A Look Back At "Attack The Block"
July 27, 2015 8:57 AM Subscribe
They are people—not cannon fodder or back patting lessons in how deep down we’re all the same. Moses is an imposing, intimidating figure but director Joe Cornish lets the camera linger on his face and Boyega fills it with the compromises and dashed dreams to which he’s already acclimated. His gang are a delightfully maddening crew of young boys. They constantly try to demonstrate their machismo but clearly adore each other.
Cosine has it right--this was a fresh treatment of familiar tropes, done with style. Especially good was the characterization--even minor characters (such as Probs and Mayhem) were swiftly drawn as individuals, rather than types.
I also noted the moment mentioned in the article, when Sam realizes Moses is only 15; it's a key moment of realizing that she doesn't know much of anything about him--but she thought she did.
posted by librosegretti at 9:09 AM on July 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
I also noted the moment mentioned in the article, when Sam realizes Moses is only 15; it's a key moment of realizing that she doesn't know much of anything about him--but she thought she did.
posted by librosegretti at 9:09 AM on July 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
An earlier Joe Cornish directorial effort.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 9:10 AM on July 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by GallonOfAlan at 9:10 AM on July 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
I just loved this movie - super glad I watched it in the theater where it scared or at least startled the crap out of me (with lots of chuckles thrown in as well). I can't add anything to this smart analysis of what the film means in a larger social sense. Good article.
posted by latkes at 9:23 AM on July 27, 2015
posted by latkes at 9:23 AM on July 27, 2015
"Who gets to be a hero" is really the central thesis of this movie. The fact that it doesn't hit you over the head with it, makes it even better.
posted by lumpenprole at 9:25 AM on July 27, 2015
posted by lumpenprole at 9:25 AM on July 27, 2015
I just re-watched this movie this weekend, wondering if it would be as exhilarating to watch as it was the first time.
Yes, yes it was.
And now I wonder, was it possibly more interesting to me because of the cultural context?
posted by pwinn at 10:02 AM on July 27, 2015
Yes, yes it was.
And now I wonder, was it possibly more interesting to me because of the cultural context?
posted by pwinn at 10:02 AM on July 27, 2015
It's a bit of gem... but when I rewatched a few weeks ago I kinda wished is was an 18 as the gang seem not quite as thuggish as they might have been, not being able to properly swear for a start, when we first see them (and certainly nothing as vicious as say in something like Kidulthood) and frankly a bit stage-schooly.
I'd have like to have seen what Cornish might have directed with a bit bigger budget but he just seems to be screen-writing now.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:33 AM on July 27, 2015
I'd have like to have seen what Cornish might have directed with a bit bigger budget but he just seems to be screen-writing now.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:33 AM on July 27, 2015
I had been meaning to see this movie and then got to see it with a crowd at a scifi movie marathon, which made it even more fun.
It really was a solid little film.
posted by rmd1023 at 10:38 AM on July 27, 2015
It really was a solid little film.
posted by rmd1023 at 10:38 AM on July 27, 2015
God I loved that movie. I think my favorite moment was that one the article mentions when they all nip back into their families' apartments to get the motley assortment of sports equipment and table lamps and so forth that they plan to fight the aliens with, and then they have to get out again without being waylaid by adoring younger siblings, moms who want to know when they'll be back for dinner, etc. How often do you see a movie where the heroes are anything but lone wolves?
Rivaled only by:
"What's Ron's weed room?!"
"It's a big room . . . full of weed . . . and it's Ron's."
posted by ostro at 10:43 AM on July 27, 2015 [10 favorites]
Rivaled only by:
"What's Ron's weed room?!"
"It's a big room . . . full of weed . . . and it's Ron's."
posted by ostro at 10:43 AM on July 27, 2015 [10 favorites]
If you're a devotee of old-school John Carpenter*, this makes a fine double feature with Neil Marshall's Doomsday, with ATB ninfusing his semi-serious, Assault on Precinct 13-vibe with a bit of alien monster fun and the latter having a rollicking good time with his more preposterous escape from New York-vibe.
