R.I.P: Mike Reid

A Few Months ago I wrote a tribute to one of my biggest childhood heroes, Mr Cockney Himself, Mike Reid:

Mike went into The Big Jellied Eel Shop In The Sky over the weekend -

As Tribute to the man, I've re posted the below - Pray silence please, for the only cockney I ever Loved. Mike Reid.

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You basically cannot get any more Cockney than Mike Reid's character Frank Butcher from Eastenders. It's against the Laws of Engerland....

Famous for, among other things, these "classics";

"What do you think I am, some kind of pilchard?"

"You get smart with me pal, I'll come down there and give you a dry slap"

OK, taken out of context, it's not exactly Shakespeare... but you just can't get better than Mike; he started out as a comedian (first appearing on "The Comedians", which at the time was fairly cutting edge stuff, but today looks incredibly dated with its' mother-in-law jokes and "blue material") and TV Show Host (my childhood memories consist of Mike bellowing out "Run Araaahhhnnd"

Most people know & Love him as Frank Butcher from Eastenders; But he's also done some other quality, heavier parts, in my opinion, most notably in the tragically unknown "underworld" in which he plays a murderous Taxi Driver. absolute classic performance.

It's widely assumed that our friends over the water haven't got a fucking clue what we're talking about most of the time. Films like "Snatch" & "The Long Good Friday" are often met with frowns associated with foreign language films, which I suppose they are, (it's not unknown for the US Audience to use subtitles. what you really need is some kind of babel fish! ) this handy translator should help theidiots from now on, and here's a useful list if you're ever up in town, use these words as often as possible in order that you "blend in" and you don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself;

• Brass = Broke No Money (also "easy lady")
• Blower = Phone
• Yard or Manor = Home
• Filth, Copper,Old Bill, Pigs, Fuzz, Rozzers = Police
• Gash, Pum Pum, Wifey = Girlfriend
• Grass or Snake = An informer
• Hookie, Sucked, Jacked = Stolen Items
• Jack Jones = to be alone
• Iron or Iron Hoof = Homosexual

Yes - we love stereo types, or at least, I do: Eel Pie & Mash, Isle of Dogs, Pearly Kings & Queens, Greyhound Racing, Alf Garnett,
gangalnd shootings -

There is nothing, nothing better in life, than a proper fucking Cockney - "Boiled Onions"

• Steptoe & Son
• Max Bygraves
• Sir Michael "bleedin" Caine
• The "Chelsea Smile" Kray Brothers
• Tommy Steele
• & of course, Mr Mike Reid

• ...."Two Old Chairs in the back of the Van Ee Eye Ee Eye Oh, "

" I'm not a gangster. I'm a businessman whose commodity happens to be cocaine"

Holy shit! – If you haven’t seen Layer Cake: here are some reasons you should right now!

Daniel Craig: Mr Craig is fast becoming The Man of The Moment – “Layer Cake” was released a whole year before the announcement the he was to be the next James Bond (watch for the subtle Bond reference in LC…) But Craig has been storming all over the screens since the early nineties – earning well deserved recognition for his memorable performance as Geordie in “Our Friends in the North” (this also opened gates for Christopher Eccleston, & Mark Strong)

Highlights of Craig’s career so far are “Road to Perdition” , “Sylvia” , “Enduring Love” “Munich” “Casino Royal” all made within a short 5 years – this guy is no slouch, and was the far most deserving candidate to take the Bond baton (also working on I, Lucifer, & Bond 22.) He is the bollocks.



Michael Gambon: Put Simply – if you Don’t like Michael Gambon, you are dead to me. I first came across him in “The Singing Detective” (watch it, no…. seriously, watch it….) Here he is the world weary, bollock breaking underworld boss that everyone would kill to work for. Every word uttered is poetry, spoken with a slightly broken cockney voice that is not in any way put on – Gambon is a joy to behold on screen.



Stephen Walters: Until now, people will have seen Stephen Walters in small British Soap parts, or might recognise him for small, but worthy film parts in “51st State” or the awful Vinnie Jones remake of “The Mean Machine”. (also Guy Richie’s “Revolver, & most recently “Hannibal Rising”).

