Well, my video copy (ordered from
www.blackstar.co.uk early this year) is in colour, and I haven't seen
a black-and-white version so far. There are two
web-sites with colour screencaps from the film that I know
of - the one mentioned above and another child
actors' tribute site (the link can be found on our
Cerdonic Kes links page:
<a href=http://www.geocities.com/freycinette/Keslinks.html
target=new>http://www.geocities.com/freycinette/Keslinks.html</a> ).<br><br>It
really is a shame that Kes isn't
available in NTSC format for the benefit of North American
cinema-appreciators. Judging from the research we did for our site, it
seems the American distributors were never very
interested in the film, largely because of what was to them
the impenetrably difficult Barnsley accent (one
executive said he "would have preferred it in Latvian" or
something like that) and the incorrigibly non-'happy' (in
the Hollywood sense) ending. The wonders of
technology and piracy being what they are, there may yet be
hope for our American friends...This question of Pal
versus NTSC has been popping up a lot in a number of
clubs and mailing lists I'm involved in. How was this
really very silly situation allowed to develop in the
beginning? I mean to say, CDs and cassette tapes are the
same everywhere so why not videos? I've heard a few
'business' rationales, but it's the sort of logic lay
persons like meself find hard to follow (especially when
the film/tv programme we've been searching for turns
out to be available only in the wrong format -
luckily my VCR can play both - or at a hugely inflated
import cost). Sorry, I had to have a little rant about
that. Feel free to add your own penn'orth if any other
members have similar grievances...<br><br>I wonder if Mr
Loach or Mr Garnett (the producer) have much influence
in distribution matters? Presumably they promote the
distribution of their works as much as they can, but perhaps
we humble 'consumers' can do a bit too. That was
part of the motivation for Stella and me in founding
this club. We knew there must be plenty of
Kes-enthusiasts about and many who like us were frustrated at the
levels of ignorance about such a great film and
film-maker among people who would call themselves film-buffs
but have memories as short as their attention spans.
Viva Loach! Viva Kes! and viva Kes Fans too! (Not to
forget all the Billy Caspers of the world - they are
what this is really all, about after
all).<br><br>Freycinette.