Shane Meadows latest film This Is England

[Orang Utan]

It's set in 1983 and is about skinheads.
I'm absurdly excited about it. Is anyone else?

 

[Dubversion]

definitely - he's a great director, and this is an interesting sibject

 

[Orang Utan]

Apparently it's about 'The schism in the skinhead movement between fascism and anti-fascism forms the backdrop to the coming of age of 12-year-old Shaun. His soldier Dad died in the Falklands War, and he finds two father figures amongst the skins, first in kindly young Woody then in the older, damaged Combo. Missing fathers haunt the film, as does the wicked stepmother of Mrs Thatcher, forger of the decrepit post-industrial landscape the skins go hunting in - rundown estates, graffiti strewn walkways and dingy playgrounds - wistfully and nostalgically evoked by Meadows."

 

[Belushi]

I'm sold

 

[Orang Utan]

definitely - he's a great director, and this is an interesting sibject

The soundtrack sounds promising - ska, punk, The Smiths

 

[Dubversion]

The soundtrack sounds promising - ska, punk, The Smiths

but not ska-punk?

 

[Orang Utan]

but not ska-punk?

Who knows? I've only been fed snippets of info so far - gonna see it a week on Monday - will let you know

 

[Biddlybee]

When does it come out?

 

[Orang Utan]

When does it come out?

April I think

 

[jugularvein]

fucking love shane meadows. when's it out?

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

This sounds excellent. I just watched Dead Mans Shoes and loved it.

 

[Sweet FA]

but not ska-punk?

now now







This Is England sounds excellent - just looked for it on imdb and don't recognise any of the actors (main bloke seems to have done a lot of Corrie/Emmerdale...)

 

[Biddlybee]

April I think

So how come you're seeing it in a couple weeks?

perk of the job?

 

[jodal]

Sounds like its autobiographical

At a Q&A period following this film's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, director Shane Meadows noted that the grim skinhead influenced upbringing of the 11-year-old protagonist was a true portrayal of his own childhood and many of the events depicted were drawn from his early life.

 

[Orang Utan]

So how come you're seeing it in a couple weeks?

perk of the job?

Aye

 

[Sweet FA]

http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/007533.html

 

[STFC]

It's out now isn't it? I'm sure I saw it mentioned in one of the free London rags earlier this week.

It sounds ace.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Orang says April...

 

[Orang Utan]

It's out now isn't it? I'm sure I saw it mentioned in one of the free London rags earlier this week.

It sounds ace.

It was shown at the LFF I think but it's not out til next year

 

[milesy]

this sounds good.

 

[Orang Utan]

Wow - we might finally agree on something ((((milesy))))

 

[Orang Utan]

Gonna see this tonight - can't wait!

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

I expect a full review tomorrow

 

[jodal]

Me too

 

[Orang Utan]

Brilliant

It's as good as I expected it to be - the review above that Sweet FA says it all really, better than I could articulate.
It's a great period piece - lots of stuff here rings true about growing up in the eighties - the being teased for wearing flares, the scrappy school fights, the smashing up old council houses out of boredom. Great use of music from Toots to UK Subs to Strawberry Swithcblade. At times, it seemed it was bashing home the point that this film is set in the eighties a little too forcefully - it sometimes looked like an 80s bad hair day fashion parade, and the montages of news footage from the eighties, though poignant at times (esp the Falklands footage) was little bit too 'Rock n roll years', especially at the beginning.
The performances were outstanding, especially Stephen Graham as Combo, but Thomas Turgoose's debut performance as Shaun was most impressive.
Cracking dialogue as well - it's a very funny film, despite it being quite emotionally wrenching.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

definitely - he's a great director

Great as in Scorsese or Hitchock, or merely quite good?

 

[Orang Utan]

Great as in Scorsese or Hitchock, or merely quite good?

As potentially great as Scorsese - it's a shame films set in the Midlands are never gonna break box office records as much as films set in New York can.

 

[D'wards]

As potentially great as Scorsese - it's a shame films set in the Midlands are never gonna break box office records as much as films set in New York can.

I agree - he is my favourite director, and i look forward to his films as much as any other director - more in fact.

Loved him since Smalltime, thought he was well talented after 24/7 and after Room for Romeo Brass he became my favourite director, went off him a bit after Once Upon a time in the Midlands, but completely loved him agian after Dead Man's Shoes.

Been looking forward for this since i heard he was making it - it was called Oi England Belongs to Me during filming.

How can i wait till april? Hope i fall into a coma or something till then!

 

[Pie 1]

Great as in Scorsese or Hitchock, or merely quite good?

Scorsese's last couple of efforts have only been merely quite good tbh.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Great as in Scorsese or Hitchock, or merely quite good?

How many are?

It's good that the UK has produced a decent director, why automatically ask whether they are as great as the all-time greats...

ALso I doubt we will hang on to him for long, if Dead Man's Shoes is anything to go by, he will be following Nolan into Hollywood before we know it.