Director Mat Whitecross held his cool in a special ‘speed round’ London Film Festival interview for his new feature Spike Island, which captures the infectious dedication of Stone Roses fans, risen to a fever pitch around that legendary gig. We discuss the importance of mixing lucky breaks with a determination to create on your own terms, and a close crew of filmmakers you can trust and rely on.
Spike Island (2012)
A heartfelt coming-of-age story about a wannabe rock band in Manchester who hatch a plan to hand-deliver their demo tape to their idols, The Stone Roses, at the band’s impending gig at Spike Island.
Make sure that you’re self-sufficient. Don’t wait for anyone to give you the money or don’t wait for a crew you should just be able to do everything yourself.
Some films are obscure for a reason. Spike Island is a mess of a script with way too many subplots that meanders on down the A1. Only a hardcore Roses fan should watch this, and even then you’ll only get a tangential glimpse into what the time or gig were all about.
He brought up 24 Hour Party People which, although flawed, at least tried to bring the history of that time alive.. Spike Island just seems like a bunch oh 2013 teens wanking around. It felt like an iPhone would pop out at any moment. The 4 seconds of actual Roses footage was the coolest bit of the movie.