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Well, somehow I doubt you'll see a better one... Sod Nick Love and his frankly pathetic "Outlaws" which doesn't even come close to presenting a realistic view of Britain, Shane Meadows may be setting his film in 1983, but it is so incredibly relevant to the Britain of today, just replace Falklands with Iraq and "P@kis" with "asylum seekers", Thatcherism with Blairism, and frankly you're set tbh.... I think Shane Meadows is being very deliberate here when he sets his film in the 80s, he focusses on "Skinhead" culture and is at great pains to point out (quite correctly) that Skinhead does not and did not originally mean "racist", the real Skins embraced Jamaican roots reggae culture and ska in the late 60s, this continued in the late 70s and early 80s with Two-Tone and bands like The Specials, Madness, The Beat, etc... Racists and racist/nationalisitic organisations existed in UK long before the National Front and Skinheads (Oswald Moseley's lot being one very obvious example...). Meadows is pointing out in his film (mainly through the character of Woody, a white Skinhead who 'keeps the faith' and rejects the National Front's propaganda and "Milky", a Brit of Jamaican descent) that Skin culture was once something positive and became corrupted by outside, malignant forces.. But essentially, the film is really about Britain as a fractured society, destroyed by Thatcherism, with 3 million unemployed looking for someone, anyone, to blame for it... The young lad at the centre of it, Sean, loses his father to Thatcher's worthless war in the Falklands, he seeks a father figure, first he finds the very likeable, affable Woody, but then he is attracted to the charismatic and monstrous Combo who is himself conflicted (Combo is certainly no one-dimensional 'villain', there are many admirable traits to the guy which just makes his racism seem worse...) between his love of black culture and music, and the poisonous racist grooming he received in prison (well, it's certainly implied that prison "taught" him to be a racist in the film...)...

Meadows just seems to get better and better, this is arguably his best film, the acting is amazing and very naturalistic (Stephen Graham's performance as Combo is absolutely flawless, and young Thomas Turgoose is a young actor to watch out for in the future, hard to believe he's had no formal training whatsoever....) with some very well done Improv scenes. People bang on about Brit film-makers like Danny Boyle, Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, etc, but Meadows just seems to be unfairly ignored.... Perhaps he's just a bit too "Northern" in his cinematic outlook for the London Media fashionistas.... who dont really 'get' anything north of the M25.....?

This is a brilliant film, simple as that and one which captures the mood and times extremely well... One or two minor fashion quibbles aside (the use of a pair of Diesel jeans for example....) the attention to period detail is pretty much spot on....

10/10

isnt this based on the play My England??

isnt this based on the play My England??

 

Not as far as I know... It's an original screenplay written by Shane Meadows himself...

 

Yeah man!!! its a great film, enjoyed it a lot and liked how the start was a brief history of the period that started with the postive of entertainment/enjoyment (with roland rat) and then declined as clips went on into a negative portrait of that period ijn history. does in 5 mins what i ♥... whatever tries to do in 5 shows!!!!

 

 

I think Shane Meadows is being very deliberate here when he sets his film in the 80s, he focusses on "Skinhead" culture and is at great pains to point out (quite correctly) that Skinhead does not and did not originally mean "racist", the real Skins embraced Jamaican roots reggae culture and ska in the late 60s, this continued in the late 70s and early 80s with Two-Tone and bands like The Specials, Madness, The Beat, etc...

 

"Skinhead" culture seems 'interesting' (theres a couple of large articles in the Guardian i've got to read) as the skinhead look can be applied to a rasist nazi, a rocksteady/ska fan and also its a gay look (Right Said Fred are on five news in a minute :lol: beinf 'too sexy' :lol: ). Actually when Combo's mate came into view thought he looked more like a gay biker.

 

Sod Nick Love and his frankly pathetic "Outlaws" which doesn't even come close to presenting a realistic view of Britain,

 

nah dude, Outlaw doesnt seem that bad when you compare it to Straightheads. that eclipses it in the poll of $h!t danny dyer films!!! One of the few recent films that I have actually walked out of before the end. Film4 should be putting its money towards this is england rather than probs any film starring danny dyer

 

http://www.gilliananderson.ws/news/images/stills_combo2.jpg

 

The young lad at the centre of it, Sean, loses his father to Thatcher's worthless war in the Falklands,

 

and its quite chilling to think that Thomas Turgoose lost his mum (to cancer i think) while the film was being made as well.

 

I think Shane Meadows is being very deliberate here when he sets his film in the 80s, he focusses on "Skinhead" culture and is at great pains to point out (quite correctly) that Skinhead does not and did not originally mean "racist", the real Skins embraced Jamaican roots reggae culture and ska in the late 60s, this continued in the late 70s and early 80s with Two-Tone and bands like The Specials, Madness, The Beat, etc...

 

some great tunes soundtracking the film as well. good ska tunes from the 1960s/70s. dont know what they are but i suppose they might be on a trojan records collection? Toots maybe?