But the two most memorable parts he has played so far are as Dr. Vaughan in the criminally overlooked channel 4 “Oz” - like masterpiece “Buried” – subtle, steady, reserved and fucking excellent. And, of course, playing Shanks in Layer Cake. Stephen might only be on screen for roughly six minutes, yet his opening gambit sets the stage for some of the most excellent acting in recent history – His performance, to be frank, raises the bar on acting the part of affected , sharp “do not fuck with me” characters that are almost always hammed up…..




Supporting Cast:

Tamer Hassan (Football Factory , The Business, The Calcium Kid)
Dexter Fletcher ( Bugsy Malone, Rachel Papers, Lock Stock)
Kenneth Cranham (Shine ON Harvey Moon, Shiner, just about everything)
Jason Flemyng (for about 30 wonderful seconds….)
& Of course Sienna Miller (Who you may have heard of?.)



The Script:

J.J. Connolly wrote Layer Cake originally in Novel form, and then went on to write the Screenplay;

The novel is about a successful cocaine dealer who has earned a respected place among England’s Mafia elite and plans an early retirement from the business.

Writing a book, and then transferring your baby from page to screen is always a painful affair – But this is a pure work of enjoyment, love of the genre, and a knowing wink to all those other films that walk straight through the clichés’ and fucks around with them.



The Direction:

Not intentionally seventh on the list, Matthew Vaughn ’s Direction is pretty close to flawless. You may not know that he Produced Guy Ritchie’s “Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels”, “Snatch” & “Mean Machine”… (two out of three aint bad).

Richie was originally touted to take the helm of Layer cake, but bowed out, so Vaughn took over. I think this might well be the best of a line of “London Underworld” Genre that Lock Stock kicked off in 1998. Yes, Lock stock was well executed, yes Snatch made good use of inter-cutting to take what was essentially a “caper” movie and make it something a bit more “zany”, but Vaughn’s Layer cake takes essentially an excellent story, and makes it just that bit better. He may have had the Midas touch as a Producer, making his mark on British Cinema, (and giving us Vinnie Jones) toward the late 1990’s and earl 2000’s – but as a Director, he’s more than proving he can fight above his weight –

There’s nothing “wacky” or “Zany” about Layer Cake – it’s just, bloody good.



The Music:

There’s no Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller, Robbie Williams, or lame 90’s covers here – The music really does take the film to another level: There’s none of that “Mockney” self conscious row here – (you can buy it at http://www.amazon.co.uk/ )

A mixture of Chill Beats and some old classic tunes you’ve forgotten you know – the soundtrack alone is quality stuff, added to the mocing picture, well……..

If you’re at all interested in true “British Crime Movies”, that are as good as The Long Good Friday, Monia Lisa, Get Carter, The Italian Job, then you should definitely add this to your list: if that’s not really you’re bag, then you’re probably not reading this anyway.

"The Street is Watching, She's Always Watching"

Carlito's Way was originally released in 1994: for Al Pacino, it's sandwiched right between The Scent of a Woman & Heat. It's interesting to note that this was not as widely successful as either of them. But it is equally as good as Heat, and a far superior movie, in every sense, to Scent....

At first, it seems that Director, Brian DePalma is entering into familiar themes addressed in his previous movies Scarface or even (on closer inspection) The Untouchables, which are both excellent examples of the "Gangster Genre". Of course, Depalma and Pacino are practically begging you to think of Scarface and Carltio's Way in the same sentence...

These are obvious comparisons; all three movies are connected in their main story themes, which are, essentially the bad guys versus the good guys,

But, from the first scene that we see Pacino, and hear his voice over, we are entering into a very different world than either Scent, or Heat:

DePalma perfectly sets the tone , immediately sending you into a Carlito's world. There is absolutely no ambiguity from the get go. You know that Carlito is a bad man. But you're preconceptions of Pacino allow for interesting play on what it means to be "bad" because, as we learn very quickly, Carlito has turned a page and is beginning to believe he can escape his past, make good the future...move on.

