Porridge (1979)

The greatest movie ever made..!

ridiculous rating

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

I watched this again over 3 decades after it was made with younger folks. How to make it relevant to them? The jokes fall flat in our new millennium — like the 'oh he's gay, so it's funny'. This in a sense made it relevant because it shows what was seen as funny back then.What hadn't changed is the Class War aspect which is clear and present as the backdrop, starting with the accents. Quentin Crisp joke that 'In the US your accents shows where you're from. In contrast to the UK where your accent shows where you're from'. The middle accents come from the 2 governors of the prison. The official governor, from privilege and boarding schools and the shadow governor, the prisoner who runs things from the inside with aspirations of class, displayed by his brilliantly acted faked accent.Between official and shadow governance is the space Fletcher moves, bopping and weaving. Fletcher, the main character we all watched Porridge for, is the survivor. He's not for the system or against the system to fight it, he just wants to get it off his back and get by (straight outta the book and movie 'The Spook Who Sat by the Door. Watch for his delivery of the line to a prison officer 'you, I, we are merely here to establish the status quo'.So yea, this old grimy film worked well as a conversation trigger on the 'how things were back then' theme, without any nostalgia, giving a new lease of life and relevance. Why was it a comedy unlike say HBO's brilliant Oz series? As the man said, if you going to tell people a painful truth you better make them laugh.Shadow Governance

Porridge is a spin off film from the successful TV series of the same name that aired on British BBC1 between 1974 and 1977. It's directed by Dick Clement who also co-writes with Ian La Frenais. It stars Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale, Fulton Mackay, Brian Wilde and Peter Vaughn. Lets face it, and lets be honest here, for many Brits who grew up with the TV show, Porridge is simply one of the greatest shows Britain has ever produced. Sharp and on the money in writing and characterisations, and boasting a cast that were always irresistible, it still manages to enthral millions today during continuous reruns on cable and satellite TV. In light of the regard and popularity the show had, it was perhaps inevitable that a film production was just a matter of time, because, well, all the great British comedies of the past had feature films made. But of course not all were particularly any good. So it's with much relief to find that the film version of Porridge is a very decent offering. The plot sees Fletcher (Barker) involved as the manager of the prison football team, to which, unbeknown to the wily old lag, is being used as a front for an escape attempt by Oakes (Barrie Rutter), and naturally the smarmy menace of Grouty (Vaughn) is pulling the strings. Fletcher & Godber (Beckinsale) then accidentally get caught up in the escape and thus have to break back into the prison before anyone catches them! This set-up is wonderful and makes for some very funny comedy, executed with aplomb by Barker, Mackay and co. True that taking the characters out of the confines of the prison strips away much of what made the TV series so special, but the characters are so strong, the actors chemistry so evident, film stands tall enough to not sully the reputation of the show. It's a delightful way to spend an hour and half with your feet up, as a stand alone film it entertains those not familiar with the TV show. While for us fans? It sits nicely alongside the show as an extended viewing of comic genius behind and in front of the camera. 8/10RIP fellas, your legacy lives on always.

Porridge concerns the lives of a group of prison inmates. The brilliant Ronnie Barker plays Fletch, cheeky, good-natured, optimistic, quick-witted and able to handle all the little foibles of the other prisoners and guards to his advantage. Think of an Ivan Denisovich without the Siberian background. The trouble begins when Mr Grout, an aristocratic crime boss at the top of the prison hierarchy, 'requests' Fletch to suggest to the guards a celebrity football match, where a team of famous faces will play a team of prisoners.Never having seen the Porridge TV-series, I can't comment on any differences or similarities. However, it is hard to top the quality of this little comedy. The script is an excellent mix of character, witty word-play, amusing plot and some physical comedy, done in a way that only the British seem to do so competently. The situations in the prison are believable, and even the minor parts are well-rounded characters. Almost every other line contains some memorable gag. Some examples "Beware of him. He's known as the butcher of Slade Prison." "What did he do?" "Fiddled the VAT on some sausages." And then there's: "What's a peccadillo?" "South African bird that flies backwards to keep the sand out of its eyes." "No, that's not it. But I know what you're thinking of. That's called an armour-dildo." Oh, and how about that scene of the governor losing his self-respect and teeth in a huge pot of curry?A brilliantly written and well-acted comedy. Highly recommended.

"Porridge" the movie was made some time after the last episode had been completed-some time, in fact, after the sequel "Going Straight" had been shown. This does not deter at all from the fun, and as TV spin-offs go, this rates as one of the best; due almost entirely to the quality of the original characters from the timeless BBC comedy series. Ronnie Barker was never better than when he assumed the mantle of our anti-hero Norman Stanley Fletcher; aided in no small way by outstanding character support- the wonderful Fulton Mackay as his strutting nemesis Prison Officer Mackay, coupled with the genial Barroclough (Brian Wilde) and a menacing Peter Vaughan as Grouty. Add to this the poignancy of seeing Richard Beckinsale in his last film appearance before his tragically early death at 31 a few weeks after the film's completion and it becomes clear that the film, although no masterpiece in itself, should be treasured keenly by all who value British comedy at its best.