Prick up your ears is a film directed by stephen frears with gary oldman, alfred molina, vanessa redgrave, wallace shawn, year. Prick up your ears may shock less than viewers might expect given the gruesome facts of the story, but the film s extraordinary writing, directing, and acting still hold up 30 years later. Thirty years ago, the lives of gay luminaries were rarely the subject of feature films. Overview of prick up your ears, 1987, directed by stephen frears, with gary oldman, alfred molina, vanessa redgrave, at turner classic movies. When the young, attractive orton meets the older, more introverted kenneth halliwell alfred molina at drama school, he befriends the kindred spirit and they start an affair. Based on john lahrs biography of playwright joe orton, prick up your ears was director stephen frears first film after the surprise hit my beautiful launderette 1985. Prick up your ears is a biopic of homosexual playwright joe orton, studying his life, death and relationship with his gay lover. Prick up your ears 1987 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. In his teens, orton is befriended by the older, more reserved kenneth halliwell alfred molina, and while the two begin a relationship, its fairly obvious that its not all about sex. Lahrs agent peggy ramsay vanessa redgrave eventually gives him the diaries, and thus we are transported back to the 1960s. Based on the biography of the same name by john lahr, the film. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing prick up your ears near you.
Prick up your ears is based on the book by theater critic john lahr, who is. The life and tragic death of british playwright joe orton gary oldman is chronicled in this biographical film. Prick up your ears 1987 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and. Prick up your ears is a play by simon bent, based on the life of playwright joe orton. Directed by the young stephen frears from a script by alan bennett, with a stellar cast, prick up your ears has long been regarded as a classic of its kind. They say that most murderers are known to their victims. First as john lahrs 1978 biography, then as stephen frearss 1987 film and now as simon bents. The film does meander a little, seemingly trying to appear a bit too sophisticated, but it does have a witty screenplay by alan bennett, adapting the. Gary oldman, alfred molina, vanessa redgrave, wallace shawn. Mar 29, 2007 prick up your ears again revisiting stephen frears joe orton biopic brought back memories of 1987, when it was a good time for gay cinema, but a bad time to be gay. Like john lahrs 1978 biography of joe orton, the english playwright, the screen adaptation of prick up your ears comes immediately to the harrowing point. Gary oldman, alfred molina, vanessa redgrave a landmark film of queer love in britain, based on the life and shocking death of playwright joe orton what the butler saw, loot, stephen frears freewheeling followup to his groundbreaking my beautiful launderette is back. Prick up your ears on dvd 887090109703 from olive films.
Prick up your ears is a bold piece of work satiric, melancholy, free of cant. It starred chris new as joe orton and matt lucas as ortons lover and murderer, kenneth halliwell about the play. This video contains content from mgm, who has blocked it in your country on grounds. At first blush, the older halliwell is the educator and orton his willing student.
Rent prick up your ears 1987 on dvd and bluray dvd. Prick up your ears tells the tragic and sometimes hilarious story of the chaotic private and public life of 60s playright joe orton, meantime is a slice of life set in an early 80s council estate in london and made in britain is an often shocking snapshot of a young skinhead spiralling out of control. Based on the life of playwright joe orton, and his relationship with kenneth halliwell. Told through flashbacks, prick up your ears offers up the story of the relationship between celebrated playwright joe orton gary oldman and his mentor and subsequent lover kenneth halliwell alfred molina. Its too bad the film was released in 1987, because if it was done now i think the. While both films deal with a central gay relationship, prick up your ears takes a less political approach to its subject matter, and a more playful attitude to narrative and character. By the time the movie is over, the crime is still brutal. It starred chris new as joe orton and matt lucas as ortons lover and murderer, kenneth halliwell. Prick up your ears was nominated for three bafta awards in 1988. Sep 30, 2015 gary oldman as joe orton in prick up your ears 1987. Rent prick up your ears 1987 starring gary oldman and alfred molina on dvd and bluray.
Tv credits include silk, doctor who and mapp and lucia. Staring vanessa redgrave, gary oldman, alfred molina and james grant. Released 1987, prick up your ears stars gary oldman, alfred molina, vanessa redgrave, wallace shawn the r movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 48 min, and received a score of out of 100 on. I was utterly surprised by how charming, moving, and terrifically done this film was. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central. Jan 11, 20 prick up your ears is a celebration of outrageous playwright joe orton gary oldman and his love affair with kenneth halliwell alfred molina which concluded with their violent and premature deaths. She stars in the new pet shop boys musical, musik, which premieres at edinburgh festival fringe. With gary oldman, alfred molina, vanessa redgrave, wallace shawn. Among the first of the lgbt biopics, stephen frearss astute prick up your ears 1987, which traces the fast, furious life of joe orton, begins with the british playwrights murder. Its the mid 1980s and biographer john lahr wallace shawn is searching for the infamous diaries of playwright joe orton gary oldman, hoping to learn more about the man he hopes to unmask in an upcoming book. Prick up your ears does well in the details, especially when it comes to the collage that halliwell covers their tiny apartment walls with, but the film also tends to skim the surface of lives that were fascinating and complicated. Central school for speech and drama, eton avenue the real orton and halliwell first met up when they were both drama students at rada the royal academy of dramatic art, 6264 gower street in bloomsbury, the training ground for countless of the uks most revered stage actors.
