Made in Britain

Starring:Sharon Courtney, Tim Roth, Joan Ware, Richard Bremmer, Bill Stewart, John Bleasdale, Christopher Fulford, Kim Benson, Allister Bain, Noel Diacomo, Frankie Cosgrove, Maurice Quick, Ava Hrela, Sean Chapman, Steve Sweeney, Geoffrey Hutchings, Brian Hayes (II), Jean Marlow, Virginia Fiol, Gary Patrick
Director: Alan Clarke
Studio: Blue Underground
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Written by David Leland and directed by Alan Clarke, Made in Britain is a slice of horrible but not inaccurate life from 1982. It holds a terrific early performance from Tim Roth as a skinhead with a swastika caste-mark tattoo, who constantly bares shark-like teeth as he spits embittered, articulate defiance at caring social workers and truncheon-wielding policemen alike. Sixteen-year-old Trevor (Roth) is remanded to an assessment center before sentencing, but remains determined to disobey the rules imposed on him by any authority figures and spends the whole 73-minute play challenging the system to smack him back down, by vandalizing the Job Centre, using his case-file as a toilet, stealing cars, victimizing members of the "immigrant community" and shouting bile at people. The cycle that will lead him to an adult life in prison is explained to him with blackboard diagrams, but he believes he's better off keeping his hatred burning than toeing the line to end up as a no-hoper in a society that prizes obedience over conscience. It was originally televised as one of four Leland-filmed dramas about different aspects of the British education system, which made it seem less monomaniacal in its focus on an extreme case. There's no denying that it's an honest portrait of a monster calculated to terrify even the most concerned liberals which still manages to celebrate his self-destructive defiance. A film for television rather than a TV play, it has very strong language but the violence is all in Roth's face. --Kim Newman
Description
Academy Award(r) nominee Tim Roth (RESERVOIR DOGS, PULP FICTION) made his unforgettable film debut as Trevor, a ferocious teenage skinhead whose random acts of racism, vandalism and violence send him on a snarling spiral through England's justice system. This is the unsparing portrait of youth fueled by rage and hate prowling an empire ruled by repression and despair. It remains a shattering cinematic experience that could only be MADE IN BRITAIN.

Product Description

The New York Times called it Superb! and Time found it Ultimately rewarding...with a sterling cast.This acclaimed adaptation of Paul Scot's masterpiece, The Raj Quartet, won over 20 international awards, including a Golden Globe and an Emmy. Filmed on location, it re-creates the turbulent period when British colonial rule in India came crashing down. The memorable cast includes Dame Peggy Ashcroft and Charles Dance.Finally available on DVD, it comes to life like never before, making this the ultimate version for collectors and new fans of the classic saga alike! 4 DVDs.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

The Jewel in the Crown, adapted from Paul Scott's Raj Quartet novels, tells the story of the final years before India gained independence in 1947. It is rare for a filmed adaptation to successfully preserve the richness and complexity of a great novel, but this epic miniseries succeeds both as personal drama and historical panorama.

In 1942 Daphne Manners, a naive young woman newly arrived in the town of Mayapore, befriends Hari Kumar, an Indian-born journalist who has spent most of his life in England. With his dark skin and educated English accent, Hari feels like an outsider wherever he goes, but Daphne understands his plight and they become romantically involved. Their developing relationship is jealously observed by local police chief Ronald Merrick, a man haunted by his own demons. When the lovers are attacked in the gardens of the ruined Bibighar palace and Daphne is raped, Merrick seizes his opportunity, pins the crime on Hari, and has the young man jailed. Distraught, Daphne flees to her aunt's home in Kashmir, where she dies giving birth to a half-caste child. The focus then shifts to Sarah Layton, a young Englishwoman who becomes fascinated by the story of Daphne and Hari, and who will have her own encounter with Ronald Merrick.

The events in the Bibighar gardens become a symbol of the violent struggle for Indian independence, and other symbols--Daphne's bicycle, a length of butterfly lace, a picture of Queen Victoria on an Indian throne--appear and reappear, linking people and events. This helps to give coherence to the plot even as it spans five years and expands to include many characters whose lives intersect in complex and unexpected ways.

With a huge cast and breathtaking location photography, The Jewel in the Crown was an enormous undertaking when it was made in the early 1980s. Twenty years later it has lost none of its power, and it remains one of the best films ever made for television. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews:

Bad Sound; Cheap DVD; but Great Story .......2007-03-23

I have read "The Raj Quartet" (i.e. "Jewel in the Crown) twice -- all 2,000 pages of it -- and I love the story. The novel and this DVD paint a fascinating and exhaustive look of the English in the last days of their rule of India.

