User reviews

While not technically a Comic Strip Presents movie,this was written by Peter Richardson and Pete Richens(who wrote the majority of the episodes) and "guest stars" The Comic Strip. While these guys are well known for their left leaning comedy,this movie pushes it to extremes,while still managing to poke fun at themselves.A brilliant balance. Although most of the satire is rooted in 80's British politics,you will laugh even if you don't get that. I'd say this is second to Churchill: The Hollywood Years but ahead of The Supergrass.If you are even a small fan of these guys you need to see this.Another Richardson and Richens comedy classic.

OK, real quick, a correction of someone else's review:

1. Brian Johnson of AC/DC is NOT in this movie.

2. The song in the employment office scene is 'Nothing Up My Sleeves', not 'Ace of Spades.' Having said that...

The film is definitely not for everyone, but for being a small film with a small budget and mostly television actors, its really not bad. The humor is often subtle and easy to miss if you don't pay attention. There's a lot of cameos ranging from 3 of the 4 'Young Ones' stars to Sir Paul McCartney, which just makes the movie weirder, like 'What the %%%% is HE doing in THIS??' Overall its not a bad movie, just don't rent it expecting 'Gone With the Wind.'

"The Comic Strip Presents..." a lively, rowdy and bawdy cult black comedy gourmet with a novel one-joke premise like something John Watter's would churn out. Even that of Alex Cox's chaotic "Straight to Hell" shot to mind. This amusing oddball independent British feature kicks you in the guts with its heavy-handed approach from its acting to its dialogues and prominent surrealistic visual styling. No one is safe from the insults. It's sick and twisted with real ugly streak, but quite enjoyable as its anarchic messages are just so knee-jerk, the clever humour can be sneaky in its jabs and its episodically loose writing is just so random with its comic shocks. Interesting to see some familiar faces (Angie Bowie, Bill Wyman, Miranda Richardson and Paul McCartney) popping up with the likes of "The Comic Strip" being involved along with Motorhead contributing to the frenetic rock soundtrack. Even the bassist / singer Lemmy gets a part in the film. Al Pillay and Nosher Powell (looking great in green business suits) are the two who steal the limelight with their electric performances, one deadpan while the other maniac in delivery. Bombastic fun!

"Here have a toffee".

Dark, dark stuff from the British 'Comic Strip' school of movie/TV comedy making. Robin Hood meets Motorhead. And, yes indeed, 80's Yuppies are served meals of dead 80's Yuppies in a vile 80's Yuppie restaurant.

This is a love/hate movie. Most people will be offended.

Oh, by the way, great sound track

Overall - 7.5/10

Maybe it's me, but this does not seem to have aged that well on many levels. On the other hand including a legend like Lemmy in the movie is always a smart move. Even if I wouldn't even dare call myself a fan (considering so many others who are in love with him and know way more things about him - like the fact that he is in this movie, I only discovered it while watching).

And then there is the really good and cool soundtrack. I reckon if you cut this some slack, pacing wise and again the age things, you might find it more attractive than others. Also if you're a big fan of Lemmy. Do you and be sure you're aware what you let yourself into.

You'll need to be in the right mood (something like "the entire world is on my last nerve") to fully appreciate this one. Better than most John Waters' films; same genre, if it is a genre. Capitalists may not get it, but for the rest of us it's a rare treat.

With this being recommended in so many places, I expected more from it. In the end it feels like I did get the idea behind it, but a lot of things stay on concept art level and could've been worked out a bit better.

Set in London, this is an anarchic satire on the consumerist yuppiedom of the Thatcherite 1980s. Written by and featuring the cast of The Comic Strip series, the film could be a Who's Who of the 1980s UK show business. All credit to them for getting people such as Paul McCartney, Bill Wyman and Koo Stark and Motorhead who contribute much of the soundtrack.

Director Peter Richardson creates the restaurant (the IMDb does not permit me to mention its name) in which much of the action takes place and the feasting of the patrons and their behaviour as they stuff their faces is a metaphor for the excesses of the 1980s but the film does show the ugliness of all levels of society.

The film is a bit uneven in its pacing but maybe this was intentional as the frenetic pace of the city is offset by a rather pedestrian pace when the location changes to the countryside. Overall though, the film is of its time and with the screen filled with celebrities of those days, some forgotten, some who made it big, this film deserves repeated viewing, even if it is only to play spot the celebrity.

