Friday 27 April 2007

Is This England?

Can you see what I did there?


This is what Thommo thinks of it all. He can't even see the film because of the absurd R18 rating...


A film that explores one of the most pressing social issues this country faces and we can't even get to see it in our local multiplex. What a joke!
Released today and neither Ipswich or Bury are showing 'This Is England'.

But don't worry, you can still see brilliant works of cinema like Mr. Bean's Holiday, Music & Lyrics, and Wild Hogs. Of course, these films tell us much more about what is to be British....*sarcastic and resigned sigh*

Timesonline review here

Click here and send Cineworld an email telling them what you think...Sick of the same tedious Hollywood drek at the Multiplex? Then do something about it.... customer.services@cineworld.co.uk
Comments??

16 comments:

LeTelecabine said...

i've just watched a 10 minute trailer for 'this is england' - www.thesun.co.uk/film (good free trailer on here - also trailer for elizabeth the golden years). seems like an amazing follow-up to 'dead man's shoes'. seems more comical however? completely different to 'dead man's shoes'.shame cineworld aren't showing it (i sent them an email..!).

as regards the 'dead man's shoes' work, it seems that shane meadows likes to use a crew close to him? a lot of the producers have worked on previous shane meadows films, and have worked on 'this is england' too.

Paul Cook said...

Has my research skills failed me or was Dead Man's Shoes a major flop? It's worldwide gross appears to have been far less than what it cost!?!? Which I found to be somewhere in the £750,000 area? Is this right? Also I thought it was interesting that the Producer raised nearly all this himself!! Says great things for British Cinema I think...

LeTelecabine said...

nah paul, i found the same. can't remember the site now, (think it was actually shanemeadows.com come to think of it...), where it said something like box office sales do not reflect his ability and talent of film making. i don't think he has ever made a huge amount from box office takings, but i'm guessing that will all change after the release of 'this is england'? when he first started making documentaries, he needed equipment, and made an arrangement at the place he worked, that he would work there for free, on condition he could use the camera's and equipment for his films! very low-budget film making..!

Paul Cook said...

Yeah, it goes to show that money isn't always and essential part of good filmmaking - Did you know Empire places Dead Man's Shoes at no.180 in the top 210 films of all time!! This tops films like Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Birds! On the point of budgets etc... me and 'Mr.M' were discussing the other day how outrageous the Spidey 3 budget is $300million! Is this too much?

LeTelecabine said...

yes, it probably is too much, considering spiderman is rubbish anyway. money certainly isn't essential - making a good film like 'D.M.S' on a small budget, just highlights what a fatastic director mr meadows is, and how you don't always need money.

Paul Cook said...

This is England is getting some fantastic reviews, I hope it's as good as they say...

http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/content/content_detail.php?id=1181&type=Film

What do you reckon to a field trip to go and see it somewhere Mr. M?

alexandra fouracre said...

Mr M, i think I am missing something... i seem to be one of the only people who didn't like Dead Man's Shoes... can't quite put my finger on why, I'm not saying Shane Meadows isn't a good director... I just personally didnt like it... not my cuppa.

LeTelecabine said...

i most certainly second paul's idea of a field trip to go see 'this is england'.

Paul Cook said...

I recieved my email back from cineworld, I think it's identical to Mr. M's email. And (not meaning to sound racist here) the man who replied wasn't even English - Vijay Bhardwa - ???

Anyway, I think a field trip to Cambridge or even London if we want to go 'all out' to see This Is England would be educational and beneficial to all media students...

Mr. M said...

Good to see this has struck a nerve for some of you. Keep the pressure on the multiplexes (is there another chain in Bury? Odeon?) with lots of emails. Also, perhaps an email or two to Optimum releasing asking the thinking behind a Limited Release for 'This is England'. Good valid research for the exam too.

Also, try to keep comments specific to blog posts. So for Dead Man's Shoes stuff comment to the the DMS post. Makes things easier to manage....

Paul - a bit of shameless self promotion there with your godisinthetvzine.co.uk plug!

Alex, no you are not missing a thing - it's clearly not to your taste and that's fine. There's lots of films I don't like too. The world we be a boring place indeed if we all liked the same thing. Try to be more specific - was it the violence? drug use? disturbing nature of the treatment of Anthony? Comments to the DMS post though...

Careful Paul - how do you know he is not English? Why does this matter? Did you mean to imply the email might be going to an off shore call centre? Best to explain yourself fully when issues of race are concerned....

Glad to hear there is some enthusiasm regarding a class trip. It would have to be outside of school hours though; an informal thing. Only showing in Cambridge until Friday. Once that print is available who knows where it is going - may well eventually get to Bury? Email the cinemas direct?

Anyone else interested?

Mr. M

alexandra fouracre said...

If you were going to make this a trip I would email the 'Hollywood' cinema (old cinema) in Bury, as their purpose is to show these non-mainstream films... so if they are doing their job properly they should show it!

Paul Cook said...

Shameless plug - never!(There's an insightful interview with Mitchell and Webb about their new British film Magicians on that site too.)

Yes, I should have explained better, I think the emails went to a call centre somewhere which suggests Cineworld isn't concerned with British values or traditions at all.

A trip to Cambridge looks unlikely then as it finishes showing on Friday? Leicester Square it is!

Mr. M said...

Thanks Alex, already phoned them. They don't know when they'll get a copy.
"Try back in a couple of weeks"
They get the scraps (like most indy cinemas) after the big chains have finished...

Leicester Square, Leicester Schmare. I will never pay £13 to see a film....well, maybe.

Paul Cook said...

Shall we wait until the ol' Hollywood cinema has it then? Or wait until the DVD is out? Because it's virtually the same experience, tiny screen, tiny chairs and really quiet sound...Hollywood Cinema - Schmollywood Cinema! Pfft!

alexandra fouracre said...

Was listening to Radio 1 in my car 2day, and they had Thommo on Edith Bowman's show - only caught the tail end of it though,but i heard some of the text/email responses sent into the show saying what a great british film 'This is England' is, and what a talent Shane Meadows is.

Thought some of you more Shane Meadows enthusiasts would be pleased to hear the limited screenings of this film is causing quite a stir everywhere and people all over the country are pushing their cinemas to show it.

Its really weird, I'd never heard of Shane Meadows until last week, and since then he keeps popping up everywhere... ITV(Southbank)Film4(showing Dead Man's Shoes) and then Radio 1.

Do you think he is trying to reach a wider audience/mainstream in order to fund other films he wants to make... but in doing this do you think his films will lose their low budget Shane Meadows quality??

Paul Cook said...

Meadows won't make the same mistake again letting budget and A-listers hinder his films but yeah I think he is going more mainstream and not necessarily through choice either...The media get a hold of something and every one wants a piece...Hopefully the fuss kicked up about 'This Is England's' limited release will make cinema chains realise the people want more British Film...?