Friday, July 18, 2003

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE MIDLANDS

A contemporary British comedy with a western twist, Once Upon a Time in the Midlands is available to buy on video and DVD from 29 September by FilmFour/VCI. The third feature film from the industry respected, Midlands-born director Shane Meadows features an all-star Brit cast including Robert Carlyle, Ricky Tomlinson, Kathy Burke and Rhys Ifans. This critically acclaimed movie also packs in hilarious cameos from Vanessa Feltz, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer.

Set in a Midlands suburb, this comedy drama is a poignant insight into the lives of live-in partners Dek and Shirley. Together they look after Marlene, Shirley's only daughter by first-love and all round jack-the-lad Jimmy (Robert Carlyle).

The film starts with dull Dek proposing to Shirley live on 'Face to Feltz'. Jimmy sees the proposal on TV and it isn't long before he rides into town to win back the love of his life…little does he know he faces a real, pistols-at-dawn, family standoff.

Baseball bats and Ford Sierras replace rifles and wagons in this story of lost love, honesty and revenge, but as with all great Westerns, good triumphs over evil to win the day - all to the sound of a country-style, guitar-twanging sound-track!

First released to cinemas nationwide in September 2002, Once Upon a Time in the Midlands, was nominated for the Grand Prix Asturias at the 2002 Gijon International Film Festival. It is released on video and DVD from 29 September. Presented as a Double Disk set, the DVD also incorporates, early rehearsal footage, 'Once Upon A Time Around Britain' a hilarious video-diary/documentary on the film's promotional tour, the full 'Face To Feltz' episode, deleted scenes and much more.