The story is circular. It centers around the rape of an English girl in the Biribigar gardens in 1942. Seen through the lens of that event we go on to a picture of the British in India during World War II, the growing movement toward independence, and finally the consequences of Muslim-Hindu animosity aroused by independence. Most of the cast is superb and the number of characters is enormous: a tortured, lower-class policeman of chilling efficiency, a sensible English girl with a malevolent mother and a madly incompetent sister, several admirable but ineffective missionaries, befuddled soldiers, a Cambridge scholar, a demented but appealing Russian political advisor, Muslim and Indian politicians, and Hari Kumar -- the Indian boy who was English at heart and served as the scapegoat for all the English failings in India.

It's long, slow-moving, majestic, educational, sometimes a bit unlikely, inconclusive, but compelling -- a soap opera in the exotic and explosive setting of the British Raj. There are elements of Kipling here, and "Passage to India" and Mother Teresa -- a whole melange of not-so-original ideas and scenes. But nobody has ever taken such a meticulously close look at British India in its death throes as has author Paul Scott in the novel and this DVD.

"The Raj Quartet" in my opinion is one of the very greatest novels of the 20th century and "Jewel in the Crown" one of the very greatest of television dramas. That being said neither the color nor the sound of this DVD is of even average quality. The story deserves better.

Smallchief

Fascinating, complex story.......2007-01-16

I knew the Jewel in the Crown was about India, but somehow I always assumed it was 19th century India, not WWII. So this was a complete surprise to me. I also had no idea how dark this series was, so I was shocked as worse and worse things kept happening to the characters. Nonetheless, I couldn't stop watching because I had to know what was going to happen next. The story is very complex, and the ending not as satisfying as I would have liked, but now that it's over I can't stop thinking about it. As painful as some parts were, it was very worthwhile and really made me think. I don't know much about the DVD quality as some people mentioned, but it would have been nice to have some commentary or bonus features.

Jewel in the Crown.......2006-11-28

This is an amazing and very worthwhile production, but the sound recording reproduction leaves MUCH to be desired. The sound is EXTREMELY variable - exceedingly loud then too soft to be heard. This set really needs to have a good sound reproduction company work on it.

Tragic Victim and Tragic Hero.......2006-11-15

Despite the accolades it has drawn, I never liked the PBS dramatization of JEWEL IN THE CROWN-- not as drama, that is. For one thing, it is too laden with Reichian psychology-- and we know what that means, though I can't say it here. For another, it's frustrating. One waits endlessly for the tragically wronged Hari Kumar to be united with the child of his beloved Daphne Manners, who might be his, although then again, she might not be as Daphne was gang-raped immediately after he made love to her. One waits endlessly for him to at last win the respect of the Englishmen he went to school with but who now shun him as (to use the usual English exaggeration) a "black". One is led to believe that these things might have happened-- but only after the drama's unsatisfying end. Finally, the series is unbelievable. For instance, why does Daphne, who is genuinely in love with Hari and opposed to British prejudices, refuse to stand up for him when he is unjustly accused of her rape? Why does she not admit that they made love but that it was voluntary, and that Hari was as distressed by the subsequent attack as she was? She will not even look at the men who are accused of the rape, all Hari's friends-- all we have is this statement from her, piling disbelief on disbelief-- "I know they can't be the ones, because they are all Hindu and one of the men who raped me was Muslim-- don't ask me why." As if someone undergoing such a trauma would notice anything so trivial-- Reichian psychology again. And perhaps something else, for to the extent that the series really reproduces Paul Scott's THE RAJ TRILOGY, which I do not know, having never read it, it is remarkably like E.M. Forster's A PASSAGE TO INDIA, in concluding in some English version of Hinduism-- whether accurate or inaccurate-- that life is meaningless, as Mrs. Moore does after she sees the Marabar caves.

It is only as a documentary of the end of the British Raj and the tensions within Indian society-- tensions which persist to this day-- that the series is not only laudable but a "must-see". Of course we know all about the British government's oppression of the Indians, as symbolized by the evil Ronald Merrick's targeting of the lamb-like innocent, Hari Kumar. What comes as a surprise is the fate of the other native principle in the series, Ahmed Kasim. I grew up in the era of "The Concert for Bangladesh", when even liberals like myself would have agreed that the "bad guys" in the religious conflicts of the subcontinent were invariably the Muslims. After all, how could someone who could not even bring himself to kill a cow kill a human being? So I was unaware of what was happening when Ahmed entered that train cabin with a Muslim maid and several English people, including his best English friend, Sarah. The symbol which a native hurriedly scrawled on the cabin door as the train was leaving was unintelligible to me. Even when the train was forcibly halted by a cow tied to the tracks, and Ahmed looked out in the ominous silence and told his cabinmates to close the windows and hide the maid under the seat, and windows began to break and people to scream, I was confused. I didn't hear him say "Seems it's me they want" before he stepped out, telling the others to lock the door behind him, and thought perhaps he might be joining in the slaughter-- so deep was my prejudice! It was only when the middle-aged Englishman looked out a peephole and said, trying to stifle his urge to vomit, "They're slaughtering all the Muslims-- just hacking them to pieces," did I realize what was really going on-- an attack by HINDU fanatics-- and that Ahmed had given his life to save the others in the cabin. Then I knew that the symbol scrawled on the cabin door had been a crescent. After seeing this segment once again, on a video bought from Amazon, it seems like the stigmata of Christ.

