(taken
from a Channel4 interview)
"I felt, in a way, as though I'd lost
my way after Midlands. I was desperate to get back to being honest
with myself in my next film. I had already been feeling this way
and then happened to take a trip back to Uttoxeter, the town I
grew up in. I was overwhelmed with sadness at what I saw there,
and at some of the memories the visit jogged in me. We used to
take a lot of drugs as we were growing up - there was nothing
else to do to have fun - and some appalling tragedies happened
as a result.
A close friend of mine who had been bullied developed a drug problem
and then committed suicide. I couldn't believe that, going back
ten years later, he had been totally forgotten in the town - it
was as if he had never existed."
"I was filled with anger against the
people who had bullied and pushed the drugs on him, and with despair
at what drugs had done to that small community. What was done
in the name of recreation had had such devastating results. I
started to wonder what might happen if someone chose to try to
right the wrongs that had been done, instead of ignoring the terrible
tragedy of it all."
Take a look at the transcript of Shane's talk at the Brief Encounters
short film festival in the EXTRAS section for more background
information.
There is a credit at the end of the film which
reads: "Director's Bodyguard - Tank Bullock". Tank Bullock
is the character from 'Tank's Top Tips', the low-budget film making
guides featured in Shane's World.
The old footage at the beginning of the film depicting Richard
and Anthony as children is actually home movie footage which the
producer's uncle provided.
The two young boys that feature towards the
end of the film are Paddy Considine's nephews.
Shane Meadows' Mother and Father appear in one scene of the film
alongside Andrew Shim (who played Romeo in A Room For Romeo Brass,
and Donut in Once Upon A Time in the Midlands).
GODWILLFORGIVETHEM.com
Official Dead Man's Shoes Website
BBC4
Video Interview
Stuart Maconie interviews Shane about Dead Man's Shoes on the
BBC4 show 'The DVD Collection'.
BBC
Radio Nottingham Interview
Shane Meadows and Toby Kebbell interviewed
about Dead Man's Shoes and more.. Check the top-right of the Radio
Nottingham page for the audio links.
BBC.co.uk
at Edinburgh Film Festival 2004
Listen to two short audio clips of Shane talking about the reaction
to Dead Man's Shoes at the festival, and his short film making.
The article on the page is basically a transcript of the audio.
Dead Man's Shoes Poster Image
A jpeg of the Dead Man's Shoes poster at a
size of 1024x768
Dean Rogers
- Photography
Stunning collection of on-set photography from A Room For Romeo
Brass, Once Upon a Time in the Midlands, and Dead Man's Shoes.
Jigsaw
Lounge Interview
An interesting interview about the production
of Dead Man's Shoes at the time of the films premier at the Edinburgh
Film Festival 2004. CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Telegraph.co.uk
Interview circa Dead Man's Shoes. Shane talks about real-life
and cinematic inspiration for the film.
BBC.co.uk
Interview circa the release of Dead Man's
Shoes.
Channel4.com
Interview circa the release of Dead Man's Shoes.
Telegraph.co.uk
Interview circa the release of Dead Man's
Shoes.
Tiscali.co.uk
Interview circa Dead Man's Shoes.
