The North East Gets Dirty, Sexy and Iconic with Carter
New documentary about Get Carter being filmed in region.
With excitement growing amongst film fans for the exclusive preview screening of the new 4K restoration of Get Carter on 7 May at the Tyneside Cinema, a new chapter in the movie’s history is about to open in the dark, iconic world of Jack Carter.
The classic 1971 North East set thriller, starring Michael Caine as Jack Carter, sees him returning to his hometown of Newcastle to avenge his brother’s death. Featuring many regional locations, the movie is possibly the grittiest and greatest of all British crime films. A partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment UK Ltd has enabled the film to be newly restored in 4K by the British Film Institute (BFI) for theatrical and home entertainment release.
Now, more than 50 years after its release, a new documentary about the movie is being made which reaches across time and links the past to the present by interviewing its stars, fans, and the new generation of filmmakers who have been influenced by its presence.
Get Carter was directed by Mike Hodges and produced by Michael Klinger. Michael’s son, Tony, a renowned film producer himself (The Kids Are Alright, Shout at The Devil, Gold), is working with directors Wayne Roberts and Rob Fairhurst on the documentary entitled “Dirty, Sexy and Totally Iconic.”
“It’s more than 50 years since Get Carter was premiered onto the big screen at a Newcastle cinema and our new film will go back to the start of the story and talk to those involved in the making of the film as well as to the super fans that know every statistic and every line of dialogue in the film. It will be a tribute to the movie but also to the sterling work my father did on this classic and iconic piece of cinematic history,” said Tony.
The team have recently filmed in the region where they visited locations and interviewed fans and others associated with the film. Musician and producer Ray Laidlaw whose Tyne Idols business runs music, TV and movie tours in a classic double decker bus and features Get Carter in their itinerary said:
“It’s been a pleasure showing Tony and the team around some of the places where the film was shot. The High-Level Bridge takes a starring role and is one of the few places still recognisable from the 1970’s. The other is in a street in Gateshead where the Las Vegas Guest House was situated. Many other places are now long gone such as the famous car park and the rows of Tyneside flats leading down to the Tyne but if you know where to look, the clues are still there.” he said.
Also involved in the filming was Karen Goldfinch, Chair of the North Tyneside Business Forum.
“It’s great that this movie has stood the test of time and it’s had a huge impact on inspiring arts, culture, and creative businesses. It brought Newcastle to the rest of the world’s attention and to this day influences film and media students living up here now. We are particularly proud that North Tyneside featured in the movie with the iconic scene at Wallsend where the car is driven off the ferry landing site. Tourism is important for North Tyneside and visitors now will see a very different image of the Borough than they saw more than five decades ago,” she said.
The preview evening at The Tyneside Cinema will feature an exclusive Q&A with Tony and Douglas Weir who led on the restoration of the film for the BFI. The event will be filmed and will feature in the documentary. It is hoped that the documentary will be aired in the autumn.