That is why it is difficult to understand Sarah's reaction to Ahmed's voluntary sacrifice. Her shame and self-hatred that they, the privileged English ruling class, had all just "let him go", is natural, but her anger at Ahmed for not seeking to save his own life-- which would of course have jeopardized the lives of all the others-- is not. It is as if she is saying that his death was senseless-- as if she has reached the conclusion that life itself has no meaning, no right and wrong-- like Mrs. Moore after she saw the Marabar Caves. From a broad sociological point of view, Ahmed's death, and the death of all the Muslims on the train-- was indeed senseless. But from a standpoint of personal morality, it makes perfect sense. It teaches us that even in the grip of injustice and cruelty, one must do what is right. Where Hari is merely a victim, Ahmed is a hero, and his death a glorious martyrdom. That a Muslim could be portrayed this way (and accurately, for people who could not kill a cow DID kill human beings) holds a lesson for our time, and my generation whose mindless prejudice has only been worsened by the events of 9/11: THAT WE WERE WRONG, that Muslims can be not only victims but moral heroes as well. And whatever nightmares we have, like Mrs. Moore, built out of our brush with the vast and meaningless OM, that life DOES have meaning. If it takes a Muslim to teach us that, we had better start paying more respect to a religion which does after all, share with Christianity and Judaism a sense of right and wrong.

Fantastic series, over-the-top acting, wretched transfer.......2006-10-06

I loved watching this series. The cast was terrific (Tim Pigott-Smith is as snake-like as the cobra he kills in the bathtub), the locales stunning, and the story compelling. However, the acting was occasionally far too melodramatic, something I don't expect from British actors, and the editing was substandard in places. The DVD transfer was the most wretched I'd ever seen and the sound quality was awful. Whoever handled the transfer has every reason to be ashamed. Do not let any of this stop you. It's one of the best TV mini-series ever made and is thoroughly engrossing to watch.

Heat of the Sun Boxed Set (Private Lives / Hide in Plain Sight / The Sport of Kings)

Average customer rating:

Compelling stories and great acting combine for terrific entertainment
first sight of trevor eve
Heat of the Sun
Fantastic and Intelligent - Compare to Foyle's War
Excellent, one of the best PBS Mystery! series

Heat of the Sun Boxed Set (Private Lives / Hide in Plain Sight / The Sport of Kings)
Starring: Trevor Eve , Susannah Harker , Akbar Kurtha , Lawrence Simbarashe , and Jimmi Harkishin
Director: Paul Seed , Adrian Shergold , and Diarmuid Lawrence
Manufacturer: Wgbh Boston
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ASIN: B0001WTUK8
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

Former Scotland Yard detective Albert Tyburn (Trevor Eve) finds himself in colonial Nairobi, the setting of Out of Africa, as head of a new criminal investigation unit. Imagine an athletic Hercule Poirot in the heat of the Kenyan sun. Superintendent Tyburn's unrelentingly independent policing style is remarkably effective against the murder, arson, blackmail, slave-trading, and other crimes that await him. The most serious impediments to Tyburn's investigations come from pompous Police Commissioner Ronald Burkitt (Michael Byrne) and the elitist, expatriate community's secret passions and vices. The outstanding cast includes Tyburn's talented crime-solving assistants, Constable Jonah Karinde (Freddie Annobil-Dodoo) and Assistant Superintendent James Valentine (Julian Rhind-Tutt), and his romantic interest, Emma Fitzgerald (Susannah Harker). The attractive, strong-willed biplane pilot Fitzgerald bears remarkable similarity to the real-life Beryl Markham, who recounted her experiences in West with the Night. The three episodes, "Private Lives," "Hide in Plain Sight," and "The Sport of Kings," are well written and action-packed. Mobil Masterpiece Theatre's Heat of the Sun will delight fans of fine detective work. --Tara Chace

Description

A tangled web of blackmail, murder, passion, and more awaits former Scotland Yard detective Albert Tyburn (Trevor Eve from The Politician's Wife) when he arrives in Nairobi. He has been sent to head up a new criminal investigation unit under the command of pompous local police commissioner Ronald Burkitt (Michael Byrne). In these three mysteries: Private Lives, Hide in Plain Sight and The Sport of Kings, Tyburn uses his cunning, courage and headstrong policing style to battle arson, drug-dealing, murder and the creeping colonialism of Kenya's hedonistic expatriate community.

Special DVD features include: link to the Mystery! Web site; scene selections; and closed captions.

On three DVD5 discs. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.