If you're not a fan of old -school John Carpenter, FYI: you are dead to me
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:06 AM on July 27, 2015 [6 favorites]
If you're not a fan of old -school John Carpenter, FYI: you are dead to me
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:06 AM on July 27, 2015 [6 favorites]
I absolutely loved this movie...we got to see it for free during a preview when I'd randomly heard of it, and the audience at first wasn't really into it, but by the end, there was cheering and shouting. Just a rollicking good time, and it shows that you can do genre like this without having to rehash something that was done before in another medium.
posted by xingcat at 11:11 AM on July 27, 2015
posted by xingcat at 11:11 AM on July 27, 2015
DirtyOldTown: "If you're not a fan of old -school John Carpenter, FYI: you are dead to me"
As long as you're not forcing me to be a fan of new-school John Carpenter, we're good. Although I'm ok with a fairly late cut-off, say, after In the Mouth of Madness. I will never, ever like Vampires, though.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 11:49 AM on July 27, 2015
As long as you're not forcing me to be a fan of new-school John Carpenter, we're good. Although I'm ok with a fairly late cut-off, say, after In the Mouth of Madness. I will never, ever like Vampires, though.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 11:49 AM on July 27, 2015
American audiences were confused by Londoners (black and white) with so much Jamaican mixed into the accent. Both confused because it's not the accent they expected to hear and confused because they find the accent hard to follow.
The same thing limited the success of Kingsman in the US which was also a fantastic film, but had a situation where the hero's accent doesn't match his mum or his step-dad but it matches his young friends. In countries where Kingsman was dubbed it actually did better, e.g. it was the number one movie in South Korea.
Wikipedia's article on cockney explains : "in London's East End, some traditional features of Cockney have been displaced by a Jamaican Creole-influenced variety popular among young Londoners (sometimes referred to as "Jafaican")".
posted by w0mbat at 11:49 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
The same thing limited the success of Kingsman in the US which was also a fantastic film, but had a situation where the hero's accent doesn't match his mum or his step-dad but it matches his young friends. In countries where Kingsman was dubbed it actually did better, e.g. it was the number one movie in South Korea.
Wikipedia's article on cockney explains : "in London's East End, some traditional features of Cockney have been displaced by a Jamaican Creole-influenced variety popular among young Londoners (sometimes referred to as "Jafaican")".
posted by w0mbat at 11:49 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
fearfulsymmetry: "I'd have like to have seen what Cornish might have directed with a bit bigger budget but he just seems to be screen-writing now."
He was supposed to do Snow Crash, but I don't know what happened to that.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 11:51 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
He was supposed to do Snow Crash, but I don't know what happened to that.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 11:51 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Doomsday is hilariously terrible. I love that movie. The scene where the dude runs after the train, fails to catch it, screams, and punches his underling in the face made me fall out of a chair laughing.
posted by protocoach at 12:03 PM on July 27, 2015
posted by protocoach at 12:03 PM on July 27, 2015
Also, I loved Attack the Block, but I kept thinking, "These aliens die when you shoot them a few times with a 9 MM. This movie would be five minutes long in the United States."
posted by protocoach at 12:04 PM on July 27, 2015
posted by protocoach at 12:04 PM on July 27, 2015
The American version was called Critters and it inexplicably lasted for four whole films.
posted by dng at 12:07 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by dng at 12:07 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I will never, ever like Vampires, though.
Absolutely no one likes Vampires.
Doomsday is hilariously terrible. I love that movie. The scene where the dude runs after the train, fails to catch it, screams, and punches his underling in the face made me fall out of a chair laughing.
This is exactly the correct frame of mind with which to appreciate that movie.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:10 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Absolutely no one likes Vampires.
Doomsday is hilariously terrible. I love that movie. The scene where the dude runs after the train, fails to catch it, screams, and punches his underling in the face made me fall out of a chair laughing.
