The Avengers International Fan Forum

Parting Shots finally makes it's terrestrial debut on 12 years after it was originally made.

ITV1 Friday, March 19th 10:35pm to 12:30am

Stars: John Cleese, Joanna Lumley, Ben Kingsley, Bob Hoskins, Peter Davidson, Gareth Hunt, Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg.

Radio Times gives this glowing review ...

"If Michael Winner's serial-killer comedy had been even vaguely amusing, it would still have been laughably bad. Instead, this variation on the Kind Hearts and Coronets theme is excruciatingly, embarrassingly awful, with every member of its august cast (including Ben Kingsley, Joanna Lumley and the late Oliver Reed) guilty of a gross error of judgement by agreeing to participate. As a dying man punishing those who've slighted him, singer Chris Rea's totally inadequate performance is made to look even more inept by a script of the smuggest sitcom variety, woefully one-dimensional direction and supremely shoddy editing (by Winner's alter ego Arnold Crust). A genuine candidate for the worst ever British picture."

I've seen this last year, and it was pretty bad indeed. But I can recommend everyone to watch it, just for the sake of seeing Diana being very tarty, Joanna as some weird hippy with blue nailpolish, and of course lovely Gareth even sharing a scene with Joanna!

Philippa wrote:I've seen this last year, and it was pretty bad indeed. But I can recommend everyone to watch it, just for the sake of seeing Diana being very tarty, Joanna as some weird hippy with blue nailpolish, and of course lovely Gareth even sharing a scene with Joanna!

Yeah, I think I got it from you, and I kind of liked it. I have to admit, however, that due to my having a very tolerance for watching things on the computer, I just fast-fowarded to the Diana/Joanna/Gareth bits and watched those. And it's the only time you'll see Gareth and Joanna onscreen together outside TNA (A Ghost in Monte Carlo helpfully including both but never having them share a scene. Curse you, Terence Feely! ). Alas, they don't really get to say much to each other, despite my yelling at the screen, which didn't seem to help at all. I can only presume that all the good interactions happened between takes--they probably went and giggled in the corner or something. Why didn't that make it into the movie?

Well, I recorded this and watched it this evening. You lose count the amount of British talent in this movie - a 'Who's Who' of British celebrity, but ...

Oh it was bad. Of our Avengers stars Gareth Hunt comes off best. A very underrated actor, or just shining among the mediocrity, but gives an entirely credible performance against a hopelessly miscast Diana Rigg (who doesn't/cannot do 'common') and it just wasn't Joanna's finest moment. Sorry ...

Felicity Kendal, always cute as a button, was by far the best actress in this.

The script just wasn't worthy of so many great actors

It was rubbish, but I quite enjoyed it!

It would have made more sense for the Avenger girls to swop roles, Joanna to play the role of the common wife, and Diana as the eccentric in the pub.