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| Sir Henry At Rawlinson End [1980] | ![Sir Henry At Rawlinson End [1980]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51gpea6Y2IL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Steve Roberts
Actors: Trevor Howard, Patrick Magee, Denise Coffey, Harry Fowler, Sheila Reid
Studio: Digital Classics DVD
Category: DVD
List Price: £14.99
Buy New: £11.98
You Save: £3.01 (20%)
New (8) from £9.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 5771
Format: Pal
Languages: English (Unknown), English (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Running Time: 73 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5051083004268
ASIN: B000IOMZS8
Theatrical Release Date: 1970
Release Date: November 6, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Absolutely barking and occasionally brilliant August 24, 2008
The late, great Vivian Stanshall invented a whole mythos with the splendid Sir Henry and his bizarre entourage. This DVD is a respectful manifestation of Stanshall's creation, with several scenes displaying the touch of genius. Trevor Howard plays an absolute blinder as Sir Henry himself. Gloriously politically incorrect, to the extent that sensitive liberal souls may wince, Howard also gets the best of the one-liners; "I don't know what I want, but I want it now" he roars whilst blasting a hole in the ceiling with his shotgun after falling out of bed in a hungover stupor, his dismissal of the hideous meal (one of my favourite scenes in the film) with "Generally speaking, if I've eaten something I don't want to see it again" and the iconic (and probably very true) statement "If I had all the money I've spent on drink, I'd spend it on drink". Howard is ably supported by a host of well-known British actors (you'll certainly recognise the faces if not all the names) and, throughout, Stanshall's sublime songs add enormously to the crazy atmosphere - my favourite being the delightfully twisted take on There'll Always be an England, as Aunt Florrie strolls in the garden with her ridiculously long knitting "How nice to be in England, Now that England's here, I stand upright in my wheelbarrow, And pretend I'm Boadicea".
Not all of the gags and eccentric scenes worked for me, but there are enough of them to merit repeat viewings to extract every last drop of Stanshall's inspired lunacy. The commentary option is excellent and points out interesting details amidst the sepia-toned complexity that you may otherwise miss.
I am very glad to have found this DVD!
A Wonderful Mess August 1, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
How did this film ever get finished? Considering the level of drink consumed it's amazing that there was enough usable footage to create a decent film. It's often incoherent (even for fans) and there is of course, no plot whatsoever.
Yet somehow 'Sir Henry' works. Its strangeness and charm still beguile the viewer and for a moment we even see Vivian himself (eating an onion) presumably before he'd polished off his first bottle of spirits of the day. Even in this brief section he is marvellous. Funny and frightening in equal measure.
The supporting cast is great with Harry Fowler brilliantly cast as Buller Bullethead and a quite unhinged Patrick Magee as the Reverend Slodden. Simon Jones (of Hitch-Hikers Guide fame) even appears as an inmate of Sir Henry's prisoner of war camp. Denise Coffey makes an uncanny Mrs E and JG Devlin is also finely cast as Old Scrotum the wrinkled retainer. But the sight of Trevor Howard wearing a tutu and riding a unicycle is frankly delightful.
This release is not in the original black and white but the sepia tone version that so many people remember. The sepia tone print was said to be a film processing error but it nevertheless gives the film an extraordinarily distant feel, like some charming fragment of time somehow preserved in glass or aspic.
The commentary track is worth hearing. Not only is it amusing and informative but it seems that they are actually getting drunk whilst doing it.
Essentially English I can't imagine an American understanding this film for one second. It's a wonderful mess and it's all ours.
 A bizarre and hilarious film of Viv Stanshall's epic tale. November 30, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful, sepia-toned film of Vivian Stanshall's surreal and witty epic tale featuring the decadent eccentric aristocrat, Sir Henry Rawlinson(played brilliantly by Trevor Howard) along with his grotesque relatives and acquaintances inhabiting Rawlinson End, a decaying stately pile "nestling in green nowhere" in the English countryside.
John Peel believed that Viv Stanshall was "on his day, the funniest man in Britain" and along with producer John Walters encouraged Viv to develop the Sir Henry character on his Radio 1 show which led to a marvellous album(1978) and this extraordinary film(1980).
Viv Stanshall's influences included Marcel Duchamp, Dada and Oscar Wilde and all are evident on this bizarre and hilarious DVD which was included, recently, on a list of '1000 Films to See Before You Die'.
What a Corker October 16, 2007
Obscure SSurreal refreshing and un PC. Splendid, what can one expect from such a genius as The Ginger Geezer.
Loved its sepia home made style. Everything. Oh such a shame he left this earth prematurely, surely he could have never become dull and mainsteam.
Reflections upon a time long gone by! March 11, 2007
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
Filmed in a Sepia tone this delightful tome to Vivian Stanshall's (Mr Standstill)legendary creativity, maniacally wends it way through a series of quite disjointed sketches which at first dont appear to be related, however when one watches this a few times and with the benefit of the director and actors comments it becomes better explained to the gullible old viewer.
Terrific performance by Trevor Howard (Sir Henry) is surpassed by scintillating demonstrations of comedy by Denise Coffey (Mrs E) and J G Devil as Scrotum (The wrinkled old retainer)
Devlins rendition of his song on the table outside the Fool and Bladder is truly memorable and you will wear this stretch of DVD out through constant playing - the closing credit also shows a doddery old Scrotum running across a field of Rye and throwing himself over a five bar gate.
As usual Stanshalls use of music and word wizardry is another highlight which will leave you warming to the tunes and lyrics instantly.
In closing I have to say that John Peel got it right when he said of Vivian Stanshall "you somehow know when your are in the presence of a genius, I fear that one of his better thoughts would blow my mind" go out and buy this and prepare to scowl and howl - that is after you have watched it twice!
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