The Supergrass

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The Supergrass
Directed by Peter Richardson
Written by
Produced byElaine Taylor
Starring
Distributed byRecorded Releasing
Release date
  • November 1985 (1985-11)
Running time
  • 107 minutes
    (theatrical/initial VHS)
  • 93 minutes
    (TV/later VHS/DVD version)
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office£1 million [1]

The Supergrass is a 1985 British comedy film directed by Peter Richardson (who also plays a major role) who also wrote the screenplay with Pete Richens. The film stars Adrian Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith Allen, Nigel Planer, Alexei Sayle, Ronald Allen, and Robbie Coltrane. [2] The Supergrass was the first feature-length film by the 1980s alternative comedy group The Comic Strip.

Contents

The soundtrack to the film featured original music from Keith Tippett, plus music from P. P. Arnold, Grace Jones, and Bob Marley, among others. [3]

Plot

After returning from a holiday at Hope Cove in the West Country, Dennis Carter (Adrian Edmondson) attempts to impress a girl by claiming he is involved in drug smuggling. Although the girl is unimpressed, his remarks are overheard by the police.

Dennis is arrested for questioning and pressured into becoming a supergrass, with the promise of leniency in exchange for information. Having no actual involvement in organised crime, he fabricates details to satisfy police expectations.

Detective Sergeant Troy (Robbie Coltrane) and other officers act on Dennis’s information, pursuing investigations based on his claims. As inconsistencies emerge, people connected to Dennis become caught up in police attention.

As Dennis continues to provide false intelligence, he becomes increasingly overwhelmed by the consequences of his actions, highlighting the risks faced by an inexperienced informer.

Locations

Cast

Versions

The version of the film initially released in the cinema ran 107 minutes, [4] which was subsequently released on VHS running to 103, due to PAL speed-up. [5]

The film was screened by Channel 4 on 13 March 1988, as a prelude to the fourth series of The Comic Strip Presents, but this was a version cut down to 93 minutes 26 seconds, equivalent to 97 minutes 20 seconds in the cinema, so missing some nine minutes 49 seconds. All subsequent VHS and DVD releases, including the "complete" Comic Strip box set, use the shorter cut-down version. [6] [7]

References

  1. ↑ Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945–1985. Edinburgh University Press. p. 322.
  2. ↑ "The Supergrass". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 20 May 2009.
  3. ↑ The Comic Strip. The Supergrass (soundtrack) – via eil.com.
  4. ↑ BBFC: The Supergrass 01/10/85
  5. ↑ BBFC: The Supergrass 28/04/86
  6. ↑ BBFC: The Supergrass 28/04/94
  7. ↑ BBFC: The Supergrass 01/12/99


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