7-Up (The Michael Apted documentary series)

Wrong poster, but thanks, I'll look into that.

I really need to start wearing my glasses more

Haven't watched any of these, is it worth watching all of them from the start?

yes

Absolutely, though maybe watch the first three & then leave a year between each. Not only will this give a better feel for time passing, they got very recappy for a few decades in the middle, and you’d likely get fatigued if bingeing.

Each contains a bit of flashback/recap, but they're all great and worth seeing from the start.

It really is, but you do start to get tired of repeated clips.

You should break them up with his Bond film and Coal Miner's Daughter and pretend they're part of the series.

So Lynn died, I was wondering if they'd all be around for this one.

And what of the other 12 participants? Well, the passage of time has brought death and illness to some. “This time we lost Lynn, who died in 2013. It was hard. But we have made a true documentary about these lives that is also a document of the times. The clothes and the buildings all change with the people.”

It'd be nice if they could re-edit all of them to remove the recaps (to a greater extent) as a "new series"

God, this is a tough watch now. Sue was a ray of light as ever.

I found it easier to watch than the 49 up one. The loss of youth must upset me more than the decline into decrepitude, I guess.

i watched 7-49 over the span of a few days and it was a surreal but amazing experience.

Imagine the experience would be similar to watching either the Apu or Antoine Doinel films consecutively, also to a certain extent Boyhood.

The skip 30sec button is v useful for those recaps.

I found marathoning them to be such a powerful experience, seeing people age in unexpected ways as if you're in a Victorian time machine.

The second episode dips in interest considerably, with a rather dull run of Bruce, Jackie and Lynn (rip).

oops - and Peter (who I seem to have nearly forgotten already)

bruce was a bit dull yes and peter's terrible band is terrible but i liked when jackie was telling apted off, plus lynn worked near where i live so that was good also, spotting shots of bethnal green etc

Nothing dull about Jackie and Lynn imo

Apted maybe should have followed up Peter's comment about leaving the Labour party rather than just do the standard "What do you think about Brexit?" but yes, Peter not very fertile ground.

It's a shame they've questioned the value of carrying on the series, on the grounds that it would descend into "covering people just getting older". That we characterise the experience of post-retirement years as that is maybe something the Up series could challenge.

Just realised laat night that Suzy has dropped out this time, skewing the gender split even more.

Yes, that's a shame. It would have been good to see. She must struggle in particular with seeing the same clips brought out.

I'm questioning my own sensitivity, as Jackie and Lynn do and did have interesting lives with their high points and tragedies. Lynn's work was a meaningful achievement and struggle and it was good to see it recognised. And it was sad to see her family grieving her at the end.

But I did find something very flat about the overall presentation in this episode that left me dissatisfied.

Suzy's clips from 21 Up are amazing, and I can understand that her real life is always going to be a bit too normal and will always be compared to that time, so can understand if she's out.

lol i finally checked the wikipedia page to find out more abt the -- as i had completely misremembered it -- quite a few ppl who had dropped out over the years, only to discover that it's just two (charles and suzy) plus lyn obviously. apted's feud with charles (who is a documentary film-maker) is funny.

Peter showing up again to promote his band was the best shit ever.

again!

I meant in 56, to be clear

haha ok, in that case i meant "twice!"

Peter showing up again to promote his band was the best shit ever.

― reggae mike love (polyphonic), Thursday, June 6, 2019 10:34 PM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

My favourite thing about this was imagining the months of persuasion it took from the other members of the band

Is the next one the last? Calling the whole thing '7 to 70' or something and then leaving it would be.. quite good?

apted has said he like to still be doing it for 84up (when he will be 99)

stuff happens to people after age 70 iirc

Great third episode.

Where is this available in the US?

1st episode is on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR2_Ym4nkJw

This guy has everything 7 through 49 if you're looking to catch up

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYoC-f99Vb37jfNe6SOGCqw/videos

Thanks. I'm not even sure I saw the last one, seems like much more than 7 years have passed.

RIP

did not know he directed so many other movies

Oh man

last Feb, saw the trailer for 63 Up in a cinema and winced just to think of how Brexity some of the subjects must be now. obv it never came out, and now my window to catch up via torrent has been extended from six years to "indefinite."

I don't remember a huge amount of focus on Brexit, though it is mentioned.

I actually thought there was a pretty pronounced emphasis on Brexit, certainly contemporary politics. The installment kind of sets one person up to be a leaver but then reveals them as a remainer. They may even have some bad things to say about Trump, specifically. For sure the one living in America has stuff to say about Trump. Then another one they set up as a Tory prig they reveal to be a generous philanthropist who works for immigrant rights. Anyway, this installment I found particularly moving, as everyone from director to subjects are getting older and/or ill. A couple of subjects are angry and/or confrontational with Apted, iirc. Anyway, lots of turns and surprises, as usual.

Hardly anyone in the UK has ever had anything good to say about Trump - Leavers, Tories, you name it. Republican presidents tend to not to be too popular in the UK.

Well, yeah. I just mean the installment definitely and frequently addresses current politics, and iirc the guy invokes Trump specifically in the context of Brexit and why he voted remain. But maybe I am confusing/conflating him with the guy living in the US who is explicitly asked about Trump.

Aw shit. I've had the UK blu-ray of the series up through 63 but haven't worked out how to actually play it yet, so I still haven't seen the latest installment. I've meant to re-watch through all of the earlier ones first, as I haven't seen any of them since 56 came out.

I just said this on the obituary thread, but while they should probably end the series now Apted has passed, I'll be genuinely sorry not to be able to check in with the "cast" of this show and see what's happening to them, and where their lives have gone. It truly is one of the most remarkable and consistently moving things I have ever experienced, though I'm sure a great deal of that is up to how Apted approaches the challenge of making the show, and the way he deals with his subjects' awareness of the fact that they are subjects of a running documentary series that is a cultural phenomenon - like, he manages to mostly negate it in as much as it would affect the intention of the show, but where the framework does become the subject, or the weirdness of growing up under the world's gaze, he does so in a way that is ultimately enlightening.

while they should probably end the series now Apted has passed, I'll be genuinely sorry not to be able to check in with the "cast" of this show and see what's happening to them

70 And Out

I'm guessing he was some of the way along on the next one.

I'd be surprised if he hadn't groomed someone to be his successor. 63 is no age for the series to end.