| Billy The Kid And The Green Baize Vampire [DVD] | ![Billy The Kid And The Green Baize Vampire [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5115CTBQ8GL._SL160_.jpg) | Director: Alan Clarke
Actors: Phil Daniels, Alun Armstrong, Bruce Payne, Louise Gold, Eve Ferret
Studio: Network
Category: DVD
List Price: £12.99
Buy New: £9.99
as of 7/9/2010 17:15 CDT details
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Rating:  9 reviews
Format: PAL
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region: 0
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5027626251840
ASIN: B000GI36A2
Release Date: August 7, 2006
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 9
 Quite immovable, like the man on the titanic September 15, 2006
Edward Droon
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
I didn't think I would ever see this released on dvd. It doesn't matter that there's little in the way of extras, no subtitles, documentaries, trailers etc. Nor does it matter that the print hasn't been cleaned up and the soundtack is claimed to be in mono (I suspect this might be wrong, it sounds in stereo to me!). At least the printed programme notes are good!
This film remains the ideal brooding, claustrophobic, wise-cracking snooker/gangster musical. Although low budget, the concrete setting ideally suits the mood of the film and offsets the well staged set pieces. The snooker match at the end is a particularly well paced, over the top, nail biting finale.
The film doesn't have any real message or purpose - just grand pantomine characters singing stagey, enjoyable songs which tell a simple tale.
A brilliant,late night musical - which leaves you feeling happy to have watched it . . . . recommended.
About time too!!!!!! July 26, 2006
supersonic sams cosmic cafe (Birmingham UK)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I can't believe it, I have been waiting for the release of this little gem for years, I had almost given up hope, but the need to revisit my youth has kept me checking the tv guides for a 3am channel 4 slot, but to no avail.
This is for want of a better description a musical snooker film with a tongue in cheek horror theme, confused? not convinced? Don't be. If you check out all the web sites for this film, you will see just how special this film is to a lot of people, and I guarantee, that on the day of release, this is gonna shift.
Phil Daniels plays the part of the Kid (loosely based on Jimmy White), Alan Armstrong plays Maxwell (loosely based on Ray Reardon). Max is the undefeated world champ, The Kid is the young pretender to his crown. The music is great, the acting is great, the singing is superb, check out Bruce Payne's vocals on every song he sings, great pipes.
Do yourself a favour, just buy it and add yourself to the huge worldwide fan base for this immacculate movie.
Another Mad Fan!!! August 11, 2006
Avid Reader (Middle England)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Was lucky enough to tape off the telly years back and was so gutted when my brother taped over it... DVD is class and went in my shopping basket the second I spotted it! A Musical snooker film with a vampire what's not to love? Phil Daniels Rules as always.
"Triffids tripped on hyper-space" August 23, 2006
R. Moriarty (Ireland)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
"If you was an undertaker, people'd stop dying". Just one of the many witty one-liners in this lost gem of a film. It's so obscure and so completely out there that I honestly never thought "Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire" would ever be released on DVD so this is one helluva treat. I won't go into detail about the plot as I'd just be repeating previous reviewers so I'm gonna get all pretentious instead and tell you that if you like Brecht, and in particular his musical work with Kurt Weil, then this film may well be right up your particular alley. As the accompanying booklet points out, the stark sets, subdued and sometimes other-worldly lighting, stylised acting and somewhat music-hall flavour of many of the songs give a real sense of the alienation effect that director Alan Clarke managed so incredibly well in his BBC production of Brecht's "Baal" in the early 80s. Trevor Preston's scripts, with its often dark and always sharp humour, is delivered deadpan by a cast of excellent actors who've never failed to impress in both their stage and screen performances and, in classic Brechtian style, it's a film that manages to draw you completely into the action (the grudge match itself it genuinely edge-of-the-seat stuff) while never quite letting you forget that you're the audience watching a show; so none of this sappy "getting emotionally invested in the characters and plot" that's been in vogue for so long now. BTK and the GBV doesn't give any pretence of "real life", never patronises the viewer and gives the impression that if you enjoy it then great and if you don't - well who gives a toss what you think anyway. It's really quite punk rock in that respect.
Back in Nineteen Fish'n'Chips I bumped into Alun Armstrong (the Green Baize Vampire) and on telling him that this was my all-time favourite film he looked concerned and said "Have you seen anyone about this?". I glibly replied "Well, I did go to a psychiatrist but he said there was nothing he could do about it" which, I'm pleased to say, made Mr Armstrong smile. Y'see, even the cast don't seem to be so sure about this film's appeal but anyway, I was very generously given the vampire's own original script so if you're reading this, thanks Alun; it's still my most treasured possession (with the possible exception of my 1979 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe).
 Unusual Piece - Not brilliant - But not Poor - Its Quite Good August 21, 2010
K. Maltby (England)
OK - as Phil Daniels mentions in his autobiography, there are a lot of reviews on Amazon that try to turn this into a cult classic by rating it as a 5 star. I am going to try and be reasonable with this review.
First of all - the music. The score has been composed by George Fenton, who has done many pieces of work, more known nowadays as the man who composes for such things as 'The Blue Planet' on the BBC. The songs are quite good in all honesty (and I study musical theatre). I think part of the reason it didn't do so well when it was released was because the music was sort of surreal, and not the big 80s music everyone wanted to listen to. Alun Armstrong is not the greatest singer in the world, but he manages to get out an ok voice, hitting the notes, although has a very strong vibrato coming through. His acting makes up for it all though. My sining teacher always said, if you can act it, people will look past the singing. Phil Daniels, having come from a musical background and having his own band (in the early days it was called Renoir), he has a number of songs and again doesn't do them too badly, but again his acting makes up for it. On the other hand Bruce Payne, Louise Gold and Eve Ferret have fantastic voices on them, in especially Bruce Payne (note - look at his song 'I'm The One')
Next the acting - as I said the acting is done very well by Armstrong and Daniels, in particular the chemistry between Daniels and Payne is fantastic as well - you can really see the conneciton between them.
Finally - the snooker. Armstrong and Daniels were both given coaching in snooker, in potting and safety play and such. All the snooker is done by themselves and not stunt doubles. There is a trick shot right near the start which, Daniels stated in his autobiography, was managed in one take, as was the point when he cleared of the colours near the start too. For that I applaud them - snooker is a hard game to play (if you are not a professional) and make it look convincing.
Overall then. It is not the greatest piece of musical theatre by a long way, but equally it is not the worst. I would say, if you are getting this becuase you like musical theatre, then you will either love it or hate it. IF you are a fan of Phil Daniels I think you will enjoy it. But overall it is a decent film that does what it sets out to do, and it is a interesting addition to have on your shelf. I would rate it as a whole about 7/10, so not bad
Showing reviews 1-5 of 9
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