SON OF RAMBOW
Miles Fielder talks to Garth Jennings about his delightful retro comedy Son of Rambow in which two boys attempt to recreate Rambo using a stolen camcorder
‘ otild _\ou like a slice ol sponge cake \\ ith _\otir cup ol tea'." (iai'th .lennings sa_\s aniiahl}. ‘I made it
this morning. .\'ot sure it it‘s an} good. iiiiiid.‘
.»\ \\ arm \ielcome ahoard his l'loating studio. housed on a harge on a canal in north London. this ina_\ he. But it's not quite the reception one might ha\e e\pected trom the fill-something linglishinan \\ho's one hall ol Hammer ck 'l‘ongs. the cocksui'e and cutting edge music \ideo and. more i‘eceiitl}. t'ilinmaking oiitl'it that‘s \\orked \sith Blur. l’ulp. Badl} l)ra\\n Bo} and ltitho) Slim. One might ha\ e e\pected a more polished and professional reception. shall \\ e .sa_\. from the creati\e l’orce \\ ho lielmed. in collahoi‘ation \xith his husiness partner .\'ick (ioldsmith. the $00 million hlockhuster hig
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screen adaptation ol 'l'lie lli'li'li/ii'lu'r's (um/y In l/It' (iii/(iii; It turns out. houexer. that .leniiings' doun-io-earth. hands-on and iii-liotise \xelcome is lull} inkeeping \sith hoth Hammer & ’loiigs' uorking ethos and the spirit in \xliich their latest ci'cati\e \enture. the man ellous retro coined} Son of Rum/ion. \sas em isaged and e\ecuted. Son of Rum/Nut is ahout a pair ol' \L‘l'llll} ten- _\ear—old ho}s li\ing in suhurhan lingland in the earl} l‘)t\’()s \\ ho team tip to make their own \ei'sioii ol their ltlHilll'llC l‘ilin. Rum/m: l-‘ii'xl Blood. lnitiall}. the ho}s e loner Will and hull} ('aiter shoot their mis-titled tilin alone. tising a \ideo camera nicked l‘rom (‘arter‘s \iheeler- dealer Mother and pla}ing the parts ol the superhuman \‘ietnain \eteran and his latherl} i'ormer commander theinselxes. Soon. l‘lt)\\C\'Cl’.
the enterprising adolescent aiiteiiis co opt ilic sei‘\ices ol their school's i'iotoiis si\tli lornieis. an tlltl‘aacool. (iaiiloises smoking l'l't'llcll e\chaiige student. and a dalt old codgei lioni an old people's home pla}ed h} octogenaiiaii comedian liric S} kes.
.-\sidc ll‘tllll the pricelessl} liiiiii}. aiiiatciiiisli htit ainhitious remake ol the iconic l‘lXJ action liltnle. Still ri/ Rum/mu also Icclt'att's lllt' e\perience ol heing a kid in 'l'liatchers Britain to hilarious and. it must he said. e\treinel} klltl\\ iiig ell'ect. 'l‘lie tiliii. \ihich \\as the well rccei\ed l.i\l Surprise .\lo\ ie at the ( ilasgou l‘lllll l'estnal last month. \ient doun a storm at the Sundance l'iilm l-esti\al last )eai'. \sinning Jennings and (itlltlslllllll lllL' co\ctcd :\tidieiicc :\\\;il'tl. lot a \ei'_\ modestl} hiidgeted little liritisli liliii. Sun of Rum/mu has done \L‘I'} \sell Illtlcetl lot itsell. .-\nd it all started “fill an ele\eii )eai old ho} t'roin l~.ssc\ named (iai‘ih running around his local \\tit)tl\ xx ith a camcorder.
‘\\'e lixed near lapping l'oi‘estf .leiiiiings s;i}s o\ er tea and cake in the houcls ol the hargc. 'aiid \se spent all our spare time in the lorest running around and setting tire to things and matching them hiii'n. Soiiieoiic's hi‘otlier got hold iii a pirate \ideo cop} ol lirxl lf/iim/. and suddenl} \xe'i‘e \iatching this hlokc running around a lorest \sith last a kiiile. setting his oxiii arm up and chiselling the most aina/ing traps. We thought. "\Vouldn‘t it he great to do our man Rum/nil?" So \ie made this tilin called .lumii l’url /. lt \\ as all shot in one da_\. done h) teatiine. lt \\ as \er} elahorate. and l'\e still got it here in the studio some“ here. But l \ktill-l sllou it to _\ouf Jennings sa_\s leasingl}. 'hecaiise it's hideous. I might put it on the DH) ol .S'mi u/ Rum/mu. though.‘
'l‘uentytiie )ears or so later. Jennings has taken another hash at remaking Rum/m. And