Bartley Gorman

[matt2cool4skool]

Dear Mr Shane Meadows,
Just finished reading 'King of the Gypsies' - just couldn't put it down.
Incredible.
"You are hurting me too much my brothers" - that's the line you should stick on the poster! I hope you get around to putting his story into a feature length film.

Muchos respect and admiration,
Matt

P.S. On my 21st Birthday i hired out the local cinema and screened 'A Room For Romeo Brass' for all my friends and family (a student loan put to good use i feel). It was awesome. Thank you for the great images and wonderful stories you have put in all our heads. *FLINCH!*

[Dave]

matt2cool4skool said:

P.S. On my 21st Birthday i hired out the local cinema and screened 'A Room For Romeo Brass' for all my friends and family (a student loan put to good use i feel). It was awesome. Thank you for the great images and wonderful stories you have put in all our heads. *FLINCH!*

Now there's a hardcore fan if ever I saw one!

Welcome to the site Matt(2cool4skool).

Who else has seen Romeo Brass in a cinema? I have... when it was released....... at the Watershed cinema in Bristol. They must have got one of the tiny number of prints that were distributed.

[shanemeadows]

I think it went out on about 8 prints! Thank god for VHS and DVD aye, From small acorns an all that...

Bartley is still a story that I intend to tell. It's just that in the current (skinflint) filmaking landscape, it is near impossible to get the money I need unless I cast Steve Martin as Bartley and J-Lo as his Mrs! Even "This is England" was made under the tightest financial restrictions. Until I make some decent Box office off the back of one of my films, The Bartley film will remain in the X files...

[matt2cool4skool]

Yeah, the nice little old man in the projector room let me watch him connect the reel up. I hadn't asked to watch but i think cos he knew the print was quite a rarity he took great pleasure in inviting me in and showing me how much care he was taking with it.

The question is who could play Bartley or his brother? Surely it would have to be an unknown unless Paddy fancied piling on a few stones and beefing it up in the gym?
Paddy would have to be one of Bartley's drinking buddies. As the film is reaching its climax i'd be more than happy to appear in the background as one of the hundreds of travellers who have camped out on Bartley's land.
Artie sounds like he would've been a Dad you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of when you were growing up!

Went to see 'Kidulthood' last night, very impressive. Had to admire how brave it was as a piece of storytelling. I felt it was almost Shakespearian in the boldness of it's plot twists. Even if they did detract from the sense of realism it still painted a rich tapestry of urban depravity effecting the youth of a modern multicultral Britain with some troubling and memorable images.

Anyhow, time for me to go and make a tuna and cheese toastie with mayo and pepper me thinks. Washed down of course with a builder's sized mug of tea. Mmmmm, that's the ticket!

P.S. Great to see how the site has grown over the last 18months. Keep up the good work!

[quixote]

I HAVE JUST READ BARTLEY'S BOOK TOO AND IT IS GOOD HE'S WAS AN AMAZING CHARACTER I'D LOVE TO SEE THIS FILMED IT'S WELL WORTH TRACKING DOWN ON EBAY MINE WAS LESS THAN A FIVER AND MONEY VERY WELL SPENT SHANE GATS A COUPLE OF MENTIONS AS DOES HIS DAD WHO SOUNDS LIKE HE WAS A TASTY BOXER MIND YOU WHEN I SAW HIM ON THE EXTRAS OF ROMEO BRASS I THOUGHT HE LOOKED LIKE HE CAN HANDLE HIMSELF

[Hyde]

Just came in the post today, cant wait to start reading it!

I would also like to see the Bartley Gorman Documentary, Shane is there a way it could be an extra on a dvd? I would REALLY like to see it!

[matt2cool4skool]

Just remember the line: "You are hurting me too much my brothers".
What a legend!