Shane Meadows: An Inspiration

Now that I've been blogging for around a month now and have been fortunate enough to get some of my writing onto different Entertainment News Websites, I thought I'd do a little post about my influences and inspirations in the world of film. I always grew up loving film and television. One of my first memories from my childhood was sitting down during school holidays and watching Nickelodeon summer movies. One particular summer they showed Jim Henson's The Labyrinth and I become absolutely hooked. I taped it on a VHS, if you don't know what that means, you're too young for this blog, and watched it over and over again. I marveled at this fictional world of goblin's, talking door knobs and furry friends, wanting desperately to give up my younger sister to The Goblin King. David Bowie took my heart there and then and it's been his ever since. 

However, as I grew up and matured so did my taste in film. I stumbled upon Shane Meadows work when I was around sixteen, really too young for his often violent and explicit work, but I was mesmerized and to this day I still consider him my biggest inspiration. Raised in Nottingham, England, Meadows left school early and began making his own films after he volunteered at an art center and decided it needed it's own film section. To me, he comes across as somebody who is meant for film, it was destined, and in a way I see that in myself. I, unfortunately, never had the talent to shoot my own films but film writing, researching, teaching and watching is the only calling I have ever had. I cannot do anything else. His work has a very cathartic feel to it, as much of his work is inspired from his own life, and this only adds to the sense of genuine drama and emotion that overflows from his narratives. From making short films with his friends to producing some of the best British Social Realist drama in modern film making, Meadows is a force of nature and when he commits to a project, it truly packs a punch. Here are my top three Meadows films which rank very high in my all time favorite movies. 

1. Dead Man's Shoes (2004) - This is without a doubt, my favourite film of all time. Brimming with tension Dead Man's Shoes is, in my opinion, Meadows' best work. This emotionally charged drama stars Paddy Considine and Toby Kebbell who both give absolutely stellar performances playing brother, Richard and Anthony. This film puts the psycho in psychological thriller as we see Richard (Considine) coming home from serving in the British Military to take revenge on local drug dealers who mentally and physically abused his mentally impaired brother, Anthony (Kebbell).  Richard then plays the bloodiest game of cat and mouse you've ever seen, with Considine given a terrifying performance. The end of this film left me feeling gutted like a fish, a sensation I as not expecting.
2. A Room for Romeo Brass (1999) - When best friends Gavin and Romeo meet weirdo wanderer Morell, their friendship is tested to the extreme, when Morell sparks and unlikely friendship with the boys and simultaneously becomes infatuated with Romeo's sister. Paddy Considine stars again as unhinged lost boy Morell and gives a disturbing performance as Morell's actions towards the boys turns violent. You'll see some other familiar faces including Romeo who is played by a young Andrew Shim, or as we know him in other Meadows' master piece, This is England and fellow This is England cast member Vicky McClure who plays Morell's love interest. 
3. This is England (2006-2014) - How could I write a post about Shane Meadows and not talk about his most well known work, the This is England film and continuing television sequel series. In the 2006 film we're introduced to young boy Shaun who's, set in 1983, world is turned up side down when he befriends a group of young skinheads. They take Shaun under his wing and what begins as a sweet, coming of age story, soon becomes one of turbulence and violence, when local hard man Combo, played by the incredible Stephen, Graham, rocks the group after viciously attacking close friend, Milky. Meadows went on to make three more television sequels with This is England '86 showing in 2010, This is England '88 showing in 2011 and within another This is England '90 coming to UK television soon, I cannot wait to see where else Meadows will take these well love, complex characters. 

Pretty much all of Meadows work gives the same amount of raw honesty and emotional turbulence as the three aforementioned films and I would fully recommend them to any one wanting to give a different genre a chance. Who are your biggest film inspirations!? Let me know!