Shannon Matthews the Musical the Movie

A great film with some memorable songs which YOU will be humming along to for days after, cast are brilliant. Won't be for everyone but if you like your humour dark and want to watch a very funny version of an almighty strange story then give this a go. I attended the london permiere and was amongst cast and like minded film goers and we all have a jolly good time. I hope this film gets a cinema run as it does deserve to be seen on a big screen. Aware some people think this sort of film is wrong and I say to them don't watch it if it is going to offend you and let the people who do enjoy their humour with a sprinkle of sick humour to lap it up.

Full disclosure: I am a long term fan of Kunt And The Gang and helped to crowd fund this film. I was also at the recent premiere in Leeds.

With that out of the way - the film far exceeded my expectations (which were already pretty high, having seen and loved the stage show version of it in Edinburgh last year).

The film is very funny, with excellent performances across the board (particularly from director Sam Hindman as Karen Matthews and Rob Kirtley as DI Radgitt). It takes the stage show and adds in lots of extra goodies - green screen chases, dream sequences, 'celebrity' cameos and lots of Easter Eggs.

There's also some lovely outdoor scenes - the crew really did make the most of their (presumably) limited budget. For a daft film - it's actually rather clever!

You don't have to be a diehard Kunt fan to 'get' this movie - yes, there are some in-jokes but, basically, if you are a fan of toilet humour and OTT comedy, this is the film for you. Stick it on the telly after you come back from the pub and you're sorted!

Be warned, though - once the songs that feature on the soundtrack worm their way into your head, they will NEVER leave!

I look forward to buying a copy of the film on DVD when it comes out - or, even better, getting to see it again in the cinema with my mates.

Having owned the Musical on CD for years and then being informed that it was to be made into a film, I couldn't contain my excitement. Was the anticipation worth it? Absolutely! The plot may seem ridiculous. You may be sat watching and thinking "has this all come from Kunt's imagination?" Nope. It all came from Karen Matthews, believe it or not. The storyline may sound daft, but the beauty of it is how Kunt and co have managed to write hilarious songs based on the story. The actors portraying the characters do a superb job also of bringing the story line to life with humor. Don't Wikipedia to find out what happened. Just watch this film...

Surely the funniest film of the year, though that statement comes with major caveats about its subject matter, content and language, which means that its chances of finding appreciative audiences seem very limited. It's a true-crime comedy musical written and composed by one-man filth-pop cult legend Kunt and the Gang, whose song lyrics revolve largely around genitals, sexual acts, newsworthy paedophiles and other unsavoury subjects. Despite that, he's troubled the Top 75 twice with "Use My Arsehole as a Cunt" and "Fucksticks", and as frontman of punk band The Kunts, has had four more recent Top 10 hits, including "Boris Johnson is a Fucking Cunt" and "Fuck the Tories". So you get the sense of what he does.

Despite those left-wing credentials, Kunt goes full tabloid exposé in his take on northern council estate life as epitomised by Karen Matthews. An unemployed mum of seven children, almost all of whom have "Different Dads" according to one of the songs here, she notoriously came up with "A Plan (Based on Maddie McCann)" to fake the abduction of her daughter Shannon, in the hope of splitting the Sun newspaper's inevitable cash reward with her accomplice. The depiction of this fraud - and of Karen's lifestyle - is done in incredibly poor taste, but the thing about Kunt is that he's able to do very bad taste with a cheeky wink. Even when he's not the person you're watching sing the songs (or speak the dialogue), that adorable, hilarious naughtiness is still there.

It's there in the numerous background jokes, many of which demand a rewatch to take in properly. It's definitely there in the lyrics, which for example, rhyme "computer jargon" with "why have you got that hard-on?". And it's there in the the ever-jaunty, major-key synth backing music that even make songs called things like "You're a Paedophile" so catchy and enjoyable. The film's production values are akin with the tinny tunes: pretty basic and rough around the edges, but with enough comedy chops to overcome the lack of polish. The staging of "Shannon Ain't Dead (She's Under My Bed)" as a chase scene around the north of England is particularly brilliant, and there are many, many other highlights. But it's a difficult film to recommend to anyone you want to remain friends with, because if they hate it, chances are they'll get the police to check your hard drive.

Went to the Leeds premiere and was so impressed. It was so hilarious I was choking and laughing so much I couldn't breathe.

In reality it is one of the bravest movies ever made. Tackling a tricky subject by only making fun of the culprits. Not the victim Shannon aged 9! Very clever on doing this for one of the strangest crimes ever committed.

The songs are so funny and catchy and the cast on such a small budget excelled better than the overpaid luvvies. DC Radgitt and Karen deserve Oscars! Some really nice shots of Yorkshire beaches too on such a small budget.

Everyone with a sense of humour should see this as soon as possible. Definitely deserves a mainstream release ASAP! Needs a health warning though to warn of choking after uncontrollable bouts of laughter throughout.