Your Favorite Peter Sellers Films

I'm slowly expanding my DVD collection. I've filled in a few Clint Eastwood titles, and have also been looking at earlier Jack Lemmon films as well ("Irma La Douce" and "Avanti!" are the next two I may get).

Peter Sellers is a little mind boggling to me. I know he was a brilliant comedic talent, but the few films I've seen have ranged from good to spotty at best. So I'm sort of fishing around here for what everyone's favorites are, and seeing if anything might be worth watching and adding to my DVD rack.

Out of the ones I've seen, I'm probably most fond of the first two in the Clouseau series: "The Pink Panther" and "A Shot In The Dark". The others in the series that followed were still funny and had their moments, but the Clouseau mannerisms got a little TOO ridiculous for my taste. ("It is not my dog." )

Similarly, "After The Fox" has grown on me the more I've seen it. His various disguises when dodging the law are perfect opportunities for him to ham it up in different personalities.

I also own "The Bobo"...which IMHO is a real cornball picture, but it still has a few hilarous moments. I also have "Henry Orient" but haven't watched it yet...bought this on laserdisc during a clearance but don't have a player hooked up right now.

On order right now: "The Party" and "Being There"...the latter having been heralded as a great Sellers performance. I have tried watching "Casino Royale", but it just seemed too chaotic and had sort of an aimless plot to it.

 

Being There is pretty close to brilliant.

I also really liked The Mouse That Roared when I saw it a hundred years ago. and of course everyone needs Dr. Strangelove. he's great in a smaller role in Lolita, too.

 

"The Party" is definitely my fav. I couldn't tell you why though...

Let us know how the DVD presentation is. I've yet to order it; hopefully they've done it justice.

 

Levi just mentioned my top three: "Being There," "Mouse That Roared," and "Dr. Strangelove" (though when I think of Strangelove I think of Kubrick rather than Sellars).

 

I'm in agreement with RDK (including the Kubrick comment), but I love The Party.

I recall laughing till it hurt over that scene in where he loses his shoe in the pool by the door. (Jeez, I hope my memory is OK)

Regards,
Geoff

 

A Shot In The Dark...

The Pink Panther-Went to see that with my Mom when I was a young lad...How she loved those Peter Sellers Movies.

and the rest of the Pink Panther Movies

Being There

 

DR. Strangelove, Lolita and (For Cheep Laughs) I love You Alice B. Tolkas...Never really got into The Pink Panther and it's sequils and I still haven't seen The Party yet.

 

"Being There" Receives My Vote

 

Pink Panther

 

"I'm All Right Jack"

... runner up: "The Running Jumping Standing Still Film"

 

The Party

 

Being There

 

Being There and The Mouse that Roared.

 

My vote for his funniest/best.

 

Dr. Strangelove
Being There
The Magic Christian
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
The Return Of The Pink Panther
Lolita
The Mouse That Roared
The Party

 

Dr. Strangelove is an absolute masterpiece that gets better with every viewing. Sellers is amazing in 3 very different but fully developed roles.

Also, Sellers' appearance on The Muppet Show is included on one of the Muppet DVDs. Check out Dr. Strangelove as a masseuse giving Link Hogthrob a message--hilarious!

 

The Panther films are my favorite, but Being There is great as well. Dont get too worked up about though as it is a bit different to say the least. Not exactly the same stuff he was doing in Panther. Maybe we should start another thread to talk about the end, which I still dont know if I understand. If anybody fully understands this movie PM me and let me in on it. It is a great movie " I like to watch". I never really though The Party was that great though. I have a few on order at the library though.

 

I've got two of his on my list to see, both with an A&M connection, The Party (Claudine Longet's in it), and Casino Royale with the TJB theme song.

Of the one's I've seen, I'm real partial to Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, and Being There. Coincidentally, I've just finished watching Lolita after finally picking up the restored version in the Kubrick collection on DVD. A strange and wonderful flick, made even more strange and wonderful by Sellers' performance(s).

 

I like Being There - "I like to watch"....

 

I don't think the ending is supposed to make sense in a literal way. I think it's just a nice, wry comment on what sort of "miracle men" political parties think they're annointing. not to get too heavy, but think about Chance as a Christ figure. the parallels are pretty clearly drawn.

 

DR. STRANGELOVE--one of the ultimate acting tour-de-forces!

A SHOT IN THE DARK--Inspector Clouseau at his most madcap and endearing.

BEING THERE--nice acting turn, just before the end.

LOLITA--fascinating work here.

THE MOUSE THAT ROARED--this one put him on the map, though not a big commercial success.


ED

 

That's what I was trying to figure out. I thought Sellers was Jesus but I was unsure if there was another subtext that I was missing. I guess Sellers spoke the truth the whole time and people misunderstood it. He just walks out into the middle of the lake though, so that was strange.

 

That scene is hysterical.

 

Well, if he was walking ON the water, that would have been a different story.

From what I've read, you're right--Sellers' character was just speaking and existing in his own little naive world, and everyone else mistook his simple thoughts as "wisdom".