Director: Paul Hills
Screenplay: Diana Whitely, Paul Hills, Roberto Troni
Starring: John Simm, Andrew Lincoln, Marc Warren, Emer McCourt
Country: England
Running Time: 101 mins
Year: 1995
BBFC Certificate: 18
Boston Kickout (1995) storms onto the screen with that 90s Britpop “oi, oi!” type of energy with a coming-of- age tale set amid the drab depravity of an English new-town. It’s a personal story for the writer-director Paul Hills whose life closely resembled the lead character. He inserted his real-lived experiences into the movie – and these just happen to be some of the most shocking moments of this menacingly funny comedy.
This low budget indie features what would be considered a star-studded cast of that generation of British actors. John Simm, Marc Warren and Andrew Lincoln all in their break-through roles. Simm and Warren, who are probably most recognisable these days for Life on Mars (2006) and Hustle (2004), respectively, had performed in a handful of various projects, and Lincoln (The Walking Dead) was fresh out of drama school. It’s a phenomenal slate of casting
Simm puts in a reliably solid performance as the lead, the embattled teenager Phil who is going through an existential crisis while stuck in the grey and gloomy Stevenage – which “only has two pubs!” He anchors the cast, bringing weight, depth and a grounded magnetism to his character – and yes, that was just a series of unintended anchor based puns. Simm shows off a wide range of emotions through the character’s troublesome, if relatable, journey through the halcyon days with school friends, the ennui of growing up – having to take on some godawful minimum wage jobs – and the rush of first love and heartbreak.
The performance earned him an accolade for Best Actor at the Cinema Jove International Film Festival in Valencia, and it makes one query: Would Simm have gone to star in the heart-wrenching The Lakes (1997) and the pulse-pounding Human Traffic (1999), leading projects of such high quality, in such a short space of time without the exposure of this movie? One can only ponder as Simm’s talent is undeniable. Credit also has to be given to chaotic energy of the film which arguably paved the way for movies like Human Traffic and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998).
The actors who leave the deepest impression on this project have to be Warren and Lincoln. Warren plays crazed thug Robert who’s desperate for Phil to join him when he raids a local bookie. Lincoln swaggers onto the screen with a commanding presence that belies his lack of experience with it being his first ever film role. It’s a shame he didn’t have a larger part to play in this movie, and it’s jarring when he’s seemingly exorcised from it.
Irish beauty Emer McCourt gives a layered and meaningful performance as Phil’s love interest Shona.
There’s a few drawbacks to the wonderful casting, however. The main cast were in their mid to late twenties when they shot this, so some of the early shots of the characters standing by a school and Warren giving a schoolgirl a snog when he’s clearly not a teen has quite a jarring effect. Plus, the main character having a relationship with his cousin feels a little uncomfortable.
The pacing of the movie is frenetic, it keeps you entertained and absorbed throughout. Moments of tension bubble up and explode and have you questioning whether the tone of the movie is going to change drastically. There are harrowing moments where a car piles through a shopfront, a man’s throat gets glassed in a tacky nightclub and a shocking golf club attack. These moments feel earned and organic. It’s a real thrill ride which also successfully encapsulates that awkward icky period of leaving school and making your way in life.
Film: 
Video
The 4K restoration was a real “labour of love” for Hills who spent years of his life cleaning up the original negative with the team at BlueBell Films, in preparation for its 30th anniversary. He spent thousands out of his own pocket and relied on favours, and it really paid off. The 4K brings out a stunning depth to the picture which is enhanced by the various wide-angle shots and immersive tracking that gets right into the action. What we’re viewing is a heightened reality in many instances, and the crystal-clear picture brings an all-together visceral experience to the foreground.
The sound quality was exceptional. There’s a key tentpole scene set in a nightclub where the experience of hearing all of that glorious 90s mixed with the striking visuals and dazzling colours of the nightclub makes for a real immersive experience. The soundtrack is remarkable There’s an involving sequence at a car rally, and sounds as if the cars are going come screeching through the television screen. This film was a real boutique treat.
30th Anniversary Edition 4K restoration Special Features:
- New Director’s Commentary with Marc Warren
- Mad in Tokyo – Brand-new exclusive short film by Paul Hills
- Original 2004 Director’s Commentary with John Simm
- Making of Feature
- New 4K Restoration Trailer
- Original UK Trailer
- Original US Trailer
- Deleted Scenes (with commentary option)
- Storyboard Comparisons
- Stills Gallery
- Post cards
- Poster
The boxset comes packed with special features, it’s pretty much everything a fan of the movie could want: commentaries with the director and lead actors; a making-of documentary; deleted scenes; storyboards and some physical goodies.
The all-new director’s commentary with Warren was particularly illuminating (or “luminescent” as Simm’s character would put it). Hills speaks about the digital restoration process, going through the film painstakingly frame by frame to clear up the original negative, and the advantages it had over the original photo chemical process of developing the footage. He opens up on the personal stories that went into the film, and some of these were quite surprising.
There’s a clear friendship and bond between Warren and Hills that was born out of this movie. They open up on the “unprofessional” moments they had on set while they were in their 20s. They speak about the drinking on set, hotboxing a car in a key scene and the moment in the nightclub where Warren got carried away with the scene and kicked another actor quite hard. It’s fascinating to hear Warren speak about his acting techniques and how they have changed in 30 years. Hills also extols his passion for improvising, and how that can make the movie come alive and elevate the script.
It was quite fun flipping between the new commentary and the original 2004 commentary track with Simm. Hills speaks about the various shot compositions and camera techniques he employed to get the shots he wanted. He also speaks about the use of colour in the movie, how green symbolised hope and red being the “opposition colour” that would appear whenever there was tension.
The ‘Making of Feature’ was far more dramatic than I was expecting. Hills, who has a flair for theatrics, begins the documentary with a direct to camera address to the viewer. He informs us of everything that went wrong while making the movie, and with a devilish grin, says that it was all caught on camera. It’s a highly entertaining watch, giving a real insight, however it’s unfortunately held back by the poor sound and picture quality. It became evidently clear why Hills explained all the key points in the feature at the very beginning, as it’s hard to follow what’s going on.
Mad in Tokyo is a trippy film made by Hills during his visit to the vibrant Japanese city for a film festival. It’s highly amusing watching Hills narrate his journey with tongue-in-cheek comments about his visit, and it’s fascinating to take in all the more unusual sights he witnesses. “I need to win…” he mutters endlessly as he’s waiting to see how his film fairs in the competition, “I need to win…to spot me from going bankrupt.”
What made going through the deleted scenes special was the fact Hills also provided directors commentary for those. There’s one real gem of an improvised scene which was cut due to time constraints. What’s clear from these extras is Hills’ passion for independent filmmaking, storytelling and collaboration. Going through the special features was a delightful journey.
Disc/Package: 