This is exactly the correct frame of mind with which to appreciate that movie.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:10 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is the alien invasion movie I wanted to see for years. And then it gets released, I don't hear about it, and catch it rnandomly on HBO or something like that. so glad it got made, because it is totally awesome.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 12:46 PM on July 27, 2015
posted by lesbiassparrow at 12:46 PM on July 27, 2015
Vampires, like Ghosts of Mars, was not good but it was entertaining. C'mon, it's John Carpenter.
I loved Attack the Block but was bummed that none of my friends had even heard of it.
posted by djeo at 12:50 PM on July 27, 2015
I loved Attack the Block but was bummed that none of my friends had even heard of it.
posted by djeo at 12:50 PM on July 27, 2015
sometimes referred to as "Jafaican"
But less problematically known as Multicultural London English. Jamaican accents are only one element in the mixture, with, for example, some syntactical elements being more heavily influenced by British Indian, Pakistani and other subcontinental speech patterns innit.
posted by howfar at 12:54 PM on July 27, 2015
But less problematically known as Multicultural London English. Jamaican accents are only one element in the mixture, with, for example, some syntactical elements being more heavily influenced by British Indian, Pakistani and other subcontinental speech patterns innit.
posted by howfar at 12:54 PM on July 27, 2015
Incidentally, the block in question has now been torn down, its residents "decanted" to various (and occasionally quite distant) places. The local council feels it's much more important to work in the interest of property developers and real estate speculators in the far east. Who will all be fuck-all good in the event of an alien invasion.
No, really, that's what happened to it.
posted by Grangousier at 1:04 PM on July 27, 2015 [6 favorites]
No, really, that's what happened to it.
posted by Grangousier at 1:04 PM on July 27, 2015 [6 favorites]
Attack the Block and Misfits are in that rare category of Distinctively British Things that people actually like when I recommend them.
The language and the sense of time and place in both probably go right past most of the world audience, but they both feel perfect to me.
posted by Kreiger at 1:06 PM on July 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
The language and the sense of time and place in both probably go right past most of the world audience, but they both feel perfect to me.
posted by Kreiger at 1:06 PM on July 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
Incidentally, the block in question has now been torn down, its residents "decanted" to various (and occasionally quite distant) places. The local council feels it's much more important to work in the interest of property developers and real estate speculators in the far east. Who will all be fuck-all good in the event of an alien invasion.
No, really, that's what happened to it.
posted by Grangousier 12 minutes ago [+]
Oy. The whole movie was like, an allegory for this exact thing occurring, except in real life the good guys lost. ):
posted by latkes at 1:18 PM on July 27, 2015
No, really, that's what happened to it.
posted by Grangousier 12 minutes ago [+]
Oy. The whole movie was like, an allegory for this exact thing occurring, except in real life the good guys lost. ):
posted by latkes at 1:18 PM on July 27, 2015
From the previously cited wikipedia page on "Multicultural London English" :
Examples of vocabulary common in Multicultural London English include:
"Bait" (obvious/fake)
"Bare" [bɛː/ɓɛː (latter for further emphasis)] (Generic intensifier)
"Bun that" (expression of indifference)
I know it's real, but that reads like Chris Morris just making shit up on Brass Eye.
posted by w0mbat at 2:36 PM on July 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Examples of vocabulary common in Multicultural London English include:
"Bait" (obvious/fake)
"Bare" [bɛː/ɓɛː (latter for further emphasis)] (Generic intensifier)
"Bun that" (expression of indifference)
I know it's real, but that reads like Chris Morris just making shit up on Brass Eye.
posted by w0mbat at 2:36 PM on July 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
> The same thing limited the success of Kingsman in the US which was also a fantastic film, but had a situation where the hero's accent doesn't match his mum or his step-dad but it matches his young friends
I couldn't finish Kingsman because it was boring, not because of the accents. Is that really a problem for American audiences? We have the same thing happening here in the US, with children of immigrants having American accents, regional accents not being continued by the current generation, people in the military all having that same Southern-ish accent, etc.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:57 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I couldn't finish Kingsman because it was boring, not because of the accents. Is that really a problem for American audiences? We have the same thing happening here in the US, with children of immigrants having American accents, regional accents not being continued by the current generation, people in the military all having that same Southern-ish accent, etc.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:57 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Loved ATB, hated Kingsman. Accents were totally understandable to me, but I usually have no trouble with them.
