Scum (DVD)

"There aint no Dolly Mixtures in ere poofter!" For those of you of the sensitive nature, a bit liberal maybe, perhaps Scum will not be the film for you to settle down to with a glass of wine; instead a sick bucket and some valium might be more apt if you insist on watching! Set in 1970`s Britain Scum portrays the misery that is the life and daily existence of Borstal inmates from all backgrounds of life from petty criminals to the more severe and in Carlins case tougher criminals! The main plot of the film follows Carlin (Ray Winstone) who has recently been transferred from another correctional facility for beating up 2 guards or the real truth ...  Read the complete review

A film that if you feel you truly are a Brit Flick fan you should certainly see. Ray Winston near the start of a brilliant career shines as a true star as Carlin. So many actors in this go onto to bigger and better things (everyone keeps saying Danny John Jules AKA The Cat in Red Dwarf is in this movie, I'm yet to see him). Micky Pearce from Only Fools and Horses, The bloke from The Bill. A story told from both sides of Borstal, Cons on the inside and who runs them, and the staff and who they think they are running. People trying to make their name and reputation in an institutionalized place. Archer trying to screw the staff by making life hard for them at ...  Read the complete review

Although it more than 20 years since Alan Clarke's disturbing and violent account of life in borstal was first released, the passage of time has done little to dull the impact of this stunning, but sickening film. What is perhaps even more shocking is that even today, we hear reports in the news of how conditions at places such as Feltham Young Offenders’ Institute have been condemned as inhuman and savage – despite the realism and horror of what you see going on in ‘Scum’, it is as if nothing has changed. The British Board of Film Censors were so appalled by the violence in this film that they did attempt to ban it, and indeed it was ...  Read the complete review

INTRODUCTION Scum is a well known and infamous film for its extremely violent and graphic scenes. The film was made well over thirty years ago (1979) and is projecting how life is in a british borstal, the film portrays extreme violence, unjustified beatings, racism, and punishment from the warders, brutality from inmates & warders alike.It also casts a clear message of the corruption and failed systems of the average british borstal. FILM INFORMATION Certificate: 18 Director: Alan Clarke Written by: Roy Minton Release: 1979 Running time: 98 Minutes Country: United Kingdom Language: English Budget: ...  Read the complete review

Brutal is the only word fitting to describe this movie. Adapted from a made for TV drama which was banned by the BBC before it was even shown, Alan Clarke’s nightmare vision of life within the British Borstal system is an extremely uncomfortable but compelling viewing experience. I say ‘experience’ because there is nothing to ‘enjoy’ here, in the same way that there was nothing to ‘enjoy’ about the frank brutality of the scenes in ‘A Clockwork Orange’ - but here it is made worse in the knowledge that his was indeed a rather accurate portrayal of day to day life within the British young offender Borstal institutions. ...  Read the complete review