06/11/09

Welsh indie movie "A Bit of Tom Jones?" moves into the mainstream

A micro-budget Welsh feature film is set to do battle with Hollywood blockbusters at the box office when it goes on general release in Welsh cinemas this weekend.  The film 'A Little Bit of Tom Jones?' stars a host famous faces  - including Torchwood star Eve Myles, Loose Women host Denise Welch, Matt Berry from Channel 4's IT Crowd, and Gavin and Stacey star Margaret John -  is been screened at cinemas and multiplexes across Wales, in the widest cinema release enjoyed by a Welsh film for many years.

A Bit of Tom Jones?

'We've been overwhelmed by the response from the managers and film bookers who tell us they love the film and want to screen it in their cinemas," says the film's Producer Andrew Jenkins. "Normally homegrown cinema product struggles to reach even a single cinema screen while we are struggling to meet all the demand."  Bernard Snowball Manager of the Market Hall Cinema, Brynmawr, which is screening the film from the 13th November, believes the film could do well. “It's great to have commercial, audience pleasing product from Wales. I think the film is going to do very well at the box office, it's certainly as funny as anything out there recently".
The film is being compared to cult Swansea comedy Twin Town and this year's multi-million dollar grossing boxoffice smash The Hangover. “A lowbrow comedy for lowbrow people, like me,” is how director Peter Watkins-Hughes describes it. “We set out to make an unashamedly entertaining film that hopefully ordinary film goers will love - I don't think it's exactly the Daily Telegraph's cup of tea. But in Wales - where it counts most for me - it hopefully could do well!”

A special preview showing of the film at Swansea's Taliesin Cinema sold out weeks before the screening date, indicating the film might indeed have the potential to breakout at the book office.

Producer Andrew Jenkins attributes this appetite for the film to its very welsh humour, “There is a  famous saying in filmmaking, that ‘no one knows anything’, but I think the reason this film is being picked up everywhere is because it is genuinely funny. The cast is out of this world; the storyline is bonkers. It has great one-liners and officially the slowest Car chase in cinema history involving a fleet of 8mph dumper trucks!”

Keeping Up with the Tom Joneses!

The makers of a controversial Welsh Valleys feature film are offering lucky cinema goers the chance to see the new film for free as many times as they like.

The producers of the hotly tipped comedy, 'A Bit of Tom Jones?'  say anyone can see their film for free as many times as they want during its run in any cinema in Wales in November -  providing they can prove their name is really Tom Jones.

"All you have to do is show up with your passport or photo ID proving you are a real Tom Jones and it's free!”, says Producer Andrew Jenkins.  “We'll even throw in a free box of pop corn and a drink.  If you leave us your address, we'll even send you copy of the film when it comes out on DVD”.

Terry Ashton of the Savoy Cinema Monmouth, which is showing the film from Nov 13th says. 'Giving free tickets to real Tom Joneses is a crazy, daft fun idea that captures the madcap silliness of this very funny film.'

‘A Bit of Tom Jones?’ Is being screened at the following cinemas from this weekend:

Film Premiere - 6 November 2009: VUE Methyr at 7pm.  VUE Cardiff at 8pm and  Savoy Monmouth 8pm. 

9 November 2009 - Swansea Taliesin - sold out

Opens 13 November 2009 at the Apollo Port Talbot and Rhyl, and Market Hall Cinema Brynmawr for one week.


For further cinema dates and more information visit: www.abitoftomjonesthemovie.com