Spud (2010)

Popularity:

Up 68% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Donovan Marsh

Writers:

Donovan Marsh (screenplay)
John Van De Ruit (novel)

Release Date:

3 December 2010 (South Africa)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

It's South Africa 1990. Two major events are about to happen: The release of Nelson Mandela and, more importantly, it's Spud Milton's first year at an elite boys only private boarding school.

Plot Keywords:

School | South Africa | Nickname | Private School | Friendship

Cast

John Cleese	...	The Guv - Mr. Edly
Troye Sivan	...	John 'Spud' Milton
Jamie Royal	...	Henry 'Gecko' Barker
Sven Ruygrok	...	Rambo
Blessing Xaba	...	Fatty
Tom Burne	...	Vern 'Rain Main' Blackadder (as Thomas Burne)
Josh Goddard	...	Charlie 'Mad Dog' Hooper
Travis Hornsby	...	Boggo
Byron Langley	...	Simon Brown
Jason Cope	...	Sparerib - Mr. Wilson
Genna Blair	...	Mermaid - Debbie
Charlbi Dean Kriek	...	Amanda (as Charlbi Kriek)
Julie Summers	...	Mom
Aaron McIlroy	...	Dad
Tanit Phoenix	...	Eve - Mrs. Wilson
Graham Weir	...	Viking
Ben Voss	...	Mr. Lilly
Jeremy Crutchley	...	The Glock - Mr. Glockenshpeel
Siobhan Hodgson	...	Mrs. Roberts
Ryan Mayne	...	Julian
Darren Frances	...	Pike
James Murray	...	Bert
Ricky Cruz	...	De Vries
Sylvaine Strike	...	San Sister
Lehasa Moloi	...	P.J. Luthuli
Brenda Ngxoli	...	Innocence
Terry Norton	...	The Guv's Wife
Christine le Brocq	...	Wombat
Matthew Butler	...	Christian Boy
Chris Thomas	...	Smith
Ryan Holmes	...	Linton Austin
Patrick Kenny	...	Reverand Bishop
Alex McGregor	...	Christine
Shaeleen Tobin	...	Marge
Vera Clare	...	Old Lady
Liam Magner	...	Hairy Gavin
Zhigiswa Madlala	...	Fatty's Mom
Sandile Khuluse	...	Fatty's Dad
Patricia Lourens	...	Rambo's Mom
Paul Hartmann	...	Rambo's Dad
Lana Ignjatovic	...	Boggo's Mom
John Leslie Wright	...	Boggos' Dad
Heather Conyngham	...	Gecko's Mom
Karl Dreyer	...	Gecko's Dad
Lee Manners-Wood	...	Linton's Mom
Jennifer Colenbrander	...	Mad Dog's Mom
Robyn Grove	...	Simon's Mom
Stephen Embleton	...	Simon's Dad
Ian Steel	...	Linton's Dad
Bart Fouche	...	Handyman
Annelie Mare	...	Older Amanda
Danielle Pertman	...	Older Debbie
Josh Dempers	...	Stubbed Cricket Boy
Mel Cronje	...	Matron
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ross Garland	...	Teacher in Chapel (uncredited)
John Van De Ruit	...	Teacher in Chapel (uncredited)

Directed by
Donovan Marsh

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Donovan Marsh		screenplay
John Van De Ruit		novel

Produced by
Nic Evans	....	executive producer
Ross Garland	....	producer
Richard Green	....	line producer
Jeremy Katzen	....	co-executive producer
Brad Logan	....	producer
Mompati Setlogelo	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Ed Jordan

Cinematography by
Lance Gewer

Film Editing by
Megan Gill

Art Direction by
Tom Gubb

Set Decoration by
Celia Bobak

Costume Design by
Mariano Gomez

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bart Fouche	....	first assistant director
Thabani Gigaba	....	second assistant director

Art Department
David Atherstone	....	art department assistant

Sound Department
Michael Botha	....	dialogue editor
Michael Broomberg	....	foley artist (as Michael J. Broomberg)
Barry Donnelly	....	sound effects editor
Barry Donnelly	....	sound re-recording mixer
Oliver Machin	....	sound fx and atmos recordist
Ivan Milborrow	....	sound recordist
Philip Olckers	....	assistant sound editor
Mark Shehab	....	foley recordist
Stephen Webster	....	a.d.r. mixer

Special Effects by
Leon Breytenbach	....	special effects supervisor
Jenn Robinson	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Isaac Lui	....	visual effects artist
Cyril Schumann	....	flame artist
Lauren Van Rensburg	....	di producer

Stunts
Wesley Allan-Reynolds	....	stunt double: John "Spud" Milton
Leon Breytenbach	....	stunt supervisor
Mark Eaton	....	stunt coordinator
David Mahlangu	....	stunts
Thobile Mahlangu	....	stunts
Grant Oliver	....	stunt double: The Guv

Camera and Electrical Department
Greg Fell	....	epk
Greg Fell	....	still photographer
James Frater	....	camera operator
James Frater	....	steadicam operator
Houston Hadden	....	assistant camera
Dean Leslie	....	still photographer
Vera Platt	....	camera trainee

Casting Department
Bonnie Lee Bouman	....	casting director: johannesburg

Editorial Department
Nicci Van Niekerk	....	first assistant editor

Transportation Department
Roy Choromanski	....	action vehicles coordinator
Jason Siddall	....	action vehicles coordinator

Other crew
Simon P. Crane	....	stand-in for Aaron Mcilroy
Trevor Crighton	....	unit publicist
Greg Fell	....	e.p.k. shooter/editor
Lon Haber	....	publicist
Nick Hill	....	pilot
Dean Leslie	....	e.p.k. shooter/editor
Tamsin MacCarthy	....	production coordinator
Bruce MacLarty	....	dog/cat wrangler
Annelie Mare	....	assistant to producer
Atta Opperman	....	assistant wrangler
Melinda Stokes	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Rogue Star Films
• BLM Productions

Distributors

• Pinnacle Films (2012) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (2012) (UK) (theatrical)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2011) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• Nu Metro Films (2010) (South Africa) (all media)

Other Companies

• African Attachment, The  epk production
• Fintage CAM  Collection Account Management

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

South Africa

Language:

English

Color:

Color (35 mm version)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Ireland:12 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Company:

Rogue Star Films

Trivia:

The producers and writers originally wanted Hugh Grant to play the role of "The Guv" and pursued him relentlessly. John Cleese ended up accepting the role even though it is not his usual type of film.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The volume control on the TV set is pushed all the way down but you can clearly hear the sound supposedly coming out of the TV set.

Quotes:

The Viking:I will be running a tight ship... in fact this ship will be run tighter than a nun's fanny.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Spud 3: Learning to Fly (2014)

Not bad at all - better than the book

I enjoyed 'Spud' today. I wasn't expecting much, which always helps. It was filmed in my old school, Michaelhouse, and it shows it very well for the beautiful place that it is - in a lovely setting.

Mostly the action is quite accurate too, for live in that particular boarding school, as I remember it. It hasn't changed all that much, either, over the past 35 odd years. The old Chemistry Lecture theatre is now the English classroom in the film, which seems slightly odd. The theatre was being built when I was there - a boy called Cook, fell through the skylight onto the floor below, leaving his teethmarks in the floor. He fell in front of the painting of the three witches in Macbeth - which I didn't see in the film, sensible.

The acting is good, and the South African accents authentic without being too grating. John Cleese acts very well - an not his usual comic style at all.

I'm not sure how you'll find the film if you didn't go to school there - probably better because you'll not be thinking of what all the different places meant to you, over the years!