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The Bed Sitting Room (1969)

R | | Comedy, Sci-Fi | 2 January 1970 (West Germany)
The Bed Sitting Room Poster
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3:16 | Trailer
Set in post-nuclear-holocaust England, where a handful of bizarre characters struggle on with their lives in the ruins, amongst endless heaps of ash, piles of broken crockery and brick, ... See full summary »

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Writers:

(screenplay), (adaptation) | 2 more credits »

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
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2 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Penelope
... Police Sergeant
... Shelter Man
... Father
... Plastic Mac Man
... Mate
... The Army
Jimmy Edwards ... Nigel
... Bules Martin
... Police Inspector
... Lord Fortnum
... Mother
... Alan
... The BBC
... Mrs. Ethel Shroake
See full cast »
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Storyline

Set in post-nuclear-holocaust England, where a handful of bizarre characters struggle on with their lives in the ruins, amongst endless heaps of ash, piles of broken crockery and brick, muddy plains, and heaps of dentures and old boots. Patriotically singing "God Save Mrs. Ethel Shroake, Long Live Mrs. Ethel Shroake", they wander through this surrealistic landscape, forever being warned by the police to "keep moving", and prone to the occasional mutation into a parrot, cupboard, or even, yes, a bed sitting room with "No Wogs" scrawled in the grime on its windows. In particular, this story revolves around the odd "love story" of a girl who lives with her parents in one compartment of a London Underground train, the commuter in the next compartment, and the doctor they meet after returning above ground in search of a nurse for the heavily pregnant girl. Written by Sonya Roberts <sonya_roberts@geocities.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

post holocaust | london england | world war three | mutants | absurdism | See All (61) »

Taglines:

WE'VE GOT A BOMB ON OUR HANDS ( *BOMB - a motion picture so brilliantly funny it goes over most people's heads.) See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

2 January 1970 (West Germany)  »

Also Known As:

A szoba-konyha  »

Filming Locations:

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Company Credits

Production Co:

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Lester is said to have been depressed that many of the outdoor locations were found so quickly, and needed so little modification. See more »

Quotes

Bules Martin: Well, you know, you've been a bit off colour.
Lord Fortnum of Alamein: Yes, I know, and what's more I've not been eating anything.
Bules Martin: Why is that?
Lord Fortnum of Alamein: I can't get the stuff.
See more »

Crazy Credits

In the opening credits, cast members are listed in order of height. See more »

Connections

Featured in Hollywood U.K.: A Very British Picture (1993) See more »

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User Reviews

A British El Topo
24 June 2002 | by – See all my reviews

This is a visually stunning, funny, brilliant, and extravagantly weird film that should best be compared to El Topo, Barbarella, Playtime, and the Cremaster series. It's the kind of movie made with a big studio budget and free artistic reign; a combination that existed in other late 60s and early 70s bombs that have become cult classics.

Imagine if Monty Python did a lot of LSD, spent a million dollars on art direction, and then made a nuclear-apocalypse satire. Each shot is as sumptuous and symbolically rich as any Mathew Barney created - what with middle class Brits walking on a field of broken china, Underground escalators that end in mid-air, and Cathedrals submerged in water. Plot-wise, this is as free-of-field as an experimental film. Whether you think it profoundly beautiful or profoundly ugly, the look is in the Quay brothers'/Dubuffet mold. Its narrative loosely strings together amazing images, costumes, and poignant, often hilarious scenes of British society desperately trying to hold on to any remaining shards of civilization. The Bed Sitting Room is full of sarcastic comments and profound notions. It is not full of plot - it's amazing without it.

If there is any chance to see this movie on screen, take it. Any frame is worth the price of admission.
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