Withnail & I: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know But Were Too Drunk To Ask

by Thomas Hewitt-McManus

Withnail & I, the cult film and highly quotable debut by writer and director, Bruce Robinson, has etched itself into the hearts and minds of its varied audience since its release in 1987. In this book, an unofficial compendium of the film, the author presents an array of facts, anecdotes, and trivia regarding the production of the film as well as the colourful genesis of its plot and characters. Written in an informative and highly entertaining A to Z format, the book includes photographs and maps of the film's locations, and yields answers to the many questions asked about the film. Ralph Brown, who played the character, Danny, provides a foreword. An absolute must for any Withnail & I fan and a lively and enjoyable read for all film enthusiasts.

Genres: Nonfiction

124 pages, Paperback

First published July 13, 2006

Reviews

[Spiros · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amazing, and almost totally useless, compendium of all possible trivia relating to one of the funniest movies ever made, a movie a friend of mine once brilliantly summed up as "the Merchant-Ivory version of FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS".
Best summarized by Ralph Brown, the actor who played Danny the drug dealer, in his introduction, which I quote verbatim:
"This is a completely and utterly worthless book unless you are enlessly fascinated by the so-called motion picture film WITHNAIL & I - a film I was forced to take part in during the early part of my career and which scarred me permanently. It has cast a giant shadow over my subsequent career and I have been hounded by dope peddlers, film directors and permanent students ever since. Please put this book down and go back to what you were doing. For your own sake."
This is a book for which I am the target market.

[Mike Roper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breezy fun, marked down because an A-Z of Withnail & I without P for Penrith deserves harsh criticism.

[Russio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the dubious claim that using an A-Z format will add to the book's entertainment value and the fact that this is essentially a cut-up of other material that the author has collated, this remains a treasure trove of interesting information about the marvellous cult film. Garrulous at points and interesting on the making of the film, this then spoils itself by failing to predict the advent of the internet and stuffing the back end of the book with maps of Stony Stratford and other exciting spots.

[John Spiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I watched "Withnail and I" the other night and was inspired to learn more. This brief book is serviceable, though flawed. Because the books is organized alphabetically, the information is conveyed in a random manner. The book is worth the $3 I spent, though, because it contains maps showing the locations of the various scenes of the movie. If you plan to do a "Withnail" tour, this is an essential resource. If you are looking for thoughtful essays or extended meditations on the film itself, look elsewhere.

[John Barclay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is interesting for a fan, but it's also kind of annoying. Because of the format (A to Z) it repeats a LOT of information. Not that anyone is reading it as a scholarly work, so it seems a bit silly to do this.

A very slight book which nonetheless made me happy to read because I love the movie so very very much.

[Ian Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light fun and interesting tidbits for the hardcore fan.

[Studvet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but funny and interesting. Often made me laugh out loud.

[Byron 'Giggsy' Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ralph Brown who played Danny "Headhunter" opens the forward to the book with: "This is a completely and utterly worthless book unless you are endlessly fascinated with Withnail & I"

This is true - it is great for the hardcore fan wanting to know everything possible about the film. A film student or moderate fan would likely find it useless and boring - a film critique/analysis would be a better choice, and that is not what this book is.

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Withnail and I" is my favorite movie of all time. I'll read anything about it and I managed to learn some things I didn't already know from this book.