Customer Reviews:

Compelling stories and great acting combine for terrific entertainment.......2007-07-04

I too saw this series years ago and loved it. It's an amazing treatise on how the British went to a certain part of the world and thought they owned it, and how Tyburn comes in and treats everyone equally, to most of the "polite society's" astonishment. I have followed Trevor Eve's career since then, since I like his work so well ... "Waking the Dead" is a wonderful series that he's been in for the last 3-4 years. I first saw Susannah Harker in "Jewel in the crown" and she impressed me there. I just wish that this series had been filmed in widescreen vs full screen to get the full impact of the cinematography and the wonderful vistas of Africa.

first sight of trevor eve.......2007-03-28

this was the first ever i had seen or heard of trevor eve, and quite by accident, surfing channels. excellent for the colonial times and quite apt i think.

Heat of the Sun.......2006-11-14

Excellent PBS Mystery series. A great period piece. Excellent attention to costumes and equipment. However, in an African colony, in 1931, one would hardly expect all of the autos to be the current models. All of the vehicles used are 1931s, except for one coupe, which is a 1932. But only a vintage car buff would notice.

Fantastic and Intelligent - Compare to Foyle's War.......2006-09-04

I have hoped that this series would be continued past the first three stories - in vain. If you like Foyle's War (which has, fortunately, been continued), you will like Heat of the Sun. It's realistic; it's intelligent. It can be uncomfortable because this is not a pretty world. On the other hand, there are "good guys", just like in the real world, and, just like in the real world, they are not cartoon cut-outs, but flawed humans who are heros nonetheless. I very much recommend this series.

Excellent, one of the best PBS Mystery! series.......2006-08-06

Excellent series set in beautiful Kenya in 1931, the time of Beryl Markham and Isak Dinesen. The protagonist, Tyburn, is attractive, intelligent, knows police procedures and refuses to back down when determining who is guilty of the crimes committed. He has the right attitude (including contempt) toward the so-called elite of England and of Nairobi. He believes that no one is above the law. He also is not a bigot and treats the native Africans as they should be treated, as equals. The relationship with Emma (a bush pilot) is just right as to intensity and scope; it blends in very well with, but does not detract from, the plot. The acting is excellent and the plots very interesting. Having been to Kenya, this series did appear to have been filmed there and the settings appeared authentic and the scenery beautiful. Anyone who enjoys mysteries set in interesting historic locations with romance will thoroughly enjoy this series. I wish more of this series had been done.

Average customer rating:

Tim Roth tour de force
"You will respect authority, and you will obey the rules."
Great for a Boot party!!

Made in Britain
Starring: Brian Hayes (II) , Tim Roth , Joan Ware , Jean Marlow , and Virginia Fiol
Director: Alan Clarke
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
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ASIN: B000096IAB
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Amazon.com

Written by David Leland and directed by Alan Clarke, Made in Britain is a slice of horrible but not inaccurate life from 1982. It holds a terrific early performance from Tim Roth as a skinhead with a swastika caste-mark tattoo, who constantly bares shark-like teeth as he spits embittered, articulate defiance at caring social workers and truncheon-wielding policemen alike. Sixteen-year-old Trevor (Roth) is remanded to an assessment center before sentencing, but remains determined to disobey the rules imposed on him by any authority figures and spends the whole 73-minute play challenging the system to smack him back down, by vandalizing the Job Centre, using his case-file as a toilet, stealing cars, victimizing members of the "immigrant community" and shouting bile at people. The cycle that will lead him to an adult life in prison is explained to him with blackboard diagrams, but he believes he's better off keeping his hatred burning than toeing the line to end up as a no-hoper in a society that prizes obedience over conscience. It was originally televised as one of four Leland-filmed dramas about different aspects of the British education system, which made it seem less monomaniacal in its focus on an extreme case. There's no denying that it's an honest portrait of a monster calculated to terrify even the most concerned liberals which still manages to celebrate his self-destructive defiance. A film for television rather than a TV play, it has very strong language but the violence is all in Roth's face. --Kim Newman

Description

Academy Award(r) nominee Tim Roth (RESERVOIR DOGS, PULP FICTION) made his unforgettable film debut as Trevor, a ferocious teenage skinhead whose random acts of racism, vandalism and violence send him on a snarling spiral through England's justice system. This is the unsparing portrait of youth fueled by rage and hate prowling an empire ruled by repression and despair. It remains a shattering cinematic experience that could only be MADE IN BRITAIN.

Customer Reviews:

Tim Roth tour de force.......2007-04-30

Directed by Alan Clarke and scripted by David Leland, this is an excellent one off play/film about a deliquent 16 year old called Trevor played by Tim Roth who refuses to conform to the laws. He gets in trouble with authority but doesn't heed the warnings until he is finally 'dealt with' by the powers that be. At the end of the film, we see a frightened but not cowed teenager who must face punishment for his crimes. I remember seeing this film when it aired on Channel 4 in the UK in the 1980s. At the time, it had a big impact on me as I was a teenager myself. Down through the years it is still being hailed as a very important piece of work regarding its social commentary and is mentioned in the same breath as Alan Clarke's other play 'Scum'. It also bears striking similarities to Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange' and Shane Meadows' new film 'This Is England'.