 

 

This is a brilliant film, simple as that and one which captures the mood and times extremely well... One or two minor fashion quibbles aside (the use of a pair of Diesel jeans for example....) the attention to period detail is pretty much spot on....

 

how about the music was that all spot on? was it all pre-1983???

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/images/artists/weve_got_a_fuzzbox.jpg

 

btw dont know if she did too but Smell reminded me of Ted Chippington's mates We've got a fuzzbox and were gonna use it from Rocking with Rita!!!

 

 

Even tho the film had a lot of good funny moment, good job Smells outside offer wasnt for Shaun to Feel her fuzzbox as i dont think i would have been able to keep a straight face when the more tense moments were on screen :lol: (then again i suppose i've only thought of this as i read the lick my love pump spinal tap post before in the culture box :lol:)

btw the wonder years has just been on tmf, and i think compared to that think people dressed worst in the 1980s going by this is england :lol: .

nah dude, Outlaw doesnt seem that bad when you compare it to Straightheads. that eclipses it in the poll of $h!t danny dyer films!!! One of the few recent films that I have actually walked out of before the end. Film4 should be putting its money towards this is england rather than probs any film starring danny dyer

 

Is "Straightheads" really that bad....?? It seems more just like a straight "exploitation/revenge thriller" in the mode of "Thriller - A Cruel Picture" or "I Spit on Your Grave", I can take that a lot more easy than I can something like "Outlaws" which purports to be some sort of 'profound social commentary' but it just falls flat on its arse when it attempts it. Like I said at the time I saw it, it's an attempt Michael Mann-style film which falls way short of the mark because Love just rips off the aesthetic and doesn't really go into any of the themes that Mann goes into...

Is "Straightheads" really that bad....??

 

Yeah man "Straightheads" is bad, i wanted to leave much sooner that i did as the next film (next :lol: ) was not ready yet and i didnt want to be hanging round for like an hour.

 

actually next was ten times better and that featured nic cage!!!! (if you like watching v cheesy and unintentially funny stuff/or just sexist woman in the world according to stuff Jessica Biel!!!)

Yeah man "Straightheads" is bad, i wanted to leave much sooner that i did as the next film (next :lol: ) was not ready yet and i didnt want to be hanging round for like an hour.

 

actually next was ten times better and that featured nic cage!!!! (if you like watching v cheesy and unintentially funny stuff/or just sexist woman in the world according to stuff Jessica Biel!!!)

 

To be honest, I thought "Next" was stunningly predictable and almost devoid of any tension whatsoever, Nic Cage doing his usual 'sleepwalking' method of acting.. GAWD, what has happened to that guy...? Cant believe this is the same Nic Cage who got the Oscar for "Leaving Las Vegas", the same Nic Cage who bristled with intensity in "Wild at Heart"....

 

We have got told to go and watch this in media.. but my cinema is crappy and miles away so i shall just wait until it comes to DVD ^_^

To be honest, I thought "Next" was stunningly predictable and almost devoid of any tension whatsoever, Nic Cage doing his usual 'sleepwalking' method of acting..

 

well i'm not too bothered with Nic Cage, even with something like Arizona rather have Earl these days. However even tho her acting skills/talents are about two steps away from Irina Voronina in reno 911:miami, jessica biel is still number one babe (over fhm's verdict of alba) and she will even make I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry worth watching*** . Also it was v funny when she was strapped to a wheelchair and exploded. One of the funniest things in ages (but not eclipsing the AK Killer Toilet)

 

 

 

***having watched Reign over Me I could do without watching another Adam Sandler film for a bout, erm lets see, about a millenium!!!!! :lol: :lol:

 

http://www.cinemovies.fr/images/data/films/Pfilm105601558405220.jpghttp://www.popmatters.com/images/film_art/r/reign-over-me-1.jpg

well i'm not too bothered with Nic Cage, even with something like Arizona rather have Earl these days. However even tho her acting skills/talents are about two steps away from Irina Voronina in reno 911:miami, jessica biel is still number one babe (over fhm's verdict of alba) and she will even make I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry worth watching*** . Also it was v funny when she was strapped to a wheelchair and exploded. One of the funniest things in ages (but not eclipsing the AK Killer Toilet)

 

Jessica Biel has to be one of the most truly useless actresses out there, she seems to think that impersonating Scarlett Johanssen and bluffing and pouting her way through a film is actually acting.... I'm no great fan of Johanssen, but she's streets ahead of Beil.... Her scenes with Cage in this film are just amongst the most dire I've ever seen in a film, there is truly no chemistry or spark between them.. And we're expected to believe that she is the love of the character's life.... Poor Julianne Moore, a genuinely good actress most of the time, having to play second fiddle to these two mongs.... Even she got bored halfway through and decided to just phone in the rest of her performance...... The only reason why Biel didn't suck in "The Illusionsist" is because she had Ed Norton and Paul Giamatti there covering for her.... I couldn't give a flying fukk if some magazine called her a "Top Babe/Bird" or whatever, the proof of the pudding is in the eating mate, and as far as acting goes, Biel is a vanilla and creosote pie.... Not that the other Jessica, Alba, is much better though....

