The Observer recently ran an article covering the best British films of the last 25 years.
They asked me, among many others, to contribute a top ten list of my favourites (Brit spelling).
I was very pleased to do so.
I have to say though. It was a tough list to come up with. Mainly because there are so many grey areas in British film. Some of the films I thought of including were CHILDREN OF MEN, UNITED 93 and BRAZIL.
The first is an American studio film, with a Mexican director, but a UK setting. The second is also American financed made by a British production company, filmed in London, with a British director, but a US setting. The third, an amazing film, is also financed by an American studio (all Universal in fact) and is shot in the UK, but with an American director (although an ex pat).
Confusing stuff.
Other contributors were not so shy about sticking Brazil on their lists, but I tried to keep it simple and not include any grey (Brit spelling) area films.
You can see my top ten here…
Top 10: Edgar Wright, director
Life is Sweet (Mike Leigh, 1991)
Sexy Beast (Jonathan Glazer, 2000)
Dead Man’s Shoes (Shane Meadows, 2004)
Trainspotting (Danny Boyle, 1996)
The Filth and the Fury (Julien Temple, 2000)
Withnail and I (Bruce Robinson, 1987)
Control (Anton Corbijn, 2007)
Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008)
The Descent (Neil Marshall, 2005)
The Low Down (Jamie Thraves, 2000)
Top tens are tricky – I tried to adhere to list laws and not feature two films by the same director – for example there are many more Mike Leigh and Shane Meadows films I admire.
Here’s the full list of the films people voted for…
And SHAUN OF THE DEAD makes it in at No. 18, so thank you very much to all those who voted for us.
The Observer Film Quarterly’s Best British films of the last 25 years
1 – TRAINSPOTTING (1996)
2 – WITHNAIL & I (1987)
3 – SECRETS AND LIES (1996)
4 – DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES (1988)
5 – MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (1985)
6 – NIL BY MOUTH (1997)
7 – SEXY BEAST (2000)
8 – RATCATCHER (1999)
9 – SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008)
10 – FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (1994)
11 – TOUCHING THE VOID (2003)
12 – HOPE AND GLORY (1987)
13 – CONTROL (2007)
14 – NAKED (1993)
15 – UNDER THE SKIN (1997)
16 – HUNGER (2008)
17 – THIS IS ENGLAND (2006)
18 – SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)
19 – DEAD MAN’S SHOES (2004)
20 – RED ROAD (2006)
21 – RIFF RAFF (1991)
22 – MAN ON WIRE (2008)
23 – MY SUMMER OF LOVE (2004)
24 – 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (2002)
25 – THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996)
I have to say I didn’t think to include MAN ON WIRE – which is fantastic. Same goes for TOUCHING THE VOID. Both amazing documentaries.
Anyway – there is my top ten and happy to have made the list!
Spotted: Sloan’s Chris Murphy rocking his Scott Pilgrim Crew Hoodie while playing the Virgin Festival 2009
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Jason & Edgar. Or is it Edgar and Jason? It’s so confusing. Which is which?
I am leaving Toronto as we speak. Have been here since January 5th, probably the longest time I’ve spent in one country since 2004.
It’s been a great time, but I must now bid farwell to TO.
So long all at The Bloor, Bay Street Video, Dark Horse Espresso, The Swan, Sonic Boom, The Beguiling, Fresh (I will miss Rocket Fuel most of all), Vintage Video, Rotate This!, Kensington Market, The Mod Club, the AMC, Scotiabank, and Varsity (I saw a lot of movies there), Jamie Kennedy’s, The Annexe, Second Cup, Tim Hortons, Tati Bistro, The Drake, Saving Grace, The Black Hoof, Sweaty Betty’s, Sneaky Dees, The Dakota, The Beaconsfield, Insomnia, Nami, Pizza Pizza on Bloor and Bathurst, Eye Weekly, Now, Phant-a-Scope, Eyesore Video, Collision, Lee’s Palace, the Rabba on Front and of course, poutine.
And a big shout to all the cast, the ridiculously hard working crew and all the extras, who no doubt got bored while standing around looking bored.
Me today with the legend that is David Cronenberg. Couldn’t spend my last lunch in Toronto with a more perfect person.
Bonus Wrap Photos
All fourteen episodes of SPACED distilled into one amazing track by the one, the only collage maestro Mark ‘Osymyso’ Nicholson.
I love this mix. I edited all the visuals by eye to Mark’s incredible mash up. It still brings a tear to my eye whenever I see the ending. Osymyso, you are the master.
Here’s the last video I directed for Charlotte Hatherley and indeed my last music video to date!*
Again it comes from her magnificent GREY WILL FADE album (look for her amazing third album later this year) and it features a star studded cast of David Walliams, Simon Pegg, Lucy Davis, Lauren Laverne, Alice Lowe and Julia Davis.
This video cost 6K and was the result of a lot of hard work and pulled favours. It took so long to complete that it still exhausts me to watch. But there is a lot of blood, sweat and tears in this rapid fire clip and I’m very proud of what we managed to achieve.
Enjoy!
*Some of my early, early pre Spaced music videos included clips for Ruth and The High Llamas. I will try and unearth these sometime, along with other nascent efforts.
Here’s a video I did for the extremely talented Miss Hatherley from her much underrated GREY WILL FADE album.
The SUMMER video contains an enormous amount of animation, flashcuts and subliminal frames (by the likes of Oscar Wright, among many others). It took an age to edit and failed the television standards epilepsy test 57 times before we got it passed.
Back in 2003, I distinctly remember Mint Royale’s label questioning my casting of Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt in my Blue Song video. They wanted someone bigger, even despite our low budget and the fact that both actors were working for free to help me out.
I told the label that they would soon be huge. Cut to a few years later and they are now cult superstars all over the planet.
See the young Boosh boys along with Michael Smiley and Nick Frost in my getaway driver musical number. Another video that I am very proud of. Hope you enjoy it.
This is a very low budget video I did for EMBLD for a single off their incredible debut album, HORSE OF THE DOG. The animation is partly by my big brother, Oscar Wright (as well as Matt Piper and John Yeo).
Am still very proud of this video and still love the song.
This was my second video for those lovely Bluetones boys (the first being Keep The Home Fires Burning) and is still one of my favourite things I’ve ever done. The Bugsy Malone homage came about because I remarked how Mark Morriss’ amazing song had a Paul Williams flavour.
The video is comprised (mostly) of one single shot, of which we did 9 takes. Choreography was by Litza Bixler, who also did the Don’t Stop Me Now sequence in Shaun Of The Dead.
Love this song.