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:18 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:18 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I had moderately low expectations when I watched Kingsman, and thought it was okay as a silly little bit of fun until the bit with the princess in the lair and that just put me off.
posted by rmd1023 at 3:40 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by rmd1023 at 3:40 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
The movie, in other words, openly places the creatures on a spectrum of African-ness.From the excellent essay by Christian Thorne
...
Attack the Block offers to enfranchise black Britons only by giving them creatures to kill who are blacker than themselves. A group of mostly black teenagers earns its citizenship by systematically cutting down the new crop of even darker arrivals.
posted by beerbajay at 3:48 PM on July 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
From the excellent essay by Christian Thorne
Which was previously discussed here, if you're interested.
posted by dng at 5:58 PM on July 27, 2015
Which was previously discussed here, if you're interested.
posted by dng at 5:58 PM on July 27, 2015
Yeah, I remember thinking it was dumb as hell TBH. YMMV.
posted by Artw at 6:01 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 6:01 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
My friend from London explained to me that Attack The Block is the first grime movie to strike big in the US, then recommended that I watch Kidulthood and Adulthood, but both of them sound a bit different in tone (more serious and violent) whereas I'm looking for something like Boyz in the Hood, which was serious, violent, but had enough lighthearted parts to not make me feel miserable, whereas Kidulthood and the sequel make me think of Kids. Again, I haven't seen them, so I could be totally wrong. Anyone have other recommendations? I love Attack The Block, it's one of my favorites, and I'm excited to see Boyega in Star Wars later this year.
posted by gucci mane at 6:33 PM on July 27, 2015
posted by gucci mane at 6:33 PM on July 27, 2015
It was a great movie. I'm glad it did well, but I wish it had received even more success.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:32 PM on July 27, 2015
posted by Dip Flash at 7:32 PM on July 27, 2015
I love Joe Cornish and I love this film.
I love Adam & Joe more, but that's because I love the ridiculousness of things like the Star Trek song.
And I'm so glad Boyega's getting even more roles, because he's so good and damn fine, and I can't wait to see what happens for him in the future.
(But, seriously, if you get a chance to watch episodes of Adam & Joe, watch them. Watch them all. Then hunt down episodes of their Radio 6 show. Because it's all so delightful.)
posted by Katemonkey at 12:49 AM on July 28, 2015
I love Adam & Joe more, but that's because I love the ridiculousness of things like the Star Trek song.
And I'm so glad Boyega's getting even more roles, because he's so good and damn fine, and I can't wait to see what happens for him in the future.
(But, seriously, if you get a chance to watch episodes of Adam & Joe, watch them. Watch them all. Then hunt down episodes of their Radio 6 show. Because it's all so delightful.)
posted by Katemonkey at 12:49 AM on July 28, 2015
Right, sort of fing.
It's "ting" now, and tings bruv, innit.
posted by longbaugh at 1:03 AM on July 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's "ting" now, and tings bruv, innit.
posted by longbaugh at 1:03 AM on July 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
Just found out a second series of People Just Do Nothing has started! Get me to the Iplayer.
(It's the everyday story of gritty urban pirate radio station Karupt FM... featurign MC Sniper and Beats... you may remember their grim classic 'Get Out The Way'. If you want to catch up it started on the 'tube before going over to BBC3. No doubt you can get it on the illegals no watta mean, bruv. Hey babylon, just jokes!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:05 AM on July 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
(It's the everyday story of gritty urban pirate radio station Karupt FM... featurign MC Sniper and Beats... you may remember their grim classic 'Get Out The Way'. If you want to catch up it started on the 'tube before going over to BBC3. No doubt you can get it on the illegals no watta mean, bruv. Hey babylon, just jokes!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:05 AM on July 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh and People Just Do Nothing previous, check it!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:09 AM on July 28, 2015
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:09 AM on July 28, 2015
My friend from London explained to me that Attack The Block is the first grime movie to strike big in the US, then recommended that I watch Kidulthood and Adulthood, but both of them sound a bit different in tone (more serious and violent) whereas I'm looking for something like Boyz in the Hood, which was serious, violent, but had enough lighthearted parts to not make me feel miserable, whereas Kidulthood and the sequel make me think of Kids. Again, I haven't seen them, so I could be totally wrong. Anyone have other recommendations?