Best actor, best supporting actor and best adapted screenplay. This movie is the story of the spectacular life and violent. Other articles where prick up your ears is discussed. Definition of prick up your ears in the idioms dictionary. Those roles were eventually reversed once orton became far more successful as a writer and was thrust. This movie is the story of the spectacular life and violent death of british playwright joe orton gary oldman. A celebration of outrageous british playwright joe ortons irreverent and charismatic talent, starring gary oldman as orton and alfred molina as his lover, kenneth halliwell. Prick up your ears, comedy theatre appeals more to the eyes than to the heart. The film stars gary oldman as orton, alfred molina as halliwell, wallace shawn as lahr, and vanessa redgrave as peggy ramsay. Among the first of the lgbt biopics, stephen frearss astute prick up your ears 1987, which traces the fast, furious life of joe orton, begins with the british playwrights murder at the hands of his longtime boyfriend. He subsequently directed the comedies the snapper 1993 and the van 1996, both.
Rent prick up your ears 1987 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Prick up your ears, the 1987 feature by director stephen frears about the short life and brilliant career of english playwright joe orton, whose rise to success in the theatrical scene of midsixties london was cut short by his brutal murder at the hands of his longterm partner, kenneth halliwell. Jul 28, 2014 this feature is not available right now. But ortons success takes him farther from halliwell, whose response ended both his life and the life of the upandcoming playwright. They dont say that if you knew the victims as well as the murderer did, you might understand more about the murder, but doubtless that is sometimes the case. Prick up your ears is a celebration of outrageous playwright joe orton gary oldman and his love affair with kenneth halliwell alfred molina which concluded with their violent and premature deaths. Prick up your ears may shock less than viewers might expect given the gruesome facts of the story, but the films extraordinary writing, directing, and acting still hold up 30 years later. It is the controversial story of one of the young turks of the 1960s from working class boy to national celebrity, from. Although orton had completed the first draft of his masterpiece, what the butler saw, hed never got around to writing a play called prick up your ears, whose naughty, innuendoheavy title had been suggested by halliwell.
Prick up your ears is a 1987 british film, directed by stephen frears, about the playwright joe orton and his lover kenneth halliwell. But when orton won the evening standards award for. Alfred molina plays ortons brutish lover, kenneth halliwell, a pathetic figure who becomes. Composer stanley myers was awarded the best artistic contribution prize at the cannes film festival in 1987. Prick up your ears 1987 film updated their cover photo. The film does meander a little, seemingly trying to appear a bit too sophisticated, but it does have a witty screenplay by alan bennett, adapting the biography written by john lahr. Gary oldman, left, as joe orton and alfred molina as kenneth halliwell in stephen frearss witty. This usage has been around since at least 1775 the horse pricked up his ears.
Prick up your ears is the story of orton and halliwell and the murder. The screenplay was written by alan bennett, based on the biography by john lahr. While both films deal with a central gay relationship, prick up your ears takes a less political approach to its subject matter, and a more playful attitude to narrative and. First as john lahrs 1978 biography, then as stephen frearss 1987 film and now as simon bents new. On 9 august 1967, he was murdered by his lover, kenneth halliwell, who then committed suicide.
As orton becomes more comfortable with his sexuality and starts to find success with his writing, halliwell. Heres an ngram showing that only pricked up is really used. Prick up your ears 1987 trailer stephen frears youtube. According to actor chris new, the concept for a play. Joe orton play, but alas it is a dramatization of how orton met his doom at the hands of his lover, kenneth halliwell. This unadorned biography of playwright joe orton gary oldman charts his bawdy, dangerous relationships. A description of tropes appearing in prick up your ears. What hes done, essentially, is to broaden it into his own territory by. Prick up your ears again revisiting stephen frears joe orton biopic brought back memories of 1987, when it was a good time for gay cinema, but a bad time to be gay.
Watch prick up your ears online stream full movie directv. It also avoids the use of any of ortons works, so much so that one cant help but assume by the middle of the. Aug 10, 2017 the newly restored prick up your ears, a celebration of outrageous british playwright joe ortons irreverent and charismatic talent, starring gary oldman as orton and alfred molina as his lover, kenneth halliwell, tells the controversial story of one of the young turks of the 1960s from working class boy to national celebrity, from sexual innocent to grinning satyr, from penniless. His big hits were loot and what the butler saw, and both are still frequently performed. Definition of prick ears up in the idioms dictionary. Prick up your ears in his research on the celebrated playwright joe orton gary oldman, the dark knight, biographer john lahrs wallace shawn, the princess bride meetings with ortons literary agent, peggy ramsay vanessa redgrave, howards end will frame the story of the life of an artist. T his 1987 adaptation of john lahrs biography of rebel playwright joe orton still stands up.