‘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. An essential watch’
*****
Starburst
‘Hugely entertaining documentary about a truly unique character… 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
Following its successful festival run and ahead of its digital release in June 2024, Severin Films announces a UK theatrical tour of the acclaimed film Mancunian Man the Legendary Life of Cliff Twemlow.
Tour dates:
3 March – Nottingham Broadway + Q&A with Jake West & David Gregory
13 March – Birmingham – Mockingbird Cinema + Q&A with Jake West
23 March – Exeter – Exeter Phoenix + Q&A with Jake West
26 April – London – Prince Charles Cinema + Q&A with Jake West
4 May – Glasgow – Glasgow Film Theatre + Q&A with Jake West
With more to be confirmed
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 bonefide 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.
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: THE DOOMED 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 before playing scores of festivals worldwide and will be released theatrically in the US in April.