Set in fascist London, a group of non-relative, broken yet hopeful vagabonds find each other and attempt to restructure society into a single humane unit. When that fails they shoot people full of arrows and cause a smart and accurate assault on the posh structures of politics and upper class snobbery.

There are many parallels to Robin Hood and layers of Political strife that almost get buried under snide John Waters-esque humor and fantastic visual imagery not unlike Sid and Nancy or The Young Ones. The characters are well developed and provide a full range of personalities to keep the film moving and entertaining. It could use a minor editing job to remove some excess footage that slows down the first 1/2hour, other than that this should be an 80's cult classic for alternative humor. For those that liked "the Cook/thief/wife/lover"---this is better and doesn't seep in frivolity.

I remember seeing a trailer for this film back up in Buffalo, NY, and then never seeing it come to a theater. At the time my first two thoughts were, "What the Hell is this?" and then, "This looks like something to watch!"

Three years later, I stumbled across a VHS copy of it in a bargain bin of Record Theater, and snapped it up for $2. Being cheap, it's one of those rare occasions where I figured that I got more than my money's worth.

This film is truly different. It constantly flips between well constructed and paced scenes, to a variety of cheap countryside scenes that connected a lot of the main characters. It feels like they ran short of money and spent a day filming a lot of quick scenes to try and make the movie fit together.

Now don't let that stop you from watching it, and many of the scenes are unforgettable, but the film does slow down every time the action shifts out of London. If you can get through that, and Jimmy's annoying jokes, then you'll see a film that really is unlike any other I've come across.

This is one of the most wittiest films made that covers everything ,eg: Religion ,Politics ,Social Classes etc, and the best part ITS A COMEDY. With just about every decent British comedian present,Too many to mention and the soundtrack is by MOTORHEAD. This film takes the p*** out of almost everything, so if your offended by unpolitically correct comments, don't watch this.If you not offended by the words (Poof,Black B**tard or F***king then you will love it.

Showed this to my roommmate a few years ago. He loves it ..but not much as I do. It is a dark comedy, if you're a snowflake, you'll hate it.

This is not a good movie in the strictest sense of that term, but ... I don't know what it is. The only thing that I can safely say, it certainly isn't bad; it's very strange and has a lot of things going for it. A very waifish Lemmy (from Motörhead), for example, and everyone who was going to amount to anything in acting in the next years, and their mums. And the Beatles. The only thing I'd like to know is how they got this drug-addled phantasmagoria of a movie financed. The movie doesn't really follow a plot but plays along the lines of "I wonder what comes next". And especially along the lines of "I wonder where my next square meal will come from". Like they had shot the scenes during the day and written the script for the next day at night.

Don't get me wrong. This movie was meant to have a better script, and they obviously fubbed it up. Don't tell me that they were well capable of telling an intriguing and coherent story but opted for cinematic surrealism instead. I've made movies myself, and I know fully well how they got to be so intriguingly offbeat and charmingly eccentric. But fortunately this movie here has many other things going for it.

I'd like to big one up for the little people now: Kevin Allen (I think that's him) as "revolutionary gay waiter #1" and Nosher Powell as "Nosher" both give excellent dramatic performances.

If you're after an evening of mutually assured distraction, then stay well clear. If you harbour an interest for the bizarre, then buy the golden bleeding collector's box.

An indictment on everything wrong with the thatcherite thinking of the day, this film explores the deepest recesses of the mind - probing into areas previously thought taboo by mainstream cinema.

Hilarious & sad - Ugly & Bad.

You have go to see this!

(even if just for the Motorhead soundtrack)

This movie isn't perfect but with a open mind you should enjoy it, but some people sees part of it and would get upset with the ideal of someone eating another human. The biggest thing I get from this movie is no matter how rich, powerful, and/or color you are, you're going to die. This movie has great sound track but there was one song played, you can't hear the saxophones. This is just minor bug. Some parts made no sense but it is enjoyable to watch. I seen bigger movie hits that sucks, example Avatar. There are some fun parts but it's mostly a drama. I still cannot believe that this movie bomb, it should did better at the box office.