Grey Wyler

Does anyone recall any of the adverse publicity in the late 1980's given to the Heysel stadium film drama Appointment in Liverpool. I've been told that the press in the UK featured some scathing attacks on the film, that it portrayed Liverpool supporters in a negative way, but can't seem to find anything on checking back.

Steve Crook

Do you mean Appuntamento a Liverpool (1988)? That's the only one I can find with a title anything like Appointment in Liverpool.

It's an Italian drama so it might not give the Liverpool side too fairly. And I don't know that it's ever been shown here.

But if the UK press did ever stumble upon it I expect they would make a scathing attack on it. They make scathing attacks on everything else
Except the Sun of course, they make attacks on Liverpool supporters even when they're not guilty of anything

Steve

Grey Wyler

Thats the one Steve. An Italian production co produced with some UK cash, and filmed in Italy and Liverpool, with a mainly Italian cast but strong British support.

I have only ever seen an Italian video release which was mainly Italian language (obviously) until the main characters reach Liverpool. The story roughly is about a young woman who has recurring nightmares about her fathers death during the Heysel stadium disaster. A visiting English policeman shows her mugshots of known hooligans, and she picks out a face she has seen in her dreams. She travels to England to confront the youth and bring him to justice, but uncovers more than she bargained for.

It may have had the odd arthouse screening here, a fully English subtitled print does exist, with the English language sequences having Italian subs.

It did not really get any coverage in the Scottish editions of the papers, but i did hear that a few of the Red tops (national editions) kicked up a fuss that it painted Liverpool fans in a terrible light, and that the film should be banned.

The Sun probably thought it was a well balanced intelligent piece of work.