The Royal Tournament: WTF?

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In the minicab on the way to Tom's wedding on Saturday, we passed Earl's Court. This turned out to be because we were heading for the wrong hotel, in the wrong part of London. But, as we headed for the correct destination, we were discussing The Royal Tournament. As a result, Tom said he really wanted to post a question about it to ILX, but sadly wouldn't be able to until he gets back from honeymoon in 2 weeks time. Since I can't imagine he'll remember, I shall continue my best man duties by posting this one!

So, the Royal Tournament: C/D or just generally bizarre?

― alext (alext), Monday, 3 November 2003 09:49 (twenty-one years ago)

FWIW Tom's view was that the only good bit was the race to reassemble the guns, because at least there was an element of competition to it... I'm just not a fan of marching, period.

― alext (alext), Monday, 3 November 2003 09:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I was very disappointed when I found out is was not a tournament with jousting to find out who was the best royal (I'd love to see Prince Harry and Prince Edward joust for the losers prize).

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 3 November 2003 10:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Double meaning of joust -- just something my friends use?

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 3 November 2003 10:48 (twenty-one years ago)

With the greatest respect, what the fuck are you mentalists talking about now?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 3 November 2003 11:03 (twenty-one years ago)

shome mishtake surely?

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 3 November 2003 11:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Woah -- is that the Onion, or was that real?

― Henry K M (Enrique), Monday, 3 November 2003 11:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh come on, surely Tom and I can't have been the only ones to go to this monstrosity at an impressionable age? I think his excuse was school trips (MARK - surely there is a link to IF here?), mine was family outing (but probably owed to little Alex's embarassing love of all things war-related). Climbing in and out of tanks in the static displays beforehand was great tho.

― alext (alext), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

It was on TV too. Aha -- it always cheers me up to know that someone else was too much innarested in war. Boys, huh.

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

the family s (ma and pa in 1968) respond to the royal tournament:

http://www.theoriginalsoundtrack.com/mark/ifonroof.jpg

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Is this about that movie with Ben Stiller and Gynneth Paltrow?

― Skottie, Monday, 3 November 2003 12:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember the Royal Tournament school trip. At that age, Earls Court is the BIGGEST place in the world.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:08 (twenty-one years ago)

mark -- so are you writing a book about If then?

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:09 (twenty-one years ago)

i am writing it at this VERY MOMENT!!

(hence the query-thread abt xtine noonan)

(ilx = my ~~unpaid research-team suckas~~ essential discussion peer-group)

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Wicked -- who for? [author of classic Oxford Times artilce comparing 'Rebel Without a Cause' and 'If' (it's the Gavin Lambert connection!)]

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:12 (twenty-one years ago)

bfi classiXoRz

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Nice. Are they calling it modern?

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:17 (twenty-one years ago)

nope: modern classix = a difft list

classix = it was to be in the BFI 360

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:34 (twenty-one years ago)

was = has

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:39 (twenty-one years ago)

It all went downhill after 'Mad Max II', huh? Wonder if they'll ever get round to the 360 projet.

Also: 'LAst Tango in Paris' + 'WR: Mysteries of the Organism' (=best bfi classic so far) were both Moderns. But taxi driver and chinatown (which both came out later) were jus 'classics'. say wha?

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:39 (twenty-one years ago)

the classics list = something that's in the 360, which is the bfi's guideline canon for its own purposes (what to show, what to restore, what to suggest as a minimum film-stud must-see)... it ends in 1982 really bcz the project to collate began in abt 1983 or 84 ("get round to it?" - it's been going for ages, but obv takes time... ie they process abt six titles a year for preprint, three as books...) (that's a guess but it's abt that)

the modern classics list = anything NOT on the 360 that a writer can persuade the bfi books commissioning editor has a good book in it (given constraints of how many come out a year, three or four i think, and dislike of "clusters" - ie six horror movies in a row)

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:46 (twenty-one years ago)

(as you can imagine what's-on-the-360 = quickest way to start a FITE *in* the bfi, let alone out of it)

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I've heard one of my eds is trying for 'The Big Lebowski' -- as a modern I reckon. Some of them are roxXxor (maccabe, durgnat, perkins), but frinstance the 'red river' book is 8 quid I won't see again. always look lurvely. Doing the math -- this'll take about 40 years?

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 3 November 2003 12:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I just stumbled across this discussion. I was involved with the Royal Tournament for many years. I was on the staff from 1994 to 1999. If you have any questions about it please give me a shout.

― Roger Sheppard, Thursday, 6 November 2003 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

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