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The Fruit Machine [1987]
![The Fruit Machine [1987]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/516H1P-S0pL._SL160_.jpg)
RRP: £14.99
Our Price: £5.92 (subject to change)
Fantastic
Review date: 2008-08-07 Rating: 10 out of 10
Letter to Brezhnev was always going to be a hard act to follow but writer Frank Clarke did a fantastic job here. The story of two teenage gay lads who go on the run after witnessing a murder grips you from the off. The dialogue is fast and quirky; Robbie Coltrance as doomed cross dressing club host Annabel has some brilliant lines in particular. And there's a really great, subtle and underplayed performance from Tony Forsyth as rent-boy Michael. Highly recommended.
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Reviews
Brilliant Gem of a film.
Review date: 2008-04-08 Rating: 10 out of 10
I remember buying a second hand copy of this film from a video store in the early 90's, and now finally 15 years later it finally available on DVD. A brilliant depiction of the gay scene in Liverpool at that time, a must-see for any gay man.
4 stars for the film minus one for the sound
Review date: 2008-03-02 Rating: 8 out of 10
I had been waiting for years for this brilliant film to be released on DVD. Very much of its time (the late 80's) it is a tale of love between two teenage boys who witness a murder and go on the run. The two main stars Tony Forsyth and Emile Charles are brilliant in the roles, especially Charles who plays his role as rather shy and very naive. But upon buying this DVD, I found the sound absolutely appalling. We had to have the volume on FULL on the TV to barely hear it. And there are no subtitles. So if you are hard of hearing DO NOT buy this disc. Network should have taken more care in the release of this classic film. Shame on them!
About the soundtrack
Review date: 2007-10-09 Rating: 10 out of 10
I think the error is with the printing and not the DVD transfer. I've had this film on video for years and am sure it's only in mono. Certainly there's no indication on the video box that it's in stereo...
Mind, it's a shame it isn't because the score is very atmospheric and most of the sequences would have benefitted from a stereo soundtrack.
But, hey, we're talking about a 1985 Granada TV film, so I'd be surprised if it was made in stereo.
I'm very disappointed at the lack of extras. Even just ten minutes to see the two leads 20 years on and a few of the directors thoughts would have been great and inexpensive to make.
The film isn't perfect, as has already been noted, but it's still one of my favourites and worth 5 stars to me.
Quality issues with this DVD
Review date: 2007-10-05 Rating: 4 out of 10
This is one of my favourite movies and would receive five stars from me if the DVD didn't have the following issues:
1. The soundtrack is in mono even though it is stated as stereo on the back cover. The beautiful Hans Zimmer score and the great disco music loose all of their impact.
2. The video transfer is reasonable, but not anamorphic.
An inquiry at the publishing company produced the answer that I was wrong about the soundtrack and that it was impossible to make an anamorphic 1.66:1 transfer without cropping the picture (!). An appalling lack of knowledge (the mother company I got the answer from was SONY). I watched the DVD with headphones on and the soundtrack is mono.
That said you might still consider buying the DVD at the new, reduced price. SONY assured me that there wouldn't be a corrected release because there was nothing wrong with this one...
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Emile Charles; Tony Forsyth; Robert Stephens; Clare Higgins; Bruce Payne; Robbie Coltrane
Creators:
Emile Charles; Tony Forsyth; Robert Stephens; Clare Higgins; Bruce Payne; Robbie Coltrane (Primary Contributor)
Recording label: Network
Manufacturer: Network
EAN: 5027626270742
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2007-07-16
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 102 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1987
Language: English (Unknown)