The best part of this film is the performance of Tim Roth who showed his talent at a young age in this his first major film. Roth has gone on to excel as a movie star since then. It really is worth watching this. Roth appears in nearly every frame of this 73 minute film and it makes for compelling viewing.

"You will respect authority, and you will obey the rules.".......2006-09-09

"Made in Britain"--the story of a young, violent British skinhead, is a showcase for the phenomenal acting talents of the mercurial Tim Roth. He was an unknown when given the role of 16-year-old Trevor--an incorrigible repeat offender who lands in court yet again for throwing rocks through the windows of a Pakistani immigrant. Harry Parker (Eric Richard), Trevor's long-suffering social worker is the only person in the 'system' who thinks Trevor is redeemable in any way, shape or form. When the film begins, Trevor is sent to an assessment centre for evaluation. Depending on his behaviour, he will remain at the centre for at least 6 weeks until all the evaluation reports are in, and until he's agreed to sign a contract outlining minimal standards of behaviour.

The assessment centre is seen as a 'good thing' when compared to the alternative--a 'Borstal' type detention centre. Trevor, however, doesn't see the assessment centre as a pleasant alternative--to him it means one thing--being locked up.

Trevor isn't a likeable character--at one point the judge notes: "You do not invite leniency, do you?" And the judge is correct--Trevor sports a swastika on his forehead, and he's a blatant racist. Roth plays this role with incredible energy and rage, and he's simply phenomenal. Once he's stuck in the assessment centre, he's an explosive force of nature--pacing back and forth waiting for his opportunity to break free. The counselors, for the most part, severely underestimate Trevor's sheer, single-minded hatred and refusal to be rehabilitated. On the other hand, Trevor craftily evaluates the weaknesses of his counselors and exploits them accordingly. To Trevor, the propaganda and social training starts in school with the party line: 'be a good boy, listen to your teachers, and you'll go far in life.' He rejects these platitudes and with a self-destructive urge, launches himself at society. Trevor often seems strangely detached from his own inevitable fate--this is first apparent in the courtroom when he answers the judge, and his attitude is consistently present in all of his other relationships.

What makes director Alan Clarke's character so terrifying and so watchable, however, is exactly what Trevor does once he is unleashed. The decisions Trevor makes when free create an argument that he's on an unbreakable cycle of hatred, criminality, and incarceration. "Made in Britain" is part of a trilogy of British made-for-television films from Clarke. "Scum" is the tale of life inside a Borstal type juvenile facility, and "The Firm" is the story of a violent soccer fan. DVD extras include audio commentary from Tim Roth, audio commentary from writer David Leland and producer Margaret Matheson, and a 5-minute interview with Tim Roth--displacedhuman

Great for a Boot party!!.......2006-03-07

Unlike films like "American History X", "Made in Britain" was able to present the subject of neonazi skinheads in a way that allows the viewer to come up with their own conclusions. It is not wrapped up in a package where you feel like you just had taken a tolerance class and you feel somewhat enlightened. Tim Roth does a great job in his first role as the skinhead Trever. Trever seems more concerned with his hatred towards authority and society than Nazi Ideology. I believe that this better reflects the neonazi skinhead movement better than most films dealing with the subject. I recommend this film to those that are fans of "The Believer","American History X(still a great film)","Romper Stomper", and skinhead culture in general.

Punks & Hooligans Two-Fer: The Firm/Elephant & Made in Britain

Average customer rating:

Classic early roles from Tim Roth and Gary Oldman!!! This classic 2 pack DVD from Blue Underground rules!!!

Punks & Hooligans Two-Fer: The Firm/Elephant & Made in Britain
Starring: Tim Roth , and Gary Oldman
Director: Alan Clarke
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
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ASIN: B000MV8ZE0
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Description

His vision exposed a real world of raw life like no others. His career inspired a group of actors, writers and directors that changed movies forever. In these acclaimed dramas from the late Alan Clarke, experience the unsparing work of the director The London Observer still calls "the greatest British filmmaker of his generation."

THE FIRM
Gary Oldman (SID & NANCY, JFK) gives a blistering performance as Bex Bissell, a middle-class family man who also leads a violent gang of soccer hooligans. Philip Davis (VERA DRAKE) co-stars in this scorching drama directed by Clarke that critics have called a modern-day A CLOCKWORK ORANGE.

ELEPHANT
In the film that The Village Voice hails as "Clarke's masterpiece" and would become the direct inspiration for Gus Van Sant's award-winning movie of the same name, Clarke and producer Danny Boyle (TRAINSPOTTING, 28 DAYS LATER) explore the political violence of Northern Ireland via the stark and brutal depiction of eighteen separatist murders.

MADE IN BRITAIN
Academy Award(r) nominee Tim Roth (RESERVOIR DOGS, PULP FICTION) made his unforgettable film debut as Trevor, a ferocious teenage skinhead whose random acts of racism, vandalism and violence send him on a snarling spiral through England's justice system. This is the unsparing portrait of youth fueled by rage and hate prowling an empire ruled by repression and despair. It remains a shattering cinematic experience that could only be MADE IN BRITAIN.