Kidulthood* is much better than Adulthood, that's for sure... there's a load of cheapo urban crap out but you might want to check out Bullet Boy and Shifty, remember them being better than average at least.
*one of the best things I remember about Kidulthood was the interview with the music supervisor on the DVD, who as like a middle aged white guy with a baseball cap... but he knew his music, that's for sure.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 6:55 AM on July 28, 2015
Kidulthood* is much better than Adulthood, that's for sure... there's a load of cheapo urban crap out but you might want to check out Bullet Boy and Shifty, remember them being better than average at least.
*one of the best things I remember about Kidulthood was the interview with the music supervisor on the DVD, who as like a middle aged white guy with a baseball cap... but he knew his music, that's for sure.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 6:55 AM on July 28, 2015
Although I'm ok with a fairly late cut-off, say, after In the Mouth of Madness. I will never, ever like Vampires, though.
It's tragic that such a good book was so misused. See also: The Postman.
not because of the accents. Is that really a problem for American audiences?
I grew up on Monty Python, Faulty Towers, Dr. Who and so-on and never had a problem with accents. I was somewhat shocked in the early 90s when a boss told me she loved a series of tapes that John Cleese did for business/education purposes but she couldn't use them because so many people had a problem with the accents.
That said, I have noticed having a lot more trouble with them in recent years and I think it's a function of overly complicated sound design or bad speakers, etc. Stuff that works well for me in a theater - on those so-rare occassions when I get out to one anymore - end up being an issue at home. It's far worse on broadcast things where they've lossy compressed the hell out of things too.
posted by phearlez at 9:35 AM on July 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's tragic that such a good book was so misused. See also: The Postman.
not because of the accents. Is that really a problem for American audiences?
I grew up on Monty Python, Faulty Towers, Dr. Who and so-on and never had a problem with accents. I was somewhat shocked in the early 90s when a boss told me she loved a series of tapes that John Cleese did for business/education purposes but she couldn't use them because so many people had a problem with the accents.
That said, I have noticed having a lot more trouble with them in recent years and I think it's a function of overly complicated sound design or bad speakers, etc. Stuff that works well for me in a theater - on those so-rare occassions when I get out to one anymore - end up being an issue at home. It's far worse on broadcast things where they've lossy compressed the hell out of things too.
posted by phearlez at 9:35 AM on July 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've had more problems with less-familiar accents over the past few years too, but I blame aging. I've started turning on closed captioning and it sometimes makes a huge difference (for example, surprisingly, with Spartacus).
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:46 AM on July 29, 2015
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:46 AM on July 29, 2015
Is it bruv or blud now?
Bizarrely "coz/cuz" is on the comeback which is ace because it's from a good few hundred years ago (Shakespeare used it in "As You Like it"). Blud is used primarily by poor teenage white stoner kids trying *really* hard to sound Black whilst bruv is more London-centric and popular amongst BAME kids.
posted by longbaugh at 7:18 AM on July 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Bizarrely "coz/cuz" is on the comeback which is ace because it's from a good few hundred years ago (Shakespeare used it in "As You Like it"). Blud is used primarily by poor teenage white stoner kids trying *really* hard to sound Black whilst bruv is more London-centric and popular amongst BAME kids.
posted by longbaugh at 7:18 AM on July 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
a function of overly complicated sound design or bad speakers, etc.
Looking at you, NuWho.
posted by Artw at 7:52 AM on July 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Looking at you, NuWho.
posted by Artw at 7:52 AM on July 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Allow it.
posted by Belle O'Cosity at 11:34 PM on August 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Belle O'Cosity at 11:34 PM on August 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
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posted by Cosine at 8:58 AM on July 27, 2015 [15 favorites]