Konterr Brilliant and touching

Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Spikeopath i.d. is directed by Philip Davis and written by Vincent O'Connell. It stars Reece Dinsdale, Warren Clarke, Claire Skinner, Richard Graham, Perry Fewick, Philip Glenister, Saskia Reeves and Sean Pertwee. Music is by Will Gregory and cinematography by Thomas Mauch.Four policemen go undercover and infiltrate a gang of football hooligans who follow Shadwell Town. There mission is to root out their leaders, the ones pulling all the strings. But for one of them, John (Dinsdale), the longer the operation goes on, the more he finds he loves this world of hard drinking and fighting.It became something of a cult hit back in the 90s, at a time when football hooligan films were still rare. Nowadays they are two a penny, with a ream of wide boy directors mining the source for easy cash while turning the topic into pop culture matter of fact. i.d. (it is spelt that way on the film) is a different animal to the MTV styled other hoolie movies in a lot of ways, it is set in the 80s but it feels archaic, in fact it feels much earlier with its clothing choices, fans decked out in scarves, admission fees into grounds only £3.50/£4.00 and the way supporters are caged on the terraces. Even the terrace songs hark back to the 70s. This old time feel, coupled with the low production value, is a world away from the likes of The Football Factory and Green Street, where dress codes were as important as toughness! i.d. does have realism, but it's a realism long before football hooliganism became a source of books, films and trendy badge of honours.Davis' film is more concerned with showing how the thrill of it all can drag down the most upstanding citizen. In this case Dinsdale's (terrific and a splendid shift from sit-com niceties) young ambitious copper. His descent into being a full blown hooligan is very real, the addiction of the fight, the camaraderie of the gang, the wine women and song that replaces the humdrum of everyday working life. It doesn't offer up any answers, in fact things are deliberately left ambiguous in the end, but the message is sharply etched into the story and the pic is high on social value. It should have been bolder by making more on racism of the time and expanding upon police overkill at football matches, but it never glorifies the topic to hand and backed by a very watchable cast, rounds out as football hooligan film of some substance and standing in the genre pantheon. 8/10

Daniel Christopher This film is so very British.Its loosely about football and fundamentally about violence.Except it isn't very violent. Well it is but it all seems harmless really, the're all good boys deep down. Look at the way they look after Gumbo. He can't even carry a tray of beers bless him. The "scary" landlord speaks like yoda, which i think is a masterstroke. Every pub needs a landlord who threatens punters in yodaspeak.It somehow manages to show a dark underbelly of society where you could take your Nan for tea and biscuits. We all know she'd love the rock.That, I think, is what makes it so wonderfully British. Love this film.Don't miss 8/10

scottfisher1984 Really enjoyed this film, as it was not just about mindless football violence, but about the social structure of white working class men in Thatcher's Britain. As I Football supporter of many years myself, I know the thrill of the terraces and how violence can be to some people like a drug. I liked all the characters, the geek Trev, Linda, Bob, Nick, Martin and especially John as he losses control and his behaviour spirals out of control and he ends up in the BNP, as Winton Manbolla said would happen to the boot boys. The way John destroys his relationship with Marie who clearly loves and adores him at the beginning of the film is well thought out. Would have been nice to end the film with John getting a beating from Bob, Nick and Martin if they come across him at Shadwell Town Football Club, what more can I say except for excellent.

c_hookham A quite emotive subject in the Uk and europe and one that only 3 films (The others being The Firm (1988),Ultra (1990) have yet to be based on considering the dramatic subject matter. This film goes a little way into showing bthe extent of matchday violence in the 1980's by showing the fanatacism of the fans and the allure of comradeship and 'action' Seems to based on the real-life undercover operations that ocurred in the late 80's (and still do-)and in particular 'operation Dirty-Den' launched against Millwall Fc (or Shadwell Fc as they are called in the film) fans. Dont know whether a ambitious copper would end up a thug but the story is quite enthralling. The subject matter needs to updated to the present day something that will come with the film version of john king's 'The Football Factory'