Customer Reviews:

Classic early roles from Tim Roth and Gary Oldman!!! This classic 2 pack DVD from Blue Underground rules!!!.......2007-07-08

Great job from the folks at Blue Underground Entertainment!!! It's great to see these British classics directed by the late Alan Clarke on DVD!!! See Tim Roth(Rob Roy,Pulp Fiction) and Gary Oldman(The Fifth Element,Harry Potter films) before there were big names,but thier performances in these films are awesome just the same!!! Includes three Made for British Television classics("Made In Britain","The Firm",and "Elephant")directed by Alan Clarke on 2 DVD's!!! Rare,obscure gems!!! Two thumbs up!!! Five stars!!! A+

The Alan Clarke Collection (Scum / Made in Britain / The Firm / Elephant)

Average customer rating:

The Daddy of All Box Sets
Made in Britain not edited (response to P. Burrows)
The Firm edited for the States
Tall Tales Out of Film School
Best director of the '70s and '80s

The Alan Clarke Collection (Scum / Made in Britain / The Firm / Elephant)
Starring: Ray Winstone , Mick Ford , Julian Firth , John Blundell , and Phil Daniels
Director: Alan Clarke
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ASIN: B0002J9Z9Q
Release Date: 2004-08-31

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Along with Ken Loach (Poor Cow) and Mike Leigh (High Hopes), Alan Clarke was one of Britain's leading television and film producer-directors in the 1970s and '80s, specializing in works of "social realism," i.e., stories that resembled contemporary society and those who helped shape and/or were shaped by it. The Alan Clarke Collection, a six-disc boxed set encompassing most of Clarke's directed efforts (1986's Rita, Sue & Bob Too, probably his best-known film in the U.S., is not included, unfortunately) is not only an intense introduction to Clarke's concerns with institutional and private violence, but a chance to see phenomenal early performances by the likes of Tim Roth and Gary Oldman.

The son of a bricklayer who also spent some time as a laborer before studying acting and directing in Canada, Clarke (who died in 1990) got his start at the BBC in the 1960s. By 1977, he had directed his explosive and controversial television feature, Scum, starring Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast) as a survivor at a corrupt and brutal juvenile prison. Harrowing, claustrophobic, and deeply tragic, Scum was banned by the BBC for graphic brutality (and, quite likely, criticism of the justice system), leading Clarke to remake it with Winstone and the same script as a 1979 theatrical release. Both versions are included in this set, and each is a unique experience. The earlier Scum is a lean, low-budget, relentlessly nightmarish drama while its second take is moodier, slower, and intermittently shocking.

Disc 3 contains the 1982 Made in Britain, featuring Roth in a brilliant film debut as a ferociously intelligent skinhead determined to rampage his way into oblivion. Written by David Leland (writer-director of The Land Girls), Made in Britain ingeniously turns Roth's character, Trevor, into a sympathetic if irredeemable monster who rejects every effort to force him into Thatcher-era conformity. Disc 4 includes two of Clarke's most interesting films and, at least in this set, the best evidence of a surrealist streak often noted by his contemporaries. The 1998 The Firm stars Gary Oldman in a dazzling performance as a London realtor, Bex, whose hobby is soccer hooliganism. Surrounded by other middle-class mates with nice cars, homes, and families, Bex is essentially a gang ringleader who exchanges violent hostilities with another gang of even better-dressed, better-spoken London soccer fans. Clarke's images of grown men, with lives of real responsibility, beating each other's brains in is too bizarre to shake off. From the same year is Clarke's short, Elephant, in which a wordless series of vignettes about shootings take on a ritual, almost musical, form. The final disc offers a fine, 1991 documentary about Clarke that helps place his films into a personal and stylistic context. --Tom Keogh

Description

We are proud to present the 5-disc Limited Edition Alan Clarke Collection that includes participation by a veritable who's who of cutting edge British cinema: Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later), Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast, Cold Mountain), David Leland (Mona Lisa, Wish You Were Here) and Phil Daniels (Quadrophenia). Seeing that this is brandished the NO FUTURE collection, the run will remain a very limited 10,000. This 5-disc set will include the following:

(Disc One)
SCUM (1977 - BBC Version)
A shocking story of the brutality at a British school for young offenders. Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast), portrays a young troublemaker caught between the menacing staff and tough inmates. Banned by the BBC, this has never before been available on home video. Starring a well-known British cast, including Phil Daniels (Quadrophenia) and David Threlfall (Master & Commander). Producer Margaret Matheson also worked on infamous punk rock film, Sid & Nancy.

Extras:
* Audio Commentary with Stars Phil Daniels and David Threlfall and Producer Margaret Matheson.
* Selected Scenes with Audio Commentary by Star Ray Winstone.

