The Nature of the Beast (1988)

[ajhooper]

Directed by Franco Rosso

[Grebmoolb]

I've located someone who claims to have it. Are You STILL interested? Are

we talking "Lynton Dearden?" Advise. Email Me.

[ajhooper]

Have sent you a PM.

name='Grebmoolb']I've located someone who claims to have it. Are You STILL interested? Are

we talking "Lynton Dearden?" Advise. Email Me.

[JohnMac]

I'm also looking for this film, i remember watching it as a kid, and i live in woodnook in accrington so would like to reminisce. Can anyone help me out?

[neilzodiac]

Does anyone know where I can get a copy of the film NATURE OF THE BEAST, a great British film shown only once or twice in the late '80s and early '90s adapted from Janni Howker's novel. It's about a place in Yorkshire plagued by unemployment, all the while a mystery 'big cat' is on the loose on the local moors.

[batman]

It was a Film Four/British Screen production so it may be worthwhile contacting either of them. There appears to have been no DVD/VHS release so your only othe hope is that someone has recorded it off-air.

[neilzodiac]

Thanks. Yeah, that was what I was hoping....

[ajhooper]

I posted a request for this some time ago, but so far no luck in tracking down a copy. Surely someone must have a copy!

[neilzodiac]

It seems to be one the hardest films to track down, and yet the book, and subject matter of 'big cats' in the countryside is quite popular, surely someone must have a copy!!

[Red Ray]

I too would love a copy. My wife went to school with Paul Simpson, one of the main two lads in the film. In fact, we went to his wedding a couple of years ago. I see his sister every week so I will ask her if either she or Paul has a copy!

[neilzodiac]

Great, let me know if you're able to get one.

[pod1969]

It's one of those films that's stayed with me for a long time. Perhaps it's not the film I remember, but I'd love to see it again, just to be sure.



Time Out Film Guide:



"The beast is unemployment. There have been eight years of Thatcherism since Franco Rosso's Babylon, and as he turns from what it was to be working class, black and British in Brixton to what it is to be working class, white and unemployed in the distressed North of England, the effect of the intervening years can be detected in both the change of location to the colder, stonier climes of Lancashire, and the quieter but more desperate responses of his characters. The plainly allegorical tale is from the same school, if not the same class, as Kes. Fletcher (the hero's brother in Loach's film) plays the father of another troubled teenager and school truant, motherless wild-child Bill (Dearden), from whose point of view the narrative unfolds. There's trouble't mill. Grandad (Melody) is sacked, Dad joins the picket. Meanwhile a beast roams the moors, descending on the town to kill at night. Superstition is rife, and Bill takes a gun to kill it. The results may be uneven, but the restrained performances are truthful, and the sense of pain and frustration is genuinely moving."

[batman]

I would love to see it again. The film was well written and had a nice brooding atmosphere. I often wonder why good films like this disappear and crap like Ace Ventura 2 still get shelf space.

[Maurice]

Following his accomplished screen debut as 'Bill Coward', Lynton Dearden was in demand for other roles. He appeared in:



DRAMARAMA - Ghost Story (1989)

THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE (1989)

THE BILL - Beggars and Choosers (1990)



Why are there no further screen appearances - according to IMDb ?



He is surprisingly absent from websites which provide basic information about young actors - and a photo.



No stills, from NATURE OF THE BEAST (1988), seem to be available.



The DVD pictured next to this synopsis of the film, at Answers.com, is a different film with the same title:



"Bill Coward (Lynton Dearden) is a 14-year-old teenager who is intrigued by stories of a mysterious beast who is killing sheep and chickens. Bill's father Ned (Freddie Fletcher) fears the beast of unemployment when the Haverston mill closes down.



"The once-bright outlook of the adults and children is darkened by the clouds of economic disaster, with no alternative work available." Dan Pavlides - All Movie Guide.



Franco Rosso's highly-regarded film BABYLON (1980) has been available on DVD for several years, but there's still no sign of a DVD release of NATURE OF THE BEAST.

[ajhooper]

Apparently there was an Australian DVD release:



Nature of the Beast (PG) 1988 - DVD rental - BigPond Movies - Telstra BigPond



Not sure how easy it would be to track it down, will investigate.

[ajhooper]

Also found the DVD listed here, it's a US based DVD vending machine:



The Nature Of The Beast (1988) - Lynton Dearden, Paul Simpson, Tony Melody - BigBoxDVD.com



Still can't find the actual DVD for sale anywhere! The Australian DVD looks to be out of print now.

[ajhooper]

I now have a copy of the film, thanks to a kind person whose brother worked as part of the crew.

[Maurice]

Congratulations, ajhooper, on finding a copy



'Bill Coward' might not have the captivating personality of 'Billy Casper' in KES, but Lynton Dearden still produces a memorable performance - as does Tony Melody as 'Chunder'.



THE NATURE OF THE BEAST is comparable to 15: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PHILIP KNIGHT (ITV, 1993).



Both films are overlooked as significant examples of social realism, because so many viewers have never seen them. There is still no sign of repeat broadcast or DVD release.

[zodiac]

If anyone is interested, i now have a mint copy of 'nature of the beast'. I managed to find an original vhs copy!!! Have been after this movie for years. Pm me if interested.

[chuffnobbler]

I rememebr the film very clearly, and have the book somewhere.

is the film actualyl any good, after all these years?!