- The Strike
"The Strike" (also known as Strike!) was one of the long-running series of "Comic Strip Presents..." short comedy films, written by
Peter Richardson andPete Richens and directed by Richardson. First aired onChannel 4 in September 1988, it also received a limited theatrical release, and won theGolden Rose of Montreux for the same year.The film concerns Paul (
Alexei Sayle ), a Welsh formerminer and aspiringscreenwriter who writes a hard-hitting film about his own experiences of the 1984 Miners' Strike. However, theHollywood production company that gets hold of his script turns it into an anachronistic, sensationalist action film, starringAl Pacino (played by Richardson) asArthur Scargill , andMeryl Streep (Jennifer Saunders ) as his wife. The film also starsRobbie Coltrane ,Nigel Planer andKeith Allen (all of whom play multiple roles), in addition to fleeting appearances from most of the regular "Comic Strip" performers, includingAdrian Edmondson ,Rik Mayall andDawn French .Due to its cinema release, prestigious award success and subject matter, "The Strike" is one of the most famous of all the "Comic Strip" films. In addition, the film's theme (of a Hollywood studio creating a warped version of a British historical event) and its chief stylistic device (intercutting the narrative concerning the making of the film-within-a-film with "footage" from it) would be revisited twice by Richardson and Richens: first in the later "Comic Strip" film ', and then in the movie '. Neither of these films, however, achieved success comparable to "The Strike".
Cast
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Peter Richardson -Al Pacino asArthur Scargill
*Jennifer Saunders -Meryl Streep as Mrs Scargill
*Alexei Sayle - Paul
*Dawn French - Verity/Old Lady/"Celebrity"
*Nigel Planer - Bernard/Old Man/Camp Actor 1
*Robbie Coltrane - Goldie/Dutch/"Celebrity"
*Adrian Edmondson - Adrian/Slim/Policeman
*Keith Allen - Film Executive/Camp Actor 2/Architect/"Celebrity"
*Rik Mayall - Speaker/Hunchback
*Ronald Allen - Prime MinisterExternal links
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