(Disc Two)
SCUM (1979 - Theatrical Version)
After being banned by the BBC, director Alan Clarke remade Scum as a theatrical feature, utilizing the same story and several of the same actors.

Extras:
* Audio Commentary with Star Ray Winstone
* Interviews with Producer Clive Parsons & Writer Roy Minton (17 Mins.)
* Poster & Still Galleries
* Theatrical Trailer

(Disc Three)
MADE IN BRITAIN
Tim Roth portrays a young, intelligent, and sometimes violent skinhead who rebels against all authority, including those who want to help him. A potent portrait of disaffected youth (with a stinging punk rock soundtrack) that remains as relevant today. An unforgettable debut by Tim Roth, who went on to star in such classics as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Written by David Leland, who also scripted Mona Lisa and Wish You Were Here.

Extras:
* Audio Commentary #1 with Star Tim Roth
* Audio Commentary #2 with Writer David Leland and Producer Margaret Matheson
* Archive Interview with Tim Roth (5 mins.)
* Poster & Still Gallery

(Disc Four)
THE FIRM
In the tradition Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels and Sexy Beast, Gary Oldman stars as the leader of a gang of football hooligans, whose plan to unite rival "firms" for the Championships results in violence.

Extras:
* Still Galleries

ELEPHANT
In the inspiration for Gus Van Sant's award-winning film of the same name, a series of killings are committed randomly and without explanation in Northern Ireland. Produced by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later).

Extras:
* Audio Commentary with Producer Danny Boyle
* Memories of Elephant: Interviews with Gary Oldman, David Hare & Molly Clarke (5 mins.)

(Disc Five)
DIRECTOR: ALAN CLARKE
A documentary featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with friends and colleagues of Clarke, including Tim Roth, Danny Boyle, Stephen Frears (High Fidelity, The Grifters), Ray Winstone and Phil Daniels.

Extras:
* Features rare behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with friends & colleagues of Alan Clarke, including Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker's Dracula), Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), (Stephen Frears (High Fidelity), Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast) and Phil Daniels (Quadrophenia).
* Alan Clarke bio.

Customer Reviews:

The Daddy of All Box Sets.......2005-04-14

I remember when the theatrical version of Scum was first shown on tv in 1983 there was absolute uproar and questions were asked in the British parliament about how Channel 4 should be punished. The original version was banned by the BBC on the grounds that it was unrealistic to show so much incident within the context of one borstal. Made in Britain caused slightly less controversy, but still shocks. The Firm propels the viewer into the world of the "respectable" football hooligan and makes for an exhilarating and uncomfortable viewing experience. Elephant starkly depicts the sectarian civilian violence of 1980s Northern Ireland.

There are some fascinating commentaries included that are missing from the UK editions of these films and the documentary on disc 5 is excellent. Having seen this I would like to see Alan Clarke's other films from the 70s and 80s. I can't believe this is limited to just 10,000 copies, if it was released in the UK it would probably sell that in 1 week.

What Clarke depicted in these films is still relevant today. For example, last month, during the inquiry of the killing of an Asian young offender by his racist cellmate in a young offenders institute (borstal), it was revealed that the guards played "gladiator" by pairing inmates in cells who were most likely to attack each other, and that the former head of prisons considered resigning due to the high level of youth suicides.

Highly recommended.

Made in Britain not edited (response to P. Burrows).......2005-01-02

P. Burrows claims the hospital scene with the Michael Jackson line is missing from this edition. Not so. I just watched the whole set again last night and can confirm the scene is included.

*************

This is not an inexpensive set of films, but the cost is well worth it. Clarke has an unadorned, direct, unsentimental approach to the subject matter which makes for quite an impact. For example, in ELEPHANT there are only a few words spoken, there's no musical score, no slick sound effects, no glamour to the violence; the camera simply and fluidly follows the separatist assassins as they sidle up to their victims and carry out their executions with a disturbing casualness and lack of emotion. Then the grisly aftermath is witnessed by the camera with a cold, static stare.

It makes one feel like one's been punched in the stomach; the sensation is unshakable.

The Firm edited for the States.......2004-12-24

I watched the firm in this collection last night, and I also own the English release. Some of the scenes were cut for the American audience. When the black kid gets his face slashed with a Stanley knife, its not the violence that gets cut but the Hospital scene were he tells the copper his name is Michel Jackson and the copper says "you will be needing some more plastic surgery Michel"

Tall Tales Out of Film School.......2004-11-05

This review only relates to "Made In Britain," which stars a swastika-tattooed Jew, Tim Roth, playing a supposedly intelligent, supposedly racist skinhead who hangs out with blacks(?) Yet another unrealistic skinhead exploitation film depicting them as nothing but glue-sniffing criminal lunatics. A complete waste of time. To get an idea of what skinheads are really about, read "Spirit of '69" by George Marshall or, better yet - talk to one.

