George Harrison wanted to see Life of Brian but it hadn’t been made.

He bought a home theater but mortgaged his house to produce it.

Today, or as some offiical biographies yesterday, is or was George Harrisons birthday.

The Beatles guitarist would have been 72.

And of indie films.

George created HandMade Films because he wanted to see a movie.

George thought it would be funny.

He liked to be amused.

He figured, if it would amuse him, it would amuse other people.

Hes an amusing guy.

These Pythons were good for a chuckle too.

So Hare Georgeson put out the cash for what might have been the most expensive home movie ever made.

Well, it lost that honor because it was too funny to be ignored.

It was also a little too controversial to be ignored.

All the kings horses and men stomped on it as blasphemous and irreverent.

Of course it was irreverent.

It was also one of the most historically correct Jesus movies ever made.

That didnt stop it from being silly.

It didnt stop it from being a hit.

It didnt stop HandMade Films from making more movies.

I like to think Harrison hand-picked the movies made by HandMade Films.

He made movies I wanted to see, just like he made music I wanted to hear.

HandMade Films made anarchic comedies and crime movies, disrespectful Jesus Movies and even played with time.

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George met OBrien through Peter Sellers.

Harrison played the Sue Me Sue You Blues for OBrien in the mid-nineties for abusing that money trust.

The films shared a skewered and subversive approach that set them apart from other movies.

Nuns on the Run, for example, had nuns.

There werent that many nuns on the run from the London mob on screen at the time.

Eric Idle looked pretty good in a habit, which covered his legs.

I guess thats better than when they put John CleesesPrivates on Parade.

Time Bandits is fun for all ages.

Sean Connerys heroism shines through whether hes wielding a sword or fighting fires.

Gilliams subversive intensity breaking up into historical hysterics.

Its a kid film at heart.

Sweet with a nihilistic center thats full of compassion.

The darker than dark boozy comedy cult classicWhitnail and Ilaunched a drinking game.

Its a fun game.

My guitar weeps at the thought of it.

The Long Good Fridayis a good, solid British gangster film.

I love gangster pictures and I like seeing Bob Hoskins in them.

This was his breakthrough.

Just like hed raise his standing by playing American mobsters.

Good on ya, Bob, for following the script.

Michel Caine is also a joy in his old stomping ground.

Caine made some classic British underworld movies in the sixties where he could be suave and cockney.

HandMade Films felt very personal.

They could be maddening.

HandMade Films movies could set out to be that way.

The company nurtured talent and took chances.

They didnt only do this with content, they did it with style.

Its a trip, not a particularly good trip down south on the Chattanooga choo-choo line.

The subversion is that, real as it may look, the worse bits might be only imagination.

Quentin Tarantino exploded into criminal cinema with the perfect debutReservoir Dogs.

Those shots were heard in England.

It knocked the London underworld down a notch.

Now, according to Wiki, the rights to HandMade Films sits in a garage in New Jersey.

Its been sitting there since the summer of 2010 just waiting for something to do.

And I want to.

George Harrisons HandMade Films was very influential.

It showed how a personal vision could make universal films that were slightly ajar.