The Supergrass is a 1985 British comedy film directed by Peter Richardson, (who also plays a major role) who also wrote the screenplay with Pete Richens. The film stars Adrian Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith Allen, Nigel Planer, Alexei Sayle, Ronald Allen, and Robbie Coltrane.[2] The Supergrass was the first feature-length film by the 1980s alternative comedy group The Comic Strip.
| The Supergrass | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Peter Richardson |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | Elaine Taylor |
| Starring | |
| Distributed by | Recorded Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | over £1 million[1] |
The soundtrack to the film featured original music from Keith Tippett, plus music from P. P. Arnold, Grace Jones, and Bob Marley, among others.[3]
Plot
editAfter returning from a holiday at Hope Cove in the West Country, Dennis Carter (Adrian Edmondson) tries to impress a girl by untruthfully boasting of being a drug smuggler. The girl is unimpressed; however, he is overheard by the police, who persuade him to become a supergrass and inform on his associates. The more Dennis lies, the bigger the hole he digs for himself.
Cast
edit- Adrian Edmondson as Dennis Carter
- Jennifer Saunders as Lesley Reynolds
- Peter Richardson as Harvey Duncan
- Robbie Coltrane as Det. Sgt. Troy
- Nigel Planer as Gunter
- Keith Allen as Wong
- Dawn French as Andrea
- Daniel Peacock as Jim Jarvis
- Ronald Allen as Commander Robertson
- Alexei Sayle as Motorbike Cop
- Michael Elphick as Constable Collins
- Patrick Durkin as Constable Franks
- Marika Rivera as Bed and Breakfast Landlady
- Al Pillay as Mary
- Kevin Allen as Shop Assistant
Versions
editThe version of the film initially released in the cinema ran 107 minutes,[4] which was subsequently released on VHS running to 103, due to PAL speed-up.[5]
The film was screened by Channel 4 on 13 March 1988, as a prelude to the fourth series of The Comic Strip Presents, but this was a version cut down to 93 minutes 26 seconds, equivalent to 97 minutes 20 seconds in the cinema, so missing some nine minutes 49 seconds. All subsequent VHS and DVD releases, including the "complete" Comic Strip box set, use the shorter cut-down version.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 322.
- ^ BFI.org
- ^ Soundtrack album
- ^ BBFC: The Supergrass 01/10/85
- ^ BBFC: The Supergrass 28/04/86
- ^ BBFC: The Supergrass 28/04/94
- ^ BBFC: The Supergrass 01/12/99
External links
edit
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