‘An underrated northern artist whose impact could have been greater given the right breaks. Cliff Twemlow’s story should provide encouragement to the current crop of British indie filmmakers. One can only imagine what wonders Cliff would have created with modern equipment. An essential watch’
*****
Starburst
‘Fantastic… Will easily be in my top 5 documentaries of 2023…’
60 Minutes With
‘Hugely entertaining documentary about a truly unique character… Through contemporary interviews, archive footage and clips from Cliff’s bonkers back-catalogue, Jake West paints an affectionate portrait of a genuine one-off, whose work you’ll want to dive into once credits roll’
Dexerto
‘A fascinating man… Cliff absolutely deserves a place in the pantheon of low-budget, guerrilla-style filmmakers and hopefully this documentary will introduce him to an entirely new audience’
*****
Set the Tape
Severin Films is delighted to announce Mancunian Man is set to return to where it all began for bonafide legend, Cliff Twemlow, with its glamour filled Manchester Premiere on 12th November 2023 at Cultplex.
Following the hugely successful and critically acclaimed World Premiere at FrightFest in August, it’s time to experience the film on its home soil, where the cinematic magic first happened. Finally, the man, the legend can get finally get the kudos he truly deserves.
Meet Cliff Twemlow – AKA Mancunian Man…Bouncer. Novelist. Composer. Screenwriter. Producer. Stuntman. Star.
In 1980s Britain Twemlow was all of these and much, much more. For more than a decade, he was in fact Britain’s most prolific indie filmmaker and in his hometown of Manchester, he was – and remains – a bone-fide legend.
Between 1982 and 1993, he gathered a devoted team, including local doormen, martial artists, variety performers, club DJs, models, girlfriends, gym friends, family members and B-listers and created his own cut-rate Hollywood empire.
Perhaps best known for the ultra-violent G.B.H. (Grievous Bodily Harm) – which was banned as one of the notorious Video Nasties – Twemlow was a true trailblazer. Shooting with pioneering video technology, composing the music himself and working to almost non-existent budgets – he crafted movies of all genres, from gangster flicks to horror films, spy thrillers to sci-fi epics and beyond, with the help of his unlikely ensemble of misfits.
Now his unbelievable, but totally true story is brought to life by director Jake West (Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape, Razor Blade Smile and Doghouse) and Severin Films through exclusive new interviews, insane film clips and rare behind-the-scenes footage.
There’s only one real Mancunian Man, a true one-of-a-kind and legend whose story needs to be seen to be believed.
Tickets available here:
https://cultplex.eventive.org/schedule/651c00037056b5005e706b0d
ABOUT SEVERIN FILMS:
Severin Films is dedicated to the world’s most provocative cinema for physical media, theatrical, streaming and beyond. Founded in 2006,their distribution catalogue includes projects by iconic filmmakers Alejandro Jodorowsky, Roman Polanski, Dario Argento, Paul Morrissey, Mike Leigh, Lucio Fulci, Just Jaeckin, Peter Greenaway, Dennis Hopper Joko Anwar, Patrice Leconte, Walerian Borowczyk, Sergio Martino, Álex de la Iglesia and comedy legends The Comic Strip. Severin has also elevated the oeuvres of such fringe auteurs as Andy Milligan, Al Adamson, Ray Dennis Steckler, Bruno Mattei, Frederick Friedel, Luigi Cozzi,Claudio Fragrasso, Umberto Lenzi, Juan Piquer Simón, Joe D’Amato and Goya-Award winner Jess Franco. Severin has also produced the award-winning documentaries LOST SOUL: THEDOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, BLOOD &FLESH: THE REAL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON and WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED: A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR, and co-produced original feature films that include PLAGUE TOWN and THE THEATRE BIZARRE. Their latest documentary ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE was an official selection of the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival and is currently playing festivals worldwide.