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Coin-operated carnage on a Suffolk beach, in this dreamlike short backed by the BFI.

Drama 1970 22 mins

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Overview

Curiouser and curiouser... A young woman’s trip to the beach turns increasingly surreal when she digs up a mysterious coin-operated contraption. Who could resist giving it a whirl? Filmed on the stony shore of Aldeburgh in Suffolk, this BFI Production Board funded short is a playful and rewarding tale, with a memorable appearance by the 'Naked Civil Servant' himself, Quentin Crisp.

Gale Tattersall, the film's co-writer and photographer, was a recent graduate from the London Film School. He would go on to work as a cinematographer on The Commitments (1991) and Tank Girl (1995), and later as director of photography for the American TV series House (2004-2012) featuring Hugh Laurie. Tattersall's co-creator and director was David Blest, an arachnologist by trade, whose unusual background seems to have added intriguing perspective to a story that skilfully draws you into its web.

Director
David Blest
Featuring
Elizabeth MellorQuentin CrispKenneth SeegerJohn Donaldson
Genres
Drama
Released
1970
Country
United Kingdom
Location
Aldeburgh
Language
English

Subjects

Surrealism