshadow.livejournal.com]

I grew up watching Time Bandits as my Dad loved that movie. lol I still will watch it once and awhile :D

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

I vaguely remember Time Bandits, but I don't think I have ever seen it. :o

British silliness? Sign me up. :)
Hugs, Jon

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Then, you should totally watch it.

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

I must remember to keep my eyes open for it. :)
Hmm, I should check hulu and netfix.

[gillo]

We used to live across the road from the houses where they filmed the final scene, with Connery as the fireman. It made us even more fond of the film. Love Palin and Cleese together, not to mention Great Theatrical Knight(TM) Ralph Richardson as the deity.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Nice!

My dorm at the time can be seen briefly in The Punisher (2004)? lol

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen that movie, but I've heard about it and it sounds pretty good.

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Time Bandits in years and you've made me want to see it again so job well done :D

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Time Bandits in ages! I ended up watching it as a kid because my mom would use the "don't touch it, it's evil!" quote a lot and then realized I had no idea where it was from. Cult classic.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

hehe

[dancingdragon3.livejournal.com]

All excellent points for liking a movie :-)

I had forgotten about this, but I remember loving it. But I definitely do not remember Sean Connery! And I love Clease. I need to see if this is on Netflix.

And yeah, it sounds a lot like Doctor Who only with Tyrion Lannister as the Doctor.

Thanks for the reminder!

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Time Bandits is such a weird and fun movie. :-D It's one of hubbies favorites. :-)