Your Face Here: British Cult Movies Since the Sixties

by Ali Catterall, Simon Wells

Blow Up, Get Carter, Performance, A Clockwork Orange, Quadrophenia, Naked, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels —in recent years, an industry has grown up around certain British cult movies, spawning soundtracks, videos, internet sites, and cinematic re–releases. The makers of these films have become icons of cool, revered throughout the worlds of film, music, and fashion. How has this come about? And what turns these films into lifestyles? Drawing on exclusive interviews with studio bosses, actors, filmmakers, and fans, and touring dozens of film locations, Your Face Here reveals all.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two authors choose their favourite British cult movies in this enjoyable reference book. There are some fine interviews with the cast & crew of the thirteen films chosen, & plenty of snippets of trivia for those familiar (or unfamilair) with the films discussed.
The choice of titles are varied, & although limited, I was particularly pleased to see four of my favourites included: Get Carter, A Clockwork Orange, The Wicker Man and Withnail & I. My only criticism is the lack of any photographs from the films, which would have been a nice addition.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining read. Each chapter of this book details a different British cult film—A Hard Day’s Night, The Blow Up, If…, Performance, Get Carter, A Clockwork Orange, The Wicker Man, Quadrophenia, Withnail & I, Naked, Trainspotting, and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels—and covers the film’s backstory, the production, the media reception, and the legacy. In addition to this, the Lock, Stock chapter ends the book with an argument for organic, legitimate cult-status as opposed to the marketed, soulless “retro” of Ritchie’s film and questions whether or not cults can even be allowed to grow in today’s film climate. It’s pretty simple and straight-forward, but the stories behind each film are utterly fascinating and well told.

The best thing about this book is the voice of Catterall and Wells. They approach their subject matter as devoted fans and their enthusiasm propels the work. The pretentious, detached attitude that weighs down so many film books is nowhere to be found. This is a book written for and written by passionate, geeky film buffs.

I went into this book having seen most, but not all of the films covered. By the end, I had included several more in my Netflix queue. The chapters concerning the films I was not familiar with didn’t drag in the slightest—on the contrary, I left intrigued. Reading this book has left me in awe that some of these films even got made at all, considering how many forces seemed to be against them. In addition to these stories, Catterall and Wells pepper each chapter with the details of some of the filming locations, whether they’re still there or not. You could make your own mini British film tour using the information presented in this book.

For those interested in this—albeit very specific—section of pop culture history, I recommend this book. I have not yet found another book on this subject, but considering how well researched and just plain fun this book is, I might not need to.

[Stephen Bacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a decent appraisal of 12 'cult' British films, as categorised by writers Ali Catterall and Simon Wells. Featuring chronologically released entries A Hard Day's Night, Blow Up, If..., Performance, Get Carter, A Clockwork Orange, The Wicker Man, Quadrophenia, Withnail & I, Naked, Trainspotting, and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, each detailed chapters offers a fascinating overview of the respective film.
There are some nice bits of trivia and an array of soundbites from the various people involved, and the book takes a welcome stance in detailing the actual shooting locations.
The prose is enthusiastic and respectfully toned. I think there was just two of the films I hadn't seen before, but the book left me wanting to seek them out, as well as generating an urge to rewatch the ones I'd seen before. The final chapter discusses what elements make up a 'cult film' and ponders whether - in this internet-ready, quick to stream, day and age - a film even has the chance to become a cult film.
Recommended to those who like films and film-making.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in 2001, this book is an excellent perspective on the evolution of "cult movie phenonema" from the Beatles era to Guy Ritchie. The author did speculate on how high speed internet may further influence the creation, marketing, and popularity of "cult movies" -- but it's fair to say that since this book was written, digital filmmaking and social media have changed the game even more than most would have thought in 2001.

In addition to all that, this book is quite a fun read, and contains a lot of interesting information about the movies and people it discusses.

[Martin Raybould · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a great book still to be written about British cult movies but this isn't it. This was written by and for fans but is lacking in social, cultural or psychological analysis. It's fine if you want to know how the movies got to be made and where the key scenes were shot but will disappoint readers (like me) looking for something more insightful.

[Newfad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touch dated now but still well worth a read as it delves into the minutiae of 12 all time (mainly) classic British films. A bit too heavy on the gangster theme but still penetrates deep enough for the average UK film nerd to find interesting.

[Eve Tarpey · Rating 3 out of 5]

the movies are better …