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Rude Boy (1980)

R | | Drama, Music | 18 May 1981 (Sweden)
Rude Boy Poster
A young British punk and roadie for The Clash navigates life in socially torn 1970s England.

Directors:

Jack Hazan, David Mingay

Writers:

Ray Gange, David Mingay

Stars:

Dave Armstrong, Barry Baker, Terry Barry | See full cast & crew »
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1 win & 1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Credited cast:
Dave Armstrong Dave Armstrong ... Police officer
Barry Baker Barry Baker ... Drum roadie
Terry Barry Terry Barry ... Police officer
Reg Bazell Reg Bazell ... Police officer
Stephen Behan Stephen Behan ... Fan
Graham Brown Graham Brown ... Fan
Lizard Brown Lizard Brown ... Suspect
Caroline Coon Caroline Coon ... Band representative
John Daly John Daly ... Bouncer
Hickey Etienne Hickey Etienne ... Suspect
Plaxy Exton Plaxy Exton ... Fan
Tig Exton Tig Exton ... Fan
Ian Galland Ian Galland ... Police officer
Ray Gange Ray Gange ... Rude Boy
Ben Gaze Ben Gaze ... Police officer
See full cast »
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Storyline

Rude Boy is a semi-documentary, part character study, part 'rockumentary', featuring a British punk band, The Clash. The script includes the story of a fictional fan juxtposed with actual public events of the day, including political demonstrations and Clash concerts. Filmed over a period of years, the written dialog takes on the appearance of improvisation. Written by Edmund Nasjleti <ena375@map.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

roadie | england | british renaissance | concert footage | london england | See All (13) »

Taglines:

Featuring The Clash. See more »

Genres:

Drama | Music

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 May 1981 (Sweden) See more »

Also Known As:

The Clash: Rude Boy See more »

Filming Locations:

Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Buzzy Enterprises,Michael White Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Quotes

Lead guitarist: You know what I think, don't you? I've been watching you.
Rude Boy: Yeah, I noticed. Quite a lot.
Lead guitarist: I been watching you.
Rude Boy: I'll keep it in mind.
Lead guitarist: Do.
See more »

Alternate Versions

Released at 133 minutes in Europe; US prints run 120 minutes. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Almost Famous (2000) See more »

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User Reviews

Intriguing but muddled
17 August 1999 | by acky – See all my reviews

This intriguing film blurs the line between documentary and reality much in the way 60's classics such as "Medium Cool" do. The story (when it's allowed to tell itself) of the drunken directionless punk is sad, charming and wild. I can see why the Clash disowned the film. It shows how they merely reflect the showbiz side of the struggles of the working class in England. When Ray attempts to tell Mick Jones how much "Stay free" means to him, he is shrugged off with a " I'm watching you." We see Ray being consumed by his own nihilstic rage while the clash use it up to the point of making good pop music with it.
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