This theme echoes in his brief but significant meetings with one "Benny Blanco (from the Bronx)" the superb John Leguizamo. Benny see Carlito as a figure of authority, yet someone to challenge. They are inextricably linked, the past and the future of the underworld. Carlito's is reminded of himself in Benny.

As we are drawn so immediately into Carlito's world, the interplay between himself and the other main characters is never over played. It's incredibly real. Pacino does an outstanding job of being a man in the middle of a slow & painful moment of clarity...

Sean Penn plays David Kleinfeld, Carltio's sometimes Lawyer & friend and a complete liability , just kicks ass!". Carlito is consistently being drawn in to Davids seedy business deals and hilarious coke fiend rants... Sean had not really blown up in 1994. Sure, there were some excellent pieces on his CV (At Close Range, Colors, Casualties of War) but in Carlito's Way, he surpasses all expectations. Less than two years later, he was in Dead Man Walking, and that is a man at the top of his game.

This is a film that takes a really, really deep breath, and holds it for just about as long as you can before you bust something. There is the feeling that maybe a metronome is playing somewhere in the back ground, dutifully ticking off the seconds until something really bad happens.

People are forever banging on about Scarface. No doubt, because it really is a "piece of work"; every time you see it, yes, something else of note does opens itself up, requiring reconsideration of what the film really is about. I agree...( Blah blah blah...)

But there's something in Carlito that is not, nor ever will be in Scarface (and, to be fair it was never intended...) which is why, to my mind you just really cannot compare the two:

Carlito's story is a "true" tale of one mans' decision to change, no matter what, and the forces outside his control that make this decision an impossible task to undertake. In Scareface, the message is the total opposite- sheer force of will can get you anywhere you want.

Carlito's Way stands head and shoulders above most "gangster" genre from the last 10 years. It stands above films from many Genre.

The Film, Heat, ironically left me cold. I appreciate Michael Mann's style. (Manhunter, Ali, Collateral) but there is something soulless, almost deliberately, about his movies -

Depalma is not necessarily well know for having heart: but the magic is all there is Carlito's Way. Without an ounce of unneeded sentiment, this film will have Men of a certain age go a big wobbly one.

"You promised me that everything was gonna be ok, remember?"

The Film "Requiem for a Dream" (2000) is based on a book by Hubert Selby Jr of the same name:

I haven't read the book, so, to be fair, I can't comment on how close it follows the narrative.

One thing I do know is this: Requiem is one of the most relentless movie rides you could ever experience. But you constantly want to get off.

Like wincing at road kill, the use of montage is cleverly interwoven with stark images that, try as you might, you simply cannot turn away from.

I have watched this film several times, and it always has the exact same affect. I sit there slack jawed and tense for a couple of hours, seemingly unable to draw breath - but the other night I watched it with my best friend, who had never seen, or heard of it before: seeing his reaction was almost as hard to watch as the movie itself. It was then that I knew that what this film does so well, is really get under the skin and right smack bang into the centre of the darkest soul of things.

The music just adds weight to everything you're seeing: intense & running the same theme throughout. This has to be one of the most exhausting films ever made - the story itself is not particularly hopeful, but the way the Directory Darren Aronofsky draws you in is like nothing else.....

Ultimately, you could argue that films like this are self indulgent, that movies should be happy, jolly, fun and uplifting affairs. But I disagree; whilst this films messages are essentially seen as;

"Hey!.....Drugs are bad, addiction is bad, we're all doomed, your dreams will diminish to nothing, leaving you empty and wanting"

That's actually OK with me. I don't want to be protected - I want to see behind the scenes, I dig the hideousness;

If you're a little like this too, then this film will have a profound effect. if it's not your bag, then try sticking your head in the sand.

Shut your raggedy-ass up, and sit the fuck down!