Best director of the '70s and '80s.......2004-09-29

Alan Clarke was, without a doubt, the best director working in the '70s and '80s. This DVD showcases some (though by no means all) of his prodigious talent. I would have liked to have seen his film 'Contact' (about a British squad patrolling in N. Ireland) on this DVD rather than the alternate version of 'Scum'. However, this DVD is a must-buy for anyone interested in harsh truths and realism well portrayed on film, or in the early careers of Tim Roth and Gary Oldman. This video shows how these two actors (especially Oldman) are wasted in Hollywood.

Average customer rating:

The Not So Happy Valley Set

Heat of the Sun 2 - Hide in Plain Sight
Starring: Trevor Eve , Susannah Harker , Akbar Kurtha , Lawrence Simbarashe , and Jimmi Harkishin
Director: Paul Seed , Adrian Shergold , and Diarmuid Lawrence
Manufacturer: Wgbh Boston
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

WGBH Boston | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Miniseries | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Last Detective - Series 1

ASIN: B0001WTULC
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Description

Superintendent Albert Tyburn's (Trevor Eve, The Politician's Wife) investigation of the death of a young African girl at local Christian mission pits him against a killer-and a powerful witch doctor who puts a curse on him. As Tyburn tries to shake off the frightening side effects of tribal wrath, he follows a trail of faked evidence, blackmail, and secret identities, certain it is leading him to something evil-but of what origin? Tyburn's flirtation with spirited aviatrix Emma Fitzgerald (Susannah Harker, Pride and Prejudice) takes off.

Special DVD features include: link to the Mystery! Web site; scene selections; and closed captions.

On one DVD5 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.

Customer Reviews:

The Not So Happy Valley Set.......2004-09-20

If you chanced to read the book White Mischief (or watch the movie made from it) then you know what to expect. It is Kenya during the years when it was crawling with British ex-pats and Tyburn (love the name) formerly of Scotland Yard has been exiled there due to a social faux pas. It seems he not so accidentally shot a well connected serial killer in England. (Can't have that, now can we?)

In Kenya though, Tyburn is surrounded by an exaggeration of the worse of British society-- adultry, overuse of makeup (by a male character), casual cruelty and biogtry abound. It becomes not so much a question of who is guilty as who is guilty of this one particular crime.

There is one scene that I just loved when Tyburn and his assistant call on two women who own a failing coffee plantation to ask their help in identifying an abused and terrorized native. Their exquisite good manners contrast sharply with the rather gauche behavior of their clearly out of practice hostesses. Definitely fun to watch.

As for the name Happy Valley, it was the name given to part of the Kenyan Highland settled by white colonialists who for one reason or another preferred to live outside of England. Their reputation for dissolute behavior would probably put the characters in this series set in their milieu to shame.

White Mischief by the way, which is not available in DVD, worse luck, involves the unsolved, true life murder of Lord Errol.

Made In Britain [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]

Average customer rating:

Made In Britain [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]
Director: Alan Clarke
Manufacturer: Prism Leisure
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000B9MZSA

Product Description

Great Britain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: o English (subtitles) o English (Mono) Synopsis: Written by David Leland and directed by Alan Clarke, Made in Britain is a slice of horrible but not inaccurate life from 1982. It holds a terrific early performance from Tim Roth as a skinhead with a swastika caste-mark tattoo, who constantly bares shark-like teeth as he spits embittered, articulate defiance at caring social workers and truncheon-wielding policemen alike. Sixteen-year-old Trevor (Roth) is remanded to an assessment centre before sentencing, but remains determined to disobey the rules imposed on him by any authority figures and spends the whole 73-minute play challenging the system to smack him back down, by vandalising the Job Centre, using his case-file as a toilet, stealing cars, victimising members of the "immigrant community" and shouting bile at people. The cycle that will lead him to an adult life in prison is explained to him with blackboard diagrams, but he believes he's better off keeping his hatred burning than toeing the line to end up as a no-hoper in a society that prizes obedience over conscience. It was originally televised as one of four Leland-filmed dramas about different aspects of the British education system, which made it seem less monomaniacal in its focus on an extreme case. There's no denying that it's an honest portrait of a monster calculated to terrify even the most concerned liberals which still manages to celebrate his self-destructive defiance. A film for television rather than a TV play, it has very strong language but the violence is all in Roth's face.

Average customer rating:

Tim Roth tour de force
"You will respect authority, and you will obey the rules."
Great for a Boot party!!

Made in Britain [Region 2]
Starring: Brian Hayes (II) , Tim Roth , Joan Ware , Jean Marlow , and Virginia Fiol
Director: Alan Clarke
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Scum
The Firm/Elephant
The Football Factory
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ASIN: B00004S8JA

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Tim Roth tour de force.......2007-04-30

"You will respect authority, and you will obey the rules.".......2006-09-09

Great for a Boot party!!.......2006-03-07

Average customer rating:

Made in Britain [Region 2]
Starring: Brian Hayes (II) , Tim Roth , Joan Ware , Jean Marlow , and Virginia Fiol
Director: Alan Clarke , and Mike Leigh
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00008DI5R

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