Slade - Flame details
| Format: | PG DVD |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Alan Lake, Noddy Holder, Don Powell, Jim Lea, Dave Hill, Tom Conti |
| Director: | Richard Loncraine |
| Genre: | Drama - General |
| Studio: | UNION SQUARE MUSIC |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
Slade - Flame |
PG Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 27 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | Not available for rental |
| Main languages: | English |
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Most helpful review
Not as good as I hoped, not as bad as I feared
By howie (29 reviews) from Hertford , 09 Jul 2004[Highly rated reviewer]
Reckoned by some to be an undiscovered classic, in fact, it is a modest low-budget effort which has stood the test of time pretty well.
The film concentrates on the more mundane aspects of the rock and roll lifestyle: the rehearsals, the on-stage jealousy, the back-stage bickering, having to deal with 'the men in suits' who want to package the band like a packet of fish fingers. We also see lots of 'it's grim oop north' staples, such as terraced houses, pigeon lofts, dirty canals and a steel foundry. Given the budget, this was a wiser move than attempting to capture Slade in all their foot-stomping grandeur at the height of their fame.
From a technical viewpoint, the sound is a bit iffy and the lighting in many scenes seems designed to conceal rather than illuminate. Tom Conti sleepwalks through his first big-screen role, but then his character (high powered marketing executive with no interest in pop music) is fairly one dimensional, anyway. Johnnie Shannon, however, as the low-life agent who dumps the band and then tries to get his hooks back into them when they make it big, is excellent as the thug with a friendly face.
Surprisingly, the members of Slade make a decent fist of the acting, and the soundtrack contain two bona fide classics among the more bog-standard 12-bar fare. Don Powell has a couple of decent slapstick moments, Noddy and Jim have some good confrontation chemistry going, and Dave Hill plays an annoying buck-toothed twot with a stupid haircut ...
Though it is probably no better than a decent episode of 'Aud Wiedersehen, Pet', its saving graces are its gritty authenticity and the songs. I particularly enjoyed the machine gun assault on the pirate radio station in the Thames Estuary (Radio City) - it impressed my kids no end when I told them this actually happened in real life and it was later confirmed by Noddy Holder in the 'extra features' interview.- Was this review helpful to you?
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All reviews
(13)EXCELLENT, especially for its time...
By SiSlayRD500 (136 reviews) from Solihull , 23 Jan 2012*An update to this review which I'd forgotten to mention: the version to buy is the 'Union Square' DVD/CD release in remastered format - picture and sound are both great*
I truly feel that some have been a bit unfair regarding their rating of this film; obviously it's always a matter of personal taste, but given the overall context of the film and the era this was made in, I think it's excellent.
Very basically about a group 'Flame' who come together, become successful and then the demise of the band. It shows the 'middlemen', the lies/deceit, the darker side of the music business and at times is quite gritty / realistic.
The band themselves (Slade - Noddy, Jim, Dave & Don) do a good job of the acting (especially Noddy & Jim) given this was their only ever go at it (with the exception of Noddy Holder who was great in the '97 comedy series 'The Grimley's').
A GREAT soundtrack too with the classics 'How Does It Feel' / 'Far Far Away', the former being one of my favourite tracks of all time.
Overall then a great film which I'd recommend to fans of music, or ANYONE who likes an entertaining / engaging film... DEFINITELY worth 5 stars!- Was this review helpful to you?
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Customer Review
By a customer from UK , 23 Jun 2008brilliant gritty feel to this movie, good acting and good screenplay with excellent cinematography, use of lighting etc
...but my word of caution is that not only is this not widescreen, it is NOT even pan&scan, so in effect, the image is constantly zeroed in on the middle of the screen, and as this was shot in widescreen, quite often the characters are at either ends of a wide shot, but on the dvd, you hear dialogue, then maybe a hand flips into the screen for a moment. This does not happen often, but it does mean that in general you feel you are missing a dimension i.e. at least you would usually get the shot centred on the face of the character talking instead of seeing half of two characters heads.
So why should you buy or rent this? It is currently the only way you will see this movie, which although corny in places, shows that Slade were more than just 'Here It Is Merry Christmas..'and really try to explode the rock star myth like David Essex's 'Stardust' does.
The soundtrack is excellent - musically deeper than the glam rock they were famous for.
It really is just an inexplicable waste of an opportunity to show it in widescreen though, which would have made all the difference, hence the two stars only - content-wise I would give it 4.- Was this review helpful to you?
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POOR
By a customer from uk , 01 Oct 2007Not what we expected, abit amatuer- Was this review helpful to you?
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A glorious history lesson
By a customer from London , 03 Jul 2007Remember terraced council housing, racing pigeons, working men's clubs, bad personal hygiene and flares. Remember a Britain before every teenager wanted a Myspace page and to be on Big Brother. Remember when youngsters wanted to escape by being in a good old fashioned rock and roll band.
It's that spirit that Slade in Flame brings alive in spades. What's more it's a loving, credible portrait of the era. It's no exaggeration to claim the film is reminiscent of early Ken Loach and Mike Leigh,
And - god - the boys of Slade can act. You'll laugh and cry along with them. So less 'feel the noize' and more 'feel the warm glow of nostalgia'- Was this review helpful to you?
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Entertaining and Surprising
By a customer from Salford , 12 Mar 2007Not what you'd expect from a cinematic vanity project of a band (Slade)at the height of their powers ('73/'74). Refreshingly earthy and downbeat, the lack of acting experience from the band members actually produces naturalistic performances in front of the camera. And How Does It Feel? always was their best song really...- Was this review helpful to you?
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