While everyone else in the room is getting in a dizzy tizz over Quentin Tarantino's new Movie Grindhouse, (yes, I know it's a double bill with Robert Rodriguez sharing Director's credit...) I got to thinking; What is my Favourite Tarantino movie?. Which of his films, when all is said and done, can I go back to and enjoy as much now, as the first time I watched it?. I have to say, for my money, that would have to be Jackie Brown.

Jackie Brown was Tarantino's 5th time in the ring as a Movie Director, only this time the subject matter was drawn from a Elmore Leonard novel "Rum Punch"; Tarantino had, by this point, written Reservoir Dogs, Natural Born Killers & Pulp Fiction, and was carving a very plausible reputation as the Zeitgeist of the '90 film industry. It seemed, whatever he had a hand in, turned to gold...

Re-writing the novel into screenplay is always going to change the plot in some ways. That Tarantino manages to retain the essence of the story whilst altering some of the plot only magnifies his talent.

Also interesting is his casting: using A- Lister's such as Deniro & Keaton in smaller parts, whilst handing over the leading roles to veterans such as Pam Grier & Robert Forster, just shows a man at the top of his game, with laser like accuracy, he nailed every single part perfectly.

But what I like more than anything else about Jackie Brown, is the pacing. Tarantino has the ability to turn up the heat (reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill Vol's 1&2, Natural Born Killers), but here we're seeing an obviously more pensive view through the lens. Every shot is allowed to slowly unfold onto you. this is not like many other films of it's time, crashing and shouting all the way to the end without much to say. Damn it this film has depth, soul even.

And if you think you know what the film is "about", look again. There are at the very least four story lines occuring all at once, every bit as complex as say, The Godfather, or No Way Out or Glengarry Glen Ross. As the pace is so perfectly kept, you're almost seduced into believing that all these stories are one and the same thing. Like I said, look again.

I'm very exited about Grindhouse too. It seems that in the last fifteen years that I have become so interested in film, Tarantino has been an imminent force, every now and again back on the radar with a new box of tricks. Grindhouse, no doubt will expertly reinvent a genre that many didn't even know existed. No doubt there will be the obligatory Grindhouse copies in the next 18 months or so. No doubt Tarantino will be asked to dissect every frame of his new film.

But I wonder if this signifies another kind of departure. Jackie Brown was probably the most mature of him first five movies. People will pick their favourites, but none could deny that the characters within Jackie Brown are "real" enough to care for, can we actually say that of any other character, in any of his 4 films before?

The Story, the Script, the Dialogue, the Characters, it's all here: Jackie Brown is hard to beat.

"This is England"

“This is England” Sean Meadows film offering, comes off as something of a beautiful lament for the 1980’s. But there is nothing saccharine about the images he draws from: The Falkland War, our Iron Lady Maggie Thatcher, Miners Disputes, Unemployment:

Acting as the backdrop to something like the “everyday tale of a young boy’s short distant travel in the summer of 1983”, from bullied & oppressed flared wearing ginger, to skinhead. His charming indoctrination into a small, tight knit crew of skins is dealt with admirably, and without much deliberation.

The original skinheads, their sensibilities and beliefs are only briefly touched on – these, remember, are 2nd generation skin’s – what there about, to begin with, seems more like benign resignation that life in England in the 1980’s had little to offer; and of course, to a certain faction, they were absolutely right:

But focus is put, quite rightly, on the positives of belonging to something; something with meaning, something solid – a feeling our main character is certainly in desperate need of:

What Meadows does so perfectly here is understated reality. Every character feels so very, very real. If you, like me, where 13 years old in ’83 – then this is incredibly familiar territory
Unlike the films of say “Scum, or Made in Britain that were made in the 80’s and were dealing with similar topics on a grander scale:, the anger, frustration, pessimism & confusions of the time are kept to just one character here – who’s return into the crew brings change, and ultimately this is where the films heart rings out. (You might want to compare some of the more darker commentary to American History X,)

This is, quite honestly, one of the most beautifully accurate and painful films to come out of England in a very long time. It does not try to answer questions; it tries to show how a seemingly good souls can become seduced, changed & Ultimately, damaged:

Meadows’ lament may well be the most poetic British cinema we’ve seen so far this decade