Dead Man's Shoes is possibly my favourite film.

 

But this doesn't appeal to me at all for some reason. I imagine it is brilliant but I don'y really want to see it for some reason...I think I will though.

Jessica Biel has to be one of the most truly useless actresses out there, she seems to think that impersonating Scarlett Johanssen and bluffing and pouting her way through a film is actually acting.... I'm no great fan of Johanssen, but she's streets ahead of Beil.... Her scenes with Cage in this film are just amongst the most dire I've ever seen in a film, there is truly no chemistry or spark between them..

 

dude i suppose you didnt bother going to see the "worse than Police Academy 5 visions" of Reno 911:Miami so you probs wont have seen Irina Voronina acting 'Russian' so here is a picture of former Playboybunny Irina Voronina

 

http://www.ez-entertainment.net/carpet/femmefatale/3203.JPG

 

and as i said JBiel's acting skills/talents are about two steps away from Irina Voronina, Babysteps that is!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol:

 

:down:

 

http://www.thehoya.com/images/013004/bob.jpg

 

 

I'm no great fan of Johanssen, but she's streets ahead of Beil....

 

They're all v similar 'products'. Think the probs with Johanssen was you just got bored seeing her everywhere in every magazine. She became onipresent. Got bored with seeing her in everything. However intersted in hearing the Tom Waits album.

 

I couldn't give a flying fukk if some magazine called her a "Top Babe/Bird" or whatever, the proof of the pudding is in the eating mate, and as far as acting goes, Biel is a vanilla and creosote pie....

 

Note: Talbot Rothwell would like to make a contribution here but unfortunately he exploded after the 'Feel my Fuzzbox' remark :lol: :lol:

 

 

Talking of Johanssen and Biel, Ghost World is on More4 now and The Rules Of Attraction is on Film4+1 at 12.10. Now there is two film where both of them are sdo perfectly cast. Johanssen shouldnt do the sexy thing she should be in High Fidelity 2 as some kind of v attractive but v geeky music fan :lol: (is that the Jesus and Mary Chain we can hear :lol: )

Just seen this and it was fantastic.

 

It didn't really appeal to me but it was superb. I'm definately buying this on DVD.

 

The characters in the film and the acting was what made it so good. I think the plot was a little bit of a let down, because I wanted to see more of Woody's character at the end. I still think I prefer Dead Mans Shoes though.

Just seen this and it was fantastic.

 

It didn't really appeal to me but it was superb. I'm definately buying this on DVD.

 

why? havent you seen the channel four trailers for it, it will be on film4 everyday of the week in a years time. that and venus :lol:

I wanted to see more of Woody's character at the end. I still think I prefer Dead Mans Shoes though.

 

Yeah, I think that if I would level one criticism of the film, it's the fact that Woody just seems to get forgotten about after about the first half of the film, only turning up in one other scene... Slight let-down in what is otherwise a truly great film...

 

"Dead Man's Shoes" is a fukkin' Classic, one of the best revenge-thrillers ever made IMO.... Totally p!issing on the indescribably stupid "Straightheads".....

 

I agree with everything that's been said on this thread (well, apart from the Nic Cage praise - worst Hollywood actor - ever - official - everything he touches turns to turd... it's that Stallone-like monotone drawl that gets me every time).

 

This is England is breathtaking.... Turgood puts in one of the finest screen performances I've ever seen - and certainly the best debut performance.

 

There are a few slight glitches with the fashion and soundtrack (some of the soundtrack came after 83 - The Smiths one to name one... and would John Foxx's minor 1980 hit Underpass REALLY have any relevance in 1983?).... but that's nitpicking.

 

Apaprt from the criminal underuse of the mesmerising Woody in the second half of the movie, it's astonishing and really shouldn't be missed.

 

Turgood's performance must surely get a nod from Cannes... or maybe even Hollywood?

I agree with everything that's been said on this thread (well, apart from the Nic Cage praise - worst Hollywood actor - ever - official - everything he touches turns to turd... it's that Stallone-like monotone drawl that gets me every time).

 

Dude i dont think we have been praising Nic Cage, dont think anyone would go that far :lol:

 

however think Justin Timberlake has made the right decision with his new girl, almost like he was filming his last video and was thinking "Scarlett, you're very nice but you're a nebbish, if only there was a girl like you but without a Tom Waits fixation.... :lol: )

I agree with everything that's been said on this thread (well, apart from the Nic Cage praise - worst Hollywood actor - ever - official - everything he touches turns to turd... it's that Stallone-like monotone drawl that gets me every time).

 

I agree that over the past decade Cage has been a total shambles in just about everything he's been in. But like I say, "Wild At Heart" and "Leaving Las Vegas" are films that I genuinely feel he gave very good performances in.... I also liked him in "Raising Arizona" as well.....